My new home needs updating, but where do I start?

Believe it or not, there is a logical answer to this question! I'm sure you have already decided that you want to paint your living room that beautiful shade of blue that your cousin has in her guest room, or paint your bathroom that sunny yellow your mom has in her Florida room, but before you do, you need to take some other things into consideration! Having my degree in Interior Design, I could write a book full of advice and suggestions, but I'm going to try to keep the topic of this blog post on the order of operations only.

I need to start by asking, "What all will you be updating?"

Flooring? Cabinets? Countertops? Window treatments? Take a look around and make a list of everything you want to update. I don't mean the order in which you will be updating, but the OVERALL list, even if you don't expect to finish for a year or two. Next, you will want to choose materials based on what you have the least amount of choices. It's much easier to match a paint color to a countertop than to find a countertop to match a paint color due to the number of available choices of those two things!!! Here is the order that I suggest you pick out materials:

1. Countertops - Yes, I know, there seems like endless choices and with all the latest and greatest manmade products... you do have a lot to choose from, but it's not always about the color. You may have to choose based on the size of slabs you can get. You may have an island in your kitchen that is 4 feet by 8 feet. Do you want a seam running down the middle of the island? Or do you want it to all be one piece? You will definitely want to check the prices of each material! You could pay as little as $45.00/square foot or as much as $150.00/square foot! How many square feet do you need? Take the time to think through your countertop decision! How can you prevent a lot of seems? What color can I choose that won't be outdated in 5 years?

2. Backsplash - Since your backsplash goes right beside your countertops, you'll want those to look great together! This is the logical next step, and should really be done together with your countertop choice. There are many tiles to choose from, but again, the price range is all over the place! You might have splurged on the countertop, so you want to stay in a reasonable price range for the backsplash, but are there any affordable backsplash tiles that look good with your countertops? Choosing these together might help keep you in budget.

3. Hardware and Fixtures - Will you use brushed nickel? Stainless Steel? Bronze? Make sure you find hardware and lighting fixtures and plumbing fixtures that you like in the material you choose.

4. Flooring and Fabric - The only reason I put these together is because they both have about the same amount of choices...there are quite a lot of fabrics out there for making draperies, cushions, etc... and there are quite a lot of flooring options too...You'll want to make sure these things look nice with the things you have already chosen. On the other hand, you may have decided to keep the flooring that is already in the home. In that case, just make sure the countertops and backsplash look good with the floors before moving on to your other choices.

5. Paint - This is ALWAYS the LAST thing you choose! There are millions of paint colors! You can still have a beautiful shade of blue like your cousin, but it might be a shade different because you matched the blue veining in your new quartz countertops, not her guest room! Or, you may have thought that any white would do, but since you have those beautiful granite countertops with white veining, you can match THAT white.

IMPORTANT TIP: Take your paint samples to your home. Don't make any paint choices in the paint store! Different lighting can change the way the color is reflected from the paint, so be sure to look at that color under YOUR LIGHTING in your home.

Before you start your remodel, try to have these materials chosen, even if you won't use them for another year. You need to have a plan in place to help guide you through the process and help keep you on track.

Other things to keep in mind:

-North facing rooms will be darker, so try lighter paint colors in those rooms and in rooms with no windows.

-Too much wood can be overwhelming. Have you ever seen a kitchen with wood floors and wood cabinets? There's nothing wrong with that, but the colors you choose do matter! It doesn't work in every home, so be careful with mixing and matching too many wood surfaces.

-Work on ONE ROOM AT A TIME! When you finish a room, you have accomplished something wonderful! The whole remodel project get's overwhelming if you have little odds and ends that need to be completed in each room...stay focused on one room and get it done!

-White paint can change colors depending on what you put it beside. Don't underestimate the importance of choosing the correct shade of white! You don't want it to appear to be yellow, gray, purple or pink...it is crucial that you bring your WHITE paint sample into your home and put them next to the materials they will be beside. Check it in the day time with natural sunlight and check it at night with your lights and lamps on.

-Just like when you prepare your home for the market, you'll want to do some little things that can have a huge impact on the look of your home. For more ideas, see the document below.

“The opinions expressed on this blog are my personal opinions, and they don’t reflect those of my company.”

preparing-your-home-for-the-market.pdf

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