If you're anything like me, starting a new home project is so exciting. There is an abundance of ideas and possibilities, and you're finally tackling something that has likely been sitting on a to-do list for years. So finally, the time arrives to dig in, and it's like a kid in a candy store: ordering paint and wallpaper samples, shopping for a couch, and drooling over art prints that will look just like vintage oil paintings.
But wait.
Stop.
This is NOT what we should be doing at the start of the project.
Nope, not at all.
Unfortunately, the first steps to tackling your home project have nothing to do with pretty things; it doesn't involve shopping, ordering or spending a dime. It has to do with getting clear on what you're doing within this project, how much you will spend, and when this project will take place. I do these steps with every single client project and guarantee it will help you with your project. Let me break it down into four steps.
Images via 13th Avenue Interiors
1 Make a list of everything you intend to include in this project. From soup to nuts, what will you need to buy or hire out to do for this project? Take a pen and write it down. Not sure what you need? Stand in your room, go from corner to corner, and take stalk of everything you can think of. Be sure to include what you'll need to spend time and money on, like:
Furniture (like a new sofa, a bed, stools for the kitchen island)
Decor (like a rug, bedside lamps, pillow covers, pillow inserts)
Hard furnishings (new light fixtures, hardware, and wall treatments)
Professional help (a painter, an electrician to change out light fixtures, a handyman for repairs)
*Special note from me: don't assume you can do everything yourself.
And if you can, should you? Will that get the best result?
Don't hold back; let yourself make a long list of everything that comes to mind. Seeing this list can be overwhelming, especially knowing it will cost you time and money. I get that, but the point of this exercise is to go into your project with eyes wide open.
2 Take that same list and identify what is a NEED and what is a WANT. We're doing this, so your list is 1. Slightly less daunting, and 2. So when you're in the middle of your project, you can make intelligent decisions based on the original intent versus getting swept up in impulsive decisions. This can be a subjective task depending upon the size of your project, your skillsets, and your overall time and money budget, so follow your instincts and be honest with yourself.
Things you NEED may include replacing the family room sofa that is worn, uncomfortable, and looks a little shabby. You may need to hire an electrician because your fixture is on a high ceiling, and electrical work is best left to licensed professionals.
While something you WANT may be an accent chair that is a brighter color, you may want to hire a painter, but you could do it yourself because you have experience and don't mind doing it.
3 Assign a budget to each item on your list. You knew this was coming, the money part because while it's un-fun, it's the most important part of keeping a project in check. Assign a dollar value to how much you are budgeting for each item on your list. Unsure how much things cost? Do some research by clicking on your favorite home goods websites and scroll through the product page to see the average costs.
Be realistic about prices and what things cost, even if it scares you a little. Don't go online; sort by price and then use the lowest number. That will pigeonhole your budget and guarantee you pick things solely based on price instead of functionality and quality. Add up your needs and your wants to get your total expected investment.
4 Assign a deadline for when this project will be done. Maybe you have a date you are working towards (when someone is coming to stay, or a baby is being born, or before the summer), or maybe you just need to put a line in the sand (we will be enjoying our new living room by May 1st). However, you get to it, pick a date for the project to be done and write it on your project list in pen! Know why you chose that date and remember that as you start "doing" the things in your project.
Images via 13th Avenue Interiors
These four steps are absolutely the best way to align your dreams and expectations with reality. How do I know that? Because I use this same practice within my design business, on each client and project, and in my own home projects.
Stay tuned for upcoming posts with an example of how I did this in my own home and what comes next after this step. In the meantime, leave a comment sharing how these steps work for you.
XOXO
-L
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