Renovating... 5 things I'd do differently next time
1 - Carpet - I wasn't happy with my carpet choice after a few months of living with it.
- Choose the right carpet for your space by really thinking about how much foot traffic there will be - some carpets pile can flatten in high traffic areas.
- Choose a colour/pattern that you love but that is also practical for your home and family.
- Go to as many different shops as possible and check out their ranges.
- Take samples home for a few days so you can look at them at different times of the day and in different light.
- Ensure that you are happy with what material it is made of - wool, nylon, wool blends etc.
2 - Window Furnishings - I wish I had put in pelmets above every window in our upstairs level.
- Take the time during planning to choose your window furnishings before you start renovating or building to save the headaches when installation comes around.
- This way you will know whether you need pelmets above your windows (if you want to conceal your blinds), what type of window frames will work best for your design and how the windows opening will affect your blinds/curtains.
3 - Shower Niches - I went for a bevelled edge tile which negatively affected the look of my shower niche.
- If you are after a clean and modern looking bathroom then a shower niche (tiled built in shower shelves) is your go to.
- Aluminium strips are not ideal as edging - always avoid this if possible.
- Beware of bevelled edges, round shapes, small mosaics and fragile stone tiles - any of these can really throw a spanner in your works when creating a niche as they can be hard for the tiler to cut and grout as an edge, which is where to dreaded aluminium strip comes in.
4 - Lighting - Be careful when following trends - we changed our minds last minute and had to rewire which costs money, takes time and creates mess.
- Pendant lights are so hot right now and are featuring everywhere from bedrooms to bathrooms to kitchens and dining rooms.
- Choose carefully to ensure that you will still love your light in years to come.
- Be brave - you don't have to do what everyone else is doing.
- Give your electrician a really thought out and precise plan before he starts - and if they are super nice maybe they can do some back up wiring in your walls/ceiling in case you change your mind from 1-2 lights, the positioning and things like that.
5 - Precise Plumbing Planning - We put in our bath drain before choosing the bath - not ideal!
- If possible always choose ALL your bathroom pieces that need to be plumbed in before your plumber starts roughing it in (plumber speak for putting all the pipes etc in the correct spots).
- The worst case scenario if you don't do this is that you end up with taps/spouts/buttons that don't align with your bath/vanity/toilet - which isn't great aesthetically or for functionality.
If you need any more advice or tips please comment below.
D + P