Getting Started
Are you thinking of starting a renovation project, but can’t decide where to begin? You’re not alone. Any design project is going to come with seemingly endless decisions. From fixtures to finishes, design details must be carefully chosen, but the number of options today can make it a daunting task. Fortunately, once you lock in just one or two decisions, the rest of the project details usually fall into place like dominoes. But, where do you start?
Obviously, personal taste and a realistic budget are going to come into play, but that only narrows the field so much. Some projects are lucky enough to start off with an “ah-ha!” moment or a sudden bolt of inspiration. Perhaps you find the perfect rug or couch or countertop, and the rest of the design simply revolves around it. In that case, your choices are narrowed down to the finishes that work best with the chosen item. Not every project has an inspiration piece, though. Some require strategy to reduce your options and keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
Let’s say that you decide you want a white kitchen. It’s a timeless look and still very on trend. You’ve narrowed down the cabinet color, backsplash, and countertop to white. That narrows the field, but you still have a lot of options. White comes in a mind-boggling number of tints, and everything needs to work together. It can be tricky. You might be tempted to run to the nearest hardware store and grab a white paint sample as your starting point, but locking down a paint color could complicate matters. Instead, I would start with the part of the project that offers you the fewest options.
In our white kitchen, that would be the countertops. Granite and quartz countertops do come in a wide variety of colors, but only a handful of them will be white. This is particularly true if you are looking for a solid white or marble look. Fewer options make for an easier and quicker decision process. Now, your design project can start gaining momentum, and you won’t feel so overwhelmed. From here, I would look at tile. You probably have more options for white tiles, but having chosen your countertops, those will be easy to narrow down. Then, you can move on to cabinet paint. Most cabinet manufacturers have a wide variety of whites, but only one or two will work well with your countertop and backsplash. Better yet, custom cabinets can just be painted whatever white works the best with the other finishes you chose. Finally, you can take that trip to the hardware store paint aisle. With all your other finishes locked in, choosing a wall paint will be much easier.
Obviously, this is just one example, but the general system works with any design project. Maybe, for a living room redo, you can only choose between three couches that fit your budget and overall color scheme. Pick one, and that will dictate the arm chairs, then the rug, and finally the wall color. The key is to find whatever choice is going to be the easiest, either because of fewer options or because inspiration struck in the form of a finish or piece of furniture. That choice will then naturally narrow down the options for the rest of your design decisions.
Just remember that design should be fun, not overwhelming. Get started on the right path, and the rest will fall into place.
Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels
