If you want to renovate your home but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. The sheer number of options often makes the first step difficult. But when you proceed in the right order, creating your dream home is much easier than you think. Here is our five-step roadmap.
1. Clarify your style
Collect images you like in a folder, drawing inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram. After a while, what these images have in common will become clear by itself: perhaps always wood and natural textures, perhaps clean lines and dark tones. If you find it hard to define your own style, our guide to furniture styles is a good place to start.
2. Create your colour palette
The tones you choose set the atmosphere of the whole space. Choosing a main neutral, a supporting tone and an accent colour gives the whole home a consistent look. When creating your palette, you can use our articles on 4 colour pairings and colour psychology.
3. Analyse the space
Measure your rooms accurately and note the positions of windows, doors, sockets and radiators. Use these measurements to create a functional layout plan. What will each area be used for, where will circulation flow, where will storage go? The answers to these questions determine the size of every piece of furniture you buy.
4. Plan furniture and lighting together
Furniture layout and lighting cannot be planned separately. The right light always highlights the right furniture: a pendant over the dining table, a floor lamp next to the reading chair, hidden lighting in the TV unit… Setting electrical points before the layout is finalised leads to mistakes that require breaking walls later. Read our article on the right furniture layout on this topic.
5. Implementation
The last step is implementation. Small details make big differences; having made most of your decisions before work starts speeds up the process and protects your budget. To plan your budget step by step, read our article on planning a renovation budget.
Frequently asked questions
Should you buy furniture first or paint first?
First the plan and colour palette are defined; work such as painting and flooring is done before the furniture. However, furniture choices should be finalised at the planning stage.
Should I renovate the whole house at once?
If budget and time allow, yes; if not, you can start with the common areas and proceed in stages. What matters is that the whole home is thought through from the start according to a single plan.
For support at every step of the process, take a look at our decoration & renovation service.
