Why I Think Uou Should “Rip off the Bandage” When Redecorating Your Home
We all know how painful it can be to just rip a bandage off. As awful as that moment is – holding your breath, counting to three, and giving a really hard pull while you grit your teeth – it’s the best way to just get the pain over and done. I feel it’s also the best solution when you’re redecorating or remodeling your home. Don’t just patch it up with a bandage – rip it off!
Have a Financial Plan
Before beginning ANY redecorating or remodeling project, you must have a plan for what you can spend. Only you know what you’re comfortable with. You may not be aware of what things cost, but a professional interior decorator or designer (or contractor) will be able to guide you through and explain
that quality products will always cost more, but last longer. Hint: it’s probably more than you think it is. If you look at your home as an investment in your lifestyle and family vs. an expense, the bandage is so much easier to remove.Before: boring chandelier and vanilla wallsA previous client was using my Budget Worksheets and marking what she felt would be a good price point to redecorate her living, family, and dining room spaces. When she added up EVERYTHING on the list, she was at almost $100,000. Her comfort level was $60,000. She knew before she started the project where she wanted to be, and I was able to guide her through the process and make the best use of the dollars she had. And just an FYI – she’s the one who inspired this blog post. When we were talking about it later, she said, “We had saved the money and set it aside to do our home. Instead of doing it little by little, we decided to just rip off the bandage. Now we can enjoy our home every day instead of dragging out the process for years.”
Don’t Nitpick the Details
When you’re in the middle of renovations it may be hard to imagine the final space. All of a sudden, you’re second-guessing the choices. When I did this coffee area in Preston Lake, we chose the paint colors based on the furnishings that would be going into the space. Mr. Client HATED the paint color for this area when he saw it. But he was seeing ONLY the paint color (he called it toothpaste) – not a completed space.
I promised him that if he still hated it when everything was in place, we’d look at alternatives. In the end, he absolutely loved it. If this client had started second-guessing the design halfway through the process it would have completely changed the space. And cost him more money to select a new color and have it repainted.
Less Interruption to Your Life & Routines
Redecorating & Remodeling can be a difficult process to endure. I often use the phrase “it’s a lot like
having a baby”. By planning ahead and then living through it all just ONCE it can make it so much easier on your family & your sanity. Yes, it stinks to lose your kitchen for 6 weeks or so. But it’s easier than doing it in small increments and disrupting your life fewer times to get the space you’ve always dreamed of having. I can tell you from my own experience in this – my parents built the kitchen cabinets I designed.
We lived for 18 months without counter tops – we put down plywood and covered it with contact paper. And we didn’t have a functioning dishwasher for 6 months. We lived without doors on our cabinets for a year. You know the phrase “the cobbler’s children have no shoes”? I had no kitchen. And then they both passed away before it was completed. So now I have to hire someone to finish the details. I’ve never published it before, but here are a few of the “in process” pics. We started this in November of 2014 and as of today (June 2020) it’s not 100% complete.
Before beginning ANY redecorating or remodeling project, you must have a plan for what you can spend. Only you know what you’re comfortable with. You may not be aware of what things cost, but a professional interior decorator or designer (or contractor) will be able to guide you through and explain
that quality products will always cost more, but last longer. Hint: it’s probably more than you think it is. If you look at your home as an investment in your lifestyle and family vs. an expense, the bandage is so much easier to remove.Before: boring chandelier and vanilla wallsA previous client was using my Budget Worksheets and marking what she felt would be a good price point to redecorate her living, family, and dining room spaces. When she added up EVERYTHING on the list, she was at almost $100,000. Her comfort level was $60,000. She knew before she started the project where she wanted to be, and I was able to guide her through the process and make the best use of the dollars she had. And just an FYI – she’s the one who inspired this blog post. When we were talking about it later, she said, “We had saved the money and set it aside to do our home. Instead of doing it little by little, we decided to just rip off the bandage. Now we can enjoy our home every day instead of dragging out the process for years.”Don’t Nitpick the Details
When you’re in the middle of renovations it may be hard to imagine the final space. All of a sudden, you’re second-guessing the choices. When I did this coffee area in Preston Lake, we chose the paint colors based on the furnishings that would be going into the space. Mr. Client HATED the paint color for this area when he saw it. But he was seeing ONLY the paint color (he called it toothpaste) – not a completed space.
I promised him that if he still hated it when everything was in place, we’d look at alternatives. In the end, he absolutely loved it. If this client had started second-guessing the design halfway through the process it would have completely changed the space. And cost him more money to select a new color and have it repainted.Less Interruption to Your Life & Routines
Redecorating & Remodeling can be a difficult process to endure. I often use the phrase “it’s a lot like
having a baby”. By planning ahead and then living through it all just ONCE it can make it so much easier on your family & your sanity. Yes, it stinks to lose your kitchen for 6 weeks or so. But it’s easier than doing it in small increments and disrupting your life fewer times to get the space you’ve always dreamed of having. I can tell you from my own experience in this – my parents built the kitchen cabinets I designed.We lived for 18 months without counter tops – we put down plywood and covered it with contact paper. And we didn’t have a functioning dishwasher for 6 months. We lived without doors on our cabinets for a year. You know the phrase “the cobbler’s children have no shoes”? I had no kitchen. And then they both passed away before it was completed. So now I have to hire someone to finish the details. I’ve never published it before, but here are a few of the “in process” pics. We started this in November of 2014 and as of today (June 2020) it’s not 100% complete.
I can only imagine how much better my life would have been if I’d been able to spend a month or two on this renovation… And sadly, as beautiful as my kitchen is now – it caused me so much pain through the process that I don’t fully appreciate it. We don’t want you to feel that way about your project.
Final Reveal is a Moment to Enjoy
On a happier note – the Final Reveal is always the highlight of any redecorating or remodeling project.
It’s a moment when the clients get to see their space. The phrase I hear most often is, “I can’t believe this is our home! It looks like a magazine!” BINGO. We didn’t waste years of your life – it was all pulled together in just a few months. Even the Purple Project – which required removing three walls, gutting the kitchen, and refinishing the floors – was done within six months of the initial Consultation.
Final Reveal is a Moment to Enjoy
On a happier note – the Final Reveal is always the highlight of any redecorating or remodeling project.
It’s a moment when the clients get to see their space. The phrase I hear most often is, “I can’t believe this is our home! It looks like a magazine!” BINGO. We didn’t waste years of your life – it was all pulled together in just a few months. Even the Purple Project – which required removing three walls, gutting the kitchen, and refinishing the floors – was done within six months of the initial Consultation.Rip off the Bandage and Don’t Suffer Through It
While it may hurt for just a little while, it’s definitely easier in the long run to set the money aside for your project in advance, get professionals to do the design / demo / construction work, and walk in to your newly redecorated or renovated space. Your sanity will thank you in the long run.
Until next time… xoxo Crystal
While it may hurt for just a little while, it’s definitely easier in the long run to set the money aside for your project in advance, get professionals to do the design / demo / construction work, and walk in to your newly redecorated or renovated space. Your sanity will thank you in the long run.
Until next time… xoxo Crystal
Crystal Ortiz
Bluestone Decorating
Bluestone Decorating
