By We’ve been talking recently about homes – you can read about building here, buying here, and mortgages here. Today, I wanted to share my recent experience and a few tips from remodeling both my personal home and our Family Financial Partners office.
When it came to my personal space, before I started any demolition, I collected images that caught my eye. Every time I saw something I liked, I ripped it out to save. I also created a vision board on Pinterest where I could save images of homes and rooms I liked online. This is a good way to capture the vibe, feel and function of what you’re looking for, which can help drive decisions.
Try to be mindful of how things will function in real life. Some home design elements are beautiful, but in reality are temperamental and hard to maintain. Everything looks great online when it’s styled and staged by a designer, but real life can be a different story. Try to find a builder who has an eye for function as well as form. My builder helped advise me on the best use of space with the drawers in my kitchen, and it made a world of difference. Be sure to get the drawings and renderings of your space from the contractor as well.
Make sure you don’t neglect lighting. You want your lighting to be functional and inviting, and you want people to look good. In addition to traditional ceiling lights, think about things like under-cabinet lighting, dimmable lights, and transom lights to creatively illuminate your space.
If you’re working with spaces that didn’t quite work the way you wanted them to prior to your remodel, take some time to really think about how to make those spaces more functional. The former operations space in our office just never quite worked properly as a workspace – there were no windows, and desks ended up facing the walls with everyone’s backs to each other. So, we moved ops to a new space and turned the old area into a luxurious lounge for our clients (and occasionally staff!) to enjoy.
Of course, COVID and other factors have created a few supply chain issues. Our new office built-ins took far longer than anticipated due to the lack of available materials, and work-force shortages affected our timeline as well. These things may not be in your control, but do keep these factors in mind if you’re thinking of starting a project and try to be patient and flexible. If you’re thinking about remodeling, building or buying a home, make sure to give our team a call. We’re happy to help you create your budget, and offer up any advice you may want. Let’s talk soon.
Article by McKellar Ciurlizza, Director of Client Services at Family Financial Partners — a financial services firm in Lexington, Kentucky.
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