What to Look for in a Remodeling Design Pro

Remodeling is more than knocking a few walls down and adding a fresh coat of paint. It takes a lot of planning, strategizing, analyzing, and a little bit of design know-how.

A lot of complaints I hear from homeowners is that the designer or architect they hire for their remodel is imposing their vision and not the clients’ vision. Granted, a designer or architect knows what looks good — and more importantly — what is functional. But it’s also important not to let them push their design agenda on you. You will be living in the space — not them!

When working with any designer or architect, you want to make sure they listen to you, and translate your vision  into a space plan that works for you and how you live.

Here’s a perfect example of why having a designer is important to think about functionality.  I was called in to help get project on track. The contractor hastily came up with a plan just to have something submitted to the city. He didn’t think about the layout of the kitchen. When it was all said and done, you couldn’t open the kitchen cabinets up all the way because they were bumping into the island. With a hastily drawn layout, functionality was thrown out the window. Nobody took into consideration the fact that the cabinet doors had to be able to actually open! Even though the measurements were all off, the city was still handed (and approved) a plan that — on paper — seemed to work.

So, who do you hire?

There are draftsman, architects and space planners. Someone whose strong skill set is in space planning brings style and function together. Not all architects are great at space planning or designing a plan that works for a client. One particular architect who was also a draftsperson came up with a layout without thinking about consequences. There was no 3D rendering and no preview of the space. Had construction began before the dysfunctional spatial planning was caught, the remodel would have been mired in change orders. 

Space planning is part art and part science.

A space planner analyzes how the space is used, and can foresee the activities that take place in that space. They can see the bigger picture of the remodel rather than just a beautiful design.

When you’re planning your space, you always need to start with what you have. If you don’t have an existing floor plan, you need to have one drawn, so know what you are starting out with in order to see the way out before you can make changes.

If you work with an architect, you’ll want to make sure that the person designing your home is: 1. Asking questions about your lifestyle, how you live, and how you want your space to reflect that, and 2. Making sure they are listening to you.

So, before you begin knocking down walls and designing a picture perfect space, you’ll want to make sure you hire someone who knows how to create a beautiful and functional space that works for you.

To learn more about remodeling, read my book Remodel Success: Home Remodeling Done Right, On Time, and On Budget.