A good designer will start by trying to understand how you feel about what you have and what you’d like to change. They’ll also want to know how you use your home now, and how you may use it in 10 years. They want to share your vision of the finished product before they put pencil to paper.

Much of what the designer will spend time talking to you about (at $100 per hour) you can think about and determine ahead of time. The more carefully you have thought through your design issues, the more solid information you can bring with you on your first meeting with the designer, the less you will have to pay them to coax out of you what you already know.

ENVISION THE FINISHED SPACE

Close your eyes.

Watch yourself make a meal in your current kitchen. Notice what your eye lands on as you look around the room. Are there any dark corners? Does the workspace feel cramped? Do you have enough storage space? Are your appliances up to date?

Now, with your eyes still closed, begin to test some changes. Replace the flooring – try Mexican tile, sheet vinyl, modern vinyl tile, hardwood planking. Change the colors on the walls, the style of the cabinets, the layout of the work areas (sink, refrigerator, stove). Add a little light in the darkest corners or at the eating area. When you’ve put together an idea of what you want, lock it in. Open your eyes and make notes immediately.

NOW DO A DETAILED ANALYSIS

Post two lists on your refrigerator: "What I Like" and "What I Don’t Like" (about the space I’m working on), and for the next several weeks, become super-conscious of how you use the space, what makes you feel good and what annoys you. The "What I Like" list will become a list of things you don’t want the designer to change. The "What I Don’t Like" list is your list of design challenges.

LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS TO YOUR DESIGN CHALLENGES

Buy a bunch of design magazines. Look at the best ones – don’t worry about costs yet; a part of your designer’s job is to find materials in the market that look like what you’ve chosen and fit your budget too. Just start collecting photos of things you like that solve your design problems.

SET YOUR DESIGN BUDGET

There are expenses associated with a construction project that will not buy you any construction work, for example, the fee the banker will charge you to close your loan, or the design fee. You must set aside allowances for these kinds of soft costs, and for the cost of correcting problems that turn up as the work is progressing. Please see the article called Setting a Budget You Can Stick To in the Planning section of Remodeling Tips for more information.

But when you arrive at the designer’s office, the first thing they’ll ask is, "What is your budget?" You must determine ahead of time what your design budget will be, and then hold the line. If your designer finds something absolutely wonderful that you must have but didn’t plan to buy, you will have to sacrifice some other bit of work to get it. Try not to exceed your budget on an impulse

BEGIN "CONCEPT DESIGN"

Once they know the budget, the first thing the designer will do is measure your house, draw a dimensioned floor plan of your existing space, and doodle some ideas for you on tracing paper. Since you’ve already done so much thinking about what works for you and what doesn’t, you’ll be able to get a great finished design very quickly, and save lots of money on fees too.

MORE INFORMATION

You’ll find lots more information about the home remodeling process in Managing a Renovation: Staying in Charge and Out of Trouble, our friendly and comprehensive homeowner’s guide to remodeling project management. Download the table of contents and a sample chapter, or go to the order form to purchase it.

We offer ready-to-use construction forms, including a complete remodeling contract, in our Bookstore, as well. Have a look.

And, you may want to look at our list of More Resources for some great design ideas.

  Site design by: Lee Ann Obringer, Marketing Communications and Design