Tackle Home Design with a Star Lineup
You’re ready to tackle your new home build or remodel your existing home and your trying to decide if you want to be the team manager, coach, and quarterback. Do you have the time and know-how for planning the strategy, writing the playbook, calling the plays, motivating the team players, hiring and overseeing all the players, and pulling all the details together for the win. More likely, you have an idea about what you want the team uniforms to look like, an excitement to watch the games from the sidelines, and vision of a glorious win at the end of the season. If that sounds more like you, you’ll want to recruit pros for the top team positions – in this case an interior designer, a contractor, and likely an architect. Let’s look at who these pros are and why you want them on your home project:
The Interior Designer
My personal favorite team position. Often, choosing an interior designer is the first hire on your roster. Your designer can assist in putting the team together. A good interior designer can help you express your inner vision, asking questions to discover your dreams, needs, and goals, then help you convey your vision to the architect and contractor, acting as your on-the-field guide and go-between. The designer is a mix of detail oriented and artistic, keeping the endless details of your project in play and the overall vision in sight as well. Your designer coordinates with the contractor and often recommends specific professionals in the various trades to see your home design come together perfectly.
You’ll get the benefit of a trained designer’s eye. Your designer can help you see possibilities you might not have envisioned and steer you away from poor design choices. A designer will also keep you realistic about your budget. Often, your designer knows where to find the best prices and has access to resources only available to design professionals.
Your interior designer can suggest color combinations you might not have imagined on your own, as well as textures and lighting effects. Designers can develop 3D renderings to help you see the design and help you shop for the perfect furnishings and accessories at the best prices. Designers stay on top of design trends and have the training, insight, knowledge and artistic vision to bring that WOW factor to your home design.
If you are only looking to redecorate your home, the designer will be the only pro needed for your project (or will be able to bring in pros from various trades to do installations). But if your undertaking a larger remodel or new build, you’ll need to expand the team to include a contractor and possibly an architect.
The Contractor
The contractor guides you in filling your team with star players, they learn the playbook know how to follow it, they can troubleshoot on the field, and they keep the players in line. Your contractor will bring the architect’s vision to life. They are familiar with all the different trades from plumbers to electricians to carpenters to tile experts and beyond. They know which players to call off the bench at what time, who to overlap and who must go in a specific order, and they have a network of working relationships with professionals in all the trades. They are good troubleshooters and can often head off trouble quickly if they see someone veering away from the playbook. They can also help you with specific goals like going green or being energy efficient. They know what works and what doesn’t through experience and who does it best. This can also save your time, money and stress throughout your project and make sure you achieve the home of your dreams.
The Architect
Architects know the league rulebook forward and backward and they write the team playbook. The architect does more than just draw home plans. Architects are well-versed in building codes and zoning laws. They work effectively with contractors to make sure the design is realized. They are creative problem-solvers, often finding ways to help homeowners get most of their wish-list items included in the budget. They guide homeowners away from awkward functional layouts by visualizing what it would be like to live inside the design. They think of all the details from the placement of electrical outlets and molding to energy-efficient heating and cooling to green building options. They also see the big picture, designing total environments rather than walls, floors and roofs. All this expertise can actually save you money in the long run!
Bringing this team together will undoubtedly save you time and stress. You’ll have trained professionals to help you make decisions and keep your project on time and budget. You’ll have others to track the details, make the phone calls, keep the checklists and monitor the work in process. Sweet relief!
Touchdown!
These kitchen transformations represent a culmination of professional knowledge along with thousands of decisions and details that came together in beautiful final designs. Go team!
Predictions for 2014
2014 is shaping up to be an exciting year! Optimism is the air and future is bright for home ownership. Here are some predictions what 2014 holds from 3 professionals in the market:
- Real Estate
- Architecture
- Interior Design
I asked Amy Antonacci, a full-service real estate professional with Baird & Warner, for her predictions on the housing market:
Q: Do you see the housing market continuing to mprove in 2014 or do you expect a leveling off or even a decline?
A: I do see the housing market continuing to improve in 2014. I believe that both buyers and sellers are more realistic than they have been in the past several years and they are more ready to act. People have waited for a long time to move on with their lives and there is more certainty surrounding the housing market than in the past. Although interest rates are projected to rise over the course of the year, they are still at unprecedented lows and there are still “deals” to be had. -Amy
Amy Antonacci
Michael Menn of Michael Menn Ltd. offered his take on the outlook for 2014:
Q: What do you see in home building or remodeling trends in 2014?
A: I am cautiously optimistic about 2014 because of governmental interference with the banking industry, mainly the Dodd/Frank act. That being said, I predict that 2014 will be similar to 2013.
Similar trends with Kitchen and Bathroom renovations being top on the list. This is mainly because the boomer generation is staying in their living environments longer and remodeling those spaces they spend the most time in (Master Bath, Kitchen and Family Room). I also see that outdoor living spaces (hot tubs, outdoor kitchens, decks, patios will also be strong. Another area that will continue on being constantly asked for: three and four season rooms. Color in your home will also be strong. Instead of accent walls you will see color throughout, bright colors – just not strong and bold. White kitchens will remain as the number one kitchen asked for. Lastly, a strong asked for trend that I think will remain in 2014 is curb appeal – people spending money on renovating their street presence. -Michael
Michael Menn
From the interior design perspective, I am excited about 2014. I am finding that people are more optimistic about changing their living environment. I think in many cases, people have been tired of feeling like they cannot move forward and have the homes they love. I am also seeing people be more creative in their use of space and expect that to continue. Gone are the days of formal rooms (for the most part) and people are living and entertaining more casually. I also expect to see more emphasis on the “outdoor rooms”: the decks, outdoor kitchens and patios that help people enjoy the warmer weather. -Cathy
Catherine Schager
Your Dream (Remodeling) Team
Welcome back! Last week I talked about the need to compose a “dream team” when you’re embarking on a remodeling project. This week, I’d like to introduce the members that may make up your team, and how they help bring you the home you’ve always wanted.
I’ll introduce them in alphabetical order – so as not to offend anyone!
- Architect- if you’re planning a major remodel, addition, or any sort of project that affects the structure and structural stability of your home, you’ll need an architect on your team. Sometimes, they’re the first point of contact, sometimes they’re brought in by others on your team.
2. Contractor: They coordinate the performance of all the necessary work. I can’t stress enough the importance of having a good contractor. You need to have someone who is trustworthy, competent, and someone you can have a good rapport with. Of all your team members, you’ll see their “people” most often. They’ll practically be living with you during demolition and construction.
3. Interior Designer: Can assist you from the concept through completion of your project. Can be instrumental in bringing your ideas together into a cohesive whole and in pulling it all together with the creation of the design, material and color selections, and finishing touches.
When creating your “dream team” you can select one team member who will often introduce or refer you to people they know and work with well, but most will be flexible enough to work with whomever you select.
The important thing to remember in selecting your team is to look for those who communicate well and enjoy the collaborative process. A great team can capitalize on each others’ expertise and take your project from good to fabulous!
