Planning For Your Renovation Using Houzz and Pinterest
The first phase of any renovation is simply dreaming about it. Pondering what you’d like the new space to do for you, how it should look and how it will stand the test of time. Any type of renovation; be it basement, laundry room, kitchen, bathroom, garage, interior or exterior requires careful thought and planning before you will feel ready to say ‘Let’s make this happen’. People will spend weeks, months and even years in this “thinking about it” phase.
“The details are not the details. They make the design.”
– Charles Eames
In the thinking phase, before you feel quite ready to contact a design professional or renovation company, technology can be a wonderful thing. Consider checking out what online tools like Houzz and Pinterest can do. Here are some of the benefits and ways you can use them to work for you.
1. Create multiple inspiration boards
It can be very helpful to have a “mood” board. This can be used to save photos of spaces where you like the feel of the room. Using your gut, not your head, save images that appeal to you. Don’t worry if the layout, size or architecture of the room is different than your home. A designer can later look at your collection and get a feel for what appeals to you and they will likely find a common thread in colours, textures and style, even if you feel like the images are quite disparate.
Tips:
- Create separate boards that show more specifically what you like. Details like light fixtures, tile, pullouts, storage features and other ideas that you can later show a designer.
- Don’t be discouraged if a lot of the photos you are seeing are of large open rooms. This is often because it’s much harder to take great photos of smaller spaces. You will still be able to get a similar feel in a room of a different size, if done right.
2. Partners can create separate boards
If you and your partner have different design tastes, it can be helpful for each to create separate inspiration boards.
At the end of the day, it can be surprising how well a trained designer can look at both (very different) mood boards, find some common elements, and create a style that works for both of you. You might have even saved yourself some marriage counseling!
3. Collaborate and share boards with people
This can be helpful when you are ready to work with a designer/contractor. There are settings that you can use down the line which will allow you to share these boards or even to add your designer on to the boards as a collaborator. An image really is worth a thousand words when you are trying to communicate a visual concept.
Tips:
- Houzz is a really good resource:
- There are some really good educational articles available on all kinds of design/renovation/architectural topics.
- When you see something you like in a photo, and you want to know more, Houzz offers the ability for you to pose questions to the originator of the photograph or project.
- With Pintrest you can save all kinds of information for later
- Pintrest allows you to save more than just photos. Videos and links to articles that you find anywhere on the internet can all be saved in one spot.
Use Our Designs to Fuel Your Imagination
One of the best ways to get to know a design/renovate company is to check out their portfolio. You can visit our profiles on Houzz and Pintrest for inspiration, or check out our galleries online.
Visit our profiles on Houzz and Pintrest for inspiration!
