Robin W.

What was your favorite part of your build or remodel?

Planning and Design.  It was so much fun to think about how I wanted each room to look and imagine living in the finished space. I think the thing that helped me the most was laying out the furniture on paper, making sure that each room functioned well and that all of the pieces I wanted to use would fit. We used an extra copy of our printed house plans to pencil in the actual size of the furniture. I’m sure there are also software programs that you can use, but we preferred the old school method. Also, if you work with an interior designer, (we did not) they can offer some help with this as well. It helped define walking spaces and showed us where wall or floor finishes may have needed to change or even be removed. In the end I think it saved us some frustration, money and heartache over some things that were simple to adjust before the work got started.

I also really put some thought into the kitchen design and how I would move around the kitchen while cooking or cleaning. Each drawer, cabinet or shelf had a specific purpose before we ever ordered the cabinets. The triangle is important, but even where your dishes go, in relation to your dishwasher and refrigerator or where your garbage can goes for easy access during cooking and cleanup can make such a big difference in how many steps you take during the course of a meal. In the end the kitchen was probably my favorite space, not only because I enjoyed the finishes, but the layout ended up being so functional that if I were to build again, I would make every effort to use the exact same layout, with a few minor changes.

What would you do differently if you were to build or remodel again?

I would plan better for the electrical layout. Overall our lighting layout is great, but there were other things I didn’t consider, like where the Christmas tree or other holiday decorations, indoor and out, might need to be plugged in. I also would have integrated more things, (which we’ve done in the last couple of years) like motion sensors for the laundry room and pantry lights so you don’t have to reach for the switch when your hands are full or dimmable/programmable lighting in the bathroom and closet for early mornings when you just don’t want to face the 4000k lights that you might need in the afternoon or evening. We’ve updated a lot of our lighting to smart lighting because we really enjoy the ability to change the color temperature based on the time of day or during activities like watching tv or enjoying the fireplace, while still being able to have a few lights on low. I also would have made sure to designate some charging areas with usb/usbc + standard outlets. Most of this has been easy to update, but there are a few places I really wish I had more outlets or moved to a different place.

What advice would you give other homeowners starting a new home or remodel?

Enjoy the process and know that there will be things you wish you had thought of. Sometimes you don’t know you need something until you’re living in the space. Most of the time those things can be added/removed and others can’t or it’s not worth the trouble.  No house will ever be perfect, but if you do some thinking and planning before your contractor starts the work, it will be close. Ask their opinion too! Our builder had some great ideas about the form and function of our home that ended up being changes we are still really grateful for.