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How To Avoid Costly Mistakes On Your DIY Home Project

How To Avoid Costly Mistakes On Your DIY Home Project

                         

Most of us love to tackle a DIY home project every once in a while.  Maybe we do it to save money or to feel that sense of accomplishment that comes from a job well done.  Maybe we do it because design TV makes it look so easy.  Even though it can be fun (and sometimes stressful), there may come a time when you’ve messed it up and want to know how to avoid costly mistakes on your next DIY project.

As an interior designer, I often get the SOS call to fix it.  You know what I mean.  The sofa from an online store that looked great in the photograph, but feels like a rock when you sit on it.  Or the window shades you ordered without help that don’t fit the window.  These mistakes can be costly, both in money and the time it takes to fix them.

I know because it’s happened to me when I wasn’t paying attention, and then waited to long to examine my purchase.  What started out in my mind as a fun window treatment sewing project soon became an energy vampire, sucking my time.

Because I know how to avoid costly mistakes that can happen on a DIY home project, my ego was more than a little bit battered.  I was embarrassed to admit that I messed up.  And now my goal is to help you prevent it. 

time. price, quality

Rule #1: Have a plan in place before you start…and follow your plan. 

  • Know what you’re goal is and write out all the steps in the process before your begin. 
  • Do your research. What will it cost?  What quality of product are you looking for?  How long will it take?
  • Check all the dimensions before you order anything online.

Rule #2:  Measure twice, cut/buy once

  • Double check all dimensions before you cut/order the wood, fabric, or blinds.
  • Custom orders can not be returned
  • Will the piece of furniture fit through your doorways?  Will it fit in the room?

Rule #3:  Pay attention when making your purchases

  • Watch as fabric is unrolled
  • Read the sales receipt before you commit to the sale.  Don’t assume that the sales associate has written exactly what you asked for.
  • Read the fine print, and be sure everything you’re expecting has been included
  • In the image below, I hate to admit that I was so excited about getting a great price on this normally expensive fabric, that I didn’t follow my own rule.  Notice how the design is printed crooked on the fabric.  Fortunately there was just enough fabric to make the window treatments so the pattern matches all across the windows.

fabric printed crooked

valance progress

finished DIY window treatments

Rule #4:  Have a Designer On Your Team to help you avoid costly mistakes.

  • gives you advice before you make your purchases
  • validates your choices…or guides you in a better direction
  • tells you how much fabric, paint, etc. you need to order, as well as all the parts and pieces
  • can place the orders for you
  • connect you with trusted trade partners

 Costly mistakes seem to be broken down into two categories.  I like to call them the “Oh no! What was I thinking!!!” mistakes.  Let’s take a look…

 Purchases you regret later because you realize you don’t like them:

  •       You had a “love at first site” moment and just HAD to own it
  •       You didn’t really love it, but had a “hole” to fill and thought it would work.  You were in a hurry to just be done with it!
  •       Oops!  You forgot to measure.

  Purchases and decisions you made because you didn’t know better or didn’t think it through:

  • Appliances that will be placed against a wall and the impact that will have on opening and closing doors and drawers.
  • Adding expensive new counter tops and then realizing you should have purchased new cabinets too.
  • Not checking the specifications of appliances to see how they will affect the cabinet.
  • Buying on line,which we all do, and realizing you don’t have all the parts and pieces to finish the job correctly.

Here are just a few examples of DIY home project mistakes (sources unknown):

bathtub at the top of the stairs       

Bathtub at the top of the stairs?

mantle over a sink

                   A mantle over a pedestal sink, complete with a towel ring

door hung upside down

Exterior door hung upside down

off center chandelier

A chandelier not installed in the center of the medallion or tray ceiling.

 

Your Design Action Steps:

1.  If you’re in the “information gathering” phase of your project, remember to study everything.  That means look over the plans when you have them.

2.  Review the specifications and dimensions of each item you hope to purchase.

3.  Hire an interior designer to be a part of your team.  The peace of mind you’ll get from relying on someone you trust will be well worth the investment.

 

 

How To Make Life Easy At Home: Useful Tips For Any Age

How To Make Life Easy At Home: Useful Tips For Any Age

The place we call home can come in all shapes and sizes.  Some are clean and simple, while others are filled with things we love.  When we’re young and active, we never give a second thought about the need to feel confident and safe doing everyday basic things at home.  It’s a given…right?  We’ve set it up and decorated it exactly the way we love, and we should be good to go.   So, how do you know when your home isn’t serving your needs? 

How do we know when it’s time to  make life easier at home for our future self?  I’m here to tell you that it happens when you least expect it, and not always when you’re ready.

Several years ago I became a Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS).  During the two day course we learned how to modify homes so that clients can live there as long as they choose.  Basically, we learned how to make life easier in our homes as we age.  Little did I know, how several years later, we’d be needing these design tweaks in our own home!

Since helping clients remodel their kitchens and baths is my all-time favorite thing to do, I always recommend putting these Universal Design principals into place in these rooms.  But I also know that when we’re in our 40’s,50’s,and even 60’s we think we don’t need them.  There is always the image of an institutional bathroom in our minds, and can’t face the thought of installing grab bars just yet. 

curbless shower with grab bar

Sometimes life throws us unexpected curves that send plans out the window.  When my husband had his knee replaced a few years ago, we discovered all kinds of design issues with our three story townhouse.  This was certainly something we never considered when we bought it. The doorways were only 28” wide when a walker is 30”.  There were no grab bars in the bathroom, and too many stairs to maneuver that required him to stay in the lower level for weeks. Check out my blog post to learn more about it.

The next house would be correct all of these issues with a much better design.  Every shower wall and toilet area was prepped for grab bars.  No need to actually install them now.  We’re healthy and active.  Doorways are 36”…check.  Plenty of good lighting…check.  Wide open walkways…check.  Appliances at a user friendly level…check.  We are good to go!

Or so we thought.  Until my own foot issues required surgery!

I learned that, to move around easily, a knee scooter and crutches were needed.  To maneuver the stairs, sometimes you just have to sit down and scoot.  Crazy, I know.  But sometimes you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do to make it all work.

What no one mentioned were some Basic Useful Tips For Any Age that we all know and just don’t think about.

  • A curb-less shower would have made entering the shower so much easier, and I would have felt more confident. No problem with the actual showering, because a bench seat and hand held shower have made it so easy.
  • The beautiful accent rugs gracing our floors had to go. Yes, they were rolled up and sitting on the sidelines waiting for full recovery day.  Again, safety and confidence is an issue.
  • Grab bars in the shower would help the fear of losing balance and falling.
  • Grab bars next to the toilet, or even a temporary raised toilet seat with built in grab bars, would make life easier.
  • Lever handles on all doors are easier to manipulate when you’re carrying groceries or a toddler…or on crutches
  • And this one thing, that has nothing to do with your home but everything to do with your physical body, is to exercise. For me it’s yoga…a strength building intense yoga…at least two days a week.  Had it not been for my yoga instructors Karen, Nancy, and Caren always stressing the need for balance and strong bodies as we get older, this journey would have been be a struggle.

As recovery continued, life at home got a little easier each day.  My “recliner office” was all set up, and I was plugged in to all my devices trying to get work done.  Life’s an adventure, I always say.  And now I know how to be prepared for “the next time.” 

Your Design Homework: 

  • Take a walk around your home. Check the doorways, the bathrooms, the floors.

  • Now make a list of the little things you can put in place that will make your life easier if you need to have an unplanned surgery…or an accident. Can you add grab bars to you shower or toilet areas?  Are your doorways at least 32” wide?  Do you have rugs that might cause you to trip if you were on crutches?

 

DIY Home-Project Burnout and How To Prevent It

DIY Home-Project Burnout and How To Prevent It

Have you ever taken on a DIY home project that really excited you?  You know, the project you saw on Pintrest or Facebook that motivated you to rush out and purchase all the supplies, and filled your head with visions of how beautiful it would look?  You started working on it with enthusiasm and a lot of energy, spent a few days focusing on the end results, and then it happened…..DIY home-project burnout!  Has this ever happened to you?

DIY Project Burnout is a state of physical and mental exhaustion when the work demands constantly exceed the amount of energy that you want to give on a daily basis. Complete project burnout usually happens when overwhelm takes over, your productivity declines, and there is a lack of motivation/boredom.

That is exactly what happened to me recently with a project I started this summer.  I love chalk painting with Amy Howard Home products.  And I hate knowing that nine million tons of furniture goes to landfills each year.  So I’m an advocate of either donating or repurposing.  But what began as a fun way to repurpose our 25 year old kitchen table and chairs, soon became a daunting task that I wish was finished. 

repurposed chairs before and after

                                                                                              Chair after and Chair before

My first goal was to finish painting and reupholstering one chair a week.  We have six chairs, so that should have been an easy goal.  Until some problems popped up… along with the boredom!  This project has been on my To-Do list for weeks, and I get excited each time I can place an updated chair around our kitchen table.  I know it’s going to be beautiful when it’s finished. But I admit that I have DIY home-project burnout.

 
DIY table and chairs makeover

Stuff that gets in the way:

  • not having a step-by-step plan before you begin
  • tools that aren’t easy to operate
  • not having enough supplies to complete the project at once
  • not having the right supplies to get started
  • setting unrealistic goals for completing the project
  • life, work, family commitments

Solutions:

  • Re-focus your mindset and your energy
  • Set an intention to finish it…NOW!  Playing energetic music helps.
  • Make a step-by-step plan.  (ex. do you want to paint all 6 chairs at once, then wax all of them, then cover the seats)
  • Watch any videos you can that will help you before you start
  • Purchase all of the items you’ll need before you start so you won’t have any starts and stops
  • Make an appointment with yourself to work on your project when you know you’ll have the most energy…and keep that appointment
  • If you feel yourself getting bored or overwhelmed, take some time off to take your mind off of it.  Quiet periods aren’t negative.  Sometimes stepping back, can lead to fresh ideas and renewed motivation.

Moral to the story:

  • DIY Home Projects sound great when you start out
  • Be realistic about the time and cost involved
  • Be realistic about your skill level
  • Be honest with yourself about why you really want to do this.  For me, it’s the satisfaction of turning something old and outdated into something beautiful and useful. And doing my part to save the environment by re-designing, repurposing and re-using outdated items.

 

Time For a Countertop Makeover?  Follow These Top 10 Designer Do’s and Don’ts For A Stress-Free Project

Time For a Countertop Makeover? Follow These Top 10 Designer Do’s and Don’ts For A Stress-Free Project

When you’re dreaming of a beautiful kitchen, and know that buying new cabinets is more than your budget will allow, maybe it’s time to consider a makeover that includes new countertops.  If your cabinets are in good condition and the the space plan works well for you this might be your perfect solution!

There was a time, in my old EXPO Design Center days, when I was known as the Queen of Countertop Remodels because I helped so many clients with them. And because of that, I learned exactly what to do, so that stress was kept to a minimum.

Let’s take a look at my list of Designer do’s and don’ts that will help you with your own countertop remodel.

Do:  One of your first decisions to make is what material do you want to use, because you have a few options.  There are natural stone products (granite, marble, quartzite) and there are quartz composite products (Cambria, Caesarstone, Silestone, etc.)

Do: Know what “look” you want to achieve in the space. The material you choose will help you get there.

Do: Decide if you want a lot of movement (veining) in your countertop material.

 

quartzite mont blanc

Quartzite Mont Blanc

Don’t buy a slab that has a lot of movement and imperfections if you think it will drive you crazy. Stone is a gift of nature, and definitely not perfect.  Also, if you need to have a seam because of a large area to be covered, the veins will not match.  If that is a problem for you, then choose a slab/pattern that has less movement and a quiet pattern.

Do: Decide on your fabricator (the person who will template, cut and install). They often display granite, marble, and quartzite slabs in their warehouse. But sometimes they’ll send you to look at a larger showroom that has more to offer.  These showrooms typically do not sell directly to you, the consumer.  So this means they won’t be able to quote you a price.  They’ll give the price to your fabricator who will then factor in the additional labor costs before giving you a quote.

Granite Colonial White

Granite Colonial White

Don’t visit a granite showroom without a designer, contractor, or fabricator name. They can call ahead to let the showroom know you’re coming, or they can go with you to help you select. Sometimes a showroom will recommend a fabricator if you don’t know who to use.  A few showrooms/warehouses will let consumers come in to look without an appointment.  Your fabricator will contact them for pricing.

Do: Find out your fabricator’s price levels before you visit a granite showroom. Since most of them don’t sell directly to the consumer, they won’t give you a price. But they can point you to the slabs that will be in your approximate price point.  Many large fabrication companies have enough space to have countertop slabs on display.  In that instance, they’ll be able to give you a quote.

Don’t:  Assume that the initial quote is the final one.  Your fabricator will send someone to make a template, and that will determine the final cost.  But before they schedule you, they will need a countertop plan with the shape of all your counters, and the dimensions.

Do: Make sure that you have your sink, and sometimes faucet, when they come to make your template. They will take it with them back to their shop.

Do: Know that some fabricators require you to purchase an entire slab, and some will only charge you for what you use.  Be sure to check this out in advance.  Quartz composite products seem to require purchase of an entire slab.  But this is also at the discretion of the fabricator.

Don’t: Ordering less than 25 square feet is not acceptable to most fabricators. Sometimes they have a scrap yard to choose those pieces.  If they do, it’s your luck day!!!

Don’t: Order countertops when you’re in a rush to have it installed. From the time they make the template, until the time it is installed could take anywhere from 5-15 business days.

Don’t: Have your heart set on a slab too early in the process unless you’re prepared to make a deposit so they will hold it.  Also, make sure that your fabricator is going to hold onto the unused part of your slab.  I have had slab “scraps” sold before projects were installed, only to be upset when they made a mistake cutting.  Time was lost while they waited to find another slab to match.

Don’t hang on to a sample that you love and expect it to look the same in 6 months.  The look of natural stone is determined by where it’s mined in a mountain.  Even though it has the same color name, it can look completely different in pattern and color. 

Granite sells quickly in certain markets and new shipments aren’t always cut from the same area of a mountain.  Always inspect your slab before purchasing!  If you need more than one slab for your countertop, make sure that there are more in the stack.  Sometimes they’ll be labeled by the order they’ve been cut.

granite slabs in order

Do: Know that there are options to choose from for your countertop edges. Standard edges are included in your quote.  Non-standard edges are sold by the linear foot.

granite edge profiles

There are a lot of things to think about when making your countertop selection.  And it probably seems like a lot to remember.  But Do’s and Don’ts are meant to guide us in the right direction and keep us from making painful or costly mistakes.

If you’re still confused and unsure of what to do next, feel free to leave a comment below, or email me at Randi@RandiDestefano.com with your questions.  I’m here to help!

Your Space Matters: 3 Secrets To Design A Calmer Life At Home

Your Space Matters: 3 Secrets To Design A Calmer Life At Home

Is your space dragging you down?  Imagine, just for a minute, that you’re visiting someone’s home when there’s clutter and craziness everywhere?  Dishes are piled in the sink and on the counter, and the desk is filled with unorganized stacks of papers.  How did it make you feel? 

Now picture this.  You visit another friend, a friend who’s home is organized with a place for everything.  It has colors you love, and makes you feel instantly calm and peaceful?  Has this ever happened to you?  Your Space Matters.  Our environment has a significant impact on our well-being and our mental focus.  I can relate because I’ve been there too many times!  As we go about our day, following our crazy schedules, it’s so easy to get caught up in life and ignore this place we call home.

Then one day we wake up and notice that things around us are looking a bit worn and tired. There are rooms we avoid because we don’t feel comfortable there, but we can’t figure out why.  Sometimes we’re unorganized and often late for work or carpool because we can’t find the car keys.  Maybe, like me, your desk gets piled with papers and “stuff” to the point where focusing on work is a waste of time.  Does this sound a little bit familiar?

And worst of all, because we feel this way, it starts to impact the way we act around other people and how we respond to them…even if we don’t realize it.  You know what I mean.  The kitchen counter is piled with a PTA project that needs to be finished, so you’re stressed.  Then the kids start clamoring for your attention…and you snap at them.  Or you’re embarrassed to have friends over because your kitchen “doesn’t look as good as their kitchen.”

We’ve all been there at one time or another, and it’s not a fun place to be.  Now’s the time to sit back, take a deep breath, and make a plan to design a calmer life at home.  Here are my    3 secrets to make it happen:

Secret #1:  Define your values and priorities

Start by making a list of everything that HOME means to you. Do you want it to be a retreat to come home to at the end of a long hectic day?  Do you love to welcome family and friends?  Next make a list of your priorities in order of importance.  But be sure that they fit what you value most about home.  A good example of this would be loving to cook but dreading it because your kitchen is always a mess.  Or you love bright colors and your walls are painted dark green.

Secret #2:  Discover what works for you and your lifestyle

How do you want to live in your home?  If you love to be relaxed and casual, then choose furniture styles that reflect that.  When low maintenance is something you value, a clean and simple style with few accessories might be the way to go.

How do you want to feel when you’re at home?  Do you want to feel relaxed, unhurried, and stress free?  What about energetic, organized, and carefree?  Think about the lifestyle you have now, or even the one that you’d like to have, and create your home makeover to compliment that.

What do you want more of?  For me it’s more creative time.  If I don’t make an uncluttered space for that to happen, I won’t plan creativity into my day.

What do you want less of?  Maybe you want to spend less time cleaning or staying on top of the clutter.  Less accessories and better storage solutions would be the answer.

Secret #3:  Just do it!

Too often we make excuses….
I don’t have the time.
We can’t afford it.
I can’t live through construction.
I don’t know where to start.

So many times these excuses are just us getting in our own way because we’re afraid to take that first step.  Start with something simple and begin the process with what you already have.  Get rid of the outdated floral arrangements, move lamps and pillows to another room, or re-purpose a table for another use. 

One client realized she was spending less and less time in her home office, and instead working later and later at meetings and other busy work.  Her Ah-Ha moment came the day she admitted to herself that she really hated the way her office made her feel.  She was finally ready to make a change.  And guess what?  A new paint color was enough to soothe her feelings of uneasiness, and she’s now using her office again!

Make a habit out of getting rid of the excess and simplifying your life.  De-cluttering is liberating!