Create a remodeling vision board

Grand Rapids, Mich. (WOTV) - I’m not going to assume anything about you or where you may choose to spend your hard earned money. But I am going to assume that you’re educating yourself about your possible project, who you hire and where you’ll make your purchases.

Make a wish list, visualization board or keep a file folder. Cut out pictures, articles, advertisements – anything that you’re drawn to. Go on line and visit any homes or projects you’re drawn to. Once you have this broad range of ideas, you’ll be able to start narrowing down the things that apply to your remodel. This will probably help you identify which room you want to start with as well. (It will probably be one where you spend the most time OR where you need to retreat to.)

No matter which room you’ll be remodeling, every space has Walls, Floors, Ceiling and Lighting. You can just refresh, do a moderate upgrade or a total overhaul to one or more of them. Write a separate task list for each. Take a few minutes to really look and ask yourself; “What would make this wall or floor prettier, more durable or functional?” “If I change the function of this space, will I need different lighting?”

Doing this will probably lead you to identifying a few splurge items that you can design around and help you figure out a budget as well. Again, figure out what will give you the biggest WOW impact for your budget.

Finally, set a time frame and realistically determine what work can be accomplished with your time constraints. If you have an event coming up soon, you’ll want to focus on updating specific areas that will have the biggest impact. If you’re doing an overhaul that will typically take 3-5 months. With that, you can expect some invasion of privacy as the professionals will want access to your home for days or weeks at a time.

Try something wild. Be creative. Have fun. Remember this is 4 you.