You’re dreaming about renovating your kitchen or bathroom, but you’re not quite sure where to start when it comes to bringing your vision to life. The internet offers endless possibilities. Which is great, but also overwhelming. So, start here: create a renovation vision board for your project to share with your general contractor.
This will help you to curate and edit what you want to see in the end product. It will also start the dialogue to gauge pricing and timing for your wish list.
But wait, what’s a vision board?
A vision board is a simple collection of images and words that inspire you. It reflects what you want to see and how you want to feel in your renovated space.
Step One: Selecting a Vision Board Medium
There are various ways to create your renovation vision board, whether you’re a high tech person or more low tech. Roll with whatever you are most comfortable with! On some projects, I find I want to flip actual pages and touch samples of products. On other projects, I’ll spend hours and hours on Pinterest clicking away for days. There’s no right or wrong answer or method here. You can also find inspiration from celebrity home tours or even while having coffee at a friend’s house!
I’ve found that especially during the summer, I love to sit outside and flip through actual magazines for inspiration. As long as the magazines are mine, I’ll rip pages out of them and stick a note about what I loved most about the image. It could be a backsplash tile or a cabinet color that I wouldn’t have considered. While there are a million home decor magazines, my favorites are Architectural Digest and Better Homes and Gardens. There’s also a number of lifestyle magazines that have design components such as Martha Stewart Living and Real Simple.
Of course, there’s no shortage of online inspiration. I especially love Pinterest because you can create a board and browse through a seemingly endless amount of photos. You’ll get suggestions based on what you “pin” to your board, aiding in honing in on your aesthetic.
I also love to check out Houzz as it often offers pricing and will sometimes list particular products used and where to buy them. This can be really helpful as you work through your specific product needs! (more on that later)
Step Two: What’s Your Vibe? Defining Your Design Aesthetic
Now that you know what a vision board is and how you’re going to build yours, it’s time to dive into the details. Most of us have an idea of our preferred aesthetic. It is helpful to have a sense of what style you gravitate towards as you create your renovation vision board. If you aren’t sure, take a cue from the things you love most in your home. Is it your grandmother’s blanket chest? A vintage Herman Miller chair? A pair of candlesticks you picked up from a Parisian flea market? You can also take some cues from your closet. You may see a trend with tailored fits, or very clean lines. Take some time to really explore what you love about what you have.
Of course, you don’t have to stick to one style in today’s designs, there are plenty of ways to merge a traditional look with more modern elements. You can throw a slightly industrial vibe into a modern look. Or take a nod from mid-century modern but bring it into 2020.
Step Three: Diving Into The Details
It can be overwhelming when you start thinking about all the selections you need to make when taking on a kitchen or bath renovation. To make your life easier, we created a checklist so as you build out your vision board, you can start keeping track of what fixtures you need, where to source them, and what the price will be, or maybe what you’re willing to spend on a particular item. With a detailed list, you can control costs and give your contractor the opportunity to find a look you love, on time and on budget. This checklist can be used for any size renovation project you take on!
A few key fixtures and finishes to get you started include:
- Refridgerator
- Range and hood
- Oven
- Dishwasher
- Plumbing fixtures: faucet, sink, disposal, shower and tub fixtures
- Lighting fixtures: pendants, surface lighting on ceilings, under cabinet lighting
- Countertops
- Flooring: hardwood, tile, radiant heat flooring
- Paint
- Vanity style and color
To get a sense of availability and pricing, Wayfair and Build.com are great online retailers or you can visit home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes, or a local showroom to make selections. The more specific you are with your selections, the more you can help your contractor price your project and move it forward efficiently. Think: Save time, save money. Delays in decision making can drag out your project and end up costing you way more in the end.
Getting A Grasp On Your Dream Project
Creating a renovation vision board is more than just a fun way to pass the time. It’s an essential tool to help you define your aesthetic and bring your dream kitchen, bathroom, or any renovation project you’re taking on, to life. It’ll greatly help your contractor in pricing out your finish selections and keep your renovation on time, and on budget. Whether you go for the high-tech route with a site like Pinterest or choose to cut pages out of magazines, have fun with it! It’s a great first step in bringing your renovation dream to life.
