You’ve analyzed, discussed, pondered and contemplated how you live and what you love in your current home. Probably one of the biggest questions is, “what have you learned?"

There’s a lot of information right before our very eyes and that is what is going to take you to the next steps.

Based on the answers to the questions in our Life at Home Workbook, here are some practical ways to get started on the path to loving your home. If you missed downloading our Free, “Understanding Your Home” workbook you can do so here.

Plus! We’ve got a quiz to determine your design style later in this post.

But first, let’s get down to the brass tacks of what you discovered and consider a plan forward. Exciting!

I’m Desperate For New Furniture

After thinking about how you live, where you live and what you love, the conclusion may be your current furniture is less than desirable. Whether it be from a scale, comfort or purely the overall look and feel, it’s time for an upgrade! There’s a psychology to having a room that looks good, functions well, and is a reflection of you. Subsequently, all of these details together provide positivity to your everyday life.

Are you looking for a few additional pieces to complete your space? Or do you need a room overhaul?

Discovering the WHY of what makes you feel good, or what doesn’t is a good indicator as to what needs to change.

Next, determine whether you’re going to make these changes yourself or hire a design team to pull it all together. If you’re simply planning to order a few new pieces of furniture, this may be doable on your own. If redesigning your room is in order, complete with paint, wallpaper, new lighting, furniture reorganization etc., then hiring professionals will yield the most cohesive and thoughtful result.

Is furniture all you need to make your house a home? Start planning and get in touch to make your dream room come to life.

Our Kitchen Needs a Revamp!

After cooking more, baking more and likely having more family members in your kitchen at a given time, you may have determined it’s time to renovate and upgrade your kitchen. This is no small task. The kitchen is the hub of your home and largely the most important.

These next steps will require more thoughtful planning.

Determine a reasonable budget number. A $50,000.00 budget likely won’t be realistic if you’re hoping for things like all new appliances, natural stone or quartz counters and custom cabinetry. While there are certainly ways to save and splurge, if you’re investing in a change as great as this, it’s best to go in armed with the realities of what things cost.

Wall ovens and a cooktop vs. a range? One main sink and a prep sink? A fridge with french doors and a bottom freezer? An island with stools or an extended table for everyday meals? There are many things to consider and give thought to depending on you live in your home.

Creating a wish list will help our design team discern the budget and design a kitchen tailored to you. Remember the scope of work is what ultimately determines the overall cost.

Do you plan to renovate only the kitchen or multiple areas in your home? Read on if you plan to renovate more!

I’d Love a Bathroom Oasis

With all this extra time at home you’re realizing you don’t have a place to hide. It’s time for a spa-like retreat to treat yourself at the end of the day. Or, let’s face it, if you’re like me, sometimes I need a “Calgon take me away” moment in the middle of the day.

First things first, (you guessed it) gather an understanding of the budget. If you’re looking for all new fixtures, his and her sinks, moving walls and plumbing, you’ll need more than $25,000.00 to achieve this. Kitchens and bathrooms are two of the most expensive areas of a home to renovate. Of course, size and aesthetic do play a huge part in the final budget numbers, however having an understanding of what to expect will manage expectations and avoid disappointment.

Next, create your wish list. Separating the shower from the tub, a preference of marble vs. porcelain, or wide spread faucets vs. single lever are all details to consider. Sound overwhelming? A designer will walk you through this process step by step and be part of the team to facilitate and make sure the work is being done to design standards and a beautiful end result.

I Think Our Current Home Needs an Overhaul.

You love the overall layout of your home, you love the neighbourhood and there's nostalgia in staying where you are for many reasons. You’re feeling several ares of your home could use an upgrade with respect to both function and form, so it’s time to renovate!

Before demolition begins there are some critical details to consider.

Will you do the renovation in phases? What makes the most sense? Will you live through the renovation? Can you afford not to?

Regardless of a kitchen, bathroom or whole home overhaul, it’s important to think about the following before moving forward:

Consider the current value of your home and what changes would improve it. Whether or not the value is defined as a financial benefit to your home from a resale perspective, or offers happiness and joy while you’re still living in the home, weighing out the pros and cons of each will be important to discern.
Talk to your people, at the very least your spouse/ partner, to make sure you’re agreeing with each other on budget numbers and the feeling you’re both after. Communication is key!
Based on your answers in the Life at Home Workbook, create a needs vs wants list for each room.
Gather inspiration from websites, blogs, magazines and other online sources such as Pinterest. We use Pinterest for every project to start developing and gathering inspiration for the overall look and feel, all the way to noting specific items we feel will work well in the room.
Enlist the help of a designer first. We’ll bring value to the project right from the start, from space planning, storage solutions and a cohesive flow from room to room, all the way to a contractor we have confidence in recommending.
Gather an understanding of a budget you’re comfortable spending on the items you feel are necessary to make your home/ space feel more like you, and function the way you would like them to. Keep in mind it’s the scope of work that determines the budget. An expectation of spending $75,000.00 on renovating your entire home will more than likely not yield the results you’re after. You’ll have to pick and choose. Having an understanding of what the overall costs will be based on your wish list will provide you with an understanding of the overall costs. From there you can make decisions on where you want to spend, and where you’d like to compromise.
It’s all about the fit. There are 7500 different types of apples in the world, however they are all considered apples. Subsequently, there are many different designers in the world. It’s all about aligning yourself with the right fit and an aligned value system. At Nyla Free Designs, we believe a positive working relationship is essential to a successful project. Our team is committed to getting to know each client and understanding their lifestyle, resulting in a design as unique as they are. The interview process is a critical step and it's important to note how differently one designer works from the next, and that's a good thing. It truly is about finding the right fit. When we connect with our ideal client, we know we have started a relationship that will last for years to come.
Either way, your next steps will be to ensure you’re moving forward with what makes sense to you. Whether that be budget driven, design and aesthetic or a decision based on the best fit of designer and contractor, bringing to life all of your hopes and dreams when it comes to a renovation is the most important thing.

Time to Start Looking For a New Home or Lot for a New Build

This is a pretty big step, but necessary if you feel your current home isn’t conducive to your lifestyle, required size and ultimately the aesthetic you’d love to live with long term.

Perhaps you need to downsize. You may feel you require a larger home to accommodate all the people in your life, and those you have come accustomed to have around. As you think about the years ahead, does that involve extended family? Grandkids, parents and university kids returning home are all reasons to create a home suitable for all the loved ones in your life.

If you’ve gone through our workbook and discovered that a new home is the right move for you, here are your next steps:

Clearly outline what your current home doesn’t offer that you’d love, or even need, to have in a new home.
Discern an area, or areas of the city you’d love to live in.

Once these have been considered, it’s time to connect with the right people. Whether realtors, architects or builders/ contractors, we have a our go-to sources. Word of mouth and referrals are the best way forward in these instances. You’ll want trustworthy businesses and a confidence in moving forward with the best team in place during this critical next step.

A realtor will share their expertise as to whether listing your current home, and buying in the area you love makes sense for your financial situation. They will also be able to tell you the value or your current home and if there is anything you’ll need to do prior to selling in order to maximize the list price.

If purchasing a new home to renovate, enlist the help of your designer to visit the homes you’re considering purchasing to offer insight and channel the vision you’re ultimately hoping to achieve.

Not interested in purchasing a pre-owned home that doesn’t check off all the boxes, or a home where you may be paying a premium for someone else’s renovation? This might be an indication it’s time to build your own home.

Once you’ve found the perfect lot (a realtor can help with this), an architect will provide the next steps to design the layout of your dream home. Don’t forget to bring in your interior designer early on in the project to solidify the intention of the home, both inside and out. Once the architect is underway, time for interior design and development. It’s never too early.

This option will yield optimal results if budget permits. Building a new home from the ground up ensures all wish list items will be carefully considered and thought through based on the lot and architectural style of the home.

We’ve got great recommendations for both realtors, architect and builders/ contractors so give us a call. We’d love to walk you through our process and connect you with an amazing team.

I'm in Love With My Home And Wouldn't Change a Thing

Amazing! Sometimes going through an exercise will determine you’re happy right where you are. Lucky you! Enjoy your home for all it has to offer your family and the memories that will continue to build over the years.

Have further questions about what route is best for you? How we work or what benefits an interior designer brings? We’d love to connect. Zero pressure, simply a conversation to learn more about your exciting project, share how we work and how we can serve you. We’d love to learn more about your dream home!

BEFORE YOU GET IN TOUCH! Wondering how to define your style? Are you Eclectic? Modern? Laid Back Lux? Take our Design Style Quiz to find out!!