One of our clients, Pierce Flooring and Design had a reader submit a question on their blog about which choices should be made first when tackling a remodeling project. The question is a frequently asked question and one that I would like to add some additional thoughts on. Take a look at their post and below are some additional thoughts.

It can be extremely daunting when it comes to making selections for a remodeling project. Not only do you have to worry about deadlines, backorders, discontinued items, etc, but there are so many things to choose from.

The first and most important thing to remember when making selections for YOUR remodeling project, is that it is YOUR remodeling project. The biggest mistakes I have heard as a former designer were listening to too many friends and family or listening to too many different sales associates opinions and having the project turn out to be a combination look of what THEY all wanted. It’s ok to seek the advice of friends and family, but it’s critical to remain focused on the fact that it’s YOUR project and YOUR home. The selections need to reflect your and your family’s taste, lifestyle and budget. It’s very easy to get persuaded by the advice of people you love and trust, but at the end of the day, ask yourself the question. Who’s going to live there?

Also, be careful of starting the selection process around an item that you saw in your neighbors house or your friends house. Chances are, you have different lighting conditions, different styles and many other variables that will cause that item to look completely different in your home than it did in theirs.

If you aren’t sure where to start, consider hiring an interior designer. Most you can retain by the hour and in the end, designers often can save you money. All it takes is one mistake such as the wrong floors or cabinet colors and the designer fees then look like a bargain compared to the cost of replacement or fixing a mistake. The advantage to hiring a designer is that they can listen to your needs (taste and budget) objectively be the impartial person that takes all of the information about the project (including selections) and puts the pieces together to make sense. Again, the bottom line when working with a friend, a designer or several different sales associates from different stores is that the project needs to reflect your taste and style – not theirs and especially not a combination of theirs! It’s your job to make sure that the end result is the look and feel that you are going for.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN and enjoy the fruits of your labor!