4 Tips for a Successful Home Renovation

Deciding to renovate your home kicks off a long series of decisions. From paint and flooring to hardware and countertops, there’s no shortage of options. It can feel overwhelming, which is why we’ve assembled four tips to help make the process manageable—and even enjoyable.

One: Find Your Color Scheme

This tip comes first for a reason—a color scheme serves as a north star, guiding you through the renovation process. As such, it’s a vital decision. The right color scheme will help you create visual harmony, giving the home a cohesive and pleasing aesthetic throughout.

So how do you find your color scheme?

Start by looking for inspiration. Browse social media and blogs. Explore DesignShop’s collection of design ideas. Notice the stylish sets of movies and shows. Pay attention to the color schemes of spaces you visit, whether it’s a friend’s home, a restaurant, or a hotel.
Once you have a few general ideas, start exploring colors here. Typically, it’s best to look for your base color first. This color (usually a neutral shade) will serve as the backdrop, providing contrast for your accent colors.
Once you have some good candidates for your base color and accent colors, order peel-and-stick samples, and we’ll deliver them to you overnight. Then you’ll be able to see how each performs in various kinds of light, and how the colors play against each other.

Once you’ve fallen in love with a base color and decided which accent colors complement it, you’ll have taken a big step forward in your renovation planning.

Two: Define Your Design Style

Whether it’s modern, farmhouse, Scandinavian, boho, transitional, or something else entirely, the aesthetic you’re going for will help inform every decision that follows. Defining it early will ensure unity throughout the home. It also helps when communicating your vision to contractors.

So how do you clarify your aesthetic goals?

Like with finding your color scheme, start by gathering inspiration. Online, in print, and in the world around you, there’s plenty to see.
Take note of everything you like and see if they have anything in common. Minimalist elements? Industrialist light fixtures? Antique furniture? DesignShop’s collections can help with ideas and terms to consider.
Consider what you’re drawn to and come up with a phrase for the look you’re going for. It could be midcentury quirky, cozy industrial, or vintage coastal—so long as it quickly conjures an idea of the kind of space you want to create.

At this point, equipped with your color scheme and design style, you’re ready to start working on specifics.

Three: Map Out Your Renovation Priorities

This step is key to keeping you from getting lost in the massive number of decisions you’ll need to make. Knowing your priorities will help keep your renovation focused. It will help you make the most of your budget and optimize the flow from project to project.

First, consider the kind of lifestyle your renovated home will need to facilitate. Do you need to prepare for a growing family? Do you work from home? Do you plan to host a lot of big dinners? Do you have four dogs and plan to adopt a few more? These details will inform the changes that matter most.
Based on those details, identify your must-haves and nice-to-haves. Must-haves will include anything that’s broken or clearly outdated. Nice-to-haves will include purely aesthetic upgrades you have in mind. You might consider long-term value, as well. Which changes will increase the price you can ask for your home if and when you sell it?
With all this in mind, make a schedule for these projects. Do they all need to happen this year? Which need to happen immediately, and which can wait? Consider your budget, how long each project will likely take, and which can happen at the same time.

When this step is done, you’re ready to start bringing your vision to life.

Four: Sample Materials

Choosing materials is where your design vision starts to really take shape. It’s also where many freeze up, overwhelmed by the number of choices. The secret to making these vital choices with confidence comes down to one word: sampling.

DesignShop is the one-stop shop for exploring and sampling all the materials you’ll need to achieve your renovation goals. For example:

Explore their rich collection of wallpaper designs, including mid-century modern patterns, striking floral prints, and much more.
They have a robust and carefully curated selection of bathroom and kitchen countertop materials to consider, covering a range of materials, colors, and finishes.
Their equally diverse collection of tile options, perfect for creating a kitchen backsplash, refreshing a bathroom, or adding a statement wall.
Whether you’re looking for classic hardwood, cozy carpet, or high-performance luxury vinyl plank, you’ll find plenty of gorgeous options in their flooring collection.
Discover wonderful fabric and leather options for drapery and upholstery, whether you need a striking point of visual interest or a subtly refined touch.
Sample a variety of paneling designs, from modern textures and stone-inspired surfaces to timeless wood accents.
Elevate the more functional elements of your renovation with their curated collection of hardware samples, ranging from minimalist to sculptural.
With their extensive selection of faucet and fixture samples, you can ensure your bathrooms and kitchen support the overall look and feel you’re going for.
Their collection of ceiling samples empowers you to crown your rooms with just the right touch, whether it’s something ornate or sleekly modern.

With so much to choose from, it’s often best to start with DesignShop’s wealth of curated looks, full of ideas and inspiration for how these elements can fit together. Use their visualizer tool to see how different materials look together, and get samples delivered overnight.

Once you have your samples, take your time. Notice how each material looks in various lighting conditions, and consider how each contributes to the design style you defined for your project. In general, you’ll want all your materials to feel cohesive without being too uniform. Once you’ve found your perfect materials, you’ll be ready to start your renovation in earnest.

Bring Your Vision to Life with Confidence

Renovations take time, and it’s important to enjoy the process, trust your instincts, and stick to the design vision that got you excited in the first place. Don’t hesitate to sample broadly, exploring different combinations until you feel confident in your choices. And—of course—don’t forget to take before-and-after pictures!