You are ready to buy a new house. And you already fell in love with one. It is a charming house from around 1920, located close to downtown and other convenient services. It has a nice patio that surrounds the entire house. The house is approximately 3,000 square feet and has a partially unfinished basement. Although the house is very old, it is in fairly good condition, however, the design is not the most suitable for today's lifestyle.
You know that updates will be necessary. You and your spouse work from home several days a week, and your kids need their own space, so some layout changes will be unavoidable. You lead a healthy life, so you will need a modern kitchen. Plus, you like to work out, so this new layout should provide space for a home gym.
You like to share as much time as possible with your family and friends, so a good space to eat and a cozy living room / family room will be a must. It will be necessary to renovate the bathrooms and redefine other spaces. The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system will need to be brought up to code. Ultimately, all spaces must be pleasant, efficient and comfortable in all seasons. Enjoying what you see is important as well as having the confidence that what you don't see is well done. You want to feel that the indoor air is clean and healthy and that there are no harmful particles or other chemicals coming from the selected finishes, paints or even your new furniture.
Lighting is essential for you. In your kitchen, in your new office, while exercising, everywhere. The way lighting is designed can make or break literally everything.
For you, functionality, space flexibility and adaptability are essential. Things change too fast nowadays, and you want to be sure that possible future rearrangements will be easily done without the need to call in any contractors or at least spending as little as possible.
Quality and performance are also out of the question. You want your “newly” renovated home to be easy to maintain, resist wear and tear, clean easily, and continue to age well. Materials and finishes should be durable or easy to replace when needed. You want a home that is technologically up-to-date and easy to operate. You certainly want engineering systems to be well integrated and coordinated.
You are environmentally conscious and want an efficient home: the demand for heating, cooling and ventilation must be minimized thanks to the new design. Windows and doors need to be replaced and new insulation added.
You have to be sure that there is no lead, asbestos, radon and mold and possible leaks/moisture. Fixing them can be very expensive!
Well, this is the reason why you need to hire a professional interior designer who knows all these aspects and how to handle them.
