The mere thought of creating your first dream home can be an exciting and yet daunting task. With 101 things to take care of and research for when doing up your place, naturally one will get carried away and may overlook certain details when making decisions. The next thing we know, we start to regret some of the choices made earlier.
If you are planning to renovate, decorate or design your house for the first time, here are some common mistakes to stay away from.
Design
1. Following interior trends blindly
It is easy to get carried away by popular trends. Stick to what you love and one that suits your living requirements. Sure, the raw industrial look may look cool initially but would you really want to spend thousands to stay in a home that look close to a warehouse for the next five years?
If you really want to have them in your house, consider adding them in small doses and ensure that the design can be easily transit to another decor without a major revamp, such as industrial-styled accessories or a splash of cool grey paint.
2. Overlooking small mistakes at the course or after renovation
Be it space planning issues or design ergonomic problems, fix those mistakes right away. Overlook them and it will bug you later. If you can see it, so can your guests or other family members.
After renovation, ensure that the renovation works and carpentry function well and does not bring any lifestyle inconvenience. The interior designer who served you earlier will be able to assist in the rectification of works if required.
3. Creating thematic rooms for your kids
Kids grow up faster than you say “Come, let’s take a selfie”. Ensure that the décor stays relevant to their age or it can be easily modified to a more ‘grown-up’ decor as they grow. Here are some stylish examples of kids rooms that transit well between decors.
Furniture / Furnishings
4. Buying furniture before planning the spaces for them
Sales may be tempting but you should always measure first before committing to a purchase. If unsure, check with your interior designer if that particular item would overwhelm your living spaces.
Alternatively, do some planning on your floor plan beforehand, with the items and furniture marked out together with the estimated measurements. Take into consideration the legroom. This will give you a good gauge on how much space that fancy sofa and coffee table would occupy.
5. Getting something that doesn’t suit your requirements
Some things may look good but may not be suitable for your requirements. For example, materials for kitchen countertops; marble may look good but it is brittle and does not take acid well (imagine cutting your fruits on the countertop!). Likewise for laminate panels, if you do a lot of heavy cooking, the laminate panels may peel in no time.
Do your research on the materials used and talk to your contractor and interior designer. You will definitely learn a lot more by chatting with them. They will also be able to advise you on what material suits better.
6. Cutting cost on materials
Consider investing on quality materials on items that you used often as they will be prone to wear and tear faster. Differentiate between inexpensive and cheap. Quality materials often have additional features that makes living easier and thus, make them worth the cost.
Again, do a lot of research on what suits best. Seek the opinion of an interior designer or a contractor when in doubt.
Also, take into consideration other factors such as your furry pets and the cleaning hassle. You wouldn’t want to get an item that isn’t sensible or requires a considerable amount of effort in maintenance.
Home Professional
7. Hiring The Wrong People
In our past interviews with homeowners who engaged an interior designer, they mentioned it is important to get an interior designer with good reviews, someone whom they had chemistry with, or one whom can deliver the job based on their requirements. The end result? They all love how their house turned out.
When looking for a trusted home professional to do up your place, consider beyond the price factor.
Budget
8. Not having a budget
Renovation does not come cheap and it is important to do up a proper financial planning and budgeting. It also helps in being realistic with what you can get for your home.
The projects listed in the Qanvast app shows the renovation cost and the works included for each renovation project. It is a good place to start and narrow your search for design inspiration if you have an idea on how to do up your place.
9. Sticking too closely to your budget
Yes, you heard us right. You know the saying that you should really stick to your budget? Well, refer back to point 6. If you feel that the investment is necessary and it is still within a comfortable buffer, we don’t see why not?
Or if you see an item and you know you REALLY HAVE to get it even after mulling over it for weeks, then go for it. Renovate in a manner that makes you happy. Afterall, you will be staying in that house for at least a couple of years.
Article contributed by 
Lush Dream Home 