Dear Clients, Business Associates, Friends & Family,

Have you ever found yourself traveling to a new place only to realize halfway through that you were totally turned around. In other words, lost! As luck would have it, your GPS wasn’t getting a signal and worse yet, it was getting dark and your cell phone was showing out of range. “Oh for a good old-fashioned map,” you likely thought to yourself. A simple map detailing how you could smoothly get from beginning to end of your destination. The map would consider all known detours and alternate routes depending on what you might find along the way.

Amazing how this simple map could eliminate virtually all of the frustration and other negative consequences arising from a strictly “shoot-from-the hip” trip. The same is true when you embark on a significant home renovation project or begin to wonder if you need a whole new house!
Nina Handelman
You may already have experienced the consequence(s) of a shoot-from-the hip approach in relation to your own house. Perhaps you replaced your windows only to remove them during a larger project a short time later. Or, you might have renovated your garage before deciding what you really needed was a guest house. Or you may have created the kitchen of your dreams only to realize you still don’t have enough bedrooms and need to sell. The list goes on and on and on. But it doesn’t have to. The solution is very simple. If you want to eliminate the frustration and unnecessary expense that invariably arise when you barrel into a design project with no roadmap, do your homework first. The following tips will help you plan your route in the kind of detail that will prevent the most common frustrating and costly errors lurking along the way.
Nina's Tips:

  1. Define your vision, and prioritize your goals - and make sure your household is on the same page. Knowing what's firm and what's flexible will reduce chances of mixed messages and wasted time, which, of course, translates into wasted money, as well.
  2. Forecast your budget, short and long term. Because a master plan often contains a phased-in work schedule, combining specific budget and goals will help create a clear path forward.
  3. Engage design and building professionals to create an informed and realistic master plan that builds on your own carefully thought-through plan. Doing your homework ahead of time will ensure that the end-product reflects you, your style, and your goals. In other words, it will make sure You are put into your home. Not the other way around.

These are not the only things to consider, but a great place to start when considering a new project. Call me if you'd like to talk more!
Questions or have stories? I’d love to talk or schedule a complimentary consultation to explore how your house can become the perfect home!
Designing YOU into Your Home
Handelman Studio
Nina@HandelmanStudio.com
503.319.0568