There are so many things to consider when it comes to renovating your home (or even just one room), that it can be easy to miss things. We have a tried and true design process that allows us to ensure everything is covered, which we have developed over time as we have noticed things that were easily missed. To help anyone embarking on their own renovation journey, we have therefore made this list of things that people often forget to consider:
1 | Light switches, internet points and power points
There is so much more to your electrical plan than selecting lights and nominating where you'd like them to go. There are many things that people forget to think about and ask for when it comes to creating the most effective electrical plan for your home. Some things to consider are:
LED strips integrated into joinery in the kitchen, pantry, shaving cabinets and walk in robes
USB ports integrated into power points in places where you are likely to charge phones and tables. You may also want to add some inside drawers in the kitchen or study to create a charging station.
Power points inside your broom cupboard for charging stick vacuums or in a suitable location for a robot vacuum
2-way switches for long hallways and rooms with an internal and external doorway
Adding dimmers or breaking up switching circuits so you can switch on different lights on separately
Underfloor heating and heated towel rails need to be allowed for early on
External power points for power tools or putting up fairly lights/Christmas decorations
Where will the internet router go?
2 | Cornices, skirting boards and architraves
People are often so excited to select their tiles, tapware, flooring and joinery, that the cornices, skirting boards and architraves are sometimes overlooked. However, these details can make a huge impact to the overall look of the design. The size and level of detail in these can make a space feel really traditional or really contemporary, so if you are renovating a space to be a different style (upgrading a dated kitchen to a contemporary style) you need to ensure that the cornices, skirting boards and architraves suit the new design.
3 | Window furnishings
We always recommend thinking about window furnishings as early as possible. Even if you are not planning to upgrade this straight away, there are a few things that may affect how you plan your renovation. For example, we love to add recessed pelmets into ceilings for floor to ceiling curtains or blinds. If you'd like to have motorised blinds or curtains, these will be best roughed in with all your other electrical items. You also need to consider the design of your windows and reveals, to ensure this suits your chosen furnishings - for example, some awning windows winders can clash with shutters if there is not enough space in the reveal.
4 | Support in stud walls for hanging heavy things
This is particularly important for things like TVs but can also be important for large artwork, mirrors or heavy floating shelves. To ensure that these are safely secured to your wall, you will need to ask your builder to add noggins at the right height inside the wall. For your wall-mounted TV, as well as ensuring there are noggins in place, we always also recommend to install an in-wall conduit so that you can hide all of your cables from the TV to your apple TVs, game consoles, sound systems, etc. behind the wall.
5 | Sound proofing
A home renovation is the perfect time to add sound proofing to areas that may need it. Consider adding sound proofing to bedrooms, theaters/media rooms, between the ground and first floor, laundries next to bedrooms, and main bathrooms/powder rooms next to living areas. It's also important to consider the doors into these rooms, we recommend having solid hinged doors so that it minimises any sounds that might otherwise escape through a hollow-core door.
I hope these tips have been helpful! If you want to find out more about how we can help you with your project, get in contact with us below:
Have a wonderful week!
Nina xx
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