How To Remodel a Project that Has No Set Architecture

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I am a designer who is hired to make sense of older homes that did not originate from a professional design. Many times the homes are purchased due to their fantastic view of the waterway and need to be redesigned. I am one of those designers who gets giddy over such a project, I love the challenge! Today’s post is a how-to to remodel such a project.

The first thing you need to do with such a home if you’re a homeowner is to hire a professional architect and interior designer. This is the team that is going to dissect the home and come up with a functional and charming home.

Avoid Remodel Mistakes

There are three things you do not want to do with a project like this and that is:

Don’t try to make it into a style it is not.
Avoid tunnel vision.
Avoid doing anything until you have a plan.

Tips for a Successful Remodel

An existing property is full of clues as to what it should be. It takes the skilled eye of a professional from the design world, not a contractor to walk through a project and consider the following aspects of each and every idiosyncrasy.

Many people think that their contractor can design but the fact is everybody on a project team comes with their own skill set and the contractors are there to build from a plan that is designed by an architect and a designer; just as an architect and a designer do not physically build a home.

These properties that fall into my lap to make sense of are a direct result of someone being outside of their wheelhouse. Three tips to think about for a successful remodel are: