Guide
7 things to know before renovating your home
· 2 min read · SG Concept Architecture
Yes, we knocked it down. But ask: why did we knock it down? A good renovation is won on paper long before the first sledgehammer blow. The seven points below sum up the questions to ask yourself and your architect before work begins.
1. Write down why you want to change something, not just what
"The kitchen is dated" is a start, but not enough. Who spends time in the kitchen, how often and how? Concept design is born from these answers.
2. Do not touch a wall before you know the structure
The dream of an open plan often means removing a wall. You cannot know which wall is load-bearing without the drawings and an on-site inspection.
3. Plan the light first
Concealed lighting, niche lights and pendants are not decorations to add later; they are decisions to draw from the first day of the electrical layout.
4. Choose materials in your hand, not on a screen
The texture of velvet, the vein of travertine and the warmth of brass do not look right on a screen. Do not decide before seeing the sample in daylight and in evening light.
5. See 3D visualisation as insurance, not luxury
Photorealistic images remove the cost of changing your mind after work has started. Changing on screen is always cheaper than changing on site.
6. Set a realistic schedule
- Design and approval process
- Lead times for custom furniture and materials
- Structural work, services, finishing work
- Installation, cleaning and handover
7. Keep design and build in the same language
“When the same team works from concept to turnkey, the idea in the drawing is not lost on site.”
If you are planning a renovation in Istanbul, let's talk over a coffee. In the first meeting we listen to your needs and discuss the potential of the space together.
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