Design Cafe: New beginnings 2. Planning a redecoration

Monday 15 January 2018

New beginnings 2. Planning a redecoration

What is the difference between redesign and redecoration?

Clients have asked me this lot of times before as it is not really clear to them the difference between design and decoration. The scope of redesign includes builders works such as demolitions and construction. It is also inclusive of any new electrical, Mechanical and plumbing works such as new wiring, drainage pipe work etc. Redesign requires and Interior designer as the main consultant and based on the extent of the new work, consultation from Mechanical, electrical and structural engineers may be required. Redecoration on the other hand is purely the change of aesthetic elements in the house such as finishes (Floor, wall and ceiling), electrical and mechanical fittings/ accessories and change/refurbishment of furniture. In redecoration, there is no builders work involved and therefore, only services of an Interior designer or Interior decorator are involved.

How should one plan for a redecoration?

There are three main things one should do before embarking on a redecoration.

Research and establish a style
Prepare a moodboard
Prepare a schedule

1) Research and establish a style

There are very many different types of styles one can adopt in Interior design. Each style has its own properties and characteristics. The difference between the styles mostly falls in the colour palette, types of fabrics, pattern and prints, furniture styles, lighting and sanitary elements and accessories, rugs type and pattern styles and sometimes furniture arrangement. Lots of these styles have been outlined in https://www.houzz.com/ a really good source for design inspiration and in other platforms on the internet. However, these are not all styles available. Styles such as Minimalist, Japandi, Bohemian, Traditional African, African chic, Swahili , Marrakech, Nautical, etc have not been captured on Houzz but have been captured on other platforms online. Before one begins a redecoration, one needs to research and establish the type of style they would like to adopt and also the elements they need to incorporate to achieve this style.

2) Prepare a moodboard

Mood boards can be physical or digital. In this day and era, digital mood boards are the best as one can be able to add or delete elements easily from the page. There are many software’s one can use to create this. However, the easiest software is Microsoft PowerPoint. PowerPoint is easy to use and is easy to add images and texts. Mood boards help one visualize the room with all elements on one page including fabrics and colour palette. If for example one has come across a beautiful sofa in the showroom or in a magazine, one should take a photo and paste it in the mood board. Many shops now have also digitized their products and one can get clear photos on their websites.

3) Prepare a schedule

Schedule preparation is the most exhausting part of the process as one is required to accurately put in the Description, Source, Dimensions, Quantity, Cost per item and the total cost. An image is also required for easy identification. This needs to be accurate as possible because it helps one generate a preliminary budget. Quantities of items such as drapery may be a bit difficult to calculate and therefore one can use fabric calculator for this. Once this is complete, one can then approach the different suppliers and request for a quotation of the actual items. It is necessary to ask the supplier to include taxes, lead time, extra charges such as transport, payment terms, validity period of that quotation and of course the discount.