6 Home Renovation Tips for a 2021 Refresh

Planning a home renovation for 2021? You’re not the only one. After spending so much time indoors last year, many of us are craving a home refresh. Whether yours is big and requires building work or small enough for just a tin of paint, follow these planning tips and tricks. Happy renovating… 

1. Pin and Plan

The best home renovations start with a clear idea of how you want each room to look. Create a Pinterest board of inspiration, with sub-boards that dig into the details, such as lighting and fixtures. Mistakes can happen when you make things up as you go along, and doing so may be costly. So, make sure you’ve got a plan in place for every last nook and cranny, right down to plug sockets and door handles. 

You can also find plenty of interiors inspiration and DIY videos on Instagram. The @ArighiBianchi IG is updated daily with dreamy decor ideas. From dressing your dining table to creating a cosy living room, we feature furniture and finishing touches that make your home renovation complete.  

2. Get Contracts in Place

If your home renovation involves building work, map out what you think you can do yourself, and which spaces will need the handiwork of a professional. Then, ask family and friends to recommend builders they trust or search for workers with good ratings and reviews. Once you’ve found the right person or team of people, request that a contract is put in place, outlining every requirement.

3. Choose Flooring First

Before you start picking out paint colours, decide on the perfect flooring for each room. It’s easier to match a paint to your parquet than it is to find a floor that fits a custom wall shade. If a building review or thorough check of your house has highlighted instances of damp or rot, this will also guide the type of flooring you lay down from one room to the next. 

For example, while wooden floors are inimitably chic, they’re not recommended in areas where moisture could cause future problems. Instead, use luxury vinyl or laminate in rooms that are prone to damp or wet, such as bathrooms or kitchens. These create a hardwood look and feel, but provide a sturdier foundation for your renovated space.

Image Courtesy of Lydia Millen (@lydiamillenhome) featuring the Jute Carpet Runner by Alternative Flooring and Luxury Vinyl Tile from Karndean.

4. Figure Out Lights and Fittings

Before building work starts on each room, decide where you want your light fittings to be placed. Perhaps you need two pendants to fill the room with a warm glow, or you’re relying on floor lamps to illuminate your decor. Either way, planning the location of lighting now is key, keeping in mind any dining areas or reading nooks that may need bulb hovering overhead.

5. Measure and Schedule Your Furniture

When deciding on larger items of furniture, like corner sofas or dining tables, measure out the area with masking tape to get a feel for how much space they’ll take up. You could even use cardboard boxes to recreate a large table or armchair, so you can see if the height or depth would be overwhelming in small corners of a room. 

Once you’re sure your furniture fits, try to align delivery with building, painting or carpet fittings, allowing a few days either side of each task, in case of any unplanned delays. Plotting a clear timeline for each stage of work helps you plan furniture deliveries better – so you won’t spend weeks on an air mattress in your renovated master bedroom. 

6. Maximise Space with Mirrors

Finally, ensure each room plan has space for an ornate mirror (or two) – especially in small box rooms, where your goal is to maximise the area. They open up the room, whether you opt for a decorative wall piece, like the Marble Effect Mirror, or full-length, leaning glass, such as the Curve Edge Mirror. 

Looking for more tips to enhance your home this year? Discover your complete guide to pastel decor; perfect for brightening up every room in the house.