Tag Archives: home renovation

My Favorite Tools for Organizing Your Home Remodel

Organizing Your Home Remodeling ProjectAs I mentioned in a previous post, our household is in the midst an extensive remodeling/redesign effort that includes a series of sub-projects throughout the first floor and exterior of our home. The list of sub -projects includes:

  • Adding trees, plants and hardscapes to the side and back of our property
  • Repainting the 1st and 2nd floor
  • Dining room redesign
  • Great room redesign
  • Powder room remodel
  • Kitchen remodel
  • Installing tile floor in laundry room
  • Installing hardwood flooring throughout the first floor

We officially kicked off the master project last November, and anticipate completing our projects in late 2016. One benefit of tackling this beast of a project is that it provides a ton of fodder for upcoming blog posts!

In future posts, I’ll share all the fun I had with wallpaper removal, how I harness the power of spray paint for redesign, my method for selling home decor that no longer fits in the new design scheme, and how I’ve battled design decision burnout. But first, let’s talk organization.

As you can imagine, there are lots of moving pieces/parts to keep track of when undertaking such a major home improvement project. For that very reason, it is crucial to have solid organizational systems in place for managing it.

Today, I’ll share my arsenal of “Must Have” organizational tools that have allowed me to maintain my sanity thus far during the remodeling process.

Tool #1:  A Binder

So simple, yet so effective at keeping all the paper related to our project in one central location. Of course, I picked a binder that matched the new color scheme of our redesign!

Home Remodel Binder 5
I used Smead 3-hole punched Poly Translucent Slash File Folders and an old set of tab dividers with an index sheet to organize project-related information into key categories, including: Timeline, Budget, Contractor Business Cards, Paint Samples, Furniture/Fixture Sourcing, Project Bids, Plans/Sketches, and Notes.

Home Renovation Binder1
I created the binder prior to beginning our project. As things progressed, I discovered a new tool for managing the project timeline/budget (see below), so those binder sections are no longer used.

Even though I’m a “paper-less” girl at heart, my Hubby is a paper lover. Since we both need access to the remodel information, it just made sense to keep the majority of project information in paper form.  Besides, it makes a lot more sense to view paint colors via paper swatches rather than on the computer!

Home Remodel Binder 3

It’s also much easier to modify a design sketch via the old school paper and pencil method anyways:

Home Remodel Binder 4

Tool #2:  Pinterest

It probably comes as no surprise that Pinterest made the list. I have been using this awesome tool since its inception to curate ideas/information for both myself and my clients.

I’ve created a series of Pinterest boards that serve as a collection hub for my product sourcing options, color palette, and images of “inspiration” spaces.

Having all of the information gathered together in a single board helps me to easily communicate my vision for each sub-project with Dear Hubby, as well as with contractors.

Remodel Pinterest Boards

{Feel free to follow me on Pinterest so that you can checkout all of my helpful organizing boards, and follow along as I complete our home remodel!}

Here’s a sneak peek of my Powder Room Redesign board. It’s so helpful to be able to click on a particular product and link directly to the source to obtain information on pricing, dimensions, customer reviews, etc. Gathering all of of your product options in one place enables you to make side-by-side comparisons, so you can make design decisions faster and easier

(I still need to decide on a light fixture. Vote for your favorite in the comments section!)

Pinterest Powder Room Inspiration Board

Tool #3:  HomeZada

HomeZada is a digital home information tool that helps homeowners organize and maintain all facets of their home. The free version of HomeZada enables you to create a home inventory. Upgrading to a premium subscription gives you access to a universe of additional home management tools, including the Home Improvement project management feature.

Within this module, the Project Inspiration option includes a set of room-specific boards chalked full of great ideas to consider as you design your new space:

Homezada Project Inspiration

You can create a project in a snap by selecting from a menu of common home improvement projects, or by creating your own custom project:

Homezada Create New Project

Here’s a snapshot of my master projects dashboard, which lists the status of each sub-project:

Homezada All Projects

You can specify a budget and timeline for each project. The Project Planning page provides a big picture monthly budget planning tool that lets you know at a glance the funds that are required each month to move forward as planned with your project timeline.

Homezada Project Planning

Within a particular project, you can calculate an estimated budget by creating a list of project items and a budgeted price for each item.

Homezada Project Items

The Shopping Choices option enables you to input a high and low price option for each item, so that you can determine what you can afford, given your budget constraints. Although I haven’t used this function yet, I can see how it can be valuable!

Homezada Shopping Choices

Once you’ve made purchases you can record the items within your project and HomeZada calculates the project cost to date, which you can then compare to your budget on the project dashboard.

Homezada Purchased Items

And every time you input a project purchase, HomeZada asks if you would like to add this item to your home inventory. Brilliant!

Homezada add item to inventory

HomeZada Giveaway!

Do you have a home remodeling or decorating project in your future? I want to help you be successful, so I’m offering a chance to win this great home improvement organizational tool!

homezada Giveaway

Reader Giveaway: Three (3) lucky blog readers will each win a 1-year subscription of HomeZada Premium ($59 value)!   Just complete the entry form on the Refined Rooms website (bottom of page) by 11:59pm ET on 5/8/15 for your chance to win. Good luck!

 Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Heidi’s Home Renovation Project Reveal

home reno reveal cover

Since my friend was kind enough to allow me to share the “in process photos” from her large home renovation project in my previous post on home renovation survival tips, it seems only fitting that I share the “after” photos with all of you as well. After all, who doesn’t appreciate a little interior design eye candy, right?

This renovation project encompassed almost the entire interior and exterior of my friend’s home, so I’m just going to focus on my favorite aspects of the project.  It would have been ideal to show you a set of before and after photos for each space, but unfortunately, I did not think to take a set of before photos before the project started.

This image does give you a sense of what the kitchen looked like before…just imagine a wall right behind the sink/dishwasher area, since that was the original exterior wall of the house (the entire area behind it is an addition which almost triples the size of the existing kitchen).

House Envy 1

Looks just a smidge different in the After photo below, eh?

The new kitchen certainly makes for an awesome entertainment space. I’m in love with the large butcher block table that extends off of the center island.
house envy 6

When designing her new kitchen, Heidi incorporated one of the latest kitchen design trends…a blend of contrasting cabinetry. The wood tones mixed with the painted cabinetry creates such visual interest.

house envy 8

As you can see in the above image as well as the image below, the new kitchen boasts a ton of display space to house all of Heidi’s collectibles. Don’t you just love glass front kitchen cabinets?

house envy 9

The new lighting is gorgeous, offering up just the right amount of drama for the space (note the accent lighting in the high display cabinets…sweet!)

house envy 7

Of course, as a professional organizer, I had no choice but to “ooh and aaah” over what is probably my favorite feature of the new kitchen…this custom-built family command center that serves as home for the family’s keys, electronics, and household papers. I love it so much, I’ll be stealing emulating this idea in my own kitchen redesign.

house envy 11

By now, you’ve probably noticed the new hand-scraped hickory flooring that was installed throughout the entire main floor of the home. Much to my delight, they carried the hardwood up the stairs, and installed these beautiful square-shaped newel posts that are totally in keeping with the new craftsman design. Did I mention that I’m also a sucker for iron spindles?

house envy 10

Let’s move onto the master suite…

Once again, this part of the house is a new addition, so there are no before photos to offer up. Prior to the renovation, the master suite consisted of an average size rectangular room with an average size connected bathroom located on the second story .

The new master suite is downright palatial. This wall of windows provides an amazing view of their secluded wooded property, which is so splendid, they opted to omit window treatments entirely.

house envy 2

Among the other elements of architectural awesomeness are the gorgeous wood beams that add interest to the vaulted ceiling…

house envy 3

…and the barn door that separates the bedroom from the bathroom. Who wouldn’t want one of these?

house envy 4

Ready to take a peek inside the master bath?

The “Mrs.” vanity is on the right side:

house envy 13

and “Mr.” gets his own area to the left:

house envy 12

As if it wasn’t awesome enough, here’s the “shower that’s as big as my laundry room”! Of course it contains dual shower heads, as well as a small seating area. Of course. (Is my house envy that obvious?)

house envy 5

This is the point where I so wish that I had taken before photos, so that you could truly appreciate the complete transformation of the home’s exterior. This image was taken after the new vinyl siding, roof, and front porch were completed. The addition of the front porch totally transformed the look of the front elevation, making it infinitely more charming.

house envy 14

Let us not omit the new garage doors, stonework, and lighting.

house envy 15
Phase I of Heidi’s renovation is now finished and took approximately a year to complete. They are about to embark on Phase II, which consists of completing the basement renovation, as well as the exterior landscaping. Although it was challenging for the family to live amid the chaos, she assures me that it was well worth it.

I know that I would be willing to endure the challenge if I got to wake up to that view from my bed every day. Can you see why I have house envy?

 Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn