Whenever one of my family members embarks on a renovation—big or small—I’m reminded just how quickly those dreamy inspiration photos can collide with reality.
Take my sister Anita, for example. When we started mood-boarding her bathroom, we were in pure fantasy mode. I found a gorgeous mirror and two perfect sconce lights.
Pretty, pretty, pretty!
But then, as always, the practical considerations came marching in.
“Maria, I NEED all the counter and cabinet space I can get.
This is a small house, so our budget-friendly, off-the-shelf vanity has to be 60 inches—not 54, even though that would look so much better and leave a little breathing room by the wall.”
And of course: “I really love my 3-way mirror because I can actually see the back of my head! I still want that.”
Then came the lighting: “I want the brightest lights possible because I need to see all the things!”
And the tile hunt: “Wait, I can’t find blue square subway tile that matches the blue penny tile without spending a small fortune! NOW WHAT?”
It’s at this point—the hunt for all the pieces and parts, and the scramble to get everything ordered on time—that I’m reminded, once again, just how tough this process is for homeowners who aren’t design professionals.
Because, here’s the truth: your house is CUSTOM. No matter how many Pinterest boards you’ve saved, 99% of the time, your space is going to be different from those inspiration photos. The minute you start factoring in your real-life needs—storage, lighting, mirrors, the quirks of your floor plan—those dreamy visions start to morph.
And don’t forget your partner! What happens when your spouse wants a say? Suddenly, the modern faucet they love threatens to derail your traditional bathroom vision. (Ask me how I know!)
And then, of course, there’s the budget. As Brent Hull says, most people end up making design choices based on their budget, not their dreams. And that means, more often than not, the “pretty” gets kicked to the curb faster than you can say “lead time.”
Here’s a familiar tale of how it goes.
The inspiration
5 Reasons Your Renovation Project Falls Flat
Sue falls in love with this pretty designer kitchen from Pinterest (above).
1. The budget has its say: After pricing out new cabinets, she and her hubby, Steve, decide they need keep the existing footprint and paint the existing ones, and change out the backsplash and countertop.
2. You fall in love with something flashy: So they head to the stone yard looking for something that looks like soapstone and Steve falls in love with a black granite slab with lots of eye catching movement in it.
They check it off the list.
3. You miss the critical details: Sue decides she must have a pretty plaster range hood, but it will need to be smaller in scale for their cozy kitchen. They remove a row of uppers and the microwave hood to make it happen. The hood is not centred, but Steve really loves the stone so they decide to make it a feature all the way up the wall and install shelves.
4. Sourcing and availability conflicts with the timeline: The brass cabinet knobs that perfectly match the knobs on the range are out of stock. They decide the darker aged brass will be fine and they can get them right away.
5. Decision fatigue sets in: Sue is fatigued on choosing things now. She can’t possibly choose light fixtures. And Steve insists that pot lights will be a major value add to their kitchen renovation.
And here’s how it’s going 💔 (womp, womp)
So the next time you’re scrolling through inspiration photos, remember: the real design journey starts when you try to turn those dreams into reality. And that’s when the magic—and the mayhem—really begins.
So what’s the best way to avoid these almost universal project pitfalls?
Start with a colour and design plan
It’s simple. For all the money, time and labour you will spend on your project, don’t compromise on a beautiful outcome. Get a plan that fits YOUR specific situation from a pro. An excellent design plan is the least expensive and best return on investment for your entire project.
Check out my eDesign packages here.
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Yikes!! But a very telling story that we all get trapped in….
That left side backsplash looks like it’s being prepped for open shelves. But the lighting is wrong. They should have under cabinet lights and a central decorative fixture. Pot lights will leave shadows in the tray ceiling, which also needs to be dressed up with molding.
Yikes is right! Been there, done that. As Maria said, having a plan and sticking to it are key. That, and never allowing yourself to be “too tired” to make another decision. And never going out of town, mid-build! Stay involved in every single detail and you will probably love the outcome. No guarantees!
What helps enormously is the ability to visualize what your plans will look like. But only 10% of us are able to do that. If you’re in that 10%, your chances of a good outcome are much higher, although still not 100%. That leaves a lot of people who need what Maria provides!!
Steve should not have had a say in this renovation.
Ouch! That’s not going well!
Oh gosh, you are too right about “how it’s going.” After years of butting heads with my husband when it comes to decorating choices – he doesn’t believe in having an overarching design plan and thinks I am too rigid for wanting one – we are finally working together a little better and he is trusting my choices a bit more/less contentious over every single choice. Thank you to Maria for over a dozen years of speaking into my life and giving me design wisdom LOL
I did a reverse search on the ‘don’t’ image, and yikes, are they ever a lesson on the importance of hiring an experienced _Kitchen_ designer. Thank you for being the voice of reason.