“I’ve got this.”
Do you suffer from unrealistic thoughts about renovation? Design help is here. Here’s what I’ve learned from thousands of interior design consultations.
So, just in case you were wondering and losing sleep over this topic like I have, I’ve figured it out.
The third week in my Renovate with Confidence™ Focus on Finishes for Renovations and New Builds is coming up and it’s my best work yet!
Now that I’ve organized all the advice I’m constantly giving my clients into a step-by-step format, the good news is that I’m adding stuff I thought I’d forgotten over 15 years and thousands of consultations.
Will you find a lot of what I’m talking about somewhere in my blog?
Yes.
So, why should you pay to get it in an online webinar?
There’s 5 1/2 years of advice in my blog but in my webinar it’s hyper focused on everything you need to know about choosing the right colours and products for renovating and new builds. You’ll get all of this in 10 hours with homework, a system for choosing colour, as well as a step-by-step plan.
You must pick a tile or there will be no floor. {image source}
We will not spend time comparing the merits of ceramic tile vs. porcelain tile but you’ll know which colour to buy and why. And so much more.
If you can’t decide on the right colour or you make the wrong colour decision on a $7,000 countertop, that will cause way more sleepless nights and heartache than the wrong material.
Unrealistic thoughts about renovating.
After last week’s webinar, I asked my participants to send me “Aha moments” to be entered into a drawing to win a free ticket to my upcoming Specify Colour with Confidence™ training held in Vancouver and Toronto this fall (a $1,997 value).
My inbox was flooded with emails. Three of them were from participants letting me know that now that they understand that medium brown wood flooring is the most timeless colour and they are now switching from their original flooring plan to this one.
By the way, was this information readily available on my blog?
Yes it was, right here.
But the problem is these readers had not read that post and most importantly of all, it had not occurred to them that they should ask the question about “classic wood flooring colour” in the first place.
You have your renovation plan, and like most people, you probably think, “I’ve got this. I know what I want, I’ve been dreaming about it for years. Why should I hire a designer to make sure everything will be beautiful or why should I do a course on renovating or planning my new house? I know what I want, my Pinterest board is full of inspiration and I know it’ll be beautiful.”
Seems reasonable, right?
Well from reading all these “Aha moments”, I now get it. This kind of thinking lives in the realm of “What you don’t know that you don’t know.”
Here’s an “Aha moment” from one of my so witty and sweet webinar participants that perfectly illustrates this:
Learn the right way to choose & install hardware. {image source}
“Maria, I was going to spend $20,000 getting my house ready to sell.
Included in my unrealistic plans was the following:
1. Two slabs of brown/beige granite for the kitchen countertop, full height backsplash and island top.
2 New medium dark-stained (cinnamon) cabinets.
3. Patterned linoleum and carpet in medium brown tones to delineate the open kitchen/living and dining room and to use in the bedrooms, bathroom and closets.
4. New paint throughout the house. All the rooms and halls to be painted 2162-70 October Sky. A feature wall in EVERY room, as well as the non-furniture kitchen island to be painted in CC-510/987 Buckhorn. Each bathroom to be painted 2056-60 Seafoam and all trim and closets to be painted white.
Can you say, “Ooops!!”?
Now [that I’m taking this webinar] I will re-evaluate ALL my plans and select ALL new materials while looking at samples assembled together on site (vs. pictures on the computer) while simultaneously considering trends, lighting (natural and artificial), undertones, repetition, contrast, cool and warm, clean versus dirty, rules on white and neutrals, patterns, AND re-evaluate again and again as items are installed!
What do I think all this is going to save me? If I would have continued with my original plans I would be getting on my husband’s nerves with ongoing bad suggestions to change things and he would not want to throw away good money after bad.
So, you have saved me from:
- Having an empty bank account.
- Having an ugly house sitting unsold on the market for a very long time and then taking a substantial loss to get rid of it.
- From my nerves and his nerves – in other words – “our marriage.”
PRICELESS! Hugs & Kisses, A.R. from Winnipeg
Learn how to coordinate granite with stained wood cabinets. {image source}
You, too, can have the timeless and classic house that you’ve always wanted, filled with finishes that make you happy every time you walk in the door.
Because now you’ll know what you didn’t know about getting there and best of all, you’ll really be able to say, “I’ve got this!”
Access my Renovate With Confidence online here.
PS. More “Aha moments” are welcome in the comments below ; )
About 6 years ago we were in the process of renovating our master bath. I had several large boxes of black cabinetry sitting in the garage waiting to be installed.
I have been reading your blog from the beginning & it finally got through to me that I made a HUGE mistake with my black cabinets.
I was sick. I finally got up the courage to tell my husband that we needed to have the cabinets painted white. He said OK & I have never regretted it.
My choice of painters….well, that’s another story. It’s chipping & will need to be repainted.
I grew up with painted cabinets and they do chip! That’s one of the reasons wood cabinets are so popular. Most of my wood cabinets/furniture can easily be touched up if they get dinged. Saying that, it’s still fun to have some painted furniture! Just painted my entry table midnight blue and still have to poly it!
I have decided to paint my bathroom cabinets white but never realized how many different whites there are in paint colors! The countertops are a light sand color, toilets are bright white. Is there a basic white you would recommend?
Thank you!
Diane
I’m doing this class and it’s SPECTACULAR. I am learning a ton. I’m seeing some bad AND good choices I’ve made. I now understand why I can like one look so much and then, a few years later, DISLIKE it so much (trendy changes). And I have tons more to learn. If you haven’t signed up, you should. You’ll make the fee back just on NOT buying three gallons of the wrong color paint…like I have already done…
Thanks Maria for all the hard work and sleep lose.
You are doing a great job with these seminars and we are appreciative of this “News We Can Use”.
Here’s the funny thing—when I mention your course to some “Professional” interior designers they act like I’m from Mars and only they have the “inside scoop” on everything. Heaven help us to stay away from the attitude that we finally have it ALL, or as the current colloquial (as in your title)….”I got this!”….. There’s always something to learn. Thanks, Sweet Lady Maria.
I agree. True humility is so underrated, but it holds the key. Without it, we become our own roadblock and miss out on others helping to stir up the giftings within each of us.
Well said! I’ve always been about sharing as much information as possible, because no one has a corner on the truth or how to do things “right.”
That’s “sleep loss”.
Speaking of “professional interior designers, with a degree,” I want to find someone who’s local ( I’ve already been through 2 and after having read your blogs, I think in some ways I now know more than they do.) Maria, how do I go about finding someone in my city? What should I ask and be looking for?
Maria does online consultations too!
Do the online consulting. Even though I design kitchens and baths, the suggestions she made for me on the rest of the house helped me save time and point me in the right direction. Totally worth the money.
Just taking the photos helped.
Plus, one of the things that had been bugging me, my Pink Lemonade mandevillas with the background of terracotta tile roofs, got changed to the other deck so they were against a gray street background. Free and made me happier instantaneously. The remaining green against the terracotta look fine and will be accented with lavender.
I can see both sides from inside the house and it makes me feel calmer.
I feel better about the rest of how I’ll be doing the rest of the place, even without the input from my ill sister and mom who are unable at this point to be my usual sounding board on color and style.
I’ve had “phone consultations” with Maria for 2 different projects – worth every nickel. She is organized, decisive and confident…just what you want in a sounding board. I could not have done my projects without her advice.
Maria, my question has nothing to do with house decisions.
I love your eyeglasses. Would you mind sharing with me the maker and style (all info I would need in order to obtain this frame). Thanks a million.
Thanks! There is no label on them, but here are the numbers:
2649-B 104 5215 135
Hope that helps track them down!
Maria
I was also thinking how cute your frames were! I believe they are Salvatore Ferragamo:
http://www.modaframes.com/products/9200-salvatore-ferragamo-2649-b-52-15-135-tortoise
Thanks, haha your right they are! But he only has it on the sticker that I peeled off which was why I couldn’t remember 🙂
The ONLY problem with them is the fake crystals on the side, one has already fallen out and they won’t look good much longer if that keeps happening 🙁
Gives them a really short shelf life after all! Maria
Thank you all so much. I am going to see if my eye doctor can get them. And thanks for the warning about the “jewels” falling out.
I live in the States so the online consultation is appealing. What is the cost?
Hi Bethany, email [email protected] and she’ll send you the details, how I need the photos taken, etc. Thanks, Maria