When it comes to renovating your home, there’s one mistake we see time and again.
And it’s not picking the wrong paint colour or misjudging the lighting.
It happens before any trades have been hired.
Before any samples arrive.
Before anyone knows how much the project will actually cost.
The mistake is this: starting with decisions before creating a plan.
Starting with Kitchens and Quotes? You’re Not Alone
The most common path we see isn’t someone obsessively curating Pinterest boards—it’s a pragmatic one:
Visiting a kitchen showroom “just to get ideas.”
Getting quotes from builders without a clear scope.
Hiring an architect “just to get a planning permission”.
It seems logical—start with the practical things. But here’s the problem: without a master plan, each isolated decision becomes a risk.
You might find yourself planning cabinetry before knowing how the space flows. You may fall in love with finishes that don’t fit the eventual design. Or worse, you commit to costs before understanding how everything adds up.
This early rush to do something can leave you locked into choices that don’t suit your lifestyle—or your budget.
Why This Happens—And Why It’s So Common
Most people don’t renovate often enough to have a process.
And if you’re a busy professional with no design background, the idea of building a design vision can feel vague or even indulgent.
But design isn’t just about visuals.
It’s how you live in your space.
It’s how your rooms relate to each other.
It’s about how the light moves through your day, and what you need in each moment.
When that’s clear, you can move forward with calm and confidence. You know what to say yes to—and what to walk away from. You know when to start spending money, and what should wait.
So What Should You Do Instead?
If you’re standing at the beginning of a renovation journey, the most important thing you can do is pause.
Not to delay progress, but to create it with clarity.
Start with these three simple questions:
What do you want your home to feel like?
Calm, energising, connected, open, cocooned—there’s no right answer. But naming the feeling is the first step.What are your family’s non-negotiables?
That could be a quiet home office, a layout that allows children to play nearby, or simply more storage. Start with lived experience.What are the spaces doing now—and where are the gaps?
Identify where the layout or atmosphere doesn’t work. Are there dark corners? Unused rooms? Circulation that feels awkward?
When you start with questions like these, the renovation becomes less overwhelming and more intentional. You’re no longer reacting to problems—you’re designing from the inside out.
If You’re Ready to Start, Start Here
We’ve created a short video called the Renovation Kickstart Guide—a calm, step-by-step way to begin your journey without feeling overwhelmed.
If you’d like us to send it to you, drop us a message via our contact form or DM us on Instagram (and don’t forget to follow us while you’re there).
Let your renovation journey begin—not with panic, but with purpose.
5. Courtyard & Garden Integration
Even traditional urban homes include small inner courtyards or shaded garden pockets to cool incoming air and create quiet retreat zones that enhance airflow and microclimate .
The boldest spaces often feel the most calm.
Because they don’t try to impress. They just allow you to be you.