Lesson 2: Preparation is the Key to Success!
Preparing in advance includes establishing the priority projects to be done; preparing a budget; making a floorplan (including measuring and determining layout); preparing a list of supplies and tools needed. If you are well prepared, your project will go much more smoothly and there won't be those dreaded "surprises" that threaten to derail us!
What Do You Want to Do?
- What do you want to change in the project room or rooms? For instance, do you need to change the color? The furniture? Do you need to add storage, or make the current storage more usable? Make a list of your wildest fantasies for this room if money were no object.
- Now make a list of the "fantasy" objectives that you can reasonably do yourself. Again, money is no object.
- Next, go through that list and see which items can be done without spending any money at all: Rearranging the furniture; adding furniture or artwork from other places in your home; removing or adding an area rug from elsewhere in your home.
- Go through the remaining items and determine which do-it-yourself items are the highest priority, and will require spending some money to accomplish. These projects, and the no-cost ones above, will be the focus of this course.
- Those items that are left, which will require professionals to complete and which may be more costly, cannot be addressed in this course. However, you should consider whether your budget will allow you to pursue them now, or if by careful advance planning you can do them in the near future. Such items might include upgrading the electrical or plumbing system, replacing or adding windows, or installing major appliances, a sound system or an alarm system.
We'll assume for the sake of simplicity as the lessons continue, that no major or professional items need to be done before you proceed with your interior design project.
