ASK
PRISCILLA
A step by step guide
to remodeling

By PRISCILLA KOHUTEK

Q. We desperately need to remodel our 1960s ranch-style home, but we’ve never done anything like this before and don’t have a clue where to start. Please help!

A. The starting point for any project, major or minor, is a serious sit-down with your mate. Choose a time when both of you are at your best, which is usually not at the end of the day when you’ve both had a bad day at work. Better to plan it and make a date for this important conversation.

Be prepared for little surprises like when you discover the two of you aren’t on the same track after all. It’s normal for people to visualize things differently. Even when you think you’re communicating perfectly, the mental pictures each of you are conjuring up aren’t necessarily the same.

The solution? Start building files for each phase of your project. Include pictures and information from magazines and brochures that illustrate styles, colors and products you like. As you add to and edit your files, your goals become clearer to each other.

Stay focused and stick to the subject. If the conversation starts drifting, make a note to talk about whatever at another time. Turn off the cell phones and let the messages go to the machines.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of making a budget and following it. Then, add 10 percent to 20 percent more. In all probability, you’ll go over the budget, regardless of how careful you are. That’s because issues will arise that you haven’t considered, such as making additional improvements while you’ve got the opportunity and upgrading materials, appliances, bathroom fixtures — just about everything you thought you’d already decided on.

As the project goes on, you’ll be exposed to products and materials that you didn’t know existed, and it will be very tempting to start shifting gears. Changes and substitutions can be wildly expensive, driving the cost of your remodel totally over the top of even the most meticulous budget.

Ask yourselves the questions in the following outline. Write down your answers.
• What do you love about the house? List in order.
• What do you hate about the house? List in order.
• What do you want to accomplish?
• Update?
• Enlarge?
• Restore?
• What are your priorities? List in order from “must-have” to “nice-to-have.”
• Remodel vs. build new or buy your dream already done?

WHEN IS REMODELING A GOOD IDEA?
• Stable neighborhood and good schools.
• House has good bones and you love it.
• Not the right time to pull up roots.
• Long-term commitment to property.
• Comfort, convenience and ambiance are more important than cost of remodeling.
• When is remodeling a bad idea? If the answer to the first two questions above is negative.
• If the cost of the remodel prices you out of the neighborhood, and you have plans to sell it in five years.

GETTING STARTED: BABY STEPS
• Budget, budget, budget!
• How much can you afford to spend on the project?
• Do you need financing?
• Live among the rubble or move out?
• Hire an architect?
• Interior designer?
• Decorator vs. ASID (American Society of Interior Designers)?
• General contractor?

HOW TO CHOOSE A GENERAL CONTRACTOR
• References: If you don’t know anyone who has used this contractor, ask the contractor for a list of previous clients.
• What services does your money buy?
• Full-service contractor with his/her own architects or designers and trades people?
• Contractor subs work?
• Who’s responsible, and who pays for what? Is it in the budget? Who provides materials?
• Plans/blueprints?
• Are proposed designs presented before or after the contract is signed? How many design choices are included at no additional cost?
• What if you don’t like the proposed design or want modifications? Who pays and how much?
• Specifications
• Permits

Request examples of all materials. You’re likely to have a few samples from which to choose, but what happens when you don’t like any of them? This is a tricky area where costs can escalate. Remember that contractors and builders are in business. There are all sorts of pitfalls during remodeling projects that offer opportunities to add on charges. Perhaps you will prefer to have an allowance so you can do your own shopping.

• Kitchen and bathroom fixtures
• Flooring
• Appliances
• Additional a/c and heating
• Cabinetry
• Lighting
• Details: knobs and pulls, hinges, door handles
• Is a written contract necessary? Absolutely! It’s the only recourse you have if things start going badly.

GET THREE ITEMIZED ESTIMATES, INCLUDING LABOR AND MATERIAL COST — IN WRITING. COMPARE COSTS AND SERVICES.
• Firm pricing with details of responsibilities.
• You must be notified and approve, or not, of any changes/overages, also in writing.
• Include a timeline for construction phases, so materials are on hand when needed. For example: flooring, kitchen countertops, bathroom fixtures, appliances and lighting.
• Date of completion with penalty clauses attached.
• Legal review of the contract.
• NEVER pay in advance for services not yet rendered!

HOW INVOLVED DO YOU PLAN TO BE?
• Hands on.
• Totally reliant on contractor.
• Need help to manage project.
One other little thing: Have you budgeted for decorating your newly remodeled home?

For more on building and remodeling, read Chapter 1 in my book, The Guide to Home Decorating Indian Style.

Q. Your column on leather furniture [SAN ANTONIO WOMAN Jan-Feb ‘07] was very informative and convinced me that is what we need in our family room. However, when I went shopping for a leather sofa, I discovered that only the tops and sides of the cushions are covered in leather. The undersides of the cushions are cloth and can’t be turned to even the wear. Is this a cheaper version of the good stuff?

A. I checked this out with the experts at Choice Leather Furniture, and here’s the official word: Most leather cushions are constructed this way to allow air to escape when someone sits down. Otherwise, it would be like sitting on a balloon. What a hoot! I’d never thought about it that way. So I examined our leather sofa, which we’ve had for at least 14 years, and guess what? The undersides of the cushions are lined in black fabric. If you search high and low, I’m told that you may find cushions that are completely covered in leather and fitted with grommets to allow for escaping air. Bottom line is that you don’t have to worry about flipping leather cushions for even wear because fine leather acquires a patina that adds to its charm — so there you have it.

Q. We’re moving into a new home that I’ll be decorating myself. What advice can you give me so I can avoid making expensive mistakes?

A. Brace yourself, dear reader. You will make mistakes — the object is to keep them to a minimum. Being aware of the pitfalls is a giant step in the right direction. Here are a few of the most common decorating mistakes that are easy enough to sidestep:

1. Making purchases before you have a plan. Design your room and collect fabric and paint samples first.
2. Impulse buying. Think about what you’re doing before you run out of the store with something that caught your fancy — it may be a temporary attraction.
3. Selecting furniture without measuring the room first. It’s all about proportions, so don’t forget about ceiling heights. Measure doors and openings to be sure you can get pieces into the rooms. When furniture is going down hallways or upstairs, measure the clearances to be sure you can maneuver pieces around tight corners.
4. Painting the walls insipid colors. Look for tones with depth and richness that you want to sink into. This doesn’t mean you have to go for dark colors — even light shades and neutrals work when the intensity is right.
5. Highlighting insignificant woodwork and trims. If baseboards are 3 1/2 inches tall or less, don’t bother to point them out by painting them an accent color or white. It usually shrinks the walls. Paint them the same color as the walls.
6. Omitting a focal point or having too many. A focal point is the main attraction of a room, i.e., a fireplace, an outstanding piece of furniture or a beautiful window treatment. It’s something special that commands attention the minute you walk into a room. When you have too many special things in one room, the eye has no place to settle.
7. Overdressing a room with a view. When you have windows with a special view, the view becomes the focal point. Don’t undermine it with an over-decorated room.
8. Hurrying through the project. A well-decorated home evolves over time; it isn’t accomplished quickly. Take care of the basics, and then build on them. The house will develop its own style and reflect your personality.

TIP: Details make successful décor. If attention to the fine points isn’t your thing, you need someone looking over your shoulder. Hire a decorating consultant to walk you through your project. Until next time, happy decorating.

Priscilla Kohutek, internationally published home decorating columnist and author, draws from her own experience and the advice of experts to answer your questions. Send your queries to her via email at Priscilla@askpriscilla.com, or mail them to SAN ANTONIO WOMAN, 8603 Botts Lane, San Antonio, TX 78217.