13 First-Time Homebuyer Design Mistakes to Avoid

When it comes to firsts, buying a home for the first time can be one of the most exciting, intimidating, and overwhelming experiences for many buyers. In addition to purchasing the home, you will also need to design and decorate it. Let’s say you are transitioning from a condo in Miami to a large home in Atlanta, decorating and designing all that space can be daunting. That is why we asked experts from across the country to share the most common design mistakes they see first-time homebuyers make and ways to avoid them. 

Taking on too big of a project

It is easy to become overwhelmed if you try to tackle the interior of your entire home at once, causing project burnout. Instead, focus on one room at a time for furnishings or one item at a time like flooring. Make a list or plan for the entire project. Don’t hesitate to contact a professional even if it’s for a little help in getting ideas organized. -Sarah Daricilar, Daricilar Design Studio 

Buying all furniture pieces from common online retailers 

If you source your pieces from the same online retailers or big home decor stores, your home will look like any other! Homeowners can make their homes unique by going out to a local small boutique, vintage store, or online retailer and picking out a couple of accent pieces that really show off their personality. -Rust & Root 

Not displaying your personality in your home decor 

Don’t be afraid to inject some personality into your new home. A simple and affordable way to rock a ton of style is to change up the color of the fireplace. A little non-toxic paint and a couple of hours of sweat equity can turn a bland, ordinary fireplace into a show-stopping focal point. -Junkyard Goddess

Purchasing all your home decor at once 

The biggest mistake we see homeowners make when decorating or redecorating their home is splurging on all their decor at one time. We recommend buying quality items that will last and that you will love for years - wait for the right piece vs dumping money into mediocre or even poor quality pieces. Also, don’t forget to consider up-cycled quality furniture- you can typically buy a beautiful refurbished piece for approximately the same amount as a new cheap chipboard piece. -Painted! 

Following too closely to common design trends 

I believe one of the biggest mistakes you can make when decorating your new home is following too closely on-trend. For example, instead of filling your home completely with farmhouse style furniture and decor, why not create an unlikely statement with a big, bold, colorful piece of art amongst the neutrals? It's always better to be original than to be one in the same big crowd. -Cara Lockwood, Cara's Color Me Vintage

Forgetting to plan out your space in advance 

New homeowners often only see their interior design ideas as nice furniture, decor, and color palettes. The main thing that you may not take into account is space planning before choosing any kind of furniture or appliances. My advice is to precisely measure your floor plans and furniture so you can get the idea of the scale of your property. Then you can plan the rooms properly and begin choosing the colors, furniture style, etc. -Kucheriavi Studio 

It is so important to measure your new rooms and existing furniture to make sure things will fit. Having a furniture plan is key to understanding whether or not your current pieces will work in your new home, and where you will use them. It can also help you get organized by identifying upfront which items you'll be moving, and any new items you may need to purchase. - Welsh Design Studio

Leaving your walls bare

Bare walls? For artful living, by design, I recommend starting with Art! Personalize your space with art that is meaningful to you, represents your interests, your journey, and your own signature sense of style for EurDesign. Don’t forget size matters too. Consider hanging larger scale artwork for high styles such as in entryways, staircases, and premier livable spaces. -Ginger Hartford, Designer and Founder of EurDesign Studio

Not focusing on the importance of lighting 

Purchasing the incorrect lighting for the home and installing the fixtures either too far apart or too close together. Lighting is extremely crucial to any space, and can really set the tone of the ambiance you are trying to achieve. We recommend spending the time researching the type of bulbs you would like installed. For example, using a bulb that is too bright can make a space look sterile and like a hospital. We like using soft white light in our residential projects. This color temperature typically looks good with earthy tones and light wood finishes. -KJ Design Collective

Failing to determine needed updates or repairs 

It is so important to look at your newly purchased home with an objective eye and make a list of the things that need to be repaired, updated, or generally renovated to make this home yours. Too many times clients move in and get used to their surroundings as they get busy with life and then become accustomed to overlooking things that they really would have liked to have changed.  Make a list immediately after the closing, create a wish list of prioritized projects to tackle as your budget allows. Not everyone can tackle everything right away, so it is important to prioritize the list and then refer to it as projects are accomplished. As the months or years roll by, your home will become the true haven that you desired when you signed on the dotted line. -Janie Burger, JB DESIGNS | Interior Design Studio

Not budgeting for window treatments 

Don’t forget to allocate a little of the budget for window treatments so when you move in you won't end up with paper shades for the next 6 months to a year. Window treatments are very important and can be expensive, but also very necessary so it’s important to put money aside for window treatments. -EMI Interior Design

Spending too much money on a remodel 

If you inherit an older kitchen, you are not obliged to replace it at a great cost. Employ a professional kitchen painter to transform it, applying any color enamel paint you like with a durable showroom quality hand-painted finish. Change the handles, stand back, and marvel at the new kitchen. -Traditional Painter 

Taking on a design project yourself 

The most common mistake a new homeowner can make is trying to take on a design project alone. We often get called when new homeowners have hit a wall and are exhausted by the entire process of designing a new home themselves. -Lisa O’Dierno, Cierno Designs

Originally Published on Redfin

A Design Studio's New Standard for your Business

To all of our current, new and future clients, a brief note of our awareness and action….

WE ARE:

WORKING, GATHERING, LISTENING, READING, EXPLORING………

MOST OF ALL, WE ARE HERE NOW AND WILL BE HERE WHEN YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS US THE MOST.

Veterinary - Healthcare

At this time, like no other we’ve experienced, SPACE and it’s DESIGN is put to a very stringent and significant test. Under these circumstances, is your space working??

Is it versatile enough to support a change in operation or is it helping or hindering?

What have you learned that can inform your space for the future of the industry?

Directed design paradigm research of this impact will foster an informative direction to take new and established veterinary practices to a more efficient and effective level of service that will benefit the whole of the industry.

Our studio is a wonderful mixture of design professionals with influential opinions, input and experience. This mixture is our solid base for our approach to each one of our projects - RESEARCH and APPLICATION. Now, more than ever, we are on task to find the “positive” of this shift for business function in the future - find what has been seen and learned about communication, technology, human interaction, financial impact and seed for growth. Every veterinary establishment will feel this; whether big or small.

Though several virtual calls with the team, we have discussed the how’s, what’s and if’s of the shift, current impact and what is to come. I have set our designers to focus on gathering a relevant ground work of how our design services can directly take the baton from the state of business now to a higher, informed and positive day to day operation.

As an owner, I want to believe that the operations of my studio have seen little impact, but just like all other businesses, there certainly is a need for change and as we do this research for our clients, we also do it for ourselves.

We are all in this together; all business types, small, medium and large!

My directive and focus discussed on our virtual calls:

• Compare and analyze the “what is” to determine supportive factors and factors that should be on the list of needed change - 3 major facets that have been shown to Veterinarians and their staff that stay (improve on) or go (no longer be a part of a veterinary practice)

• Are veterinary spaces set up to handle virtual communication on both the larger and smaller scales?

• What spaces have become more or less important to the operations? Are the current size of spaces supporting efforts or not? Should existing spaces be re-configured or re-defined to set a different flow and/or function? Did staff members find that they were using existing spaces for a different function, i.e. the reception area for a storage area or a medicine dispensary (due to the fact that clients were not “checking in” or physically in the space). Were staff and Veterinarians gathering in the waiting area to talk or have a conference because there are no meeting or conference rooms to gather? Were pets being seen anywhere other than exam rooms for any reason?

• Should an “office” function be added to the day to day operations of a veterinary space to enable better and necessary communication with; other offices/practices, local hospitals, clients and team members?

• What deeper interaction with the client due to COVID-19 policy improved client trust, understanding and care through communication? Are any of these policies worth keeping?

• Can technology/added services to the practice take some of the tasks from both the veterinary staff and client? i.e. prescribing medication - using a 3rd party vendor for delivery or mailing/FedEx set up, a delivery/pick up system that picks up a sick pet or delivers medication/supplements to the client, telecommunication rather than an in office visit? These are some of the ideas to be explored. Of course it would be determined, in the best interest of the pet by the Veterinarian which is the best course of action for both the client and pet.

• Finally, overall, what is working and what isn’t. This is probably the simplest, but most significant.

We hope that all our past, current and future clients are finding their own specific positive in all of this. If you aren’t or can’t, we will and can. Right now, all our team members are on different virtual tasks to keep our studio momentum upwards, but, I am here for direct communication with any veterinary, healthcare or business owner/team member that can benefit from the research we’ve gathered thus far and will continue to gather or just to get a handle on where their practice or business is headed after COVID-19.

The best offence we have now, is communication and community.

You may contact me via our website or message me via LinkedIN. Godspeed, stay well and looking forward to moving swiftly into a new and better STANDARD!

When Glass Offers More Than Transparency in Very Private Spaces. A Quick Approach to Glass Systems in CARE Spaces; Veterinary and Healthcare

Glass, in its inherent properties offers full transparency, right?

Well, not always, and it offers so much more; its aesthetic can even define the culture, use and function of the most public to the most private of spaces – if used correctly.

Fishbowl application - if an acoustic system, opacity is not needed - office gatherings, conference area, etc.

Most spaces you go into today are dressed with some sort of glass divider, glass front system, glass doors, glass partitions, etc. Mainly, but not limited to, offices, retail showrooms and even private residences are using glass to divide, yet still allow a flow of circulation, light, vision and branding to communicate a design intent to whomever the end user of the space may be.

However, the spaces mentioned above are perfect for any glass installation as they are public and client facing; requiring an uninterrupted vista to fully engage with customers, employees or visitors. But what about private spaces; medical or veterinary spaces? Are they ousted from the multitude of benefits and beauty that a glass install can provide? Absolutely, NO!

Well, let me change my answer for a mere moment.  YES, private spaces have been ousted and have never even considered glass as an appropriate material to use where confidentially and privacy are paramount concerns, for obvious reasons.  Namely, Veterinary offices/clinics/hospitals, medical offices of any kind; dental, doctor or hospital.  Can you recall ever seeing a glass system or partition or even a full glass door in any of these spaces? I can’t.

And I get it! I, as a patient, would not want to hear what is wrong with me with the side dish of everyone staring at me or my reaction or potentially hearing the mother-load of great or not so great news.  I want total confidence that my information and well-being is between me and my doctor, that’s just it. So, translated into interior design, we get, full height, solid, acoustic gypsum board walls with a heavy solid core wood door, fluorescent lighting and about 10’x10’ room to visit with our healthcare professional; generally speaking, the vast majority of the healthcare spaces we see and inhabit today. And, further, with regard to Veterinary offices, even a bit bleaker. A much smaller room, with or without a chair to sit and a cold steel table for us to prop our pet up onto.  The design detail of both spaces is a muted bland color, hard floor and wall materials and just, in a simple descriptive word, austere. Might there be something better? Do our medical and veterinary experiences have to be so low vibrational and heavy?  

The first answer is, yes, and the material is glass and the second answer is a hard NO!

Glass systems are highly versatile, beyond your initial understanding of the inherent properties of glass. I think of a dimmer switch on a light.  The light in full property is designed to light the entire space, but sometimes, we don’t need or want the full capabilities, so we add a dimmer to control how much light we want at any time without sacrificing the full property of the light itself.  Best of both worlds; the same premise of how to use glass in private spaces as well as the most public. We are talking the range from a fishbowl (fully transparent) to light and airy, but soundproof and limited vision. 

Let’s explore that versatile range. A fishbowl is equivalent to a storefront, a café or dress shop that is meant to be fully visible from outside the space – AKA, window shopping from the street or checking out where to get a great cup of coffee.  The glass is clear, transparent, and often large, uninterrupted panes; offering full understanding of what is happening inside. This application on the interior of a space is useful when spaces need to be fully seen for security or control purposes; an office gathering space – conference room or waiting area. Again, great for public spaces. So, let’s jump to the lonely private spaces and agree that the fishbowl application would not suite an exam room (medical or veterinary) or medical consultation room, but it’s not a lost cause.  

This is beautiful. This is a fishbowl application, but opacity can be applied. The light and flow if this datum is harmonious and is totally appropriate for a medical or veterinary office.

For an exam room or confidential consult room, glass most certainly can be used. The transparency can be designed to an appropriate level of opacity just as a dimmer controls the amount of light with a wide choice of film that acts like a gradient on the surface of the glass that creates any level of visual transference.  Further, understand that if you have high ceilings and design the glass system to be full height, opacity can only rise to a certain height and the taller portion may be left transparent to take full advantage of the beauty of the transparency of a pane of glass – not sacrificing the privacy or confidentiality required to happen within.

OK, so we have nailed down the visual property of glass, but what about sound transference. Glass is not known from its acoustic properties, especially compared to an acoustic gypsum board wall and solid door. Yikes!!?

Brilliant people have thought of this and have blessed the market with fully acoustic glass systems, AKA, double paned systems that reach the same acoustic value of gypsum board and in some cases, have a higher value.  Picture this, you may have a fishbowl gathering space that is fully acoustic – you can see a sports event going on, but not hear a sound! For our medical spaces, confidentiality remains silent and unlike the color, visibility is muted.

Fishbowl application - fully transparent

Glass system with opaque film - very little visibility and can be fully acoustic

Let’s recap quickly:

Confidentially – CHECK...

Privacy – CHECK….

Heavy design, compartmentalization – NOT ANY MORE

Dark, bleak and small exam rooms – NOPE

Here is the acoustic property of a glass system. Again, a fishbowl application with the ability to be gradient with surface mounted film to control visibility.

Maars Systems

Again, the answer is, yes, and the material is glass.  Don’t have to re-read, glass, yes. I am not going to strain your eyes with words to describe a very visual topic, I’d rather you see and conclude what I am explaining for yourself as you too are an end user; a human that visits doctors and possibly a pet parent that will visit a veterinary office more than once.  In either case, you are in this with me and everyone else, so see for yourself and draw your own conclusion…..

One last thought, this is revolutionary and we have the means to implement, so from my expert experience as a human, pet parent and design professional, I say, it’s a GO!