1. List all your pet peeves with your present home -not enough lighting, depressing colors, cramped spaces, dated finishes.

2. List what you want to change and assign priorities to these items.  These may include:

• Renovating the master bathroom and incorporating Baby Boomer Design concepts when thinking about the fixtures, such as single handle faucets, grab bars, shower seat, lighting, and cabinet pulls
• Refurbishing the kitchen either by  a complete remodel or by upgrading the counter tops, cabinets, lighting, fixtures or appliances
• Building an addition to meet your changing  space requirements
• Replacing windows to improve energy efficiency
• Upgrading your HVAC system, installing solar panels or using a tankless water heater to reduce energy costs
• Doing a complete home remodel incorporating universal design concepts to accommodate all ages and sizes of all household members.

For those of you, who have recently purchased a home that needs improvement, wear it for a couple of months before deciding on the changes. Chances are your final priorities might vary from those you initially selected.

3. Go on line — there are many free resources to inspire you — such as http://www.thehouseplansite.com that can help you with broad concepts as well as the details such as fixtures and finishes.

If you find space planning intimidating or you don’t understand what approaches to select, consider hiring a design professional such as http://www.adriansmall.com .

4. Decide how much money you are willing to spend on the renovation, buying furniture and accessories or any other costs you will incur. Do you have the funds or do you need financing? Talk to a financial planner about the best ways of paying for your project — they might have ideas you had not thought of.

5. Once your list is complete, the next step is to figure out how to do it. There are two basic approaches:

1. “Do-it-yourself” — but know your limitations. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. In many cases remodelers are called in to fix botched DIY jobs. This often makes the project much more expensive. Before making the DIY decision weigh five factors:

• Do you really have the time?
• Do you have the necessary tools and help in house or will you need to budget for getting the necessary help?
• Do you know the best place to acquire your materials?
• Are you familiar with building codes and the structural composition of your home? If not, have you allocated funds for architectural drawings, engineering costs and permits?
• Have you considered the inconvenience to you and others of a job that might take a long time to finish?

2. Hire a Remodeling Firm. They can transform your ideas into reality, on time and within a fixed budget. I know you’ve heard all the horror stories that friends and family members went through on their remodeling projects. Help is at hand — there are qualified professionals servicing your community. Make sure you hire a licensed, bonded and insured remodeling firm. Go to http://www.nari.org to find the professionals based in your area. Be very clear as to what your expectations are and how much money you are willing to invest. Listen to your “little voice”. You must feel comfortable with the project leader you hire — meaning you can communicate with them effectively and they grasped what you want from your remodeling project. If you’ve done your homework, it’s easier to convey what you want and prevent having to go through work order changes. Bid your projects with a least two firms, giving them both the exact same information so you can accurately compare estimates.

Be realistic! Yes, the remodeling work will create inconveniences while it’s being done, but, at the end of the process, you will be happier with the results.

Dining Room Before Picture

Dining Room After Picture

• Stage it so that potential buyers can imagine living in it;
• Hire a good photographer who knows how to make the property look its best;
• Find a realtor who knows the local market and the neighborhood where your property is located.

Never has it been more important to invest in “staging”.

As one of the services that Small Bernal Inc, our interior design firm offers, is staging so that realtors and potential buyers see your property at its best. A well-staged property will not  sit on the market.

Staging means transforming a home into a place that realtors and buyers can picture themselves enjoying living. Properties should be staged before they are put on the market to insure that appraisers will assess the home at the highest value possible. Realtors always prefer to show a staged property to their clients as it presents an appealing space to all buyers.

When staging, we depersonalize the space to get potential buyers to focus on the interiors and how they can be decorated, to envision the space with their own furnishings and style. This means avoiding extremes in color and furnishings and arrangements.

In today’s market, over 80% of home buyers will find the property on the internet and will favor visiting those that are the most appealing to them. Virtual tours are “par for the course”. A well dressed home and a well photographed home will always enhance that possibility.

We tend to think of Design for Aging in Place, as a discipline directly associated with a major disability, weighed down by codes and restrictions. But this is an overly narrow view. Let’s revisit the concept and see how it can be used creatively – to stimulate new designing possibilities that are easy to implement and that can benefit all baby boomers as they become aware of the gradual changes their bodies are going through now and will in the future.

Call upon your clients to talk to you about their activities inside the home, in order for you to assess how to improve the lighting. As we age, not only do we require more light for reading, but three way switches to illuminate a staircase acquire a new meaning. Reducing glare is important and it gives new significance to diffused light by using “torchieres” for indirect lighting. Kitchen tasks will demand higher levels of brightness that can be met through a combination of flood, task, under-cabinet and toe-kick lighting. Suggest the track option when you wish to cover different areas from the same source. If the client is looking for intimacy, present a solution of perimeter illumination controlled from the bedside.

In bathrooms, “Comfort Height” is the new trend for toilets. Hurray! I have waited a long time for this to happen to better accommodate my six feet four inches of height – resenting the trend in “new designs” that were getting closer and closer to the floor.

Do some research on grab bars because there are specific requirements contractors must follow when installing them. I have found that even grab bars in powder rooms benefit my guests. I have not had a client yet who did not understand the importance of having at least one in the shower. Try roll out trays in under counter (vanity) cabinets and single lever faucets. There are some nice and affordable options in the marketplace. Shower fixtures can include hand held fixtures mounted on wall brackets and slip resistant materials for floors such as honed or rough finished tiles. Consider, for the shower pan, small textured tiles (2”x2”) and small joints to prevent tripping. Explore the concept of curb less showers.

When working on a kitchen project, find out your client’s daily and occasional activities in this area. Get them involved in planning with you uncluttered storing solutions. There are many options nowadays that can meet any requirements. Be aware that the trend “freezer on the bottom” may not be the best choice for a client with a minor back problem. Take time to consider appropriate appliances and their optimal location in the kitchen. Though most of us favor granite for counter tops, Silestone or similar man made materials have lighter uniform color surfaces making finding objects easier.

On the subject of the home office, research the ergonomic attributes of seating you might propose. How much time your clients spend sitting in front of their computer? Suggest movable stands for monitors that adjust easily to comfortable eye level and suggest foot rests for those who spend long hours hitting the keyboard. Phones with bigger numbers and voice operated controls will also be well received.

As you can see, I have only begun to cover an extensive subject. Modification to the exterior of a home is another large chapter in itself. My goal is to raise awareness of some key issues that the baby boomer market is beginning to demand. Interior designers are in the business of not only bringing the latest color, fabric and furniture trends to our clients, but also providing sustainable long term solutions for living that we should share with them, enriching their lives today and far into the future. As designers we should embrace this new business opportunity that baby boomers are calling for.

a)    inadequate lighting,

b)   too little counter space,

c)    an inconvenient layout,

d)   appliances that need to be replaced,

e)    lack of integration among different areas,

f)     failure to allow adequate facilities for a growing family, or

g)   too much space now that the kids have left the nest.

I also encourage my clients to buy a couple of magazines and mark pictures of designs that appeal to them – because of the color of the cabinets, the type of appliances, the counter tops, the doors, the flooring, the lighting or the overall layout. I ask them to save them as a handy way of conveying what they want. I also encourage our clients to tell me about their preferences for green features and designs and for accommodating aging family members.

A visit to local appliance or home goods stores can allow clients to touch, feel and note the specifications of appliances and fixtures that they like – even to listing the brand name of their preferences.

Last but not least, I ask clients to do their financial homework. A range of budget numbers, that work for them and will not put them in a financial bind, will ensure that their financial expectations are met. It speeds the design process and avoids frustrations and disappointments.

For more information visit http://www.adriansmall.com

On April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning April 22, 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. Failing to do so can result in a 37,500.00 a day fine. As of 1978 lead no longer is used in the production of paint.[i]

The regulation also requires more involvement of the homeowner in the process as they will need to sign off on the EPA’s lead hazard information pamphlet “Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools “, which should be provided to the homeowner for signature prior to the work being done. The homeowner has the right to opt out from the regulation only if he/she is personally undertaking the remodeling project.

It is important that the contractor or painter gather information either from the homeowner or the county where the property is located about the year the home or facility was built before starting the work. He must also consult with state and county authorities as in some cases there are variances imposed by local governments.

The problem arises when areas that require the removal of walls, scraping of paint off window frames, patching existing walls by spackling and then sanding are disturbed.

The facts on the dangers of lead are clearly outlined in the pamphlet that must be provided to the homeowner prior to the renovation and they include:

• Lead can affect the brains and developing nervous systems of children, causing reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems, especially for those under the age of six. Lead is also harmful to adults as it has been associated with high blood pressure and hypertension.

• Pregnant women can transfer lead to their fetuses by inhaling the dust.

• Lead in dust is the most common way people are exposed to it. It can be either inhaled or swallowed and it is invisible.

Contractors and painters must use lead-safe work practices and follow these three simple procedures:

• Contain the work area
• Minimize dust.
• Clean up thoroughly

This new regulation will have a direct effect on your business, as the cost to perform the home renovations will increase between 5.3% to 11.2% to allow for the expenditure of additional materials and labor required by your contractor, the Remodeling, a monthly magazine published by media company Hanley Wood LLC, estimates.

However, it is also important to note that the law does not penalize clients who wish to opt out from having their contractors abide by the regulation.

Interior Designers should be aware that, if they are certified and present themselves as such to their clients and request the signature of the pamphlet, they are liable and also responsible for the training of their contractors if these in turn are not certified. In this case designers may require additional insurance. Consulting a broker is advisable.

Though I am a designer I do encourage my colleagues to get as much information they can on the subject. I did so, because “knowledge is power”.