06/06/2026
Renovation’s like parenthood. No-one tells you until you’re in it.
It’s all fun and agmes until feel like you’re going 1 step forward, 3 (or 5) back.
And that’s normal. Here are the most common reasons we see people hating the process:
· Taking on too much in one go. It’s rare to renovate a whole house at once, despite what the internet shows you. Even real project houses happen in phases. If you’re trying to do everything, maybe it’s time to take a more phased approach.
· Decision fatigue sets in. Taking on multiple rooms means there are literally hundreds of decisions and very few of them are that fun or interesting. If you’re stuck in inertia with even simple decisions, you might need some professional help to keep things moving- one small decision like wiring can hold up a whole room.
· Unrealistic timelines. This is a biggie. Trying to get finished by a certain date (like a special birthday or Christmas) puts additional stress on the whole process. There are always hiccups that push the finish line. Trying to be more flexible with your end point can ease things significantly.
· Too many cooks. Builders, friends, parents, joiners, the milkman. Everyone’s going to have an opinion and it’s going to get LOUD. Time to develop your tunnel vision and stick to your guns. Your opinion is the only one that counts.
· Plan a contingency budget from as early as possible. Best case, you don’t need it. Worst case, it gets you out of a project-finishing bind.
Interior designers are as much project managers as they are pretty shelf stylists. Our job is to help you enjoy a home renovation not regret it. If you’ve started and are thinking “what the hell have we done?” it’s not too late to get help.
