Listen to those you have entrusted with your project...

We all know that renovating or building a home is an incredibly complex and stressful undertaking. Why? At the top of the list of answers to that particular why is that it is expensive. I always start the conversation with a client around the budget. Many times I am told that there is no budget... There is always a budget! Let's just get that out of the way. It is up to the client to establish that benchmark and no one else. Of the dozens of individuals and and groups involved in renovations, the outcome will always be driven by the budget. Without realistic expectations and the numbers to back them up, no one can do their job effectively. 

I am very honest with clients when I tell them "Whatever you think this project may cost, double it. However long you think it may take to complete this project, triple it." There are a thousand reasons for this hard bit of truth: You never know what you will find when you start opening up walls. Also (at least in New York City), buildings have condo or co-op boards with a whole host of requirements that must be met during any renovation and they will want to see all of the documentation regarding your project and they will have their say. Every county or jurisdiction has building codes that must be adhered to and your local DOB will need to permit and approve any major work. If you own an older structure(100 years?), you can count on encountering some unforeseen problems. It's just the way it goes. And if you like nice things, finishes, etc. The work can be costly.

On the decorative side, there are lead times for materials and furnishings, cabinetry, fixtures, fabrics, on and on. Supply chain issues. Contractor issues. Subcontractor issues, Everything takes time and you will encounter snags from time to time. Go in knowing all the potential for delay and you’ll be better prepared if and when they happen. You may also be pleasantly surprised when things go smoothly and finish as scheduled.

There is an antidote to help alleviate the time crunch: proper planning before construction begins. The more decisions you make in advance of the first swing of a hammer, the better off you will be over the course of your build. You are only as good as the professionals you hire to do the job. Remember that HGTV and the shows they churn out are edited and programmed for entertainment purposes, in no way do they represent the real world. What you don't see behind the scenes are the many semi-tractor trailers and dozens of crew members with equipment, materials that have been provided by sponsors for free... All in the space of 30 or 60 minutes. Not to mention the fact that we don’t get to see the finished work in person. Looks great on camera anyway…

Expectations are everything. The more realistic yours are the better off you will be in the end.

The Finish Line! …Wait! Where did it go??!!

“You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.”
Irish Saying

I love the Irish! Do some research and you’ll find, beyond all the stereotypes, that some of the most fascinating thinkers have come from that tiny nation… The saying above points out one thing in my mind: There is no finish line in this life. You have to live every day as it comes. Way leads unto way. The road goes ever on. When the last breath comes, it’s on to the next place.

There is always possibility. I have to get up and take action and there will be some result based on that action. It’s physics to some degree but anything can happen. The world can be unpredictable. It’s simply making choices. Sometimes we get lost. That’s part of the journey, any journey. Maybe the best part. I’m at a place in my journey and I’m looking for the next turn. I’m in a roundabout circling, looking for the right exit. Sending up flares, asking for help and the GPS keeps yelling at me to return to the route! She’s not telling me how to get to where I want to be… After all we still have to choose, turn and go.

Kevin and I went to a class years ago, and learned the beginnings of making bread. We made five different kinds, hand mixed dough, let it proof and rest. Baked it, made a pizza, pastries… It was a good time. Baking is a process. Chemistry and care. Who came up with the idea of taking grain and milling it down to flour, mixing it with water, salt, yeast and baking it into bread? It’s so abstract but brilliant. It’s ancient, developed over millennia. There’s nothing like a good loaf and the scent of the baking. After time and putting what we used into practice, Kevin is a master bread baker. I can jump in at pinch but he loves the kitchen. It’s part of who he is. Generous and warm, nourishing. I’m more food for thought. Our journey has been rich and varied. We came up from the streets, invested in ourselves and we are both creative in our ways: Kevin is an Aveda Master Stylist and I am an Interior Designer.

We get our hands dirty. It’s uncomfortable and at times counter-intuitive. Sometimes events unfold slowly or they ignite like a fire storm. Be ready for anything. I have come to know that the subconscious always delivers. We plug in training, knowledge, the simple repetitive exercise and presto: options, solutions to a problem we’ve been thinking about seem to arrive from the ether. That is the process behind trusting your intuition. The calm, cool, collected voice inside your mind delivering up great suggestions and ideas, working out a problem… We all have it to some degree or other. Do we listen to it?

My writing is about honing in on that voice. I’m going to keep at it, even though the “finish line” will never be reached. They’re only words after all…