Resources, Media, and Ideas
Before you get started on a remodel, I think there are some great books out there with some really good architectural ideas.
My favorite books I've looked through have to be the Sarah Susanka "The Not So Big House" books. The subjects of these books are really great and really pare down architectural design to a few very key concepts. Chief among them and the title of the series is the fact that you don't need thousands of square footage to make a house your home. A small amount or a subtle repositioning may be all that's needed!
I took some of this advice myself when I started on my remodel. The original plans called for huge expansions and roof line changes, but with cost being an issue, I focused on what the most important changes were to me (better kitchen, modernizing the space, and bringing laundry in the house), the pieces fell together rather quickly.
If you like this book, you will also love her capstone book, Home By Design. It is a great book that emphasizes all the best aspects of architectural home design that isn't necessarily constrained by the "Not so big" theme the other books have.
Another great media source for me has been HGTV. While a lot of the shows make everything look infinitely easier than it is, there are still great shows with a decent amount of shop talk, finished examples, and great ideas. Some of the most informative shows are Holmes on Homes or Holmes Inspection, Income Property, Colorsplash, Sarah's House, and Divine Design. I decided to get cable in my apartment so I could start watching some of these shows. They have great DIY projects but also show how people deal with mistakes and changes during remodeling or when buying or designing a new home.
Something that you may not have considered before is actually going to your local library! There are stacks of books and dvd tutorials on home remodeling, construction, plumbing etc! Sometimes there are so many books it's overwhelming, but I found books with lots of pictures and diagrams to refer to are always useful. I work near a library so sometimes at lunch, I would pop by and flip through some books.
While you're looking at all of these resources, it's great to have a couple of things with you:
- a notebook and pen - you will likely want to write down a few notes everytime you see something you like. It could be a small reminder to yourself to look more into things or a detailed description of something you want.
- a camera - i started using a small point and shoot to take photos of book titles, model homes, store displays I liked and more. Even if you don't end up using a lot of the pictures, it's great to start collecting ideas.
- a tape measure - I don't know how many times I've wished for a small tape measure just to get a good sense of how big something is. You don't have to carry around a 25' one, but 10-12 feet is pretty reasonable. If you want to save some money, tape a couple of Ikea paper rulers together and roll it up!
My favorite books I've looked through have to be the Sarah Susanka "The Not So Big House" books. The subjects of these books are really great and really pare down architectural design to a few very key concepts. Chief among them and the title of the series is the fact that you don't need thousands of square footage to make a house your home. A small amount or a subtle repositioning may be all that's needed!
I took some of this advice myself when I started on my remodel. The original plans called for huge expansions and roof line changes, but with cost being an issue, I focused on what the most important changes were to me (better kitchen, modernizing the space, and bringing laundry in the house), the pieces fell together rather quickly.
If you like this book, you will also love her capstone book, Home By Design. It is a great book that emphasizes all the best aspects of architectural home design that isn't necessarily constrained by the "Not so big" theme the other books have.
Another great media source for me has been HGTV. While a lot of the shows make everything look infinitely easier than it is, there are still great shows with a decent amount of shop talk, finished examples, and great ideas. Some of the most informative shows are Holmes on Homes or Holmes Inspection, Income Property, Colorsplash, Sarah's House, and Divine Design. I decided to get cable in my apartment so I could start watching some of these shows. They have great DIY projects but also show how people deal with mistakes and changes during remodeling or when buying or designing a new home.
Something that you may not have considered before is actually going to your local library! There are stacks of books and dvd tutorials on home remodeling, construction, plumbing etc! Sometimes there are so many books it's overwhelming, but I found books with lots of pictures and diagrams to refer to are always useful. I work near a library so sometimes at lunch, I would pop by and flip through some books.
While you're looking at all of these resources, it's great to have a couple of things with you:
- a notebook and pen - you will likely want to write down a few notes everytime you see something you like. It could be a small reminder to yourself to look more into things or a detailed description of something you want.
- a camera - i started using a small point and shoot to take photos of book titles, model homes, store displays I liked and more. Even if you don't end up using a lot of the pictures, it's great to start collecting ideas.
- a tape measure - I don't know how many times I've wished for a small tape measure just to get a good sense of how big something is. You don't have to carry around a 25' one, but 10-12 feet is pretty reasonable. If you want to save some money, tape a couple of Ikea paper rulers together and roll it up!
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