What If I Want To Renovate, But Have No Creative Ideas?

*This is a collaborative post.

People often tell say they're stuck when it comes to home renovation, because it turns out that the excitement over thinking what you could do doesn’t always apply to what you will do. This is your money on the line after all, and having so many options can make you feel a little lost.

In this mindset, homeowners can look at their living space and know something needs to change, but the creative spark doesn’t seem to agree. It’s true that magazine spreads show perfect rooms with carefully arranged furniture, and social media fills our feeds with stunning before and after shots, but you not for your space exactly, and sometimes a good idea that won’t apply to you can lead to even more confusion.

The helpful truth is that good renovation ideas don't need to spring from artistic genius, so don’t sweat it too much. Good design comes from paying attention to how you actually live in your space, and what small changes might make that daily life easier. Sometimes the best ideas start with practical problems, like a kitchen counter that's too small for cooking, or a living room layout that makes conversation difficult and you want to fix. So, in this post, we'll look at three ways to kickstart your renovation planning, even if you don't think of yourself as particularly creative right now.

Watch Your Function

Start by watching how you move through your home. You can notice where you bump into furniture, where you wish you had more storage, or where the light isn't quite right. These frustrations are actually valuable clues about what needs to change. You might discover that browsing in frame kitchens online gives you ideas about storage solutions you hadn't considered, and that provides you a fundamental area to work from. If you work with an architect, they might help you put the floor plan together and help you understand how multi-use functions can be enjoyed in a smaller amount of space. Just remember that good design often comes from solving problems, not just making things look pretty, you can do that later.

Learning From Your Current Space

Look at what already works well in your home, because we’re willing to bet there’s part of it you like. Maybe one room feels particularly welcoming, or there's a corner where you always feel comfortable reading and feel the natural light is used well here. Understanding why these spaces work can help you recreate that success elsewhere, perhaps not exactly, but in principle and with the same kind of design fundamentals. Sometimes the most effective renovations simply copy what's already successful in your home and apply those principles to other rooms.

Starting Small & Building Confidence

Begin with manageable changes, as sometimes you just need to begin to keep going. Paint one wall, rearrange your furniture, or update your lighting in a space you don’t particularly want to tear down, and you’ll start to think more openly about your options. These smaller projects help you develop your eye for what works. You can also look online for how certain orientations have been designed, that may give you a better idea for how to structure or completely alter the space.

With this advice, we hope you can more easily renovate, even without incredibly new ideas.