Diary of a remodel: in the second chapter of our three-part series, we guide you through the material selection process - Home Design - Column

Sunset, July, 2002 by Ann Bertelsen

B. A pizza oven will be built into the wall, its position marked by the framed half-circle.

C. The garden gradually becomes less formal beyond the low wall and pizza oven. A decomposed-granite path will run between a small curvilinear lawn and the shaded area beneath the redwood tree, just out of the photograph on the right side of the garden.

D. A pair of curving walls of dry-stacked interlocking concrete blocks will act as retaining walls to create level changes.

Countdown for your remodel

10 more steps to make your project a success

1 Fine-tune your space plan, working with your architect, building contractor, and interior designer to ensure that your existing and proposed furniture will work in your floor plan. If space is at a premium, you might have to decide on a media center versus his and her closets or a home office. Prioritize what is most important based on your budget and how you live. This is also the time to double-check the placement of windows and doors, before the drywall stage is completed.

2 Develop a furniture plan. While doing space planning, you and/or your interior designer should be streamlining your existing furniture, deciding what to keep and what you need to buy. Take an inventory: Photograph and measure existing pieces for future reference. It's helpful to sketch the exact placement of individual items on your floor plan.

3 Decide on a flooring design, selecting specific materials for each room. Flooring and floor coverings can be expensive. A designer can help successfully mix materials--such as hardwood, carpet, stone, tile, or many of the new synthetic materials--to suit your budget. You'll need to consider the direction of floor patterns so the contractor can price the materials and estimate installation time before ordering.

4 Make sure the contractor orders plumbing and appliances well in advance of their installation. It's advisable to check with manufacturers on lead times for specific items. Custom tubs or special faucets can sometimes be back-ordered and take up to three months for delivery. The same applies for some gas and electric appliances.

5 Consider lighting and electrical layouts, including audiovisual, data, and communications systems covering Internet, telephone, intercom, wiring, and security. This is especially important for home offices and media centers. A designer will often suggest mounting fluorescent lights under cabinets. Note that in California, for energy conservation, Title 24 requires the use of fluorescent lights as the first switch in kitchens and bathrooms. Decorative lighting--sconces, pendants, lamps, or chandeliers--also should be selected at this time so the appropriate wiring can be installed.

6 Select materials: This drives the ultimate color palette, including paint, wallpaper, and special finishes such as glazing or plaster. A designer will help homeowners sift through the choices, usually offering a broad selection as a starting point. For example, should countertops be marble or granite, polished or honed, butcher-block or tile, concrete or limestone, or one of the new solid-surface or composite-stone materials? The choices seem endless, but McDonald and Moore say that most couples are usually able to agree on surface materials once they go through the selection process together.