Simplicity Rules
Simplicity Rules
It happens all the time. A normal person, facing a renovation project goes suddenly quiet.
Some little idea, some OMG-what-about-the-landscaping-will-this-cause-the-babyPTSD-maybe-we-should-refinsh-all-the-floors-how-many-can-lites-does-the-playroom-need-will-my-mother-in-law-approve starts buzzing round their brain. That little idea can unleash a whole hive’s worth of meddlesome details. What once seemed like a sensible renovation project suddenly feels huge and unmanageable? And now you’re frozen like a deer in the headlights, terrified, wondering whether you shouldn’t just call the whole thing off.
If you’re feeling a touch of pre-construction catatonia, you’re not alone. The condition is not terminal and totally normal. The treatment is easy. Keep It Simple. It only has positive side effects and is definitely covered by your insurance policy.
Here are a few ways to start it:
Delegate responsibilities. If you’ve got the head for numbers, let your partner worry about the floor plan. No one expects you to do everything. Give yourself a job and stick to it
Trust your contractors. They know what they’re doing. Feel free to ask questions along the way, but also give them space to do their job.
Understand there’s a natural order to renovation. Though it may seem weird or even frustrating at times. Things will work themselves out in time and so . . .
Don’t worry about the landscaping before the studs go up. Don’t freak out about the kitchen chair upholstery before the breakfast room is built. You’ll have plenty of time to think about it later. I promise.
Don’t overthink it. Seriously. The minute you feel your brain going to a DEFCON-5 sort of place in your head, take a walk, go to Yoga class, have a glass of wine, skydive, whatever. Do what you’ve got to do to chill out and take it one step at a time. Your renovation is quite literally a work in progress. Nothing is written in stone (even if you are, in fact, having something written in stone). Face the challenges and rewards as they come.
Reshaping your home into something beautiful isn’t always easy, but it really (really) doesn’t have to be so complicated.
