Today marks the end of week eight of our Carmel Park project. It feels right to update everyone, and give a little insight on what we’ve experienced during this process. Each project consists of a long checklist, a process, and stage placement. This not only makes my job fun, but challenging. I’m always up for a great challenge.

#1 - Demo

My contractor calls Demo “Play Time”. Not only is this the messiest, but also the most important. The Contractor will carefully ( While still having fun ) remove & start the renovation process. Much of the debris will be relocated to a dumpster. Figuring out what walls are load barring is very important. Figuring out which walls are will help you frame, or take away from the area the client is wanting remodeled. Plumbing is also located during the demo process, and can be moved or removed depending on what the client wants. If your home needs to be completely re-wired, this is the perfect time to do so. You never want sheet rock put up first then re-wire the home. This will cause much confusion, and eventually cause conflicts between your tradesmen. ( We’re currently dealing with this now. It won’t happen again) If you’ve hired a seasoned contractor, he or she will know exactly what needs to be done without having to ask you 20 million questions before, during, and after the job. Getting a good contractor will save you thousands of dollars as well as thousands of headaches. You shouldn’t have to hover over your tradesmen as you’ve already done some extensive digging into their past work.

demo stage at our Carmel Park Lane remodel

#2 - Framing

Framing can be fun. Watching new walls appear where walls never existed can be the highlight of anyone’s day. During this process, you will find a clean slate awaiting the different tradesmen to come in, and work their magic. Before you know it you will see electrical wires dangling from the ceilings, and new outlets popping up all over the place. If your contractor screws up a measurement, it could cause other tradesmen to have difficulties completing their tasks. We can’t stress enough on vetting your contractors to make sure they know exactly what they’re doing. One inch off could cause an entire job to come crumbling down.

#3 - Mechanic

Mechanics are very important. You will want this process to flow smoothly to avoid major headaches, and possible fights between the tradesmen. It’s good to have each crew working on separate tasks on opposite ends of the renovation. Having two or more grown men bumping into each other causes problems you never want to experience. The last thing you want is two grown men trading blows with each other because one touched the others ass on accident. Time becomes very sensitive during this process. We stress again how important it is to have all of your tradesmen working hard to get the work done on time.

#4 - Finish out

During the Finish Out stage, you will bring in a crew to put up sheet rock. This process is imporant because you don’t want another trades cutting into new sheet rock to finish their jobs. If you like drama, this is a step you shouldn’t worry about. If you want it to go smooth, be sure you make sure everyone is done with their jobs before sheet rock goes up. It’s important for Designers to walk the site every two days. Always ask for an update from each crew you’ve hired. The Tape & Bed process is long, and depending on the weather can take longer than anticipated. If you live in a humid climate be sure to give two weeks for sheet rock to be completed. Humid climates create moisture and dry-wall mud takes forever to dry.

#5 - Painting

Painting comes after the walls have been taped & Bedded as well as textured. Painting can be easy, or it can become a pain in your ass. If you hire professional painters, they will take steps that will ensure you no paint ends up on floors, furniture, or even pets. Depending on the climate, and paint quality it could take up to three coats to fully cover the dry-wall.

#6 - Craftsman Pieces

Now painting is done it is safe to bring in all the finished products. From cabinets, lighting fixture and counter-tops. Everything should be ready to install. We don’t want to place these items in the space before paint. The last thing you want is paint splattered all over your new toys!

#7 - Hard selections

Floors, tile and back-splash will be installed. This process is one of the most time consuming. All of these items can be installed at the same time. Some like to put in flooring first, and end with the back-splash. In reality, it doesn’t matter.

#8 - Final Touches

This allows the construction crew to make their final touch ups and fix any issues as needed. Paint, baseboard replacement, and grout cleaning are very important. This is also the time crews will clean the job site and make sure everything is perfect. A final walk through will follow.

#9 - Final Walk Through

The final walk through is by far the most important part of this process. Making sure every little detail is perfect before you bring the homeowners to their newly renovated sanctuary. Each tradesman should be present for this.

#10 - Install Day

Install day is by far the most exciting day for any designer. There hasn’t been much hands on from the designer since the design stage was completed. This will give the designer, handy man, and cleaning crew the privilege to make sure everything is perfect. We as designers have the honor of putting together the finishing touches in the space.

Commission mural for Gina Roth’s, Abode Design, Union Lamar Project.

10 Stages Of Renovating Your Home