Renovating your bathroom can add personality and charm to your home while enhancing aesthetics and functionality. In some cases, it can even contribute to a higher home resale value. We suspect this is why bathrooms are the second most commonly remodeled room in the home after kitchens! Whatever the inspiration, if you’re considering updating your bathroom, you’re probably wondering if it is necessary to hire a designer for the job or not. While working with a designer presents plenty of benefits, it may also have its drawbacks.

So, do you need a designer for your bathroom remodel? As it turns out, the answer isn’t as simple as yes or no! In reality, whether or not you should work with a designer is dependent on your unique circumstances. Here are a few things to consider.

How Extensive Will Your Bathroom Remodel Be?

Bathroom remodels range from simply replacing existing fixtures with more modern versions to completely gutting the space and starting over with a new layout. If your project leans towards the prior, you may not need to hire a designer to help out. However, if you picture yourself ripping down walls or moving fixtures and counters around, it may be astute to hire a designer who specializes in bath renovations.

Creating a new bathroom from scratch is not only an involved process but also requires an intimate understanding of how bathrooms need to be arranged according to your local building codes and existing plumbing. If you intend to move fixtures around for a new layout, working with a knowledgeable designer can actually help save money in the long run. That’s because moving plumbing hook-ups can be incredibly expensive. When you work with a designer, he or she will likely strive to create a space plan that places fixtures in a logical manner that will not require extensive re-plumbing.

How Far Ahead Have You Planned?

Do you already know what you want your finished bathroom to look like, or do you need a little more creative help to visualize the end results? If you find yourself confident about the way your bathroom will look by the end of your remodel, you may not need to collaborate with a designer at all. However, if you need a little more help deciding on the overall aesthetic you hope to achieve with your project, consider at least consulting with a bath designer to get their professional input.

In addition to helping you come up with a concept and general mood for your bathroom, a designer can be helpful with choosing appropriate materials and finishes for your bathroom. Since the bathroom is a space that frequently encounters moisture, certain materials are more functional and convenient than others, and an informed designer should be able to guide you through the process of selecting the right materials to fit your project’s constraints.

A designer can also be good to collaborate with to discover new resources that you otherwise might not come across, such as suppliers and vendors. Designers are typically well acquainted with other industry professionals who may be able to help out with a remodel project, including contractors, plumbers, and suppliers. While most designers will not hire these collaborators outwardly, they may provide you with recommendations, cutting down the time you need to spend researching your options.

What Type of Furniture and Decor Will You Include in Your Design

Designers typically receive a trade discount for the purchase of most furniture and decor, which they can (and should) pass on to you. Working with a designer can help curb costs if you are planning to purchase high-end furniture and decor to go into your new bathroom after it has been remodeled.

Of course, if keeping a tighter budget is a priority for your bathroom remodel, you may want the option to select and purchase furniture and decor from non-designer stores. If this is the case, there is virtually no benefit to working with a designer since they will not be able to get a discount on those items. More than that, many designers prefer to purchase decor and furniture only from upper-scale brands due to their superior quality and aesthetic.

Working with a Designer for Your Bathroom Remodel

If you have decided that it is time to hire a designer for your bathroom renovation, remember to go about the process in an organized and structured way. Do ample research on different designers, comparing their general processes and pricing to narrow down your list of potential hires. You will likely want to interview a few of your top options to get a better idea of the benefits they can provide you and what it would be like to work together.

As long as you are willing to put some time and effort into researching and finding the right designer for your bathroom remodel, teaming up with a professional will likely help keep your project timeline on track, keep costs reasonably within your budget, and lead to stunning, one-of-a-kind results.

If you’re ready to start interviewing potential designers for your bathroom renovation, get started today at The Anderson Studio! Find inspiration by viewing our portfolio, and contact our team to start imagining your new exciting project.

Enjoy the feeling of being on vacation year-round with a luxury swimming pool right at home. Whether you aim to recreate a spa-like experience in your backyard or want to build the perfect outdoor area for hosting friends and family, working with an experienced architect makes it possible to design the luxury pool of your dreams. Before diving right into the design process, here are some key points to consider for your next luxury home swimming pool. Or, if you’re ready to start designing the perfect luxury pool for you, contact us today!

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How Do You Intend to Use Your Pool?

Before designing your custom pool, ask yourself how you intend to use it. Does a pool serve as a recreational area to gather with friends and family in summer, or do you plan to reap the health benefits of going for a daily morning swim? The key to designing a luxury pool lies in planning the pool’s intended functionality and ensuring it fits your lifestyle. For the athletic swimmer, a luxury pool should include a measured lap pool, if space permits. For smaller exercise pools, it may be possible to build a swim-in-place pool.

If your plans include enjoying the occasional Jacuzzi soak, you may want a design that creates harmony between the two elements–such as creating the illusion of a floating Jacuzzi within the pool with an infinity design.

If you plan to allow kids or pets to access the pool area, you may consider safety features, such as a fence surrounding the pool to prevent younger children from inadvertently falling in. Or, you may dedicate more square footage to the shallow end of the pool.

Is a Chlorine or Salt Water Pool Better?

There is no correct answer to this age-old question, but before building a luxury pool, you should decide whether you want to fill it with chlorinated water or all-natural water. Depending on the type of water you use, the pool requires a different filtration system to keep it clean and safe to swim in.

While chlorine has long been traditional in pool design, today it is possible to create natural pools that are filtered by natural means by incorporating living plants into the design. These all-natural pools typically have a portion for swimming as well as a separate area of plants. In this way, an all-natural pool may double as a water feature, even when it is too cold to swim.

What Technology Does Your Pool Need?

Today, just about everything can be controlled through smart home devices and automation–even various elements of your luxury pool. Smart pools can cover and uncover the water, adjust water temperature, engage cleaning systems, and turn the lights on or off. Some smart pools even add automated fountains, waterfalls, and speakers to the mix for a more luxurious ambiance while swimming.

Having routine automated pool maintenance makes it easier than ever to care for a luxury pool. It is no longer as time-consuming or costly to ensure that your pool remains in good condition. You can control and monitor many smart pool features using a smartphone for added convenience.

What Style Should I Choose?

The ceramic of a pool is an opportunity to inject style and personality. Different colors may communicate different design styles or faux textures, such as the look of sand, which can truly add to the overall look and feel of your luxury pool. Today, the typical light blue ceramic under the pool waterline is out of fashion, and new and exciting ideas, such as darker ceramics or thematic motifs, are trending in pool design.

Another up-and-coming trend is perimeter-overflow. This pool design allows water to flow over the edge, which gives the illusion that nothing separates the pool’s surface from the surrounding horizon. Perimeter-overflow pools tend to look modern and clean, and may even appear to empty into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean.

How Will Your Pool Fit With the Rest of Your Outdoor Space?

The most stunning luxury pools blend in stylistically with the rest of the backyard. Rather than designing a new pool from scratch with no consideration for existing elements in the area, it is better to create harmony between the rest of the space and the new pool. You may want to rearrange some of the existing landscaping or update the surrounding decking to look and feel good with your new pool.

Work With an Experienced Luxury Home Architect

There are countless possibilities when designing your custom home pool and working with an experienced architect. After all, a professional can help you plan all the features you want with an eye for detail.

At The Anderson Studio of Architecture and Interior Design, our accomplished and knowledgeable team has a knack for putting your preferences, inclinations, goals, and dreams at the center of every project you desire. Contact us for any custom luxury home design questions. We can’t wait to help you with this exciting new project!

Deciding whether your building project should be approached as a renovation or a new construction can be a difficult task. In general, neither renovation nor new construction is inherently a better option for building projects. Still, depending on the scope and intention of your project, one of these options may be better suited to your needs than the other.

It is important to consider the benefits and drawbacks of each solution since the route you choose to take will influence the project budget, timeline, and look and feel of the final results. This post will review the pros and cons of each building method to help you determine which approach is best for you. Of course, beyond this insight, it’s important to have a conversation with your general contractor or custom home architect about the specifics of your project in order to determine the best way to complete your project.

Plan Your Project Budget

Building or updating a home is an investment that pays off over time. Aside from the day-to-day value a personalized home provides, a well executed construction project also contributes to financial gain as the property increases in value. The amount you are willing to invest in your project as well as how much you hope to recoup down the line will ultimately influence whether or not your project is best approached as a renovation or new construction.

New Construction Costs

Building a new construction involves selecting a workable plot of land, modifying the site to support a building, installing all the appropriate utilities, and planning and erecting the structure. Of course, such an inclusive scope of work requires many hours of labor and a great deal of physical materials, contributing to higher expenses.

Despite the extensive work that goes into creating a new construction, there are some cases when renovation can actually end up costing more than necessary, making it the less financially sound route for a building project.

Renovation Costs

Renovating an existing building is usually more affordable than building a new construction but this is not always the case. Renovating does not require a new plot of land or building a structure from the ground up, but there are still many responsibilities that come with remodeling that can lend to a more expensive project. Whenever you renovate a space, it is necessary to upgrade construction elements to fit current codes and regulations, sometimes including adapting the space to coincide with ADA accessibility requirements.

Unfortunately, it may not always be clear from the outset of a project which of these alterations will be required, causing unforeseen costs to crop up. While it can be difficult to predict which utilities and structures will require updating to legally satisfy building codes and regulations prior to demolition, the general rule is that older buildings typically need more updating and modification. For this reason, renovating an older construction can become costly–sometimes even more so than building a new construction altogether.

Depending on the type and intent of your renovation project, it may be possible to get grants and other financial assistance to mitigate costs. Some government agencies and other organizations offer these incentives to entice building owners to renovate an existing space since this type of project has less negative impact on the environment than creating a new construction.

Estimate Project Timelines

The amount of time required to complete a building project depends heavily on the scope of work to be done. While it is often true that new constructions require a longer timeline, there are also cases in which renovations need a flexible, long-running schedule to complete.

Duration of New Construction

By nature, creating a new construction typically involves more work to be executed, such as preparing the land for a foundation, constructing the foundation, installing utilities, erecting the structure itself, and installing furniture, fixtures, and finishes. Besides the actual construction process, each step also entails having specialized inspectors visit the site and approve work that has been completed. In total, this can lead to a lengthy timeline for a new construction to be finished and ready for occupancy.

Duration of Renovations

While renovations tend to be the more efficient option compared to new constructions, these projects may also take longer than expected to successfully complete. Renovation projects can make use of existing construction elements as long as they are deemed sufficiently up to code, which serves as a shortcut to completing the project overall. However, in cases where renovations uncover constructions that do not conform with current codes and regulations or the use of potentially dangerous building materials, it can take longer to complete renovation projects.

For example, if during a renovation lead paint, asbestos, or other harmful materials are discovered, it is necessary to halt construction until the potential danger has been successfully abated. This often means including an additional step in the process that was not originally anticipated, lengthening the construction timeline overall.

Consider the Feel and Function of Your Home

With the right elements, a renovated or newly constructed building is functional and aesthetic, making the investment of your time and money well worthwhile. Depending on whether you approached your projects as a renovation or new construction can influence the final outcome of your project, ultimately impacting how you feel about the results.

Designing a new building from scratch provides you the most control over its end look and feel. As long as your design abides by building codes and regulations, it is possible to dream up and construct anything that suits your functionality needs and aesthetic preferences. New constructions are far less limited in creating a specialized layout or unique look than renovation projects because there is opportunity to plan every aspect of the new construction, including selecting all of the materials that go into the building.

While renovations typically present an opportunity to save on your initial investment and shorten the construction timeline, these projects are limited in their ability to transform the way a space looks and feels. To some extent, it may be possible to eliminate or move walls during a renovation, but the existing structure will have some influence over the way your project turns out. Of course, depending on the way you intend to use the finished space and the aesthetic you hope to achieve, a renovation may still sufficiently update and alter a space to enhance functionality and create a fresh presentation.

Work With an Experienced Custom Home Architect

Working with an experienced luxury custom home architect like the Anderson Studio of Architecture and Design can improve your overall experience of building a custom home. Our knowledgeable and accomplished team puts the client’s preferences, inclinations, goals, and dreams at the center of every project to create personalized luxury homes. When you work with a professional architect group that you can trust, you’re sure to love the way your dream home is built! Contact us for any questions or to start a new project today.

Building a custom home empowers you to customize every detail of your home to fit your lifestyle. But a lot goes into designing a home, and with so many considerations to take into account the process can be overwhelming. Avoid the stress by planning ahead with a custom home design checklist!

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