Interior Design Remodel with HELOC Loans

When you are looking to remodel your home, where do you even begin? What room do you want to start with? What’s a realistic budget? How do you bring your vision to life? What are the best products to use if you have toddlers or a pet running around? How do you afford it? These are the questions that can overwhelm many homeowners and stop them from creating their dream home. Evolve Interior Design stepped in to answer questions about budgeting, design trends, and how you can achieve your dream interior design remodel with HELOC loans.

What can a client expect from their first consultation? 

The first consultation is about getting to know the client and seeing their space. We want to find out how the client uses the space, their design style, and budget. We find out more about their families, such as activities they will do in their space, any children or pets if they entertain or have a large family?  All of these specifics and more help us narrow down from a large variety of products and services to make a tailored plan for them. 

What are some ways you help bring a client’s vision to life? (client wishlist, Pinterest, etc.)

Clients frequently show us spaces they have admired from a variety of sources, from magazines, Pinterest boards, to Instagram. They even look at some of our previous projects and show us elements they like. Sometimes the way a client describes a style and the way we do can differ, so visuals and examples are very important. 

How do you develop a budget with your clients? 

Budgets vary depending on the scope of a project. It is rare that we get an exact number from a client. For example, with furniture, we can show them on our floor different frames and the prices, this helps us narrow down a comfortable price range for them, and in turn, this tells us what brands and pieces we should show, or ones from which we should stay away. With remodels, such as bathrooms, we can give a client a rough idea from our previous experiences. Once we find out how much they are comfortable spending, we can put together their look and the bids from our subcontractors to get them a more realistic budget for their own space. 

Are there certain rooms/projects clients should put more money into than others? 

Clients should put their money into spaces they use the most, rooms they really enjoy. Kitchens, family rooms, owner suites, these are all spaces that most families spend the majority of their time in and those are rooms that we encourage more of the budget being spent. 

How important is quality in home design? (clients with kids, pets, exposure to elements should think about higher durability items?)

We encourage quality most of all. If you are going to spend the money, we want it to last for years to come. As far as materials go, most vendors have become aware of the fact that people want to use every space (less formal rooms) and those spaces have children and pets. That means stain-resistant and colorfast fabrics that can take everyday use.

How much research should a client be doing on their own time? 

It is helpful for a client to look through different styles and see what attracts them. Fortunately, with our firm, once a project has begun we take care of the research. We go through many vendors to find options for different pieces and products. 

What’s one of your favorite transformations you’ve done? 

It’s impossible to choose a favorite, but this is definitely a top contender. Sometimes it doesn’t take moving walls or replacing surfaces. On this project, we took this game area and brought it more up to date with new wallpaper, lighting, and furniture pieces. It completely changed the look of the room!

What are some things clients should keep in mind when it comes to their budget? (extra, unexpected, little costs). 

Budgets should be flexible, furniture, lighting, and accessories the budget can be more exact, but leave room for small things you may want to add, maybe a piece of artwork you didn’t know you needed! With remodels, it is very important to know your budget can change. In every project, there is always something that was not expected: a vent that wasn’t supposed to be in the wall, tile that took 3 days to remove instead of one afternoon, water damage behind an old shower. These are all things that you cannot plan for, so it is important to know that going in until walls or floor are opened up, we do not know what we will find. 

What are some of the design trends you are seeing right now? 

Traditional is coming back. Darker, jewel tones with light taupe and beige can be seen all over. Grey has become less prevalent, and if it is used it is being mixed with warmer colors.

What advice do you have for people who want to start making home design improvements? 

Start with an overall game plan. Even if you do not plan to do everything all at once, it is better to think it all through before you begin. If you start knocking down walls or making decisions too quickly, it can make it more difficult later on when you do the next room if you didn’t plan how one room flows to the next.  

If you are looking to remodel and create the home of your dreams, but don’t know how to pay for it. Voyage Federal Credit Union can assist you in renovating your home through HELOC – home equity line of credit. HELOC is perfect for home renovations because you may qualify to borrow 75%-90% of your available home equity. To find out how much you can borrow to create the perfect space in your home, call 605.338.2533. to talk with a mortgage officer at Voyage Federal Credit Union.