Renovating an apartment is often a fascinating undertaking: it is the process of creating a place that reflects one’s dreams while responding to one’s living needs.

However, it is an operation that worries many people beyond measure: too many choices to be made, too many aspects to be taken into account, professionals and craftsmen to deal with and manage, and a thousand other elements that cannot possibly be overlooked if one really wants to achieve the goal of creating the perfect home.

But don’t worry! Worries and anxieties arise from the moment we face things we are not familiar with.

It feels like a leap of faith by entering a world that is proving to be far more complicated than we think.
We are not always reassured by the ideal solution, that of turning to a good professional to do our work in a field – that of interior design – in which we lack expertise.

Professional or not, becoming aware of the steps to follow brings us at least the minimum of serenity that allows us to fearlessly face up to things.
Here is an outline – albeit very schematic – of some of the aspects we need to know when an apartment renovation is necessary.

The first issue is almost obvious: one of the first concerns when undertaking a renovation is the budget.

How much will it cost me? What if I come across unforeseen problems? What if costs increase during the course of the project?

The tools available to minimize risks are the project and the metric calculation; the former allows us to evaluate solutions on paper before deciding to purchase anything (materials, etc.). The second, to be submitted to the companies, indicates all the quantities and types of work to be carried out in order to arrive at the definition of the budget needed to realize our dream home.

Beware of VAT, which is often forgotten but is, to all intents and purposes, a cost to be paid.

On the other hand, let us not overlook the opportunity represented by the tax breaks provided by the government for certain types of work and the purchase of certain materials, which represent a welcome breath of fresh air even if, at the time, it is a matter of spending and then recovering the expenses incurred (in different percentages depending on the bonus) over time.

Good planning makes it possible to better manage the completion time of works, another major concern: often you know when you will start but not when you will finish and this is not acceptable.

It is good to establish the timeframe of the construction project from the outset and to ensure the ability of the companies and professionals involved to manage all the workers present, which are diverse: from masons to plumbers, electricians, etc., from drywallers to interior decorators and suppliers.

Choosing materials at the start of the construction project and providing the contractor with complete working drawings to carry out the works are two things that allow the work to go smoothly.

Is it clear what you want to achieve? It is important that the project has been well understood and accepted, in order to avoid surprises during construction. The risk is to carry out some works only to demolish them immediately afterwards because they are not in line with the expected result.

One must take into account both the functionality that spaces must have in the optimal distribution of rooms, and the aesthetic aspect, the image that is closest to personal taste, so that one can create rooms in which one can feel good, and which are comfortable and stylish.

In this, the choice of materials, lighting and the study of colors and finishes become basic.

At the end of the day, it is about what we see before our eyes every day, the details that can make the difference between experiencing an environment in which we feel comfortable and a place that has no soul.

We therefore emphasize the style that is closest to our tastes, from the more classic to the more contemporary design.
Each style has its own distinctive elements and you have to be good at identifying them.

Starting with a good web search, we can find our way through the selection of images that most closely match our expectations. It is this that we will have to transfer into the design and that we will have to take into account especially in the selection of materials to achieve the right atmosphere.

Are you a lover of classic style?
Wood, wall fabrics, decorative elements and moldings, ornate mirrors or chandeliers may be some of the elements that make a room elegant if it is to be oriented towards such a style. It should not be forgotten that it is always necessary to give a contemporary interpretation to the project, in order to avoid making a sterile and banal copy and end up living in anachronistic environments.

Do you prefer minimalism?
Clean lines, lacquered wood, colors with white dominating, no frills and a clean, uncluttered look.

One of the most common mistakes is to underestimate these aspects and focus only on the functional distribution of space.

Identifying one’s own style at an early stage, on the other hand, allows us to be sure that the result of the renovation will correspond to our expectations.
It becomes the lens through which we orient all our choices.

Among the most neglected elements are doors, the choice of which always comes at the end when, actually, they play an important role in defining the overall style and atmosphere of the room.

In a renovated apartment, the choice of the right doors can make the difference between a stylish design and one that is not.

It is not just a functional matter of separating spaces; it is obvious that they also contribute to the aesthetics of the whole room, but by the time we reach the end of the renovation – when it comes to choosing the doors – it seems as if everything has already been defined and that it is just a detail.

Instead, we are putting together a jigsaw puzzle, can you imagine completing it by leaving a piece missing?