Recently I talked about renovation decision fatigue, and how to identify it when it happens. Which leads to two obvious questions – how do you avoid getting it in the first place, and if you already have it, what can you do to overcome it?
Today we’re going to look at the first of those two questions. And I want to be clear about something – renovation decision fatigue isn’t directly related to the size or timeframe of the renovation. In fact, it ties in to some really old cliches along the lines of “always darkest before the dawn”. Essentially, it’s similar to what happens to us in lots of different areas in life.
You start out full of excitement, it’s all new and fun, then at some point it’s not new any more and you know you’re going to have to put in a lot more hard yards before you reach the end. Typically it hits somewhere around the halfway to three-quarter mark of a project. It feels like it will never end. Renovations are no different.
So knowing this in advance, right from the beginning you can put in place some general guidelines that you fall back on whenever you feel like making another decision is just more than you can handle.
Function Over Form
This is a question that has been debated endlessly over the years – is it more important for a space to be functional, or to look good? Of course the ultimate goal is to have both, but if you’re stuck on a decision, choose function to shortcut the process.
This is particularly true in the kitchen and bathroom. It doesn’t matter how aesthetically pleasing it is, if a space doesn’t work in reality, that’s going to annoy you in a big way very quickly, and any advantage gained in looks will vanish instantly. If the only way to reach the pantry is to take a long hike around the island bench which looks gorgeous but blocked the pantry access, you will soon wish you hadn’t put the island bench there in the first place. It’s amazing how often you need to grab something from the pantry when preparing a meal!
Save Rather Than Splurge
This is a good principle in general, but does also help with renovation decision fatigue. Essentially, know your budget, but have a couple of items earmarked for a little bit of a splurge. When it comes to making a decision, if an item isn’t on your splurge list, ignore the siren call of the sparkly, expensive alternative, and stick with the affordable option. Not always easy, but at least it will stop you blowing your budget because your too over it to care about your decision.
Have a Mood Board
Having a mood board is always a good place to start a renovation, as you can collect all your ideas, colours and theme in one place. It doesn’t matter if it’s a physical collection or on Pinterest, it just needs to show what you’re aiming to achieve. Then, when you’ve got a decision to make and just don’t care, you can always show it to a salesperson or tradie, and they’ll be able to guide you to the right choice. Or at least narrow down your options to so making a decision is easier.
So there you have it – if you put some work in place upfront, before you even reach the point of renovation decision fatigue, hopefully you’ll be able to skate through that stage of your renovation relatively unscathed, and make it to the end in one piece.