2 Things That Can Help Keep a Remodeling Project on Track
How you react to a problem can make or break a project. Being nimble and creative can ensure a positive outcome
All the planning in the world can’t prevent some of the problems that will inevitably arise during a project. But there are two things that can help minimize the severity of any problem. Being nimble and creative in the face of a challenge keeps a project on track and maintains a positive mood. And that’s good for everyone involved. Here’s how you can adopt this effective strategy.
Of course, preparation and planning will help you be nimble in the moment. Working through some worst-case scenarios prior to a project and having a solid plan B, C or even D can help you act quickly. Not having a backup plan, or not expecting the unexpected, can turn a somewhat minor problem into a major one as you scramble to get a new plan in place.
Designer Tiffany Waugh had a backup solution ready to go when a setback occurred during the renovation of the kitchen shown here. “One of the original slabs of marble purchased broke in half while in transport from the stone yard to the fabricator,” Waugh says. “Luckily we had a runner-up choice that was still on hand at another stone yard that we were able to quickly transport to the fabricator. Happy accident, as the second stone turned out to be even more stunning than the first option.”
Designer Tiffany Waugh had a backup solution ready to go when a setback occurred during the renovation of the kitchen shown here. “One of the original slabs of marble purchased broke in half while in transport from the stone yard to the fabricator,” Waugh says. “Luckily we had a runner-up choice that was still on hand at another stone yard that we were able to quickly transport to the fabricator. Happy accident, as the second stone turned out to be even more stunning than the first option.”
And preparation goes for clients too. Before any work begins, it’s always important to let clients know that even with rigorous planning, problems are likely to arise. It’s a point worth really driving home. During this conversation, it’s a good idea to share specific examples from past projects and the solutions you came up with that made things work out in the end. That way your clients can be nimble along with you when something arises during their project.
When her wallpaper installer failed to show up at the last minute, designer Carmit Oron was caught by surprise. Her client was on a tight schedule and desperately wanted to move into the home. Oron quickly decided to install the wallpaper herself, an action that seemed crazy at the time but one she says inspired confidence and action in her client. “She even helped install it,” Oron says.
Remember, your clients and crew members often look to you as a leader and use you as a barometer to gauge how things are going. If you’re confident, they will be too.
Learn how Houzz Pro can help you better manage your projects
When her wallpaper installer failed to show up at the last minute, designer Carmit Oron was caught by surprise. Her client was on a tight schedule and desperately wanted to move into the home. Oron quickly decided to install the wallpaper herself, an action that seemed crazy at the time but one she says inspired confidence and action in her client. “She even helped install it,” Oron says.
Remember, your clients and crew members often look to you as a leader and use you as a barometer to gauge how things are going. If you’re confident, they will be too.
Learn how Houzz Pro can help you better manage your projects
2. Getting Creative
Being nimble will get you safely through an immediate crisis to a place where you can focus on solutions. But that’s when things can get tricky. Most problems have multiple solutions, and each has its own pros and cons. Getting creative under pressure is a skill that will get you a happy result. Again, try to stay calm and positive, and redirect the urge to find out what went wrong into energy for finding the right path forward.
Think about what your design constraints are in terms of time, budget, space size, availability of products and materials and so on. Then start talking to your team and vendors to see what your options are. Often, anything is possible. And in some cases, what was initially seen by a client as a major disappointment can turn out to be one of their favorite elements in the new space.
Plus, you never know how important something is to your client until you present a creative solution. A client who has been hyper-budget-conscious might be willing to pay whatever it takes to embrace the solution you came up with to get them the dream space they wanted.
For architect Kimberly Peck, that meant devising a way to give her clients the curbless shower they desired. During construction, Peck’s team discovered that the existing framing wouldn’t accommodate a curbless shower design. So Peck proposed that, because the room had generously high ceilings, she raise the entire bathroom floor 4 inches to achieve the look her clients wanted. They signed on, and the finished bathroom and curbless shower shown here were a hit.
Being nimble will get you safely through an immediate crisis to a place where you can focus on solutions. But that’s when things can get tricky. Most problems have multiple solutions, and each has its own pros and cons. Getting creative under pressure is a skill that will get you a happy result. Again, try to stay calm and positive, and redirect the urge to find out what went wrong into energy for finding the right path forward.
Think about what your design constraints are in terms of time, budget, space size, availability of products and materials and so on. Then start talking to your team and vendors to see what your options are. Often, anything is possible. And in some cases, what was initially seen by a client as a major disappointment can turn out to be one of their favorite elements in the new space.
Plus, you never know how important something is to your client until you present a creative solution. A client who has been hyper-budget-conscious might be willing to pay whatever it takes to embrace the solution you came up with to get them the dream space they wanted.
For architect Kimberly Peck, that meant devising a way to give her clients the curbless shower they desired. During construction, Peck’s team discovered that the existing framing wouldn’t accommodate a curbless shower design. So Peck proposed that, because the room had generously high ceilings, she raise the entire bathroom floor 4 inches to achieve the look her clients wanted. They signed on, and the finished bathroom and curbless shower shown here were a hit.
Designer Nicholas Vanderhovel faced a significant challenge in the renovation of the kitchen shown here. To give his clients the layout they sought, he wanted to remove one of the windows in the space. But he couldn’t do that because it’s a historic home.
Instead of breaking the news to his clients that they couldn’t have the kitchen layout they wanted, he looked for a creative solution. “The window faces a small alley between this home and another, so I recommended taking an antique mirror and facing it out so if anyone was to look in, they couldn’t see anything. Then we blocked off access to the window. So we solved the largest dilemma in the kitchen without confronting the uphill battle of removing a window in a historic home.”
Instead of breaking the news to his clients that they couldn’t have the kitchen layout they wanted, he looked for a creative solution. “The window faces a small alley between this home and another, so I recommended taking an antique mirror and facing it out so if anyone was to look in, they couldn’t see anything. Then we blocked off access to the window. So we solved the largest dilemma in the kitchen without confronting the uphill battle of removing a window in a historic home.”
General contractor Brandon Spruill of Spruill Remodel faced a moment of panic during the remodel of the kitchen and home shown here. He had talked the homeowners into removing a staircase that separated the kitchen from the main living room because there was another staircase just around the corner. His clients were on board, so he removed the staircase and got ready to install a load-bearing beam for support. But he soon discovered that the room was too wide for the beam to support without sagging.
Rather than let the moment get the best of him, Spruill began studying his design and talking with his team. In the end, they added two steel posts on each side of what was supposed to be floating metal shelving above a secondary island. “That added enough support to give us what we needed for the beam,” he says. “Looking at the second island, it looks as if the posts sit on top of the countertop, but we actually set the posts all the way to the ground first and built the island around them, as well as had the countertop custom-cut to fit.”
Being flexible allows you to start thinking creatively. And that’s when some of the best design solutions come into play.
Join the conversation: What do you do to keep projects on track when problems arise? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Rather than let the moment get the best of him, Spruill began studying his design and talking with his team. In the end, they added two steel posts on each side of what was supposed to be floating metal shelving above a secondary island. “That added enough support to give us what we needed for the beam,” he says. “Looking at the second island, it looks as if the posts sit on top of the countertop, but we actually set the posts all the way to the ground first and built the island around them, as well as had the countertop custom-cut to fit.”
Being flexible allows you to start thinking creatively. And that’s when some of the best design solutions come into play.
Join the conversation: What do you do to keep projects on track when problems arise? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
In a challenging moment, no amount of shouting or finger-pointing will change what’s already happened. So skip the drama and focus on pivoting to a new plan. Be adaptive, not reactive. There will be plenty of time after the project is complete to do a retrospective on what went wrong and how to prevent it in the future. But in the immediate aftermath of a problem, stay flexible and calm and start brainstorming solutions.
This nimbleness will be a good mood regulator too. Humans mimic other humans. If you’re relaxed and focused, your team and clients probably will be too. If you’re stressed, distracted and frustrated, others will be as well, and that’s not good for morale. So resist the urge to figure out exactly what went wrong and who is responsible, or to desperately try to convince a client that their request can’t be fulfilled. Instead redirect that energy into working on a creative solution.
For the home shown here, designer Laura Irion’s clients really wanted a light white oak look for their existing red oak floors. Irion informed her clients that sanding the red oak floors might result in some lingering pink and orange undertones inherent in the wood, but they decided to try it anyway. The pink did show through, and the clients weren’t happy. There was a tense moment when Irion, her clients and the remodeling team had to decide whether to give up and stain the floors dark — the opposite of what the owners wanted — or keep looking for another solution to get the light look.
Irion stayed nimble and open and so did her clients. “Despite being told it couldn’t be done by our first contractor, we brought in an outside expert who was able to guide us through a bleaching treatment,” Irion says. “I believe it was two or even three rounds of bleach. In the end, there isn’t a hint of pink and we got the look she was hoping for, but the process was not for the faint of heart.”
(Houzz Pro lets you create change orders and send them to your clients for approval and payment.)