Sometimes referred to as the 'ripple effect', but what I'll call the chain reaction of a design decision, is a key consideration in architecture and more specifically, renovation. The impact of one change can impact a wide variety of other elements in your space, so I'm here to encourage you to think through all the meticulous details and plan carefully.
Have you ever seen the movie Beethoven - the 1990s classic? If you have, you may recall during an early breakfast scene after the giant St. Bernard rubs his slobbery wetness on the dad's work pants, he shouts: Aaargh! I gotta change my pants! [...] But if I change my pants, I gotta change my jacket! If I change my jacket, I gotta change my shirt! If I change my shirt, I gotta change my tie!
So, if you change your [insert your design decision] - what else might you have to change?
Renovation Quick Tip: Think Through the Impact of Your Design Decision Before You Execute
A seemingly simple change has the potential to cause quite the chain reaction - which can run up project costs quite quickly. And it is never fun to find yourself at this point in the project, caught unaware.
For instance: wall color. Deciding to paint walls in a room seems simple enough. But, how will that change impact the surrounding features and furnishes, including (but certainly not limited to):
- Electrical Outlets & Switches
- Wood Trim
- Doors & Door Hardware
- Carpet
- Ceiling Paint Color
- Ceiling Fans
The essence of this architecture quick tip is to keep the big picture in mind, and consider what else could be affected by your decision to make a change.
Below is a photo of an example we ran across. A new light, bright paint color was chosen and applied - but the outlets, switches and their covers weren't considered in the design planning. The contrast between the two colors make these existing electrical outlets/switches and their faceplates look dirty and dated - and our recommendation would be to have them replaced with new, white ones. And, depending the size of the space and the amount of electrical outlets/switches, the cost could be fairly significant for the hardware itself, but also bringing the electrician back out to complete the work (because this is a task that should be left to the professionals).
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