If you’re planning a renovation, it can be tempting to think, “We’ll just hire the designer once we’re ready to start construction.” After all, demo is just the part where everything gets ripped out, right?
Nope!
By the time demo starts, a lot of the important design decisions should already be made. In fact, the earlier your interior designer is involved, the smoother the renovation tends to be. It gives your designer time to think through the space as a whole, catch potential issues before they become expensive problems, and make sure everything you’re ordering actually works with the final design.
Trust us, you don’t want to be standing in your newly demolished kitchen thinking, “Okay… now what?”
Here’s why bringing your designer in before demo day matters.
The Layout Comes First
Before we talk about pretty finishes, we need to talk about how the space actually functions.
Where will the island go? Does the furniture layout make sense? Is there enough clearance around the dining table? Does the new kitchen layout work with the way you actually use the space?
These decisions affect almost everything that comes after them.
At DeWine Design, we start by getting a full understanding of how you live in the space and what isn’t working currently. From there, we can develop the layout and design with the big picture in mind instead of trying to make decisions one room, wall, or fixture at a time.
We want it to look beautiful, but we also want you to be able to actually live in it.
Cabinetry Takes Time
Cabinetry is one of those things that needs to be figured out way earlier than most people realize.
There are layouts to finalize, cabinet styles and finishes to select, hardware to choose, appliances to coordinate, and dimensions to confirm. Then there is the actual ordering and lead time.
We want the cabinetry designed, approved, and ordered well before demo so we can plan the rest of the project around it. This also gives us the opportunity to coordinate things like appliance placement, countertops, backsplash, lighting, plumbing, and electrical before the walls are opened up.
Lighting Isn’t An Afterthought
Lighting is another decision that needs to happen much earlier than most people realize.
Where are the recessed lights going? Where should decorative fixtures be centered? Do you need sconces? What about under-cabinet lighting? Are there areas that need additional task lighting?
Once walls are open, your electrician needs to know where everything is going.
This is why we work through lighting plans during the design phase rather than waiting until construction is underway. It’s much easier to make thoughtful decisions when we’re looking at the entire room and furniture layout instead of trying to figure it out while someone is already standing there with a drill.
And, of course, decorative lighting is a major part of the design too. If we’re sourcing a statement chandelier or a pair of sconces with a longer lead time, we want those ordered well before we’re ready to install them.
Plumbing Locations Matter More Than You Think
Moving plumbing can have a major impact on a renovation, so it is something we want to address early.
Where is the sink going? Are we adding a pot filler? Do you want a freestanding tub instead of a drop-in? Is that shower getting a handheld, rain head, and body sprays? All of these little details need to be accounted for before construction gets too far along.
The earlier we know what you want, the easier it is to coordinate with your contractor and trades and avoid surprises later.
Lead Times Are Real
This might be the least glamorous part of renovation, but it is one of the biggest reasons we plan ahead.
Tile, plumbing fixtures, lighting, appliances, cabinetry, countertops, hardware, furniture, and pretty much everything else can have a lead time… And not everything arrives when you expect it to.
Our goal is to have the major selections made and items ordered before demo is even scheduled so the project isn’t sitting at a standstill because one faucet decided to take its sweet time getting here.
Demo day should be scheduled around the project being ready for demo, not the other way around.
There Are A LOT of Decisions
Renovations have a funny way of making you realize just how many decisions go into a single room.
Cabinet color. Countertop. Backsplash. Flooring. Paint. Plumbing finishes. Lighting. Hardware. Appliances. Trim. Doors. Mirrors. Shower details. Grout. Outlets. Switches. And about 47 things you probably didn’t realize you needed to choose.
That is where having a designer involved from the beginning makes a HUGE difference. Instead of making decisions one at a time as they come up, we create a cohesive design and work through the details in a logical order. That means fewer last-minute decisions, fewer unnecessary changes, and a finished space that feels intentional from top to bottom.
So, What Happens Before Demo?
For us, the design phase comes first.
Once you’ve officially hired us and completed onboarding, we start by getting into the details of your project. We get to know your style in-depth, work through the layout, develop the design, coordinate selections, and get everything approved before moving into construction.
We also bring the trades together for a trade day so everyone can review the project, discuss the scope, and start working through estimates and scheduling.
From there, we move into final design, procurement, and all of the behind-the-scenes coordination that needs to happen before construction begins.
Then comes demo.
And when we schedule demo, the goal is for the project to be ready to keep moving. We don’t want a freshly demoed kitchen sitting there for three weeks because one important item wasn’t ordered in time.
The Bottom Line
Hiring your interior designer before demo isn’t about making the process more complicated. It’s actually about making it more organized, more intentional, and hopefully a whole lot less stressful.
The more we can figure out on paper before construction starts, the fewer decisions have to be made in the middle of a dusty job site.
Plan first. Demo second. Pretty things third.
