Visualize Your Big Renovation Project With Swatches

You’ve decided on your next big home renovation project. You’ve been waiting for ages but you’re finally ready to begin. You know exactly what you want: you can picture it all perfectly. However, before you take a sledgehammer to your drywall, make sure you’ve got the right materials. There’s a big difference between what looks good on paper and what looks good in real life.

Fabric Swatches

Go to your local fabric stores long beach CA or your area for fabric swatches on those drapes and upholstery jobs you’ve been considering. Hang them up in the space so you can get a better sense of how they interact with each other, with the wall and floor materials, and most importantly with the light.

Paint Swatches

The light in the hardware store where you buy your paint is probably nothing like the light in your home. For this reason alone it’s a good idea to bring swatches home and see how they look in the space. But it’s also important to see how your paint colors look with the furniture you have and the other samples you’ve chosen.

Tile Samples

Tile is trickier because in addition to color and texture there are also matters of scale and grouting to consider. A large square tile might look good in theory but you don’t want to get it home and discover that it’s all out of proportion with the rest of the room. Similarly, a small subway tile might seem like a great backsplash but what if you get it home and find that it’s just too busy when combined with the cabinetry?

Wood Samples

Speaking of cabinetry and any other wood furnishings or materials, remember to bring home samples before you make a change. You might think that all cherry is created equal, for example, but stains, treatments, time and wear and tear can all have an effect on the color of your wood furnishings and floors. If you’re trying to match or complement wood that already exists in your home, just make sure to take a picture or a sample for comparison.

Once you have all your samples assembled, you can take your time tweaking and changing things. Get feedback from friends and friends. After all, they’re going to have to live with it too. The point, at the end of all this, is to get a chance to live with your design choices before they become an expensive and permanent part of your life.