How to Plan and Remodel Attics and Basements: Design

If you have answered the practical questions previously discussed, you are ready to proceed with the design process.

Many people associate the word design with wall-coverings, floor coverings, trim details, light fixtures, and so on, or with magazine pictures of award-winning homes. But design can be simply your needs and preferences summarized on paper. Every project—whether large or small and involving professionals or novices— should be designed, that's , well- thought through.

The design process

The design process is the most critical and challenging phase of the entire project. It spans the distance between your dreams and the final set of working drawings. It defines what the space will look and feel like and how well it will work.

A good design determines how smoothly the construction and management phases of your project will go. An effective design reduces the chance of costly setbacks and surprises. It assures that bids are more accurate and contracts, more precise. It makes scheduling easier and helps settle, if not prevent, disputes. Good design inspires the builder and sets the tone for the entire project.

What makes a good design?

Many factors contribute to the success of a project, but the most important one is a thorough and carefully planned process.

Architects and professional designers know the process well. Their projects may seem to be the result of inspired creativity—and they often are—but they are also the product of a patient search for the best solutions to each design problem. The success of this search depends on the thoroughness of the process, the accuracy with which design problems are identified, and the ability to apply sound design criteria to solve them.

It is too easy to think of design as a minor nuisance to contend with before getting to the important and ex citing steps, such as completing the project and moving in. However, many professionals estimate that proper design and planning represent more than one third of the work in any remodeling project. It is often the most exciting step, but it must also be done thoroughly and well.

There is no substitute for good design. The finest materials and best construction techniques will not cover up faulty design, and no project will go smoothly and stay within budget if the design is incomplete. All too often do-it-yourself remodelers (some professionals, too) encounter obstacles, setbacks, and surprises that could have been avoided with careful planning. As a homeowner, you play a major role in the design process. Depending on the scope of the project and the level to which you want to be involved, professional help may be needed. Often professionals can help you get what you want faster, better, and cheaper Do not assume that you will automatically save money by doing either the design or the construction work yourself.

On the other hand, do not assume that professionals know what you want better than you do, that your tastes will be the same, or that any professional will do. As a homeowner you have a tremendous advantage:

You know how your home functions and how you would like it to function. You can test ideas by visualizing them as you carry on with day-to-day living. You know your family’s needs and the shortcomings, as well as the assets, of your house. It is important to communicate all this information to the professional and to stay involved in the process.

If you want to plan the space your self, be sure you know why. If it’s because you enjoy designing, do as much of it yourself as possible, with occasional consultation from a professional to ensure that you are on the right track. If it’s to save money, use the guidelines for choosing a professional to see where you save the most. If you feel design isn't important enough to merit professional in put, you may be underestimating the potential of your project. If you do not know how to work with design professionals, read the guidelines in the next section.

Capturing a spirit

Every home and every room in it has a “feel,” an overall character that you are aware of when you first enter. You may not know what creates it, but you do sense it and try to define it with words like restful, spacious, dramatic, dull, cluttered, vibrant, comfortable, or even contemporary, country, or Mediterranean.

Your attic or basement will have such a quality, too, although some times character is strongly affected by both structure and function. Perhaps you want the space to be bright and sunny, or cozy and dimly lit, or maybe you want it to resemble a country inn you once stayed at or a magazine photograph you like.

The overall feeling of a space isn't just a detail that's added to a room like frosting on a cake; it's the creative integration of many different elements. You are more likely to capture it when you define it early in the design process and consider the definition when solving design problems.

The easiest way to begin defining the feeling you want to achieve is by looking through books and magazines. Clip out pictures, focus on de tails, observe homes that you visit, and keep notes of your impressions. You aren't necessarily looking for spaces that you can duplicate but for ones that appeal to you and make you feel comfortable.

You might find that you are attracted to several different styles; that could happen because you will be paying attention to good design and not to a particular look. These apparent contradictions will help you and a designer identify the elements that you want to incorporate into your attic or basement design.

Keep track of details that you ad mire, even if a complete space isn't appealing. Collect all this information and keep it in one place, such as a loose-leaf binder or a folder. Have it ready to refer to at meetings with architects and designers.

Appropriate materials for furnishing either an attic or basement are ones that will serve your functional needs as well as create the desired effect.