Remodel Inspiration and Materials

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Finding Inspiration & Materials

Home remodel inspiration and materials are part of the sum of all the components that go into the project. Inspiration is just as much a component as all the physical “stuff” that you typically associate with a remodel project.

Before you get to the “stuff,” you have to start with the inspiration driving your design intent. Once you have your design intent, the selection of the “stuff” follows. It is the arrangement of “stuff” within the home that ultimately makes your design intent a reality. 

Now a great deal of this process comes down to a “chicken and egg” situation. After all, it may well be that your design intent is inspired and driven by materials that you love.

Research and Gathering Data

Before you get into discussions with a contractor, you must have a very solid understanding of what you want your remodel project to look like when it is finished.

The only way to get to this understanding is to do research. This means gathering data, making lists, and putting everything down on paper in a single organized “Ideas” Section of your Project Binder.

And we recommend you do this in a deliberate, methodical, and organized way. If you do it like this, you will hang onto your sanity. You will also enjoy yourself. Start with sourcing inspiration and then go on to sourcing materials. 

No doubt, as you seek inspiration, you will also find materials that you like. Just make a note of them and put the note aside in the Materials section of your ideas binder. Then keep going with inspirational research.

Sourcing Inspiration

Your home remodel starts with ideas. These ideas may already be within you or you may want to get inspiration from other people. But just about everyone will want to see what other people have been doing.

So, as you go about your daily life, keep your eyes open. Look at the world you move through as a source of inspiration for your remodel. See what your friends have done in their homes. 

Look around your work environment. You would be surprised at how often office decor will give you a great idea for a remodel. After all, don’t forget that the person who designed the office did so to please the eye as well as for functionality.

And we certainly recommend browsing these online sites for inspiration and information: 

• Houzz
• The Spruce
• Design Sponge
• Offbeat Home
• Design to Inspire
• Remodelista 
• Decor8
• Weburbanist
• Inhabitat

Once you have inspiration, you will want to check it against reality. And this is what this website is for.

But beware. Always try to distinguish between trends and fads.

• Related post: Remodel Trends
• Related post: Fad vs Trend
• Related post: Kitchen Design Trends
• Related post: Bathroom Design Trends

Sourcing Stuff

The materials that are used in your project must be selected – by you. You don’t want to leave this to anyone else, although by all means listen to advice.

Now some of this stuff you don’t care about and can safely leave to your contractor. After all, one piece of dimensional lumber or sheet of drywall is pretty much the same as another. 

But most of it you do care about, or certainly should. These are the things in the home that you see, feel, and use. 

These are such things as finishes (like floor tile), fixtures (like bathroom faucets), and equipment (like cooktops).

And in your discussions with your contractor, you need to make sure that in the eventual contract, you have control over this. And, of course, the price would be part of the discussion.

If you want to save money (who doesn’t), sourcing the stuff you need for your remodel is hard work. And you should not leave it to your contractor. 

After all, the contractor will definitely want to deliver the best-executed remodeling project possible. But it is not his job to put in the effort it takes to save you the most money possible on sourcing the materials.

If you leave the material selection to your contractor, he will always play it safe and use materials that he knows are reliable and that he is used to working with pretty much regardless of cost.

So how do you set about choosing “stuff” and where do you get it? 

If you have followed the advice above, your inspiration-sourcing exercise will already have given you a solid idea of what it is you are looking for. Now it’s just a matter of finding it.

Here are some suggestions:

Local Product Sourcing

Start with local, hands-on, and eyes-on research.

• Look at the product discussions and suggestions in this Guide. Refer to the Index in this Guide.

• Start with hands-on and eyes-on research at the big box stores, like Home Depot and Lowe’s.
• Go to HomeAdvisor and Angi to find local vendors who stock and install products you may need.
• Visit local cabinet company showrooms. Cabinets are probably the biggest single line item in a remodeling budget. And you can shop for them online too (RTA Store, for example). If you get your cabinets online, you can find a local cabinet installer to put them in for you.
• Find the best local tile, stone, and flooring installation companies and talk to them. Get their professional feedback.
• And, while you are doing your local sourcing, ask the people you talk to who they recommend working with. Who they like as general contractors, electricians, plumbers, etc. 

The installation companies you find in your local research may well be the companies you will want to employ on your project to install the product you are researching. So this is a “twofer” exercise

For local deals be sure to visit your nearest Habitat for Humanity Restore. They sell new and used deeply discounted building materials, appliances, and more. You probably need to keep going back regularly because (by its nature) their stock is not consistent and changes constantly. And remember that you buy for a good cause as well as save money.

Online Product Sourcing

• Check out competitive products on the big online retail platforms: Amazon, Walmart, Wayfair, and Overstock.
• Check out Green Building Supply
• For flooring, check out eFloors, Flooring Liquidators, Flooring4Less, and LLFlooring (formerly Lumber Liquidators).
• For tile, check out Tiles Direct, Artistic Tile, Builder Depot
• Run down user reviews and ratings on these various platforms.
• Look at company promotional material, user manuals, and reviews on the manufacturers’ websites.
• Examine other online reviews
• Get feedback from online forums

Assemble the Data

Sift, sort, collate and analyze the data. Then you can make decisions. This is what your project management binder is for. And, yes (sigh), it’s work!

But it’s totally worth it. Careful shopping for inspiration and “stuff” can save you a ton of money and get you the best results.