13 Client Supply Items – Introduction
This mini-series goes through the most common items, which you will likely have to decide on for your renovation project.
In most cases your builder’s team will provide all the necessary materials to take care of the construction side of things, however, there are still many items that you may need to either specify or even source yourself. It is best to do this before construction works start, as it is better done without the added stress of someone chasing you for a decision. It is in the end for your future home, so it’s worth taking a moment to consider the options beforehand. Sometimes, you may even find that there is more than one ‘best’ solution for a layout, finish or colour.
Freestanding furniture and various decorations are deliberately omitted; not because they are not important – quite the opposite – but because they are likely to be items which don’t require any special fitting and are not technically required before you move back into your new home.
In each part, we cover one of the 13 most common so-called client supply items, to help you to plan in advance and to guide you through their most important aspects.
The kitchen is probably the most important area when it comes to home design. For homeowners, this is the focal point of their home, whereas property developers often look at maximising value here. Deciding upon an ultimate solution can seem mind-bending, so it’s good to come pre-armed with a list of wishes, requirements and technical limitations.
In many cases when renovating a property, and wanting to replace windows or external sliding doors, the style will be predefined by what was there before. There are, however, some modern enhancements that can be added, such as double or even triple glazing, instead of changing like for like. Those who have more freedom to choose, for example, if the property is not a part of a conservation area or it is a new build, will find the selection of doors and windows is quite vast. But there are still some points to consider before settling on a certain type.
3. Internal doors and ironmongery
Internal doors and ironmongery can be defined by their purpose, for example, fire doors. The feel they give upon introducing a space also determines them – imagine a living room with a simple single entrance and then the same space with a grand double-folding door opening up the whole room.
4. Bathroom – sanitary ware and water pressure
Who wouldn’t want a fine, relaxing bathroom? Bathroom design has moved a long way from just concentrating on practicality and has become a whole interior design chapter in its own right. However, there are still many technical issues one needs to be aware of before embarking on sourcing finishing materials.
A well-chosen, quality floor can easily become the wow factor of a house. There are abundant types and styles available, but despite looking similar on the surface, they are very different. As flooring is one of those items that no one wants to replace too soon, take time to go through all the information, and consider the room it will be used in, before settling on one that suits you best.
6. Cornices, architraves and skirting
At first sight, they may seem to be ‘invisible’ and always in the background, but wrongly chosen cornices, architraves or skirting may result in an ugly mismatch of styles and make the spaces they occupy seem confused.
Choosing the right joinery and furniture should not be taken lightly. A tailor-made solution will definitely fulfil your needs, as well as maximise space, but there are ways to spend money where it matters most. Although this may not always be an option, there are some joinery items, which should carefully be looked into, such as wardrobes, dressing rooms, vanity units and under stair storage solutions.
An ambience of a room is often dependent on the colour used. Colour should also be considered within the context of the whole house. With so many options available nowadays, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed – plus there’s much more than just the colour to think about when selecting paint, there is the finish too.
Lighting may seem like a trivial topic, but once it comes to design there are many questions to be answered – which type of lights, their locations and numbers – to name but a few. Well-designed lighting will seem to be practically unnoticeable, whereas in cases where the right solution is not applied it may become a reason of constant frustration. We will touch on the basics here.
The two principal aspects to consider with sockets and switches are their location and the function they will need to play. It’s advisable to envisage, at the beginning, what appliances may be used where, rather than needing to rely on cable extensions in the future. The location of light switches is equally as important, as well as which lights they are going to link to and if they will be dimmable or not.
11. Heating – radiators or underfloor heating
When it comes to choosing heating, it is often the size of a space that matters the most. Also, each heating solution will require particular materials to be used – for instance – your selected type of heating will predefine the types of flooring finishes you choose, and vice versa.
12. Blinds, curtains and shutters
There is much more than just a decorative aspect to blinds, curtains and shutters. They need to be carefully chosen based on the type of room they will be in and what function they will have. Once this is defined you can look at the various solutions on offer.
Once your dream extension or rear-facing sliding folding doors are done, and you have moved back into your property, it’s time to do something about the view outside onto your garden. Big or small, there are things to be considered earlier to make sure, everything works well.
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