It seems like there’s a renovation bug going around our office. Everyone in our office has a little (or HUGE) project they are tackling at home and we’ve been swapping renovation advice and collecting inspiration like it’s going out of style.

Amy, our amazing office manager, is on the verge of taking the leap into a full kitchen renovation. We’re talking moving walls, creating a gigantic island, and reconfiguring the footprint. Serious business, right? She's been toying around the idea of something like this.

Kelly is about to tackle her master bathroom and breathe new life into the space. She’s got her eye on some Thibaut wallpaper, a freestanding tub, gray limestone and of course Brizo faucets. Here's a few pictures of her existing bathroom so you can get an idea of what she's working with.

Know what the hardest thing to do when you’re a designer? Design your own home. It’s impossible. We are all perfectionists and beautiful things surround us all dang day long. How is someone supposed to pick just one?? Flip a coin?

Since we’ve been bitten by the bug and we’re chomping at the bit of some big time renovations we thought we would share some of our favorite advice/experiences from our transformations (so far at least).

1. Once you’ve decided that you cannot live one more day in the space you’re renovating sit down and take note of how you actually use the space. Does your family eat breakfast at your kitchen island? Is your sink in the worst possible spot in your kitchen? Do you have one of those little vanity nooks in the bathroom that only really prim and proper people use to put their make-up on? If you know how you use the space you’ll have a better idea of what needs to stay and what needs to go.

2. Do some homework. But for real. Visit Houzz.com, scour House Beautiful, Veranda, and HGTV Magazine for some great inspiration photos. Narrow down your look to something that suits your house and expresses your style. Tear out images and save them for inspiration, just make sure you leave yourself a little note about what you liked in that image (we’re the worst at remembering why we saved a picture)!

3. Nail down your scope. Are you ready to tackle a top to bottom renovation? Do you still like your cabinets but despise your countertops and appliances? What about the flooring? Once you create a list of what you are hoping to accomplish you will have a better understanding of how your budget will fit into the space.

4. Budget. Budget. Budget. And then add 20%. You never know what can happen, especially with renovations. Sometimes the piece that you fall in love with the most you stumble upon later in the project and you’d be heart broken if there was no wiggle room!

5. Don’t forget about the LIGHTING! You can get so bogged down in the typical pieces of a renovation (the countertops, appliances, cabinets) that you forget that without some beautiful and functional lighting you’ll be enjoying it in the dark. Lighting is the key to making your space useful after you’ve made it beautiful!

We’ll keep you posted on the progress of our renovations and post pictures so you can share in our excitement.

What project are you itching to start around your house??