Martha Stewart's Expert's Recommendations For A Streamlined Home Renovation

Home renovations are notoriously difficult, where even the best-laid plans go off track. Whether your budget unexpectedly takes a hit due to unforeseen problems with the house or your completion date gets pushed back due to shipment delays, there are always bumps in the road. But if you want to try and make it as painless as possible, there is no better person to take advice from than Martha Stewart. The design and home guru knows everything there is to know about making homes beautiful, and she surrounds herself with other like-minded experts. That's why she interviewed the executive director of design for the Martha Stewart brand, Kevin Sharkey, on her former show, "Martha." He has two tips in particular that will help create a successful home renovation. 

The first is to remove your project plan from the computer and put it somewhere tangible like a binder. Things like wallpaper colors, paint samples, and floor chips often look much different on screens, especially depending on how dark or bright you like to keep said screen. The second is to have a trusted person outside of the project to bounce ideas off of. They will be able to give you their honest opinion and help you keep your project on track. Here is a closer look at his tips. 

When it comes to organizing projects, most people look for apps and programs they can use on their phones or tablets. And running a seamless home renovation is no different. Chances are you have used platforms like Pinterest to gather your ideas or purchases on one board, or apps like Google Notes to help gather your thoughts, future purchases, and contacts. However, it's much more helpful if you take all of that off of a screen and instead put it in one master binder. "This is the thing that's going to keep everything under control," said Sharkey on "Martha," (via YouTube).  "Every detail, every paint chip, every fabric swatch that I used in my apartment is in this book."

There are several reasons you should try this method. First, it will aggregate all of your information in one tangible spot. You won't have to dig through boards, emails, and several other apps to get the info you're searching for. "I do it room by room," he explained. "I have invoices, so if I need to order something again or check on a bill or something like that, it's all in here." Chances are if you have to order the same wallpaper roll four years later, you will be hard-pressed to find it in your email. Secondly, it helps you see everything in living color. As previously mentioned, the colors of fabrics, paints, wood, and wallpaper can appear different from screen to screen, so having them in person will help you make more informed decisions. 

The second tip Stewart's team would recommend incorporating is having a trusted individual you can talk your ideas through with, but one who is outside of the project. So if you're renovating a house with your partner or your friend is helping you remodel, don't turn to their opinion. At least not when you're stuck and unsure of your decision. They're too close to the project and won't be able to give you a much clearer answer than you're providing yourself. That's why you should go to someone outside of the reno — whether that's your closest friend, a friend who went through a renovation themselves, or even a hired professional like an interior designer. 

"You need somebody who you can throw ideas off of, who is going to give you an honest answer to keep it sort of in perspective," said Sharkey on "Martha". "That really helps. Sometimes you lose your way." During his own apartment renovation, he used Stewart and her daughter Alexis as his sounding board, and they helped him zero in on what he liked and avoided remodeling mistakes he might not have seen.