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Pro Spotlight: How to Prevent Design Fatigue
A New Jersey home designer offers advice on tackling the multitude of remodeling decisions
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Who: Roy Bryhn of Bryhn Design/Build
Where: Flemington, New Jersey
In his own words: “You can fall in love with a creation only to discover that the plans are destined to become very expensive wrapping paper.”
If you reach a point during your remodel when you just want it done, whether or not you like the results, you may be suffering from what home designer Roy Bryhn calls design fatigue. He explains that it sets in when you’ve fallen in love with a plan that you and the designer have spent months creating, only to realize that it’s unrealistic to build.
“Often, design fatigue will make you settle for a ‘less than’ project, as you don’t want to spend any more time, money or energy,” says Bryhn, the owner of Bryhn Design/Build in Flemington.
Where: Flemington, New Jersey
In his own words: “You can fall in love with a creation only to discover that the plans are destined to become very expensive wrapping paper.”
If you reach a point during your remodel when you just want it done, whether or not you like the results, you may be suffering from what home designer Roy Bryhn calls design fatigue. He explains that it sets in when you’ve fallen in love with a plan that you and the designer have spent months creating, only to realize that it’s unrealistic to build.
“Often, design fatigue will make you settle for a ‘less than’ project, as you don’t want to spend any more time, money or energy,” says Bryhn, the owner of Bryhn Design/Build in Flemington.
Find a designer who listens. It’s important for a designer to ask a lot of questions at your first meeting, Bryhn says, but it’s equally important for him or her to have good listening skills and pay attention to what you say. “There are no dumb questions,” Bryhn says. “Just spit it out, whether it’s about cost, likes or dislikes, or something you don’t understand.” He adds that if you’re working with someone you’re comfortable with, the entire process is easier and more efficient.
Explore your options. Keeping your budget in mind gives you a realistic starting point, Bryhn says: “We provide several options, giving a general overall cost and then explaining what will cost more and what will cost less to do.” Bryhn explains that this allows you to make an informed decision about reining in the scope or the finishes, or possibly even doing the remodel in phases. “It also prevents sticker shock at the end of the design stage,” he adds.
Below are more tips from Bryhn for getting the remodel you want while avoiding design fatigue.
Below are more tips from Bryhn for getting the remodel you want while avoiding design fatigue.
1. Be Flexible to Fit the Budget
Having conversations about what you want and what you can afford will let you make tradeoffs that still work with the design, Bryhn says. The remodeled bath in this Skillman home is over an unheated garage, so the challenge was to get the high-end look the homeowners wanted and also have enough room in the budget to ensure that the space would not be too cold in the winter.
“The porcelain tile they chose is beautiful, but also durable and reasonably priced,” Bryhn says. That choice allowed the homeowners to splurge on radiant heat under the flooring, keeping the bathroom warm even on chilly days.
See more of this project
Having conversations about what you want and what you can afford will let you make tradeoffs that still work with the design, Bryhn says. The remodeled bath in this Skillman home is over an unheated garage, so the challenge was to get the high-end look the homeowners wanted and also have enough room in the budget to ensure that the space would not be too cold in the winter.
“The porcelain tile they chose is beautiful, but also durable and reasonably priced,” Bryhn says. That choice allowed the homeowners to splurge on radiant heat under the flooring, keeping the bathroom warm even on chilly days.
See more of this project
2. Focus on Your Needs
Considering all the ways you might use a space will also help you find a design that works on the first pass, Bryhn says. The owners of this home in Princeton wanted both a functional kitchen for daily use and a place for entertaining, and the resulting space meets both needs. “The island works well for everyday living and casual get-togethers,” he says. “There’s also a butler’s pantry and drink station that separates the kitchen from the dining room, used for more formal occasions.”
See more of this project
Considering all the ways you might use a space will also help you find a design that works on the first pass, Bryhn says. The owners of this home in Princeton wanted both a functional kitchen for daily use and a place for entertaining, and the resulting space meets both needs. “The island works well for everyday living and casual get-togethers,” he says. “There’s also a butler’s pantry and drink station that separates the kitchen from the dining room, used for more formal occasions.”
See more of this project
3. Make the Most of the Available Space
Using your design phase to explore multiple options for how a room could function will also go a long way toward ensuring that you won’t need to rethink the design later on, Bryhn says. That was the approach for this bonus room in Princeton that often is used as a guest space.
”The owners wanted a readily available bed that didn’t take up most of the room when not in use,” Bryhn says. The solution was a Murphy bed with custom-built cabinetry that helps it blend into the room. He also added custom shelving and a closet for more storage.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Roy Bryhn and examples of his work, see Bryhn Design/Build’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Using your design phase to explore multiple options for how a room could function will also go a long way toward ensuring that you won’t need to rethink the design later on, Bryhn says. That was the approach for this bonus room in Princeton that often is used as a guest space.
”The owners wanted a readily available bed that didn’t take up most of the room when not in use,” Bryhn says. The solution was a Murphy bed with custom-built cabinetry that helps it blend into the room. He also added custom shelving and a closet for more storage.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Roy Bryhn and examples of his work, see Bryhn Design/Build’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
"Life is too short, not to get it right the first time" - Roy Bryhn...At Bryhn Design/ Build we provide a simple... Read More
Review by Peter Agnoletto:
Roy, Ryan and Bill were great to work with. Their entire team was knowledgeable, respectful and very professional. They identified the source of my problem and fixed it. The team did excellent wo...More