A Millennial Couple's Journey in Home Renovation: Lessons and Triumphs

The Story of a 116 Sqm Home

A typical post-95s couple embarked on the journey of buying a 116 square meter home. However, after accounting for shared public spaces, they were left with 93 square meters of personal space. It raises an interesting question: How much shared space is common in your area?

Opting out of professional help, the couple took on the entire project themselves, from design and construction to the final touches of both hard and soft decorations. Their home, a perfectly squared layout, is blessed with the warm glow of sunset from the west. It comprises all essentials – a living room, bedroom, dining room, kitchen, walk-in closet, study, bathroom, and a balcony. Their philosophy? A home doesn’t need to be luxurious; comfort lies in suitability.

Lessons Learned: The 'Pitfall Avoidance' Guide

1. Entrance Hall: Aiming for simplicity, they designed a single shoe cabinet, only to realize the need for a coat closet later. Their initial plan to put coats in the walk-in closet was impractical.

1. Kitchen: Initially, they avoided an open kitchen due to fears of heavy smoke from cooking. Later, they discovered that with a good range hood and a lifestyle of healthy, low-fat cooking, the smoke isn’t a big issue. They now recommend an open kitchen for future renovations.

2. Skirting Boards: They chose 9 cm pure white wooden skirting boards to match the doors and cabinets. A tip they share: always compare with a sample color card to avoid mismatched shades of white.

3. Air Conditioning: For smaller spaces, standing air conditioners can be bulky. They suggest considering ducted units, integrated into the ceiling during the renovation phase, to save space and maintain aesthetics.

Proud Achievements: The 'Little Victories' in Renovation

1. Hard Decoration: With quality materials, simplicity is key. Their TV wall is a plain white wall, allowing flexibility with TV or screen sizes. The balcony’s archway is unobtrusive, and the whole house is painted in light-colored emulsion paint, creating a spacious feel.

2. Soft Decoration: Color coordination with the home’s overall palette is crucial. For small spaces, they recommend using low-saturation colors as the primary palette, visually enlarging the space. High-saturation accents add a dynamic touch.

3. The Big White Wall: A white base is versatile, visually enlarging, and brings a sense of cleanliness and comfort.

4. Carpets: Their large (2.9 x 2m), low-saturation, cream-colored carpets add sophistication and enhance the living room’s ambiance.

5. Chandeliers: Choose styles or colors that complement each other. It’s not about the price, but the quality. Their dining room chandelier, resembling droplets, is eye-friendly and emits no harmful blue light.

6. Dining Table Mats: Black and white mats are not only visually unobtrusive but also enhance the dining atmosphere. Silicone material is easy to clean and protects the table surface.

7. Vertical Blinds: After replacing their balcony blinds, their friends were inspired to do the same. The play of light and shadow from these blinds brings a unique sense of happiness.

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Have you faced similar challenges in your home renovation? What creative solutions have you discovered? Share your stories and tips in the comments below and join our community of home improvement enthusiasts! 🏠💬