I’ve given my opinion and explained the pragmatic approach to project management (some might call it a lack of management) that I employ. I’ve also described some of the tools that I use … Google documents & Basecamp … and some of the questions to answer when deciding ‘how to manage your project‘.

Progressing with this I’d like to suggest to any would-be renovator to not over-manage or over-control your project. A successful renovation project requires skilled and talented people to be engaged and translate their talents into tangible parts of your renovation. With all the will in the world, there will be elements to your plan or your plan that are not optimal and that these individuals are better equipped and are better able to decide upon or specify. So let them do so … listen, take advice, get an feel for costs and time-scales, then make a decision.

Don’t try to make all your decisions up-front and don’t try to be the sole decision maker. There’s no way that on your own you’re going to get it all correct all the time, but with help and advice you’ll get more correct, more of the time.

From a management and control perspective this means that you’re going to need to leave some decisions until later, to allow aspects of your plan to evolve over-time. Start off with a plan by all means, just don’t expect it to be followed exhaustively, or feel bad when reality diverges away from it.

Follow the path to your goal and expect to make a few diversions along the way.

…and don’t forget to buy a good notebook…

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When I started out writing this blog (now over two years ago) I intended to both share my experiences and to provide advice to other people considering following a similar path. The advice has been a bit slow coming, but now as things are progressing I thought I’d start to share. Not so much hard and fast rules but my personal musings and accumulated wisdom.

new clean lines

Any old building will have a set of angles, curves and contours all unique and peculiar to it. Straight clean lines are unlikely to have been the norm when it was built (unless your building is a pristine example of Victoriana), instead an organic, contextually rich approach to construction is likely to have been prevalent.

When renovating a building with modern materials, building techniques, fixtures and fittings, we introduce precise, clean lines often in stark contrast to what has already been done. This is an opportunity to add layers of interest and character to your renovation if handled sympathetically. It is also an opportunity to respect and acknowledge the heritage and traditions that have gone before.

If sympathy is not shown, if new clean lines are forced in and stand alone rather than working with the building then the contrast will not be a harmonious and detract from rather than enhance the overall outcome.

mock tudor - concrete and softwood
(know where this is?)

Off course we can avoid this contrast, we can reject anything contemporary and seek out rustic or distressed materials and attempt to incorporate them in an original manner. But to me, that is missing the point. I prefer to be able to see the development of a building, recognise its different eras and see its history. The imposition of a historic look on a modern project too easily leads to the folly of artificial, non-structural beams or mock Tudor concrete and softwood concoctions.

If fresh, clean, modern lines can be made to work with the original more organic lines, then you’ll be heading toward a great renovation.

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