E:1 Introduction into Wellness

Our very first episode! As a kitchen and bath design specialist we talk about some of the challenges families are facing during covid-19. Plus a few wellness elements to consider if you are planning a renovation. Whether you are a contractor or homeowner we hope to get you thinking about ways to get the most out every renovation.
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Transcript

Podcast script episode 1

Welcome to the first episode of the Renovations Secrets Podcast.

My name is Natalia Pierce and I will be your host. I want to thank you for stopping by and will try my best not to stumble too hard through our inaugural episode and provide some value that will keep you coming back for more.

A little bit about me, I started my company Detail by Design in 2005 and fell into the kitchen and bath design world about 5 years later, after finding the softer side of design unfulfilling.  Kitchen and bath design is the perfect blend of creativity, technical details and understanding a home’s mechanical systems while incorporating functionality and beauty. As I began to learn more about the kitchen and bath industry it was important to become certified with the National Kitchen and Bath Association and in 2009 I received my AKBD. To continue my learning path I added the Certified Living In Place Professional certificate in 2018 and recently began studying for my WELL AP certification based on the WELL Building Standard. All these accreditations are because I feel it is really important to be able to understand the major reason WHY someone needs or wants to renovate their kitchen or bathroom and the best possible solutions I can provide. These solutions come from knowing the latest products available, learning about innovations and technology and turning all that into functional designs the fit my clients’ needs, style and budget. Its the little things or details that I include that can make the most impact in a new space.

Depending on when you discover the Renovations Secrets Podcast this episode was recorded during the covid-19 pandemic. During this crazy and unusual time I have had the benefit of a little bit of extra time to think about how many families are coping with their current situation. As many people began working and studying from home the lack of a designated space meant family members are occupying the kitchen table, living room, dining room or all the above. Trying to set up a makeshift desk or office to keep on top of work tasks or school work has been difficult especially if you need a quiet place for that conference call or video meeting. I have had many conversations with colleagues about how the open concept design home has not been helpful during this time while all household members are stuck together juggling meetings and competing for the quiet spot away from each other. From the articles I’ve been reading I believe that there may be a shift where more people continue to work from home in the future which will prompt the need for some permanent adjustments in the home.

 Maybe it will be a subtle change by adding a desk space in a bedroom or the corner of the family room. Either way I am sure people are discovering a few shortcomings of their home that were not as obvious before. As we spend more time at home you may discover other problems such as not enough counter space in your kitchen when everyone corals around the fridge during a break or a lack of storage for extra groceries. Maybe your fridge is too small for larger produce buying. These are all parts of the changes we are facing in the new normal. Whether you are making less frequent trips to the grocery store which mean larger grocery trips, cooking at home more, showering more often at home with gyms closed these are all real concerns to the impact and comfort of daily activities within our homes. It is often changes like these that prompt us to consider a home improvement or renovation. Maybe it was a consideration before but the need has become a little more urgent!

Whatever your circumstances are here are a few quick things to add to your list before you take on any size renovation:

1.       We all know that what is seen on TV is certainly not an accurate measure of what is going to happen in your home, as much as we wish is could! Truth: renovations are ugly, messy, disruptive and downright stressful. Home improvements require removing the old to replace with the new, so keep in mind that it gets messy before the good parts come together. 

2.       Knowing exactly the scope of the work you need done is the most important step in any renovation project. What are the things that you need or want to change? Do you need to hire a professional to develop a plan or drawings? How much will it cost? How long will it take? Do you need building permits? What trades will be involved? Are you doing the work yourself? Who do you hire? Do you plan to stay in the home during renovations? All important and critical questions that need answers before beginning of any project.

3.       Understanding what the scope of the project is will determine many of the previous questions. For example if you are adding a bathroom, plans are required, permits will be necessary in most municipalities (and certainly here in Ottawa), plumbing/electrical and HVAC will play a large role as well as general construction elements. The decision of all the fixtures will assist the trades to put together an accurate quote of what their work includes.

As these are only the very beginning stages on planning a successful renovation project and there are a great deal more things to consider. →As a valued listener to my podcast I would love to share more tips with you by sending you a digital copy of my book Inside Renovation. This book and my two other books are available for download on my website but if you stick around until the end  I’ll share details on how to grab this valuable resource for free, so keep listening!

One of the biggest trends or topics of discussion I have seen this year in the design community is WELLNESS. It is hard not to think about our health and well being during a global pandemic although this trend started before sheltering in place began. The safety of our loved ones is top of mind for so many. Health and government officials have implemented all types of measures with public health and safety in mind. The changes in how we work, shop, conduct meetings, travel, and generally live our daily life has changed dramatically in the past few months. Without knowing exactly what the future holds I do suspect that we will see long term adjustments to offices, public venues and large gatherings for the foreseeable future. 

During the past few months I’ve taken some of my down time to dive deeper into elements of wellness and how they relate to both kitchen and bath design and the home in general. With many of us spending a great deal more time at home I felt this was the perfect time to explore this in more detail. My wellness journey actually started in 2018 when I received my CLIPP certification. Understanding the meaning of “Living in Place”  began to evolve and expand as I looked for better ways to make my designs more lifespan. More on that in a minute. For me the term living in place means that a home is well designed to manage the challenges and changes that are part of every day living. Whether that is the changing needs of a growing family from toddler to teenager or an empty nester into retirement and beyond a home should accommodate our needs. Clearly many homes fall short with the renovation industry in Canada spending upwards of $54 Billion dollars a year. With all these renovations I suspect most of these upgrades miss little details that have huge impact on making a home last a lifespan. Let me take a moment and explain what I mean.

A lifespan home is one that can provide the occupants elements of safety, comfort and accessibility through every stage of life. That doesn’t mean every home should be built for wheelchair accessibility (when in reality wheel chair accessible design accounts for only 1% of the population). What I feels this means is we need to consider things like wider door openings, flush flooring transitions (none of those awkward and ugly transition strips), curbless showers, pull-out storage, layers of lighting, integrated home technology just to mention a few features. When you invest in a renovation don’t you think it makes more sense for those dollars to last decades vs a few years?

 We never really know what life is going to through our way. Some of these features are simple and intuitive that gives greater comfort for ANYONE who enters your home from a two year old to great grandma. All of the things I just mentioned have little to do with a specific age group, yet each element has benefits for several reasons that may relate to age. 

For example, wider door openings will allow for a mobility device but also make it easier for a parent carrying an infant in a carseat with a diaper bag on their shoulder and a bag of groceries in the other hand; Both ends of the age spectrum with the same attention to one small change. 

I was speaking with a fellow recently that was asking questions about the CLIPP certification. He was telling me about a major renovation they had done to their home just last year and how he wishes he would have implemented some of the things we were talking about that are covered in the CLIPP program. It is really hard to consider everything you might want or need in the future from your home. And I find many people aren’t prepared for a conversation about “age” related needs. 

Hey, lets be honest, NO ONE wants to talk about what happens as we age regardless of what age you are today. But the reality is, if you are planning to spend the next  10-15 or even 20 years in your home any investment in a renovation should consider the lifespan of the project and the impact it will have on your future self. Creating longevity from a design is more than adding grab bars in the shower or handrails down the stairwell (which you need by code anyway).  Here are the reasons for some of the more important features I feel can add decades to the lifespan of a renovation:

·         We already covered the wider door openings so next on the list is flush flooring transitions. If you can keep the same flooring throughout the entire level (main floor/second floor) of your home this automatically avoids awkward transitions. Although this may not be possible depending on the type of flooring in the home, main living spaces such as living rooms, dining rooms, family rooms and kitchens are often hardwood. Where bathrooms are often tile and kitchens are usually one or the other,  it is the change of material the requires the need for a transition strip when flooring heights don’t match or the connection between the two types of flooring are not the same causing the need for something to cover the unfinished edges or blend the height difference. It is the small height changes that can cause a tripping hazard. Consistent flooring throughout a home has design benefits too, without having the visual separations a natural flow of connected spaces happen and makes each room look bigger.

• Curbless showers are a trend that is here to stay. Maintaining a level entry into a shower not only has long term accessibility benefits but also makes tile selection easier too. By keeping the floor tile consistent both inside and outside the shower avoids the need to choose a small tile for inside the shower by using the same size tile. There are numerous shower pan products that make this application super easy. Whenever you can keep the flooring consistent it also makes the space look a little bigger as I mentioned earlier
• Storage is often one of the major issues in a space. If you don’t have a place to store your stuff then clutter is the usual result. By adding pull-outs or drawers can double or triple your storage capacity within the same size cabinet. The other bonus is all your stuff is easier to see and access. Drawers or pull-outs are also easier to organize with dividers or other systems. They work in almost any location whether its in a kitchen, bathroom, pantry, laundry room ... you get the point.
• Lighting is probably one of THE most critical elements in any space. Without adequate lighting even the most spectacular designs can fall flat. Quick story about how I got into lighting design: early in my career I did a major kitchen renovation for a client. As an open concept design the kitchen flowed into the eating area and family room. The island added into the kitchen extended into the eating area and connected the whole space. The homeowners had their own electrician who chose the type and location of the fixtures. In the end there were significant gaps of light within the kitchen and no undercabinet lighting was installed. Although the new kitchen was a spectacular upgrade the lighting layout was mediocre at best. It was very disappointing to see This prompted me to take a deep dive into the lighting world and learn more details about how to create a lighting design that compliments my designs as well as extend the functionality of a space.
•     Layers of lighting offer flexibility of adding light when and where you need it. If each layer can be controlled separately your lighting becomes adaptable to your needs and offers functionality and aesthetics too. The three layers of lighting to consider are ambient (which is your main lighting in a room), task lighting (can be turned on or off when needed) and accent lighting (which can be interior cabinet lighting or pathway lighting etc)
• We are surrounded by technology all day but how much do we actually use to make our daily lives better?  I’m going to go out on a limb and say probably not very much! Recently I’ve added smart lighting in a couple rooms. These are light bulbs that can be tuned to a specific colour temperature and intensity to suit the time of day (we will get more into that in a future episode) but for now the benefits of being able to program your lighting is pretty cool to say the least. Other benefits of some of the technology available are voice activated controls. Whether you use Google Home or Nest , Alexa or other advanced systems the capabilities allow for voice commands to control the TV, stereo, security system and so much more. The appliance world has also started to integrate technology into various models. Dacor has added cooling zones into their refrigerators for optimal cooling for wine, vegetables or cheese making it so your food lasts longer! They also have built-in cameras that allow you to check the contents of your fridge when you’re standing in the grocery store trying to remember if you’re out of milk! For more advanced home systems, like Control4 or Delos protecting your home has never been easier as theses systems can monitor everything from air and water quality, shade control to leak protection. 

All of these elements will be explored in greater detail in my new book Wellness In Design coming out later this year. The focus on our wellbeing has become a true concern as we shelter in place during this global pandemic. Whether you are a home owner or a contractor I believe that understanding and learning about the some of these crucial elements will guide us in making our homes safer will be more important than ever. Definitely lots to consider as we all adjust to the new normal. 

That pretty much covers a few basics

If you have any comment or questions be sure to let us know.  Like what you’ve heard, be sure to tell your friends, colleagues, family members or anyone else you meet!  We truly appreciate that you have given up your precious time to listen to this podcast and I truly hope you got something out of it!

In case you want  to check us out we can be found on social media - Instagram, Facebook, Houzz, Pinterest, LinkedIn and even TikTok. 

You can check out some of our projects on our website at detailbydesign.ca which is also where you will find our e-books. To get your free electronic copy of Inside Renovations send me an email to Natalia@detailbydesign .ca and I will send you the pdf. You can also send me your questions or topics you would like to hear to the same email address which is again in case you missed it Natalia@detailbydesign.ca  you can also use the contact page on our website.

Until next time stay safe and happy renovating.