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Refurbishing an Apartment Without Compromising on Design

Renovated kitchen in typical Spanish apartment

You want to get the most out of your apartment. To make this happen, you need to focus your energy on refurbishing and improving what you already have. This may mean you upgrade the heating system you have in place, or it may mean you add extra insulation where you can. Refurbishing an apartment without compromising on the design and architecture of the building can be difficult. Time and planning are required to ensure you keep the features and elements you want.

Deciding What Refurbishments Are Advantageous

Before jumping into any apartment refurbishment, you need to think about what will be advantageous. What is going to increase the value of your apartment? Or what is going to make it feel more comfortable to live in? If refurbishments are not advantageous, they are going to be costly, and they may have a negative impact on the look and feel of your beautifully designed apartment.

Looking at Inside Installations

Whether your apartment is in a small building or a high-rise, you will want to focus on refurbishments you can carry out inside. Interior refurbishments are easier to handle, and they are most likely more cost-effective too. Inside installations could be anything from a new kitchen installation to the installation of air conditioning. When you are looking at installations, ensure that you know what you are adding and why. All installations must have a purpose, and they must not interfere with existing utilities (where possible). For example, you may wish to improve how you heat and cool your apartment. Restrictions will apply to what you can have on the outside of your building – so, you will want to install a Wall mounted air conditioner without outdoor unit. When you are installing anything inside your apartment, time matters. You should, therefore, always try to plan out installations as best as you can. Make sure work can be carried out efficiently. When you do this, disruption and noise are kept at a considerate level for you and your neighbors.

 Children's bedroom in typical Spanish apartment

Getting Experts on Board

There may be certain tasks or jobs that you can do in your apartment. However, to get the correct finish and results, it is important to seek expert guidance and advice where you can. Liaising with refurbishment experts and getting in contact with experts who specialize in a certain period or age will give you the insight you may have had before. Cooperation with professionals and experts will allow you to see your refurbishment project in a new light. It will allow you to see where improvements can be made. Improvements and refurbishments that will make an apartment feel richer, more homely, or perhaps even more modern.

Learning to Accept Compromises

To avoid taking anything away from the design (or aesthetic) of your apartment, you are going to have to accept that there will be compromises. Some of these compromises may be difficult to swallow, especially if you have a vision or idea about what you want your finished apartment to look like. For instance, you may have to compromise on the style of windows you have. This may be because you must adhere to building design or you have to adhere to local coding and regulations. Or you may have to compromise on installing your dream kitchen as you do not have the space to install what you want. Accepting compromise and seeing how you can work with what you have is an important element in the design process.

Restoring What You Can

When your apartment block was built, you may find that all apartments had bespoke flooring fitted. This may mean that lurking underneath the carpet and rugs are vintage tiles or parquet flooring. Where you can do so, it is important to restore what you can (when you can). When you can invest your efforts into restoration, you ensure you retain the character and soul of the property. You retain the original design that was introduced. Quite often, items or areas within your apartment that have been restored can (and will) work well alongside new additions.

Looking at Other Similar Apartments

If you are sitting on the fence and quite undecided about what refurbishments to do, then look at others in your block or local area. See what refurbishments neighbors have carried out. Look at what other apartment owners or renters have introduced. See how installations could work for you and your apartment before you make the commitment. When you can look at similar (if not identical apartments) you can get a feel for what the finished project will look like. You can also see if you are staying on course with your design brief.

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