Remodeling your house is a wonderful way to bring new life into your home. It can also be a tremendous stress on you and the other members of your household. A home renovation can be dirty and noisy, so if you plan to live in the home during the remodel, you can expect some level of discomfort. It can help to have a trusted team in your corner so you know that the ultimate product will be everything you dreamed. John Elliott Interiors is just such a team! We are the best interior designers at the Lake of the Ozarks, and we have your back. Read on to learn some of our great tips on how to make the most of your home renovation!

Make a Plan

Once you’ve made the decision to remodel your home, it can be hard to wait for a full plan to be developed before you start digging in. But planning is an important step. If you get started without thinking ahead, you could end up with a disjointed design or a layout that doesn’t quite work with the structure and flow of your house.


Determine which parts of your home you want to redesign and consider all aspects of the design that will need to be addressed… Plumbing, electric, overall layout, furniture placement, painting, etc. Once you know everything that the remodel needs, start calling contractors to set up appointments. This could be the sticking point between a good renovation and a bad one. Imagine the two contractors you want to use are only available 6 months apart. If 6 months is too long of a time frame, you may need to consider other contractors or adjust your plan.

Keep it Tidy

As the renovation gets underway, there will be a lot of dust, construction debris, and other clutter that will start to take over your home. It is important to hire a contractor that values cleanliness and finishing the job completely. The last thing you want to end up with is an area that is remodeled, but also full of construction debris that has spread throughout the other rooms in your home as well. If you are remodeling on your own, be sure to use tarps and remove trash at the end of each day to prevent the mess from piling up and getting out of hand.

Plan for the Unexpected

Even if you have the perfect plan detailed out to the smallest penny, minute, and nail… Something will go wrong. There will almost always be a wrench in your plans that you will have to adjust for. For example, when you knock out a wall, you may find pipes that have to be relocated. That is why it is so important to allow yourself extra money in the budget and extra days (or possibly even weeks) in the timeline.


Every time a hitch comes up in your plans, take a deep breath and think of how much you will love the final product - it will all be worth it! Take a break when possible and go out of town for a weekend to get away from the construction dust and stress.

Keep Communication Open

Communication is the key to good relationships, right? That is also the case between clients and contractors. Be open and honest about what you want from them so they know what you expect. The clearer your communication, the more likely you are to be happy at the end of the process. It’s important to have a solid contract that communicates what happens if either party does not meet their end of the agreement.

Home Design at the Lake 

John Elliott Interiors is the best interior design company at the Lake of the Ozarks and we have a lot of experience helping clients redesign their spaces. Once the bones of your remodel are complete, be sure to contact our expert team at John Elliott Interiors to help create a beautiful design that helps make your dreams for your home come true.