Five Renovation Mistakes
When I first started renovating, I thought every mistake had to be corrected immediately—sometimes regardless of cost or effort. But over time, I’ve learned that not every misstep is a disaster. Some flaws are relatively easy to fix, like repainting a room. But others have taught me to pause and think: Is this something that truly needs fixing, or can I live with it and move on? Here are some examples of mistakes I made on this last renovation and how I've decided to deal with them - live with or move on!
1. The Molding Misstep
In our living room, where we have four beautiful French doors that lead to a small balcony, I thought we should have molding above the windows, to keep the continuity and flow of the rest of the room. But adding the molding, which was costly and unnecessary, made the curtains hang lower which for me is a huge non non. As designers, we opt to hang curtains as high as possible, to make the ceilings look higher. The room feels a little shorter, and the windows feel less proud.
What to do about it: Live with it! It only bothers me. I’ve learned the lesson that architectural flourishes should elevate—not interfere with—the rhythm of the space.
​2. Blah tile, Real Regret
In a moment of timing and budget-conscious practicality, I chose a very neutral and somewhat boring tile for my bathroom. It looks fine, but every time I step in, I feel the absence of authenticity. The apartment, built in the 1920s, deserves better.
What to do about it: Learn from it and do better next time! Paris teaches you to honor history. I should’ve picked a marble tile and fixtures that were more in keeping with 1920’s architecture but c’est la vie. At least I did add a fun mirror and pretty light fixtures.
3. The Ceiling Faux Pas
In the office, I painted the walls Farrow and Ball De Nimes, which is a moody, contemplative shade—but left the ceiling stark white. It broke the spell. The room felt chopped and awkward and the ceiling stood out like a sore thumb.
What to do about it: Repaint it! When you make painting mistakes, they’re so easy to fix. Now the room is drenched in a beautiful hue that wraps the room with intention and makes the ceiling look taller.
4. The Great Socket Shortage
Aiie aiie how could I? For some reason, I completely underestimated the number of outlets we’d need, especially in the bathrooms and bedroom (although I did a great job in the kitchen! Go figure). The result? An unhappy husband who has trouble plugging in devices in his bathroom and a fight over who gets to use which chargers at night!
What to do about it: Live with it and learn to always, always work with the contractor to review the electrical plan before they finish it entirely. I promise I will never make this mistake for a client!
5. The Bedroom Blunder
Paris summers are romantic in theory, but in practice, they can be humid and relentless. I opted for the aesthetics of a chandelier in our bedroom and immediately regretted that we didn’t install a ceiling fan over our bed.
What to do about it: Easy fix! Our electrician has recently installed a lovely ceiling fan that operates remotely and comes with multiple light temperatures (although I rarely turn on the overhead light). And the gorgeous antique crystal chandelier? It will soon find a pretty new home over someone’s gorgeous dining room table.
In the end, the important lesson is that renovation is as much about adapting as it is about planning, and sometimes the imperfections end up adding character to the space (or so I tell myself!).