12 New Build & Renovation Mistakes to Avoid Part 1

New build mistakes and renovation mistakes can cost you serious time, money, and regret. In this video, an interior designer breaks down the most common mistakes homeowners make during a new build or renovation — and how to avoid them before it’s too late.

These are not theoretical mistakes. These are real issues I see again and again with clients, developers, and first-time homeowners. From poor layout planning and skipping material samples, to choosing the wrong window frames, lighting, and finishes — these mistakes can make even an expensive home feel uncomfortable, dark, or unfinished.

What is Style So Simple?

Style So Simple is a practical, no-fluff interior design podcast that helps you create a home you love—without overcomplicating the process.

Each episode breaks down real design decisions, styling tips, and behind-the-scenes insights to make decorating feel simple, doable, and actually enjoyable. Whether you're refreshing a room or starting from scratch, you’ll walk away with ideas you can use right away.

These are my 12 new build and renovation mistakes [music] to avoid. Honestly, I have hundreds of mistakes to avoid when you're doing either a renovation or a new build. And it was really hard to narrow them down. Usually with something like this, you try to do 10 mistakes for a video, but I was like, "No, I need all 12 of these." These are the most important ones and the ones that I see coming up time and time [music] again with clients. And honestly, if you make these mistakes, it is going to cost you later, both in time and money. So, if you're building a new home or you're renovating, this [music] video is for you. But why listen to me? Well, I'm an interior designer and I've worked on countless new homes and countless renovations. But I'm also a new homeowner and this is my first house, so I'm a first-time buyer. [music] I have an interior designer eye, which can sometimes lead to an expensive eye. And in my own home, I am designing on a budget, [music] but by God, it's not going to look like a budget home. In my own home, I am [music] achieving that considered high-end designer finish. And this is where [music] it starts. All the information I'm giving you guys in this series is information that clients [music] pay me for. So, it's like I feel like I'm going to be your interior designer bestie. Anyway, [music] it all starts with the mistakes to avoid in your new build or your renovation. And obviously, cuz there's 12 mistakes and I like to talk a lot, [music] I'm splitting this video into two. So, these are the first six. Let's get into it. Mistake one, not thinking about your layout first. It's always layout before anything, especially on a new build. This is the very first thing I do on any project, before finishes, before colors, before any of those nice [music] design elements and decor. I sit down with the plan and I sketch where the furniture [music] is actually going. I decide where the furniture is going based on a conversation [music] with my clients and how they feel they want to live in their new space. And honestly, if you don't do this from the start, everything in your build is going to be that little bit harder. A layout that doesn't work is never going to feel right, no matter how nice the finishes are. People often think that with an interior designer, it's all about the finishes. It's all about the nice bits [music] of the project, the window finishes, the furniture, the decor. It's actually not. It all starts with the layout. Your layout is key. And the good news is you don't need an interior designer to do this because I'm going to tell you how to do it. Ask your builder for the architectural plans. You never decide your layout on site or walking through the rooms. Yes, you can get ideas for it, [music] but you are working like a designer. So, you are working on your architectural plans. If you don't know what an architectural plan is, I'm sure most of you do. It's something like this. Once you get these, you literally start drawing the furniture in the space. If you don't know exactly what sofa or table you want, that's fine. Just decide whether you want to have six people sitting at your dining table, whether you want to have the full family to be able to sit on the couch. [music] Then go online, find something you like. Literally take the measurements and draw it into the space and see if it actually works in the space. If that's too much, you at least want to find out how you're going to live in the space. A really simple way to get a sense of your layout is walk through it in your head. You walk through your front door. Let's say your living area is on the left hand side. Your dining area is on the right into the kitchen. Where are you going to go to first? [music] Usually people are going to go into the dining area and to the kitchen cuz the kitchen is the heart of your home. So then ask yourself, is that eight person dining table going to jut out just [music] a little bit too much? That makes that walkway into the kitchen uncomfortable. In the living [music] room, is the sofa blocking circulation or blocking how you're going to walk through the space? You really want an island in the kitchen, but is there actually enough space for an island? Or does it just look good on those inspirational images you've saved from Pinterest? If an island isn't working, but you're still adamant that you want that island look, you want the function of the island, you really like the casual dining [music] setting that it achieves. You want your kids to come home and be able to do their homework on the island while [music] you're in the kitchen making them snacks, but the island doesn't work. It's blocking circulation throughout the rest of the space. [music] This is also where doors and door swings and quantities become very obvious. And in a lot of new builds, especially in developments, there's often rooms with too many doors, especially in open plan kitchen, dining, and living rooms. I had it in my own home. [music] And when we moved in, we actually blocked up one of the doors. So, this is a mistake I'm telling you I made that you guys can avoid. It just meant that we had less functional space for a sofa, for a dining table. It just didn't make sense. We had one door going into the dining area and one door going into [music] the living area or the family area, but they were all basically going into the kitchen area and going into this open plan. We didn't need those two doors, but what we did need was wall space for a sofa. So, we blocked up the door. And what you'll often see is in a lot of new builds, people just have the sofa up against the door. We are not doing that. We have to avoid doing that. And if you look on your plans, you look at your doors, you draw out where you want your sofa, where you want your dining table, [music] maybe you want a play area, the door possibly doesn't make sense because that swing is going to take up so much very important floor [music] space that most likely you need. It's just sometimes not the best option to how you actually live in the space. And when you start drawing out your furniture, even if it's not to scale, you suddenly realize that there's no space for a dining table. There's no space for your sofa. The dining table just sits awkwardly because of that door swing. So, if you don't need it, just ask your builder not to put it in. It avoids you blocking it up in the future, and you might even get a little bit of a kickback from the developer because they do not have to buy that door. So, when you're planning your space, ask [music] yourself, do I actually need all these doors? especially if there is more than two doors going into the same space. Okay, guys. I know that's a lot on layout, but your layout for your [music] home is actually the most important part of your home. It's the foundation of your home. You just really need to get this right. So, if you would like me to do another video deep diving into layout and how to get it absolutely perfect, just let me know in the comments below and I will do that for you guys.

Mistake number two, not sampling materials and finishes. This is actually one of the biggest mistakes I see people do all the time. And it's one of the easiest mistakes to avoid. You never trust a digital sample. A digital sample is never a representation of the physical sample. And I don't care what the suppliers are telling you. They are never the same. And your samples and finishes are always going to look different in your home. They're even going to look different in different rooms. Choosing something from a showroom or small swatch or digital sample doesn't tell you how something will actually look in your space. Light orientation changes everything [music] and makes the color look different. Think about it. That beautiful soft beige that you selected in the showroom might look really warm in the showroom, but if you're putting that into a north facing room, it may have blue undertones that make it look gray and dull. The last thing you want is a color or finish in a north facing room to have blue undertones. It's just going to make the room feel dull and cold. But that's just one example. You want to try all of your samples, [music] especially on what I call everything that sticks. So, these are the items that you [music] do not want to change in the future. So, your everything that sticks. This would be your tiles, your floors, your paint, your kitchen, any joinery units. [music] These are the items that you do not want to be changing often, if ever. I can tell you, I put my kitchen in and I plan to keep it there forever. But once these items are installed, it's very hard to change them. and it's very expensive [music] to change them. So, how do we avoid this? We sample everything. [music] This is one of the key things that an interior designer does. And I can tell you, I am often pressured by builders, by architects, by [music] even clients to just make a decision. No, not until I have seen a physical [music] sample. I never trust a digital sample. And I never trust a sample in a showroom. Why? [music] Because honestly, I've made the mistake before. I've made the mistake where I've got a lacquered brass that I thought looked beautiful online [music] and it comes to site and it looks cheap and I know that's my decision. I need [music] to change that and then it's expensive to change it. If you can't go to the actual space, the next best thing is looking at it in a room with the same orientation. So, for example, [music] if it's a south facing room, go to a south facing room in your own home and look at the sample there or in the existing space that you're renting or whatever it is. [music] If it's a north facing room, go to a north facing room. That's the next best thing. Sampling is one of the cheapest and the easiest ways to avoid an expensive mistake. And I am saying that from someone who has had to pay this expensive mistake. Trust me, I've [music] been there.

Okay, guys. Mistake number three, choosing dark [music] window frames. I actually touched on this in my trends that are out for 2026 because I have been waiting for people to realize that [music] dark window frames are not always the right choice. And unfortunately over the last few years they definitely became the default in the UK and Ireland with the entrite gray and I have to say I don't think that that [music] color ever worked. The only time I would choose dark window frames is if [music] they have been designed within the architecture of the home. The window frames need to be quite [music] large so they're slim. The darkness of the window frames is not taking over the space. [music] So unless you have an absolute love for dark window frames [music] and the architecture makes sense for these frames, don't do it. Something like this is [music] beautiful. Something like this is not. So this is something that is very common in new [music] builds, especially the antraite gray and the black window frames. They look great in larger windows, but in real homes and smaller windows, they often don't work as well as [music] people think. In most new builds with normalsiz windows, especially in Ireland and the UK and in the [music] States as well, dark window frames can make your room feel darker and smaller. Now, if you're renovating and you have beautiful large windows, [music] this may not apply to you. I'm talking about when dark window frames are the [music] default. So, if you are getting a new build or you're buying from a development, ask the question, are the window frames dark? If they are dark and the window frames [music] are small, look something like this, ask, can you have the interior window frames [music] in an off-white? Trust me, you will thank me later. When you are choosing your kitchen color, when you are choosing your flooring, and you [music] don't have to go back and make sure that everything goes with your window frames, you'll come back here and subscribe. I know what I'm talking about here. Oh my god, I've been preaching it forever and [music] just listen to me, please. They create this monochromatic and this really strong contrast in every room. Your eye is constantly [music] drawn to them. And no, it doesn't frame the window. It doesn't frame the exterior. And in big developments, what's the exterior? How is your view? Like, does your view to the neighbors across the road need to be framed? It just doesn't make sense in all developments. [music] And it's been used as the default by builders. And if your builder is saying that this is the design aesthetic you should go for and this is perfect, [music] you should be questioning him. Your interior designer is telling you it's not. Dark window frames lock you into a [music] specific interior look. Some people love that. They know exactly what their style is. They know what their vibe is. They want [music] to go with this. But if you don't, then why lock yourself into it? And when every other interior finish has to work around your window frames, this just limits so much flexibility and creativity over time. So why do that to yourself? Again, this was [music] an issue that I thankfully avoided in my own home. The builder did push back on it. The builder did tell me how antraite gray [music] was the way to go. It was the best neutral to go for windows. No, no, I live in Ireland. It's gray outside all the time. I don't [music] need my interior windows to be gray, too. We went with off-white, and I'm so happy we did, and you [music] will be, too. Now, of course, there are a lot of interiors that the window frames [music] are framing an exceptional view, and these can be highlighted, but is that your home? If it's not your home and that's not the space you're [music] designing for, don't make this window, this is not achieving [music] this and they're not the same. So, to recap on dark window frames, this works. This does not work. This works. And [music] again, this does not work. And from there, I'll let you decide whether dark window frames are going to work in your space or not. I've just given you all the information.

Mistake number four, lighting and electrics. This is such a common mistake and honestly, it's so avoidable. I can totally see how people get into this mistake, though. Often what happens here is homeowners are called a site to decide then and there where every light is going, where every socket is going. These are big decisions and they're hard to make on the spot. So, we plan where every socket and every light is going before we are called [music] to site. I am looking at lighting plans. I'm looking at RCPs. I'm looking at where all of the sockets and electrics are going for clients. I could never and I would never decide on [music] site. There's too many variables on this going wrong. And if there are only two points you listen to on either of these videos, leave it be this one and point number one about your layout planning. If you just listen to those two points, I promise you it's going to make your build so much easier and less stressful [music] and less expensive. People often think that thinking of lighting is just about the fixture. It's not. That's the nice part. Before you get to that part, you need to do the planning and the work. Lighting needs to be planned out alongside electrics, ceiling [music] heights, and your furniture layout. How can you know where every socket is going to go? How can you know where the floor light is going to go or where the TV is going to go [music] without knowing your furniture layout? Like many people, I like to have sockets on either side of my sofa so that I can have a charging point. But again, you need to know your furniture layout before you can decide on these elements. And for good lighting, we are not talking about one single [music] pendant in your room. Good lighting is all about layering your lighting. [music] And I promise you, lighting is much more important than any piece of furniture you're putting into your space. Cuz if the lighting is off, you will feel off. [music] Ambient lighting, task lighting, accent lighting, all work together so a room functions well and feels right at different times of the day. So, you're probably thinking, "Wo, you're overwhelming me here." And I don't mean to. I really, really don't. I want to do this video to give you guys all the information so you know exactly what to do when you are going into your own renovation and your own new build. So, a simple guide that I actually like to do myself in every project I'm working on. For your main living areas, so think your living room, your kitchen, your dining, aim for a minimum of three light sources. [music] So, that might be a ceiling pendant light. It might be down lights, wall lights, and a floor [music] light. This is giving you three sources of light. So, in the evening, if you don't want the big light on, whoever wants the big light on, you could have your wall lights on. Or if you're in there on your own, it's stormy like it's stormy here today, and you just want to sit down and read a book, you might have your table lamp on. [music] It just provides different light sources for different functions in the space. And the exact combination, whether it's a ceiling light, a table light, and a floor light, or it's a ceiling light, wall lights, and a floor [music] light, these exact combinations can change. But what I'm saying is rarely is one central pendant enough. Layered lighting just gives [music] flexibility and warmth to your space. Even in your bathrooms, I would always go with a minimum of two. [music] So, your central ceiling pendant and wall lights. Actually, I've actually heard many designers even saying that they don't [music] want any ceiling pendant in a bathroom. I personally don't agree with that because I like to have a lot of light in a bathroom at certain stages when I am doing my eyebrows or dyeing my hair. Um, [music] but I can understand not wanting to have a central pendant either and just working with wall lights, working with back lighting in your mirror. [music] And if that's really the cozy vibe that you want, then go for it. But what I'm saying is never [music] just have one. This, I think, rarely works. It might even be just a simple picture light highlighting some art [music] that gives more of a feeling and more emotion than one single pendant. Or for a hallway, a minimum of two light sources. This helps to avoid dark spots and it actually makes the space feel more welcoming. And please for your bulbs, never go with cool white. Always go with warm white again, especially in Ireland and the UK. And I don't want to overload you, but if you can select the Calvine, I would never go above 2,700. Just have a look at this chart. Which makes you feel cozy and [music] which makes you feel cold? Do you want to feel cold in your house or do you want to feel cozy? I actually don't think that dimmers are necessary. As long as you have a warm white and keep it under 2,700, your home is going to feel so inviting. 2,700 Kalvine as well, it just provides a warmer, more intimate feel. So maybe in the kitchen, you want to go for something like 3,000 because you need more task [music] lighting, but for your living rooms and bedrooms, this is the max I'd go. Like to give you an example here, this is a commercial space that we're currently working on in the studio. Look how gray it is outside. [music] If you can just see in the window there, it's so gray. And those warm white 2,700 Kaline just make the space feel intimate and cozy. Okay, this is the last thing I'm going to talk about with lighting because I have yapped on for a very, very long time, but [music] lighting is just so important. And again, if you want me to deep dive more into this, I absolutely can. Just let me know in the comments below. But I'm going to talk about lighting and electrics in your bedroom. And for the bedroom, this is something that people forget all [music] the time. At a minimum for a bedroom, I like to have one pendant centered to the end of your bed, not directly above it, [music] cuz this is going to make you feel like you're in an interrogation room, and it's also going to limit the drop of the pendant. If you have it centered towards the end of the bed, you can actually have a longer drop on the light because it's not a walkway. No one's going to hit their head off it. So, it just gives you that little bit of proofing for the future. And of course, you're going to add your table lights or wall [music] lights. So, this is the thing that people forget. If you're adding wall lights, you want to add your [music] light switches by the door. Yes. And either side of the bed. [music] Think we're creating hotel like vibes in our bedroom. [music] You do not want to get up every time you want to turn off the main light or the wall lights. So, don't forget to add those switches [music] always and always high enough up from the floor that you can fit a bedside locker. [music] So, as you can see, planning for electrics and lighting is really important to plan and it really matters because once walls are closed, it's really hard to fix these and it's expensive. Mistake number five, [music] missing the finer details. So, think your archetrave and your skirting. And I know this is one of the [clears throat] mistakes that doesn't feel important when you're first starting to think of your new build or your renovation, but trust me, it has a huge impact and the details matter. It's the details and spotting what details are important that honestly clients pay me for. In most new builds, people are more focused again on their furniture and what they're going to be putting into the space than their doors, their skirting, their arcte, their coving, and their handles. They don't feel as important as many other details that are going on in the [music] build. Often what I've seen is they're left as standard because they're seen as a [music] minor detail, but these are actually the details that you see and touch every day. The archetrave, [music] the skirting and the coving are actually the backdrop of your interior. [music] So they are important. Think about it with door arches. This and this give a completely different [music] feel. Standard builder finishes in these areas can make your interior feel flat. Whereas when [music] these details are considered properly, they add depth and character to your space. skirting and archetrave. I [music] get it. They seem like such a minor detail to people, but they do add depth and character and a sense of finish that the standard builder grade options just can't. [music] So, in a new build in a development, they may be an additional cost. So, if you can upgrade, I would. And these additions don't have to be super expensive, [music] but I am telling you, they make your interior feel more expensive and considered and elevated. [music] Mistake number six, not setting a realistic budget. This is everybody's favorite, but by far a mistake that I see made by clients all the time is not setting a realistic budget and not fully understanding their builder's quote. And this is one of the most important points in the whole process. Whereas, [music] most homeowners do not set a realistic budget. But it's not on the homeowners. [music] You just need to fully understand what your builder's quote includes. I've seen builder's quote come in labeled as a full build and a builder's finish with no tiles included, no flooring included, and no sanitary wear included. And I am sorry, but I don't think anything is finished if there's no floors and there's no toilets. And then often times when people say that their build has gone massively over budget, a lot of the time it's because basic finishes like these were never included in the first place. [music] So how to avoid this? Ask for a detailed line by line quote [music] as if you're 5 years old. Spell it out for me. What is included in this quote? Line by line. God builders are going to hate me after this. But the good builders won't. Ask specifically what finishes are included and what is not [music] included. Highle things to check are your flooring, your tiles, your sanry [music] wear, your kitchen. What's included in your kitchen? Is your counter included? Are your appliances included? Electrical and lighting allowances? Have they only allowed for one single pendant and one light switch in every room? If so, we know this isn't enough. [music] If something isn't allocated for in your builder's quote, you need to budget it separately from the start, cuz otherwise it's just going to cause heartache [music] in the future, both for you and your wallet. On top of that, honestly, I would always allow at least 10% to 20% contingency because of course, we can try to make sure we have everything included, [music] but unexpected costs in a new build and a renovation often do happen. Also, be clear from the start where your money should go and where you want your money to go. For example, I don't consider big ticket items to be furniture. These are areas I feel like you can definitely save in. You do not have to go for the most expensive sofa. You do not have to go for the most expensive bed. It would be amazing to be able to do that, but you don't have to do that. I prefer to put my money into the joinery, the electrics, everything that sticks. My flooring, my tiles. These are areas I want to put them into a home once if [music] possible. And usually it is possible when you invest from the start. Furniture can come later. And often we create amazing interiors, vintage [music] pieces, and high-end pieces. Not every piece of furniture has to be expensive. Now, it's not to say that your tiles have to be expensive, but definitely [music] I feel you need to invest in an item that you're walking across every day more than your dining table or in a hot water tap. I have seen clients put more into their hot water tap than their floors, [music] which to me is just crazy. Just get a nice tap and a kettle. Okay, guys, that's it for part one. Like always, I'd love to know what you guys think in the comments below. And if you enjoyed this or found it helpful, please do subscribe. And I can't wait to see you in the next one.