I was being interviewed yesterday when the journalist asked me, “Why do people renovate.”

The question sort of took me off guard as I had to think about reasons why clients would choose to disrupt their lives and create havoc in their homes. Many times the motivation is simply improvement but it challenged me to ask the deeper why questions when I am meeting clients.

I have always felt that home improvement is a mindset and emotional improvement.

If you are living with a dysfunctional living space it truly weighs on your emotional well being. Items in our homes that are in disrepair and not functioning drive us crazy yet it often takes us weeks or months to make the improvement.

It is usually at the exact moment you need to use that product or function of your home that you realize that it is in need of repair – those are the frustrating moments in life. It’s like having a burnt out fridge light, every time you open the fridge you sigh as you realize that you haven’t purchased a bulb yet when you close the fridge door you forget all about that silly bulb!

Many people renovate to improve the functionality of their space or to increase the useable space in their homes.

A homes footprint does not work for every family and tweaking is often involved. Where one family needs a large dining space, the next inhabitants may want a chef’s kitchen with a large island to gather round.

The TV media room which serves the teenage children of one family may become a play land for the new owners who have small children. When the function of a room needs to change, often the decorative elements must be adapted and a renovation is born!

Renovations can also be the result of damage to our home, either natural disasters or human caused destruction can prompt you into an unexpected renovation.

Years ago a client of mine had a trampoline thrown into her kitchen window during a wind storm which prompted an entire kitchen re-do. She had always wanted to update her dated kitchen and having a trampoline carve new openings in her kitchen was the motivation she needed to start the renovation. It’s all about perspective, is this disaster or opportunity?

Let’s not overlook that all of us desire change and changing our homes is one very satisfying way of shaking things up.

We are always on the hunt for beautiful things and colours to dress up our lives and I know firsthand the satisfaction of a fresh new paint colour or bright new towels. We were born to create beauty in our homes and it has a dramatic impact on our state of mind.

Just as items in disrepair will cause you an undercurrent of anxiety, a bright new interior will instill waves of happiness in your life. You will invite friends over to see and will be constantly be slipping into that room to admire your handiwork.

So whatever the reason, its renovation season! Get out your idea books, tablets, cameras and start taking notes on what you want your next project to look like. It is time to put the kids into class and tie up the perennials for another year which means you can focus on the interior of your home!

Kim Meckler is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre.