Behind the Design: What They Don't Show on TV
Renovating your home shouldn't feel like something you have to figure out alone.
There is a lot that happens between deciding to renovate and finally enjoying the finished space. Budgets change. Timelines shift. Decisions pile up. Materials need to be selected, trades need to be coordinated, and sometimes something goes wrong even when everyone involved is doing their job.
Behind the Design takes you beyond the finished photos and into the part of renovation that rarely gets talked about.
Drawing from years of real-world experience in kitchen and bathroom design, renovation planning, sales, and project management, Robyn Hawkins shares what homeowners need to know before and during a renovation. From setting a realistic budget and choosing the right designer and trades to understanding materials, timelines, contracts, documentation, scope changes, and the sequence of construction, this book helps make the renovation process easier to understand.
You'll learn why countertops don't arrive the day after cabinets are installed. Why one small change can affect an entire project schedule. Why the cheapest quote isn't always the least expensive choice. Why documentation matters. And why asking the right questions before work begins can save a lot of confusion later.
This isn't about creating a perfect home or knowing everything before you begin. It's about having clarity.
It's about knowing what questions to ask, understanding what you're agreeing to, making confident decisions, and being better prepared when something doesn't go exactly according to plan.
Whether you're planning a kitchen renovation, bathroom renovation, or a larger home improvement project, Behind the Design gives you practical guidance from someone who works with homeowners, contractors, installers, suppliers, and renovation projects every day.
You don't need to become the designer, contractor, or project manager.
You just need enough knowledge to be an informed homeowner.
Because feeling prepared can change the way you experience your entire renovation.