Interior Designing With The Holts
Megan and Ryan Holt were such a joy to work with as we sold them their first home in the spring of 2018. Megan is a phenomenal interior designer here in Nashville and she’s given us an inside peak into her process as Ryan and her share with us the extensive remodel of their home. It’s a journey you are sure to love as she lays out everything from initial design concepts, to bumps along the way and lastly the incredible finished product. And it is absolutely gorgeous! Before and after pics are included. I highly recommend her not only for her one of a kind expert’s eye and design experience, but also she has an amazing way of listening to the home-owners vision and naturally collaborating to create the most beautiful spaces.
If want to see more of Megan’s work and get in contact with her about your interior design needs check out her website! https://www.meganholtinteriors.com/
Q: Before we jump right into some of the amazing designs you all did for your home, Megan can you give a summary of your background in design and what you currently do professionally with interior design?
A: Design has always been a part of my life. I graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Fashion Design, worked at Anthropologie as the lead Visual Manager, and now work in Nashville, TN as an interior designer. I work for Redo Home and Design and work with clients all over Nashville helping people bring their homes to life.
Q: So let's travel back in time a little to closing day and when the home was officially yours. What were some of your initial expectations and visions for the space? How did some of those actually come to fruition and did some of that change throughout the process?
A: Ryan and I laugh at how our plan changed over the course of the renovation! From the moment we walked into our house, we saw the potential. We knew it would be work, but we really wanted to maximum the potential of our home. Initially, we set out to tear out the tile through the back half of the house, install hardwoods to match the existing, and knock out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. Tackling those projects would have been plenty! After we started demo and uncovered new findings along the way, we decided to rip off the bandaid and gut our entire kitchen. It was a pain and more money than we wanted to spend initially, but we are so happy to have that huge project behind us and enjoy a beautiful new kitchen!
Q: What is your favorite part about your home that you were able to design? Feel free to both give an answer here if you have different thoughts.
A: One of my favorite things that we were able to figure out was how to get a third bedroom in our small 1500 sq ft house. When we were looking at this house the seller had staged the back great room as the master bedroom. Smart move on their part to get that third bedroom on the listing, but the great room was never meant to be a bedroom. Its directly off of the kitchen and is the only path to the screened in porch and back yard. Since one of our desires when buying a house was to have three bedrooms, this presented a challenge. We ended up taking what was the laundry room/pantry (also off of the kitchen) and walling it completely off. We relocated the pantry and washer/dryer to the closet in the great room, and gained a tiny little bedroom! This will be perfect for a nursery or office one day. Now we have a true great room that opens up to the backyard just like it was intended to AND we can say we have 3 bedrooms!
Q: Can you hit on some of the highs and lows you experienced during this design process?
A: Honestly, finding a good construction team was challenging at the beginning. We learned first hand how all of Nashville's workers are in high demand! Thankfully, I had several connections being in the design world. In the end, we worked with some wonderful people that we continue to use. Another low we experienced once was uncovering hidden problems once we started the demo. Under the floors, we ran into several issues with our subfloor and joists hidden under all that tile. As much of a pain as it was to fix all these issues, we are so glad that everything is fixed and like new!
Q: What are some recommendations you would give someone that wants to take on a home remodel/redesign project?
A: I would say be prepared to bite off more than you can chew! You will always uncover problems that will need your immediate attention and you will likely splurge on something since "you're already in the mess!". Go ahead and account for that and add a buffer to your budget. I would also suggest enlisting someone you trust to help you come up with your overall vision. Whether that's a designer or your design loving friend, get someone else's eyes on your house. I'm an interior designer by trade and even I needed to bring my designer friends in to make sure I was thinking through all these decisions correctly. Sometimes when its our own, we can't help but get in our own way! Lastly, if there is no budget in the beginning to do a large scale renovation, that's ok! Create a vision, take your time, and enjoy the fact that you own a house!