Spotlight on: How to Tackle a Lobby Renovation Efficiently

Tips for a better process

Assemble a project management team and choose individuals with different, but complementary, skills — three to five people are ideal. Be clear upfront that each participant needs to commit to seeing the project all the way through.

Try to include at least one person on the team who is experienced in home design, home staging or architecture. Although you don't necessarily want to include a shareholder who is a design professional in the team, you should ask if he or she is willing to extend access and discounts.

Determine what function the lobby should serve. Is it for lounging or for expediting residents and guests quickly and comfortably from the street to their own homes?

Do your homework. Visit other buildings to see how they have handled their spaces: both winning and losing concepts should be explored. Take pictures of spaces that are appealing and appalling so the team can review everything. Make sure to introduce yourself and ask permission before taking photos.

Don’t duplicate work. Assign each person a specific set of tasks. Keeping everyone focused will help keep the project progressing and avoid possible finger-pointing later on.

Professionals and Planning

Once you've done your homework and outlined your needs and expectations, meet with at least two designers who specialize in residential lobbies. Ask that fees be parsed by stage from development through implementation. Visit spaces they designed to see if their ideas and yours align. If you collide, move on — a bad first meeting will not get better.

Gain budget approval for an initial design and schematics. Once objectives for the space are defined and budget constraints are understood, come up with two plans to show the board at a special presentation. Give board members time to evaluate and modify as needed before presenting to the shareholders.

Inform the shareholders that they will be able to vote on a lobby design. Consider their feedback, too; shareholders may have good ideas that warrant consideration and inclusion.

Develop a ballot that recaps the two designs under consideration. Ask each shareholder to vote on which they prefer. Leave plenty of room for comments.

Set a firm deadline to complete and return the ballot. Have someone tabulate the results and collate the comments and report back to the shareholders on the “winning” concept. Let everyone know when the process will begin and when it is scheduled to end.

Interview your contractors, using referrals whenever possible, and set up a schedule for all the tasks, including furniture purchase and delivery. For custom-made work, expect things to take twice as long as promised and cost 50 percent more than quoted, and plan accordingly. Throughout the restoration or renovation process, keep people aware of what is going on or coming next.

Document everything in pictures. Create a scrapbook for the building’s records: a binder that has all the vendors used, the products purchased and the colors of the walls.

Make sure you know the finishes used on every surface, and create a user’s manual for the staff on how to maintain the lobby. Don’t let a beautiful restoration get derailed by a bottle of Clorox.

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Adapted from "Lobby Lessons" by Linda Connelly (Habitat, July/August 2010)