Renovation Without Stress: The Order of Interior Design Decisions Step by Step

In this article you will learn, among other things:

Where to start when renovating an apartment?

– Start by taking an inventory, setting a budget with a 20% buffer, and preparing a functional design before the crew arrives.

What is the optimal order for renovating an apartment?

– Work should proceed from the "dirty" stages (demolition, installations) through the "wet" ones (plasters, screeds) to the finishing ones (floors, door installation, painting).

When should you order doors for an apartment?

– Unless they are doors with a concealed frame, doors should be ordered after all wet work. The measurement is taken after the laminate, parquet, or tiles have been laid. This is the only way for the frames to fit perfectly with the final floor height.

What should you choose first: doors or floors?

– Definitely lay the floors first, which allows for precise measurement of the openings and protects the new door leaves from moisture and damage.

How do you plan an apartment renovation so you don't forget anything?

– Prepare a schedule that takes into account the delivery dates of finishing materials, such as door frames and door leaves, which are installed in the final phase.

How do you plan an apartment renovation to avoid mistakes?

Planning an apartment renovation starts with creating a list of the household members' needs and a reliable summary of the costs of all materials and renovation crew work.

Take a precise inventory of the rooms: measure the dimensions, check the condition of the walls and risers. Setting a budget is essential, because an apartment renovation step by step always reveals some hidden challenges, e.g., the need to straighten walls. The order of decisions during a renovation is the key to success: first choose the overall style and colour scheme of the base (floors and walls), and only then match specific equipment models to them.

In the latest DRE 2026 catalogue you will find solutions to suit any size and style. Write down the apartment renovation plan in a simple spreadsheet, keeping an eye on delivery dates – this will let you track progress without unnecessary stress.

Where to start when renovating an apartment?

A real renovation starts with dismantling old elements, demolishing partition walls, and installing new electrical and plumbing systems.

Before you enter the decorating stage, you need to prepare the space. Remove old wallpaper, take out unnecessary equipment, and replace the exterior joinery – this is the so-called dirty stage. The correct order of renovation work prevents costly corrections in the future. There is no need to paint the walls if you are soon planning, for example, to chase grooves for new sockets or lighting points.

At this stage, it is worth considering doors for special purposes that require preparing the opening in advance. If you are planning minimalist, hidden passageways, the Sara Eco 2 model requires the installation of an aluminium frame before plastering. If your apartment is compact, a sliding system concealed in the wall will be an excellent solution. It allows for full use of the wall surface, which is invaluable in small rooms. The decision about such a system must be made at the initial stage of renovation planning, because a sliding system requires the construction of a plasterboard wall of the appropriate thickness.

What order of decisions during renovation – walls or floors?

First, we determine the colour scheme of the walls and the type of flooring, because these create the background for furniture and door joinery.

What to choose first: doors or floors? The colour of the doors can be chosen earlier, but we lay the floors first in order to take precise measurements of the door openings.

DRE door leaves can be ordered in various heights and types of finish, but precise measurement is only possible after the flooring work is completed. This is the logical order during renovation, which saves time on potential trimming of the leaves.

When to order doors for an apartment during renovation?

Doors should be ordered after the floors have been laid and the wall colours have been decided, taking into account a production time of approximately 6 weeks.

When the installations are ready, the plaster has dried, and the floors are laid, it is time for precise measurement of the door frames by a specialist. Interior doors require stable humidity conditions, so it is important not to order them too early – excessive moisture from "wet" construction work could cause the leaves to warp.

How to avoid mistakes in the order of renovation work?

The biggest mistake is haste and reversing the order, e.g. installing doors before dusty work is completed or before painting ceilings.

Follow a proven sequence: demolition, installations, plastering, floors, and finally the installation of doors and skirting boards. Installing joinery at the end of the renovation protects it from dust and accidental dents.

Always leave a margin of time for paint to dry before the installation team enters with equipment. Such an order of decisions during renovation guarantees that your apartment will be not only beautiful but also functional.

Summary

A stress-free renovation requires, above all, advance planning, creating a reliable budget with a reserve, and a schedule that takes into account the production time of DRE doors. The key principle for maintaining the correct order of work is laying the floors before installing door leaves, which allows you to avoid measurement errors and protects the joinery from damage. Remember to adjust the door model to the stage of work – solutions such as hidden doors require frames to be embedded already at the stage of building partition walls, while adjustable frames are installed "clean" after painting to preserve their aesthetics.