WAR, SCARCITY AND THE PRICE OF COMPROMISE
When war and global scarcity collided with this renovation, every assumption we had made about supply and cost dissolved overnight.
By the time we were deep into the renovation, the world was already unstable.
COVID had disrupted supply chains long before we felt the full impact on site. Materials were harder to source. Lead times stretched. Costs rose quietly at first and then all at once.
Then the war in Ukraine began.
Its impact was immediate and relentless. Prices changed daily. Sometimes hourly. No supplier was willing to give firm estimates. Quotes came with disclaimers or not at all. Planning became guesswork.
The idea of controlling costs in any meaningful way disappeared.
I wanted to work locally wherever possible. That had always been the intention. But reality kept pushing back.
If I wanted a modern, industrial, grey, German inspired finish, that was easy. Those materials were everywhere. Clean, simple, efficient and designed for new builds. They moved quickly through the system because demand was high and expectations were standardised.
But this villa was built in 1905.
Materials suitable for restoring an old building, breathable finishes, traditional plaster, details that respected age and movement, were far harder to find. Some simply were not available. Others existed only in theory, not in stock.
So we compromised. Costs increased, not just because of inflation, but because choosing the right material often meant sourcing further afield. Bathrooms came from the UK. So did the wallpaper. I would have loved to bring plaster from the UK as well, but it was not possible. Instead, we settled on Knauf. It was a major compromise. Modern, predictable and not what I would have chosen in an ideal world. But it solved a critical problem. It allowed us to insulate the house internally, something we could never have done from the outside without damaging the façade.
This is the part of renovation that rarely gets shown. The constant negotiation between principle and practicality. Between what you want to do and what you can do. Between local loyalty and global logistics.
None of these decisions were perfect. But they were deliberate. Every compromise was weighed against long term performance, comfort and respect for the building. The goal was never purity. It was integrity.
In a world shaped by pandemic and war, control became an illusion. What remained was judgement. And learning to live with the consequences of your choices.