Dream BIG! A great designer can edit according to your needs, lifestyle and budget later.”  - Rose Dostal

Designs By Damienne recently had the privilege of being featured in a recent Redfin article, Working With an E-Designer? Here are 10 Things You Should Know. In it we briefly discussed a dreaded but very important topic, budget! Specifically, around setting a realistic budget and what that looks like. Because this topic is so important and one that I run into frequently I want to expand on it with a quick checklist of things to consider and/or do when setting a design budget for your next project.

I don’t know about you, but I have expensive taste. Unfortunately, my finances don’t always align with this taste (as much as I wish it would) Ha! In a perfect world you could buy whatever you wanted when you wanted (One day). If this is already your life, kudos to you, the rest of us need to be a bit more “selective”. This is where a good budget comes in; it helps narrow down exactly how much you can actually spend on a particular item and ultimately the entire space. When deciding on a budget there are a few questions that you need to ask yourself.

Step 1: How Much Do I Have?

Before you can determine how much you have to spend on furniture you should first set a budget for the entire project. Total project costs should take all expenses into consideration:

•         Structural Improvements (painting, flooring, doors/windows etc.)

•         Design Fees (If contracting with an Interior Designer)

•        Furniture Costs (Don’t forget tax and shipping)

•         Installation Cost (Hired contractors for design specific tasks like hanging wallpaper, assembling furniture, hanging shelves, etc.)

You probably noticed that just by figuring out how much the entire project will cost you have also figured out how much you have to spend on your furniture. Note: Designer fees are listed separately because whether you’re doing E-Design or Full Service, the design fee is always separate from the cost of furnishings.

Step 2: What Do I Like?

Here is where you drill down into what your preferences and minimum requirements for furniture are. It’s best to do this by room because how the room is used will influence what features are/aren’t important. For example: if a room isn’t heavily used and is more for looks, durability and comfort probably won’t be as important; but, in a room that you use frequently you probably want furnishings that will continue to look nice under heavy use and won’t fall apart in 6 months.    

Formal Living Room (Decorative/ Minimal Use)

•         Non-Performance Fabrics and/or synthetic blends that are pretty but won’t hold up under a lot of wear and tear.

•        Seating that’s visually appealing but probably isn’t super comfortable.

•        Tables or storage that are on the lighter side. (Think: Ikea)

Master Bedroom (Frequent Use)

•        Performance Fabrics (cleanable) and/or natural fibers that are soft/comfortable and will stand the test of time.

•        Seating and storage that is well constructed and comfortable (seating).

•        Bed/ Mattress/ Bedding exhibit all of the above qualities.

I think you see where I’m going here; since added/improved features and qualities dictate the price of the furniture you’re probably going to end up spending significantly more on the furniture in the Master Bedroom than in the Formal Living Room.

Like the opening quote said, I can edit your dreams to fit your needs, lifestyle, and budget later, but it definitely makes my job easier if my client has done their research and is well-informed. I like to tackle the budget topic during the initial consultation because I can usually tell right away if a client’s expectations are inconsistent with their desired budget and I like to modify their expectations or their budget BEFORE I spend a lot of time looking for a unicorn that doesn’t exist.