Interior styling with Budgets
Whether the budget is big or small, as Interior Designers we all have to work within a specified budget. It may seem like one of the biggest challenges that designers face, but there are various tips and tricks out there that prove you don’t need to spend a fortune to get the designer look – you just need to be smart about how you spend your money.
#1 Take your time and prioritise
Planning is key to keeping you on track with your budget. Ensure that you take a thorough brief from your client to understand what they want to achieve within their space and the mood they want to create. Create a mood board of your ideas and your research. This will assist in working within the budget, as you will identify where the biggest impact can be made and where it is important to spend money and where you can save on smaller, trend based items.
#2 Lookout for sales and bargains
Keeping an eye out for discounts and bargains throughout your designing process can earn you great savings. By doing your research and exploring seasonal sales, you can find much cheaper alternatives that will provide you with the same items and probably include freebees or additional bargain deals. Study online prices of various items from several companies or vendors, then do a personal shopping recce to get the look and feel of it. Once you are convinced about what you want, go for the best price offer, whether it is online or store shopping.
#3 Get creative and use paint!
Using paint in creative ways is one of the most cost-effective methods to transform any interior. Think of the paint brush as a magic wand that will change a space from dull to designer with every stroke. Nowadays, paint is manufactured in various forms to be applied to a variety of surfaces. Whether you need to transform walls, tiles or cupboards there are many cost-effective alternatives available. Depending on your client’s brief, use paint to create or change a mood, or open up a space to make it bigger and brighter. You can also get creative and save yourself buying brand new expensive items of furniture by using lacquer paint on vintage pieces. This will instantly transform it into a brand new unique designer-like piece without the big price tag.
#4 Style with simple furnishings
Styling with simple soft furnishings is a quick, simple and cost-effective way to transform any room. Decorative and practical accessories such a cushions, throws, lights and mirrors are a simple but effective way to incorporate patterns, colour and mood into your interior without spending an excessive amount. These small additions are fun and provide an instant wow factor and unique touch. Shop around for the products you are looking for as the market is full of retailers offering the latest trends in fabrics, textures and colors in soft furnishings. These also don’t require any work such as hammering or drilling, which is another appealing factor to this trick.
#5 Invest in showstoppers
As identified in the planning stage, you should have identified what will make the biggest impact in your interior and where it is important to spend the money and where you can save on smaller, trend based items. Investing in one or two more expensive items is much better than having everything bought at a cheaper price. Your showstopper piece doesn’t necessarily need to be a piece of furniture, it can be anything that will lift the level of your interior. It can either be bought brand new or upcycled. This can include furniture, flooring, lighting, art pieces, cabinetry or any statement piece that creates that showstopper feeling in your interior.
Additionally, keep updating small, simple soft furnishings by just adding new lights, mirrors, cushions and rugs, to completely change the look of a room without burning a hole in your pockets.
