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How to make the most of your interior design budget
Your home
is an important part of your life. It’s where you laugh, love and play
with your family and friends. It’s also a big investment, so when it comes
to making your home beautiful and comfortable, you want to make the most
of your budget. “To keep your home up-to-date, a good plan is to redo a
room every year or two. This spreads out the cost and stress of
redecorating,” said Bill Little of Accent Interiors. Here’s where to
start:
Set a budget
Deciding how much you can spend on the project allows you to
prioritize those things you can afford to change now and plan for future
purchases.
Establish priorities
First, ask yourself what you NEED. For instance, if you need
privacy, then window treatments are a high priority. Then, decide what you
WANT. What style or colors do you like, etc? Once you’ve identified what
your room needs and what you want, you’re ready to start shopping.
Select the first piece
“It could be a sofa, fabric, or a flea market vase, said Vicki
Flores, interior designer for The Studio at Accent Interiors. “The only
requirement is you love its style and color.” Selecting the first piece
helps you focus on certain styles and colors. This way you will not waste
your budget buying things you like but that don’t fit in this room.
Think eye level, mid level, floor
The first thing a person sees when they enter your room is
generally the walls. Wall color and pattern, art work and window
treatments are all eye level elements that begin to tell the story of your
room. At mid level are furniture, lamps and accessories which are often
the prettiest and most expensive part of a room. The floor should be seen
last and should enhance the style you have set for the room.
Use a professional
Many people know what they like but don’t quite know how to put
it all together. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. “Designers understand
budgetary constraints and can help you spend your money wisely,” Flores
said. “Often, having a designer at your side can actually save you money
since their experience in the business can help prevent you from making an
expensive mistake.”
Don’t forget the icing
Your room might already have a good background, window treatments
and furnishings but just needs a little freshening with new decorative
embellishments. The final step in any good room design is the
personalization offered by accessories. Keep in mind that a few larger
pieces make a greater statement than many small ones. Here again, an
experienced eye can help with size, texture, color and balance while the
style stays totally yours.
So, set your budget, decide what you need and want, and get started
on your beautiful new room!
How high do I hang my art print?
Here is our design tip for May. Many of you will be picking up your art
print trunk show treasures in a few weeks and the one question we will
hear
constantly
is, “How high should we hang it?” Whenever possible I try to
answer a question with a question so, ”What height was the painter?” what
I’m saying is look for the point of view of the painter. In the painting
to the left we are obviously looking down at the floor and the bar top but
we are looking up at the ceiling. In this example the point of view is
about at the hat of the man standing at
the bar. A person 5 foot tall is “kinda” short and someone 6 foot tall is
“kinda” tall so put the point of view about half way between or
5’6” from the floor. It is very off putting to look up at the ground or
down at the sky so always try to avoid that if possible! And yes there are
exceptions, so don’t be afraid to ask, “How high …”
The Fifth Wall
Many of you have been working with us for so long
that the fifth wall theory is part of your design plan from day one; this
tip is for the rest of you! Way, way back, when I graduated from the
Chicago School of Interior Design and dinosaurs ruled the earth, there was
a hot new theory called the five-wall theory of design. It was based
around the idea that we walk on the floor and are surrounded by five
walls. The fifth wall is the
ceiling. I have always said it is my dream to stamp out white ceilings in
my lifetime. I find it hard to believe that people who will jump huge
hurdles to coordinate their clothes will ignore their ceiling. It's like
wearing a white shirt with every suit you own. It may not be the worst
thing in the world but it sure isn't the best thing and you deserve the
best. So be prepared to coordinate all five of your walls and, if you're
afraid, come to us. People are afraid of what they don't understand, and
we understand the fifth wall!
Do you have questions about
design or wallcoverings? Would you like some tips and tricks from the
pros?
Visit our FAQ
for all this and more!