Smart Woman’s Guide To Interior Design Budget

Thoughts about design budgets are dancing today, so let me ask you this: for your next home decorating or design project (or even renovation), which would you prefer:

To land your design project on budget, no matter what, even if it requires downgrading the cost and thus quality of some (or all of) the furnishings to be purchased – (called “Value Engineering”)

– OR –

To get what you want, even if it requires that you break your project into phases.

Either of these strategic choices can keep budgets in line in cases where wish lists and project needs outpace budget dollars. Don’t panic. Simply consider what’s important to you; what you value; what is your goal. I help clients wade through the budget maze on just about every single project, always trying to reduce their stress, always trying to reduce things to manageable parts.

The b-word – budget – is just part of design. Nothing to stress over; nothing to judge, nothing to apologize for – would you apologize for a paint can? Each day, as I produce great design, I also work to garner the trust and confidence of our clients – and part of that means that our team works with what we call “The Importance of Budget Reverence.” I feel so strongly in the area of budget reverence that today I spoke before business colleagues about this very topic.

So again, I ask you: for your next home decorating or design (or even renovation) project, what camp did you fall in above – stay on budget even if it means downgrading quality or get what you want even if it means you may have to break a project into phases? There is no right or wrong answer here – you’re still a terrific person no matter which how you answer.

I get interesting answers on this question…so…where do you stand?