Pro to Pro: How to Work Within a Budget
Architect Shami Goregaoker gives tips that will go a long way in helping you design within finances big or small
Whether the design budget is sizeable or humble, 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 that prove you don’t need to spend a fortune to get the look you want – you just need to be smart about how you spend your money.
Expert: Shami Goregaoker, Design Director, GA Design
Expert: Shami Goregaoker, Design Director, GA Design
4. Style with simple furnishings
Styling with simple, soft furnishings is a quick and cost-effective way to transform any room. Decorative and practical accessories, such as cushions, throws, lights and mirrors are a simple but useful 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 a unique touch. Also, they don’t require any heavy work such as hammering or drilling, which is another appealing factor to this trick.
Take a look at design professionals from all over India that are on Houzz
Styling with simple, soft furnishings is a quick and cost-effective way to transform any room. Decorative and practical accessories, such as cushions, throws, lights and mirrors are a simple but useful 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 a unique touch. Also, they don’t require any heavy work such as hammering or drilling, which is another appealing factor to this trick.
Take a look at design professionals from all over India that are on Houzz
5. Invest in a pièce de résistance
You should identify what will make the biggest impact in your decor, 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 a number of things 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 look of your interior. It can be either 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 interiors.
See these statement lights perfect for living rooms
You should identify what will make the biggest impact in your decor, 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 a number of things 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 look of your interior. It can be either 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 interiors.
See these statement lights perfect for living rooms
My top tips
The best advice I can give you takes me back to some of the basic principles of money management: reuse, convert and combine. Once I determine the message I want conveyed with my design, I then go through the existing space and look at what I can reuse. Sometimes, it means reusing an item in a different area or using it for a different purpose. For instance, a medium-sized mirror frame need not be placed back in the dressing area; you could place it above a console in the entrance hallway or passage. 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 pocket.
Read more:
Revealed: Secrets to Building Your Home on a Budget
Tell us:
Are there any other topics you would like advice or tips on? Tell us about them in Comments below.
The best advice I can give you takes me back to some of the basic principles of money management: reuse, convert and combine. Once I determine the message I want conveyed with my design, I then go through the existing space and look at what I can reuse. Sometimes, it means reusing an item in a different area or using it for a different purpose. For instance, a medium-sized mirror frame need not be placed back in the dressing area; you could place it above a console in the entrance hallway or passage. 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 pocket.
Read more:
Revealed: Secrets to Building Your Home on a Budget
Tell us:
Are there any other topics you would like advice or tips on? Tell us about them in Comments below.
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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 ideas and your research. This will assist you in working within the budget, as you will identify where it is important to spend money and where you can save on smaller, trend-based items.
2. Look out 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 freebies or additional bargain deals. Study the 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 paintbrush as a magic wand that will change a space from dull to designer with every stroke. When I say paint, I don’t only mean plain simple wall paint. 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 from buying expensive brand-new items of furniture by using lacquer paint on vintage pieces. This will instantly transform it into a fresh and unique designer-like piece without the big price tag.
Here’s the secret to a long-lasting paint job