5 Tips for Designing on a Budget

Jul 31

From Blank Slate to Fully Baked: The $5,000 Living Room

BOOKSHELVES / SWIVEL CHAIR / MIRROR / COFFEE TABLE / LEATHER CHAIR / FLOOR LAMP / CURTAINS / SIDE TABLE / RUG

Used primarily as a thoroughfare for the piano to live and the dog to nap, this small front living room was begging to reach its full potential as an inviting and cozy destination unto itself.

We had $5,000 and about a month to pull it off—and love how it turned out.

Here are a few ways we were able to get the most for our money:

1.) Go for a mix of high and low.

Just because you’re on a budget, doesn't mean you can’t enjoy the nicer things. It just means you have to be selective about what’s worth a splurge and where to tighten things up elsewhere to be able to cover it. Here, we invested in a nice leather chair and pulled back on the cream loveseat—which had a lot of options to choose from, at a wide range of price points. For us, splurge-worthy items are furnishings that are well designed and made from high-quality materials that will stand the test of time—or so amazing and unique that you know you’ll regret it if you don’t buy it.

2.) Minimize excess costs.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but taxes, fees, shipping…it all adds up. So, when shopping online, be sure to weigh all those factors and check multiple sites for the same item to get the best price. (It’s shocking how much money this can save!)

Another (seemingly obvious) way to reserve more of your money for the fun stuff is to actually do the un-fun stuff—like painting, assembling furniture, hanging curtains, updating hardware, etc.—yourself.

For example, to get a more custom look for the curtains, we ordered them in a longer length and hung the rods first. Then we marked, cut and used hem tape and an iron on the curtain panels so they kissed the floor, just the way we wanted.

3.) Set aside money for styling.

While it might be hard to overlook something like a sofa or a coffee table, items like decor can easily fly under the planning radar. For this project, we saved about $800 to cover the cost of the decor, soft furnishings and supplies we needed to give it a finished and cozy feel. It may seem like a lot, but it goes fast when you think about all it includes: blankets, pillows, books, vases, decor, picture frames, artwork, bins, boxes, plants, etc. After all, it’s the details that bring it all together to create a finished look, so we were happy to have some money to be able to invest in new brass outlet covers and switch plates. They really took things up a level.

4.) Look for alternative options.

With our limited funds, getting an electrician to come in to wire and install sconces over the piano wasn’t in the cards. But a battery-operated option was a great compromise to get a more finished and elevated look without the custom price tag. (In fact, you can check out these battery-operated sconces for yourself.) All that to say, new products are coming out all the time and some of them are pretty impressive. Peel-and-stick wallpaper is a great example of something becoming less expensive, less of a commitment and way more DIY. (And, wouldn’t you know, we’ve got a collection of our own wallcoverings to peep as well!)

5.) Get off the computer.

Don’t just source what you can find online. Actually go shopping. You can find great stuff at thrift stores, markets, local stores, estate sales, garage sales and outlets. (Hello, Home Goods! We’re looking at you.) Stuff that will likely not only be less expensive, but also more unique. Pulling furnishings from a number of places allows you to achieve a much more organic, collected and personal look for your home, as opposed to coming off like a soulless showroom floor.

Of course, we’re always happy to help, too! Our e-design services are more affordable than traditional interior design and give you an easy-to-follow plan for what to get and how to bring it all together in your space.