Interior Design Dollars: How Much Is $5,000 Really Worth?

Five grand sounds like a lot of money, doesn’t it? If it fell out of your wallet, you’d sure feel like you’d just lost a lot of money. And you’d be right. But, 5 G’s in interior design doesn’t go as far as most people think it will (or should). Particularly in luxury or high…

Should an Interior Designer Charge for a First Appointment?

This is a hotly debated question among design clients. It may interest you to know…it is equally charged among professional designers! Let me see if I can break it down for you. To start, interior designers are similar to other knowledge workers, like accountants, lawyers, psychologists, certain consultants and, to some extent doctors. These professions…

Avoiding Unexpected Charges on Your Renovation Invoice

Beyond finding termites in your walls when you are gutting your kitchen, there is one other headache I want to avoid on your upcoming construction or renovation project: Surprise overage charges at the end of your kitchen renovation, bath remodel or new build. It’s the worst and I’ve been there myself. Years ago, before I…

How to Avoid the Interior Design Fiscal Cliff!

With the “Fiscal Cliff” occupying the news headlines, I thought it would be timely to talk about another cliff: The Interior Design Cliff. Take it from The Interior Design Advocate™, I talk to a lot of people each year who are about to, with wallet in hand, careen off the edge. Tips To Avoid the…

What Will Furniture Cost? 4 Factors That Affect the Answer

“But what will it cost?” The question arrives on schedule from the apprehensive-yet-eager people sitting across from me in an early design meeting. They want guidance. And good news. “But what will all of the furnishings in the room cost?” They want to know and I want to tell them. Sure, I can rattle off…

Working the High/Low Interior Design Budget

The latest findings show that people put off renovating so long that now there’s pent up demand. If you’re on a budget, where do you draw the line? If you’re looking around seeing things that need to be done, take a breath. Yes, you want value and long lasting quality, but where can you compromise?…

Is Your Design Budget Too Small?

This is the story of a most lovely young couple who hired a designer to design their family room as well as give their kitchen a “small facelift.” Though their budget was pressed from the start given their total job scope, the couple continually increased the size of their project as new thoughts struck on…

Category: Budgeting