“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 design service fees. But a too-early prediction of the exact cost of a room’s furnishings falls somewhere between weather prediction (iffy) and whether or not I will require a late afternoon snack today (highly likely, but not absolutely). I’m not being dodgy here. To guide well, a person’s needs, goals and quality expectations are critical components. “What will the furniture cost?” is difficult to answer.

Here are the basic 4 factors that affect furniture costs and your considerations:

Manufacturing Practices. Is the item made quickly by low skilled labor overseas or is it made here in the US by skilled labor using more time-consuming, precise and often hand-rendered practices?

Manufacturing Materials. Particle board? Veneer? Hardwood? Exotic wood? Silk? Leather? Cotton? Poly? On it goes. You get the idea.

Design Details. This is a can of worms, so let’s just let the heading be the content here. Type of detail and execution of detail are a big factor in furniture cost.

Choice (amount of choice and degree of choice). “No choice” will almost always cost less than “choice.” You want that sofa in a particular shade of X or in a certain texture and you’d like to change the size slightly? Then the catalog (or store) option that comes only in gray and is 87″ may not do. The more custom options available and taken, the more $$.

Not only do all of these affect quality, but quality affects both beauty and product performance. Will the dining table chip easily because it is a thin veneer? Will the sofa look and feel good for 3 years or for 10+ years? Will the dresser drawers easily glide open or will they stick and break?

Quality affects performance, and both quality and performance affect cost.

What will the rooms furnishings cost? You tell me first. What are your goals, what are your quality and performance expectations? One of the things we help people with at The Interior Design Advocate™ is to understand how to play and win the furniture purchasing game. In the end, learn the rules of the road and you’d stay on course and get what you want.

Next time: Don’t Fall Off the Interior Design Cliff!

About Donna Hoffman, The Interior Design Advocate™

Donna is a former top QVC Show Host and now one of the country’s foremost consumer advocates in interior design in addition to being an award winning designer herself. “I help people avoid wasting big dollars and unnecessary frustration when  furnishing and decorating their home by offering clear strategies for finding the right products, professionals,  contractors and services.” The results are that people get what they want, spend smart, eliminate the stress and get that beautiful home of their dreams. Known as The Interior Design Advocate™, Donna is here as your advocate, making sure you get wise in design so you can get what you want. For more information, go to www.theinteriordesignadvocate.com.