| "Lifestyle - Designer" TIP #1 | | | | 2. Purchases - Once you have your itemized |
| Pick A Budget And Stick With It! | | | | furnishings list, you can then begin to put a retail price |
| Decorating Without A Budget Is Like Driving At Night | | | | to each piece. Are you shopping at Target or The |
| Without Headlights | | | | Trendy Design Center? Do some research online in |
| When you begin to plan your project one of the most | | | | regards to how things price out and try to incorporate |
| CRITICAL questions to ask yourself is: | | | | accurate price points. If it's been a few years since |
| "What is my budget?" | | | | you've shopped for home goods, you might be |
| One of the biggest mistakes that I see in the design | | | | surprised with what you find. |
| field is that homeowners are not honest with | | | | 3. Labor - Are you contracting things out or are you |
| themselves about their budget. How much can you | | | | going the DIY route? Don't forget to include things like |
| really spend at this time? It is crucial to directly address | | | | delivery, installation, and other fees that are sometimes |
| this from the very beginning, I'm talking step number | | | | overlooked. |
| one. Whether you have fifty bucks to spend on a | | | | 4. Style - Take a close look at your style. Are you |
| step-by-step design guide, pin-up or cork board, | | | | extremely traditional, more contemporary or maybe |
| magazines and catalogs or you have fifty thousand | | | | somewhere in the middle. Try to be a little flexible and |
| dollars to sub the entire project out to a professional | | | | open-minded. Think in terms of simplicity, simple lines in |
| you should absolutely determine a budget first and | | | | home furnishings can often be more affordable. Take |
| then begin to develop your plan. If you can spend as | | | | note that big ticket items (such as sofas and dining |
| little as one to two hundred dollars up front to work | | | | tables), can completely blow a budget. If you're open to |
| one on one with a professional, they can help you | | | | the idea of mixing different elements, you can save |
| come up with a plan that you can implement on your | | | | hundreds or even thousands of dollars. |
| own and in your own time frame. | | | | Here's a BIG "Lifestyle - Designer" tip: |
| Committing to a budget early on is the answer. | | | | Commit To Working Your Budget Just Like You're |
| Sticking to your budget is equally important. | | | | Committing To A Job! |
| Why? | | | | It's REALLY IMPORTANT to be flexible with your big |
| The budget structures you decorating project and | | | | ticket selections in order to maintain your Budget. |
| makes your decisions easier. There are various | | | | Sofas |
| elements on which your budget may be based. Each | | | | Dining Tables |
| element should be considered on its own and in | | | | Beds |
| combination. (Sounds a little complicated, but I'm going | | | | Appliances |
| to explain all this right now!) | | | | Electronics |
| 4 Elements That Influence You Budget: | | | | Plumbing Fixtures |
| 1. Scope - Is this project a redesign or a total remodel? | | | | Lighting Fixtures |
| Are you just sprucing up your Master Bedroom or are | | | | Flooring and Area Rugs |
| you completely gutting your Kitchen? Think of all the | | | | AND ALL OTHER BIG TICKET ITEMS! |
| elements that it will take to complete the task. Start | | | | When people step into your completed space, they're |
| making an itemized list of every purchase you'll need | | | | taking it in as a whole (not piece by piece). |
| to make. | | | | |