One Living Room Design, Three Different Budgets
With interior design, we strive to bring our creativity to our clients to show the full potential of a space. Since there are many different price points and design elements to incorporate into a space we present our clients with suggested investment ranges before starting the project.
We prepare investment ranges of good, better, best (or low, mid, high). We have found that most projects we work on tend to fall in the better and best categories because when our clients seek out hiring a professional, they want us to elevate the design of the space. The good range is typically a very value-driven range that doesn't have the customizations or unique features that our clients desire.
What better way to show how the good, better, best investment range impacts the design than to give you a real-life example?!
Let's take this living room, this space is a two-story living room and is a perfect blank slate. After the in-home consultation, we immediately saw the room demanded a focal point and we loved the drama of a two-story fireplace wall. We also saw potential in adding a few other architectural features such as ceiling beams, more decorative lighting, and accenting the stairs.
After the in-home consultation, we prepared the following investment ranges for the project prior to starting any design work. The investment ranges do not include design fees, renovation costs such as painting, new finishes, millwork, ceiling features, wiring new lighting fixtures, moving electrical outlets, etc.
We designed the same living room in three different ways to show you how the investment ranges play out in real life. Each design is similar but as the price points increase, so do the design features in the space. We suggest you enlarge the photos of each room to see the details!
Good Furnishings Investment
Better Furnishings Investment
Best Furnishings Investment
Let's break down the design differences between the three.
Good Furnishing Investment
Chandelier is one fixture hanging from one j-box
No wall tile on staircase wall
No wall tile on fireplace wall
Ceiling beams that are smaller scale and made of HDF instead of wood
Value engineered counter stools at kitchen overhang
Value engineered wall sconces up the staircase wall
Keeping existing carpet on stairs
Better Furnishing Investment
Chandelier is three separate fixtures, which is more proportional to the room
Ledger stone wall tile on staircase wall
Large format Slate wall tile on fireplace wall
Ceiling beams that are larger and made of real stained wood
Replacing stair carpet with LVP
Barn door added beside pantry to add more space
Better Furnishing Investment
Same features as the better investment including the following upgrades
Converted under staircase to a wine cellar featuring a glass wall to see through
Custom wine racks
Marble slabs on fireplace wall installed in book match pattern
Upon preparing the designs and having them quoted, the prices for the Good, Better, and Best designs came out very close to our initial suggested investment range.
These prices below do include some of the finish materials and installation from trades although that wasn't in our initial investment range. We were able to save on some of the furnishings to allow for more room to add custom architectural features to the space. These prices below also do not include shipping, warehousing, sales tax, or any staging accessories for the room.
Now you can see why the investment ranges can vary so widely! There are many different materials, finishes, manufacturers, performance characteristics, construction methods, etc for every product we select. We use our expertise to guide our clients in which areas to splurge and which areas to save depending on their needs. Every family is different! For example, this project was able to get by with a less expensive sectional in the living room, adding room in the budget for other features.
The design process and final investment is an intimate process, we collaborate on the final outcome with our client, as well as the vendors, trades and installers involved. No two projects are the same and at the end of the day it comes down to you, the client, and what investment you feel comfortable with for your project will result in the final design.
When it comes to design, it's best to be a little flexible with the budget you have in mind because you may limit yourself from something amazing, which is why you hired a professional interior designer in the first place.
I hope you found this post informative! Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with all of our latest blog posts.
You don't hire an interior designer to have a space that looks like everyone elses. By having an open mind about the investment range, we can present you with ideas to take your home to the next level!
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