Keeping to a Budget

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  In December we put the finishing touches on a second home for our new clients. From concept we were given a budget, wish list and date they needed our work to be complete. Then these clients let us work our magic. Everything was approved long distance. We used color boards, samples, FedEx and phone calls to present the entire home.

  Everything progressed beautifully, until it didn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to only share the good stuff. One of the factories was not going to make the deadline with some major pieces. After a team meeting we flew from Las Vegas to North Carolina to rent a truck and bring the furniture across country in 4 days ourselves. Now we really can claim we go the extra mile for clients (wink wink).

  The photos we are sharing have a blend of custom furnishings mixed with locally sourced pieces. We love supporting our local retailers and often pick up accent pieces at Home Goods, Pottery Barn, Pier 1, Target and West Elm.

It’s always a good idea to spend the majority of your budget on key pieces.

My top 3 splurge recommendations are the main sofa seating area, the master bed, and quality barstools.

  You can never go wrong spending on a good quality sofa. I have enjoyed all three of my sofas for over five years. By selecting the best that I could afford and choosing neutral fabrics I have certainly gotten my money out of them. While clients often say, “I could buy 3 sofas for the price of one” or “ when this cheap sofa wears out I will replace it,”  I say yes you can and please count on doing so. There is no substitute for upholstery that is constructed using solid wood frames, and 8 way hand tied spring construction.

 

  The master bed is often low on a clients priority list but one of our favorite rooms to furnish. The act of improving one of the rooms that most guests will never see is purely a selfish improvement and one of the best gifts a client can give to themselves.

 

  Bar or Counter stools are available in all prices and in many different styles. There hasn’t been a home we have worked on that didn’t require selecting them. Look for stools that have solid construction. I look for a metal trim piece where people rest their feet. I normally avoid using swivel stools at kitchen counters. I find that they are awkward and usually the arms swivel around and hit the counter.

 

We used all of these tricks of the trade to pull this project together. Then we filled in with accent pieces, and accessories only after we made the major purchases. Remember all the small things can add up.

To keep this project on budget we kept the accessories simple.

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