I was meeting with a client yesterday and we got to discussing budgets. She wanted to know what a "Real World" budget is. Good question, so I thought we could discuss this on the blog.

In so many of the design magazines, we see beautiful pictures of rooms where there was no budget at all, or cost $30,000 to decorate. That's simply not the reality for most of us. But, more often than not, you can achieve similar results of beauty on a fraction of that budget.

So what is a "Real World" Budget? Of course it depends on the room, but lets use a living room for example. You should be able to decorate a living room for $7,000 - $10,000. Here's how I'd break it out:

• Paint/Wall paper                 $500.00
• Rug / Flooring                 $1,000.00
• Couch                           $2,800.00
• 2 Chairs                           $800.00
• Ottoman or Coffee Table    $600.00
• Side Tables                      $300.00
• Lighting                           $700.00
• Table/Floor
• Sconce/Picture
• Art & Accessories             $400.00
• Window Coverings          $1,200.00
• Design & assistance        $1,200.00
• TOTAL                         $9,400.00 
  

Certainly there are many ways you could pare down this cost, but this can serve as a realistic guide that could result in a beautiful room.


Let us know your thoughts and what questions you have that I can help answer.

Til' Later
Sarah