Let me be the first to admit that I have champagne taste with beer money. My struggle is to get whatever look I want for less, without buying knockoff’s. I am a bargain hunter and I splurge on certain items I find important, such as; shoes, quality furniture, and coats. Some people don’t believe me because I shop at Nordstrom’s. Hey a girl has some vices. I did not say I always have beer money. I am just frugal. You will never find me buying a $1000 any article of clothing and I say never. I don’t care how rich I get, that will not be me. I have a way of accessing value in items and then estimating their cost. That is how I decide if something is worth the money.
The other day I was speaking with a lifelong friend and she asked me what was the least expensive living room that I have ever designed for a client. Well I was stumped. I have had budgets but none that were as tight as the one she proposed I try to work with. Usually the rooms I design or homes are from scratch. There is construction that goes on, painting, molding, etc. In design school we never really worked with budgets but were reminded that we would have them in real life.
My friend asked me to pull a room together for $3,000. In this scenario, I am to buy wall art for an imaginary wall, a sofa, a matching chair, two end tables and a coffee table, a rug, 2 lamps, and a tv stand. Well at first I was like ,sure that sounds easy. Then I remembered that 3g’s can go by really fast. “Ok”, I said and accepted the challenge. How did I do?
1. The sofa and chair and a half is from Lazboy, the construction is great, sinuous springs (no sag) lifetime warranty on springs and frame. Made in America and a three layer cushion, not that Dacron wrapped crap. Price $799.99 and $769.99 respectively.
2. To save on cost I chose a table group set- the one pictured is by Hammary. The group has no storage, but in her scenario the client did not need it. Crafted of Poplar Solids with Cherry and Birch Veneers with a Coffee Bean finish. No MDF board or particle board here. Price $499
3. The Rug is from http://www.rugs direct.com. I often can get quality rugs for $99 in 5×8. Overstock.com is also a great option for quality rugs at a discount as well as Home goods. This rug is made by KAS rugs a popular manufacturer. It is made of wool and hand tufted in China. It has a high density. Price $389.99
4.The lamps are from http://www.overstock.com They come in a set of two. I liked these lamps they were cute. I found less expensive ones, but these had style. Im on a budget but don’t want it to look that way. Price $170
5.T.V. Stand- also from http://www.overstock.com. It is made of pvc and high quality MDF. That is the same thing that cabinets are made of, usually , not the front face. I went a little cheaper on the stand because in my fake scenario, it is not touched much since it just holds the tv. Price $179
6. Artwork- Also from http://www.overstock.com. They had some pretty cool stuff and this challenge was done online. I think it completes the room and adds color. Price $43.99
Total- $2853.94, my imaginary client has enough money to pay NYC taxes and still remain in budget. Although, my imaginary client’s budget is before taxes.
This was a fun exercise. Since there is money left over we can buy paint and table accessories or use some books for the table that the client may have or other items, we can get creative with the rest. I completed the challenge and fulfilled all requirements.
Note: I was not compensated by any of the companies listed.
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