Archive for the ‘Design Dollars’ Category
Mixing the “High” With the “Low”: A Strategy for Maximizing Your Design Dollars
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
I have yet to meet a client who is not interested in getting the best look they can for their home while keeping an eye on the total budget. So, this month’s design tip is all about maximizing your design dollars by mixing the “high” with the “low”. So, what do I mean by that? Simply this: By including a few well chosen, beautifully designed, high quality pieces in your décor, you will elevate the look of the whole room even though less expensive, “lower end” pieces are also in the room. Here are a few tips on how to do this successfully.
Put your money into the items that receive the most wear and tear. Seating pieces such as your sofa get lots of active, physical use compared to accent tables, so invest in high quality, good looking seating pieces and save on the accent pieces.
Choose higher end pieces for anything you personally touch a lot such as bedding fabrics. Beautiful, good quality fabrics will dress up a simple bed and feel wonderful to you. Excellent quality hardware such as cabinet knobs and drawer pulls feel great in your hands and instantly make the most basic cabinetry appear ‘upscale’.
If you find something that is absolutely beautiful, and you decide to splurge, then keep the other pieces in the room simple to showcase that remarkable item. It might be a great piece of art, or a sumptuous area rug.
If going high-end on larger pieces is not in your budget, you can still use this strategy. Use accessories like “jewelry” to dress up more basic pieces. Throw pillows made from high-end designer fabrics don’t cost much because they are so small and they can make the most basic sofas or chairs look magnificent! Accents of designer tile mixed with less expensive field tiles enrich the entire look in bathrooms and kitchens.
Just a few really good pieces in a room will give the entire room a richer feel while helping you stay on budget.
Tags: accent table, cabinet hardware, Design Dollars, Design Tips, drawer pulls, fabrics, Interior Design, Seating, throw pillows
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