How to Budget: Styling
Happy New Year!
Yes, it is February (almost March!) and a little late to consider the year “new” but it is my first blog post of 2023 and I am so glad you are here, and hope you are doing well. The holidays were a fantastic time with family and the New Year started off with a bang with family birthdays and client meetings, which is why this blog post was delayed a little longer than intended. Something else that happened this year was an interview with Rogers Tv’s Amy Rohrer for her show Flourish and Flow. We talk about the connection of our homes on our well-being and although we taped in October it just recently aired on Rogers, you can now watch the episode here on the Flourish and Flow Facebook page or I also shred on the JDI Facebook page.
Onto the blog post. This is one more installment of my budget series. This post will provide advice regarding the importance of styling the rooms in your home and how to consider this final stage of the design process in your budget during your planning phase.
Styling is the last step of the process and it is all about the details. I do not think of it as “extra’' or just “nice to have” because without completing this last step in your design process your design is incomplete. I like to compare the design process to a marathon. Not that I have competed in a marathon (are you crazy!?) but I can grasp the level of commitment and effort that goes into training for a race of that magnitude and I can imagine the pride one would feel when they cross that finish line and can hang up their medal to showcase their achievement. So how does this analogy explain budgeting for styling? Stick with me. Imagine spending months training for a marathon and the day of the race, 2 kilometers from the finish line, you decide that you are bored and tired and you want to quit. You may be relieved to stop now and not have to run the last 2km, but if you stop 2km short of the marathon finish line you will have no medal to show for all of your hard work and dedication. Similar to training for a marathon you spend a long time planning a design. I would say that 95% of the effort, or 95% of that marathon is the execution of the design, construction process and time sourcing and procuring all the functional elements of the room. Once that work is complete you are 40kms into your race, stopping short of styling your room is the equivalent of stopping 2km from your marathon finish line. An un-styled room is not finished and your guests may never realize the effort you did put into the design planning and execution phases of your project. The key to avoiding this scenario and to truly pass the design finish line is to plan ahead, pace yourself and consider a realistic styling effort when you are planning your design project. Read along for some designer insight into the purpose of styling in your design and how to estimate your styling costs early on in planning phase.
What is the purpose of styling?
Julia DeDecker Interiors- Dining Room Styling
Styling is the pieces that finish the room and the last step of your process. By this stage you have completed the design, floor planning, construction, purchased and installed your furniture and larger functional décor items (floor and table lamps, area rugs and window treatments, focal art). Styling is the decorative boxes and accessories on the open shelves, the baskets, throw pillows, candles and holders, the coffee table books and framed art, vases and florals that were not necessarily selected earlier in the planning process. These items are sometimes thought of as ‘extra’ and seem non-essential to your design, especially when compared to the time and cost of choosing your new sofa or designing and paying for your custom built-ins, however these styling items are essential for a professional-looking, cohesive design and therefore need to be considered at the budgeting stage of your project. Here are some suggested numbers (in CAD$) to assist in your budgeting the styling in your next project. These numbers are just for explanation’s sake and of course will vary greatly with each project scope and budget.
Budgeting for High Function Rooms vs Living Areas
Kitchen Design and Styling- Julia DeDecker Interiors
Living Room Design and Styling- Julia DeDecker Interiors
Living Rooms or family rooms will require more styling effort and budget than a kitchen or bathroom. Where a kitchen will require a smaller styling budget than a living space of equal size. This is because your kitchen is a highly functional space, the vast majority of your budget is allocated to the functional pieces such as appliances and countertops and your design esthetics relies on your materials and finishes selection (cabinet and wall colour, flooring, faucets, cabinet hardware and backsplash) and these elements have been accounted for in earlier stages of the process. For a $70,000 kitchen renovation $1500 could easily be enough for styling. Kitchen styling may include items such as a vase with quality faux florals on the island, some nice soap containers and accessories near the sink and some art on the wall or a few decorative elements on open shelving. For a living room you will require substantially more styling, just consider the number of surfaces: shelves, consoles, couches, fireplace mantles and hearths, side and coffee tables are all opportunities for styling and as such you should budget a larger amount for this stage of the process. For a $30,000 living room design I would suggest $2,500 of that should be saved for the styling effort. To compare these budgets, that is 2% of the kitchen reno budget versus 8% of the living room decorating budget. Percentages may change depending on the project but I hope these examples illustrate that styling is something to consider at the planning and stage of the project.
How to make room in your budget for styling
For someone wanting to complete a principle bedroom refresh with all new furniture and décor items (bed, dresser, nightstands etc.) it may be reasonable to consider a budget of $20,000. Of that 20k I would suggest roughly $1800 could be used for styling, which is 9% of the overall budget. If you have determined that you are comfortable spending a maximum of $20,000 on a bedroom design and the trades’ labour, materials and functional items of the room end up maxing out your budget I would suggest you consider one or two of these options to create the room in your budget for styling:
Find cost-savings in your current plan such as sourcing a less-expensive light fixture or window treatment.
modify the design to eliminate trades’ labour or material costs; or
reuse furniture you currently own or thrift second-hand items.
A few last things to consider when planning and budgeting your styling:
If you prefer a maximal look you will need to increase your budget. If you prefer a minimal look you may be able to decrease your budget, but I suggest purchasing fewer, higher-end accessories and décor for more impact with your fewer pieces.
In my design process the large area rugs, functional lighting and décor that is used as focal points in a room are considered functional design elements which are often determined earlier in my design process. I source these items at the same time as my furniture pieces and the cost is accounted for in it’s own line item of the sourcing stage when working with clients. Styling items for each project are combined in one line item and exact pieces are sourced after the functional items are confirmed. This isn’t to say the styling items do not serve a function, because they do. They are sourced after the other ‘functional’ items to enhance the design and create visual interest and balance in the room.
If you dislike clutter do not think that styling is a step you need to skip. Styling can be done with function décor items. Storage baskets, lamps, catch-alls and pillows are all examples of functional décor. The purpose of styling is not to fill up your home with knick-knacks, it is to ensure you can use your room the way it is intended without compromising beauty.
Lastly, when creating a space for yourself don’t forget your personality. Styling is a great opportunity to take risks with colour, try popular design trends and also to showcase your personality in your design. These elements are easily swapped out after a few years or even seasonally so have fun with this stage!
Living Room Styling- Julia DeDecker Interiors
