Budget, why do we need to know this?

Of all the subjects I get asked about from other designers, the most frequent one is, how do you get people to tell you the budget and when they do, be honest about it. The budget, or investment you want to make on a project, is the most important piece of information you can give to your designer. Simply put, we can’t do our job without it. As an example, lets say you want us to help you re-do your living room. You want new furniture, area rug, new window treatments, lamps, etc. You want to have the room painted and the hardwood floors re-finished. Once we discuss all of that the next question I ask is how much do you want to spend on this project? Now if you tell me you don’t know care you want it to look great, you want the wow factor!! My come back to you would be, “so it is ok if I send $150,000 to do the room”. After you pick your jaw off the floor, you look at me and laugh and say of course not. So you do care how much I spend of your money?? At that point I have a very serious discussion with you about money. I often have it said to me, “well if I tell you that I would be willing to spend $30,000, you will spend it all”. My answer is yes I will. I could also spend $12,000 too. However, if you are expecting the look that $30,000 will give you, don’t tell me that you will spend $12,000 and in your mind be prepared to go to $30,000 if need be. The problem I will run into is, as I work on your project and work hard to keep on your $12,000 budget by choosing cheaper furniture, cheaper fabrics, maybe blinds for your windows rather that a beautiful soft treatment that would have looked awesome. I will have to compromise on quality to stay on your budget. There is nothing wrong with that at all if that is truly what you want. I think you get the picture. I can guide you for what you need to spend to get the quality and look based of the rest of your house, but the final word is yours on budget, you just have to be up front about it. Once I have put your project together and return to your house to present it to you, you will be very disappointment in what I am showing you, with me staying on the $12,000 budget and you having it in your head, that you would spend $30,000. The best example of this is going through model homes. Go through a model home worth one million dollars and then go through one that is worth $500,000 and see how disappointed you are in the $500,000 model. It doesn’t mean that the $500,000 is not a great house; it just means you are not comparing apples with apples. Keep that in mind when you are doing projects around your house. You truly get what you pay for. I am not saying it is wrong, just different. I will work with any budget and if I think that the budget you have is not enough to do what you want done, I will tell you that too. Sometimes you have to do projects in stages based on budgets. This is much better than trying to do everything at once and compromising on quality. Let me guide you with that, I have been doing this a long time and have lots of experience with it.

What is Accessorizing?

In a follow-up to my post of August 27th and the trade show I attended to buy accessories for clients. I often get asked what is "accessorizing"? Putting the finishing touches on a room is the best way to describe what accessorizing is. One of the best ways to understand home accessory is to consider how you accessorize or finish yourself. It's about putting your best self forward. Most of us, when we go out make an effort to look our best. And we have all seen how an outfit can be pulled together with the right scarf or necklace. The same principal applies when it comes to decorating your home. A truly complete look that reflects your individuality is achieved by using accessories.

There are a number of different areas in the home where accessories can be used to emphasize your look or your style. Fireplaces and mantels, shelving units, display cabinets, coffee and end tables and even window sills are all appropriate surfaces to display decorative items. When you are looking to accessorize, whether it is in your bedroom, bathroom or living room, there are many things you can use. Accessories don't have to cost a lot of money. They can be sentimental items, collections or unusual antique pieces that when displayed in the best way possible manner, can polish and pull together your whole interior look.

The most important thing in putting together accessories within a well designed environment is to have it reflect your personality and not just mimic the theme or style of a particular room. The little things that you put into a space is what matters. We have all seen collections of badly thought out clutter! There is a huge difference between careful groupings of interesting collectibles and hoards of possessions that are strewn about in any old fashion! With some careful thought and planning even flea market finds can be displayed to look like a million bucks!

The greatest feeling

Today I want to talk about what makes life’s ups and downs so worth it. Having a grandson has been the most amazing experience I have ever had. I have heard it said so many times from other grandparents that if being a parent is great, being a grandparent is even greater. My grandson Alex is (now this is very, very bias) the most handsome grandson ever born. He has the happiest disposition of any child I have ever seen and is a joy to watch learn. This coming week he turns 19 months old and boy does he keep you busy. Jerome (my husband) and I often have Alex for the day on Saturdays. I often have to work, so Jerome picks Alex up in the morning and looks after him until I get home. With his new runners on he is hard to keep up to. I don’t know how someone with such short legs can run that fast. He is not saying much yet, but he has no trouble getting his point across. Jerome has him fixated on cars, so he spends a lot of time running and pointing at cars. My daughter Jennifer and her husband Albert often taken him on the OC Transpo bus, so bus is one word he says well. The most precious saying he has is “I did it”. He says it very quickly so when it comes out of his mouth it sounds like one word. He loves to open the cupboard doors in our kitchen, even though he knows he is not supposed to and when you ask him, “who opened the doors Alex”, he proudly looks up at me and says “I-did-it”. I am sure it won’t be long before he says, “It wasn’t me”, but that has yet to come. I hope you don’t mind but every now and then I am going to report some of the funny things he does. I can’t help myself, I am a very proud “nannie”

LiveWorkPlay

Wow, hasn’t the weather in Ottawa just been awesome these last couple of weeks? As anyone who knows me knows, I love to golf. I don’t get out as often as I would like, life gets in the way and spending time with my grandson is often more important. This past week I played in a charity fund raising tournament for LiveWorkPlay. It is a wonderful charity that supports people with intellectual disabilities to have a good life. It is Ottawa based and run by very caring people. I want to thank my playing partners for that day, Heather Munro, whose daughter’s wedding was on her mind seeing that it was just 4 days away, Wendy Bell and Lynn Jordan. Playing golf is always more fun when you are with a great group. I have to say being involved in a charity is a wonderful thing to do. It is truly better to give than receive. I always feel so good after I do something where others benefit.