When it comes to designing and decorating a space, it’s all in the details! Those final touches- the pillows, accessories, art, lamps, etc. are the icing on the cake, the jewelry to an outfit, the cherry on the sundae. But before you fill your cart with eye-catching accessories, it’s important to understand there’s an order to designing these details. Not only that, but you must also understand how to allocate your total investment to get the biggest bang for your buck. Yes, I know, who wants to think about the money side of things while they’re daydreaming of a beautifully finished space? But, planning wisely is the key to success here!

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg.

Before You Buy- Start with a Plan

It’s so much fun to add detail to a space, but there are some things to consider before you begin shopping. First, is there even a plan in place for the space?? Oftentimes, if left to their own untrained devices people will pick out and purchase finishing touch items before any thought has been given to an overall plan (and budget) because that’s what’s perceived as easy and gives a sense of immediate accomplishment. We all know we’re suckers for instant gratification. And we know we all get desperate to see something happen in our undone or incomplete spaces- and I’m as much at fault here as the next guy. Thank God for Emilie (our Design Coordinator and my right hand) because she saves me from my weaker moments and snaps be back into clear thinking! But if an overall plan hasn’t been put together (i.e. furnishings, rugs and window treatments) I can safely say accessory or accent purchases made too early or hastily is most likely money going down the drain. You can’t know what flavor icing to put on the cake if there’s no cake, right?!

Invest Accordingly

Now, let’s chat about money! You must respect the investment you’re willing to put into your space and allocate accordingly. Consider what makes a bigger statement in a room; a fifteen thousand dollar sectional or the custom made throw pillows that accent the seven thousand dollar sofa and artwork hanging nearby? It”s all about how much you have or want to spend on a space in its entirety.

Artwork, pillows and other accessories bring color to a neutral pallet and tie everything together. Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg.

Take a look at all those open bookshelves. There’s a lot of space to fill and what you choose to display needs to be well-thought-out and carefully edited.

Carefully designed bookshelves display thoughtful accessories, books and family photos. Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg.

On average we guide our clients to invest a minimum of 15% of their budget to all the “jewelry” for the space. Maybe this number is shocking to you, and maybe it’s not. Have you ever taken the time to go add up all of your random purchases made over periods of time? It adds up, so be smart about it!! This is the normal percentage when working with a tighter budget. It’s very difficult to make any sort of impact with anything less than this. So, are you really ready to be shocked?? Our ideal amount is 25%-30%. This allows for much more creative freedom and customization with the items that are brought in. If you’re passionate about original art, which we are, you’re then aware of the level of investment needed. But there are always ways to work these numbers. Perhaps not all of your art is original and you work in some prints and photography here and there, maybe you have a really cool mix of vintage finds, new items from cool vendors, and just maybe even some random cb2, Target, or even Homegoods pieces mixed in. Oh and let’s not forget the pillows! The pillows should be of a level to work some magic in a space!

So, in short- don’t blow all your money before you get to those finishing details!! I’m sorry, but leaving the house without my lipstick or jewelry on just isn’t an option, so make sure to treat your room  or home no different!