Designers discuss how they make great environments possible without breaking the bank. By Loren Kessell
In this technological age, consumers can access everything with a quick web search and a click of a button. The internet has made it easy for people working within a strict budget to find cost-effective ways to design their spaces, but oftentimes, they don’t realize the value of hiring a designer.
Designers serve as the liaison between the consumer and the contractor, and they bring a repertoire of industry knowledge and experience to their clients. When consumers look to re-vamp a space in a way that is budget-friendly, designers can help them do the job in a way that eliminates errors while staying within a relatively workable budget.
Cheryl Kees Clendenon, owner of In Detail Interiors in Pensacola, Fla., won the Budget-Friendly specialty award and Small Kitchen 3rdplace award in NKBA’s 2018 Professional Design Competition. Her interest in the industry spawned years ago when she bought and sold properties. With her passion for and background in interior design, she taught herself the specialty of kitchen and bath design.
“I’ve met fabulous people throughout the NKBA community,” said Clendenon, a longtime NKBA member. “I’ve been very happy with the people who mentored me and whom I’ve mentored.”
Clendenon designs a range of projects, but she has a knack for designing spaces that maintain affordable budgets for clients who require it. She identifies the budget up front with her clients so she can give them the best suggestions.
“You have to be very frank with clients. Look them in the eye and make sure they understand,” Clendenon advised. “The process is managing expectations and asking a lot of questions.”
Jennifer Bertrand, AKBD, owner of Jennifer Bertrand LLC and a former NKBA Insider, also advises full transparency with clients from the beginning.
“I tell them that design is like a haircut — I have to find what fits my face,” Bertrand said. “And in this case, I would say we have to find what fits your wallet.”
Setting expectations about the possibility of a budget shifting in the beginning alleviates problems during the design process.
“I tell my clients that sometimes budgets can create brilliant design solutions because you have to be resourceful,” Bertrand said.
Clients may not realize that hiring designers helps them save money, and Clendenon stressed the importance of communication throughout so there are no surprises.
“People don’t always calculate how much labor is. It’s not so much materials — it’s the labor,” Clendenon said. “Sometimes people forget to consider the differential.”
Martin De Sousa, senior designer for Binns Kitchen + Bath Design, also works with clients trying to adhere to budgets. De Sousa won NKBA’s first place award in the small kitchen category, and he plans to work toward his certification in the future.
“For most clients, it’s clear that a designer helps them design. Sometimes, it’s a very simple process, but a lot of clients forget that a designer also is the liaison between homeowner and contractor,” De Sousa said. “Without the designer, the contractor might ask how to solve a problem — and the client may not know.”
Designers assist homeowners by working closely with contractors to wade through jargon and ensure that a process is completed efficiently and cost-effectively. This saves money, because designers allot funds in the right places throughout the process.
“Sometimes it’s just a reallocation of product and materials in the plan,” De Sousa said. “It depends on the client’s lifestyle and plans for the space.”
Creating budget-friendly spaces means looking at what can be swapped out and replaced.
“There are always substitute products,” De Sousa said. “Marble, for example, is a level-three or level-four stone. You can substitute slabs like porcelain to achieve the client’s vision.”
Designers have the experience and knowledge about what they can substitute without sacrificing quality or performance that will make a significant difference. They also help repurpose existing pieces in spaces. Clendenon’s winning design incorporated this concept.
“Don’t underestimate the power of a can of paint,” Clendenon said. “We created floating shelves on a wall, which cut back on cabinetry, and painted them bright yellow for a ‘wow’ factor.”
Bertrand offered some of her own design tips regarding simple processes and substitutions.
“Move your art around — this adds a breath of fresh air!” Bertrand said. “Also, lighting is the unsung hero of design. Change out a few fixtures for a dramatic lighting moment.”
She also suggests playing with scale, wall groupings of an item, and having fun with the design.
Media that’s saturated with DIY projects and design shows that boil a complicated project into an hour or a half-hour creates unrealistic expectations of the design process. This is one of the bigger obstacles designers face, especially working with clients a tight budget. How can designers work with clients and their inspiration pictures?
“I get a lot of clients who show me images and say, ‘I really like this.’ Typically, when I ask the client what they like about the image, 50 percent of time the client says, ‘I don’t know I just like it,’” De Sousa said. “Home in on the critical element that they like and dig it out.”
“We start talking about what it is that they like about the image,” Clendenon added. “Sometimes, what they like is not necessarily what they think.”
Attracting budget-conscious clientele is challenging, but not impossible. Client testimonials and actively using social media are some tools designers explore.
“Blog posts speak to your ideal customer. Social media requires a lot of effort, but it does work,” Clendenon said. “People need to maximize social media, including Google Maps. Know where you are in the pecking order when you look yourself up.”
It’s also important to exude confidence in your brand and relay your principles to consumers. If designers use this core value, they will attract the clientele right for them.
“When you’re with the client, confidence is one of the most important things,” De Sousa said. “I’ve seen great designers, who, in front of clients, waiver on their ideas. Be confident with yourself and your ideas.”
