Budgeting for your reno ensures you get it done the way you want

Doing a reno? Got a budget?

Of course you do. And as the Winnipeg Renovation Show heads into its second day today, you will want to arrive in time to see Kelsey Kosman, owner/designer from Dollhouse Design, when she takes the lifestyle stage at 2 p.m. She’ll help you maximize the decorative impact of your budgeted design dollars.

"I will be talking about style on any budget," Kosman says (dollhousedesign.ca).

"It’s about thinking outside the box and really challenging yourself, in terms of being creative with the use of an item."

Kosman is also the brains behind the featured double-take display at the show, which demonstrates how to get the same look using contrasting budgets.

Kosman has worked as an industry professional for 12 years in and around Winnipeg, offering interior design consultation and drafting services to private clients, home builders, and renovators.

She started Dollhouse Design four years ago, and her experience has shown her the one big pitfall for many people when they start a project.

"The biggest mistake people make is not planning," Kosman says.

"What I mean by that is there will always be unforseen expenses that come up. But spending some time at the beginning of the project, really planning and doing the research and coming up with a game plan, really helps to prevent your budget from going way off track."

After making the plan and doing the research, the next consideration is finding the most effective way to spend.

"I usually suggest that people splurge on items that are going to be more permanent in the house, or items that will really create the drama," she says.

"Furniture is a good example, because we spend a lot of time using it every day. And quality and comfort come with a bigger price tag.

"Trendy accessories, on the other hand, allow us quantity versus quality — so when the time comes and we’re getting a little bit bored of our space and we want to refresh it, it’s easier to swap accessories out if we didn’t spend an arm and a leg buying them."

She says a sofa is a great example: Where is it being used? Is it in the family room or the dining room?

"If my clients have a family room where their family is hanging out every day, and it’s getting the wear and tear from the kids, then that’s where you want to spend the money on the quality to get that comfort and the durability," she says.

"But if you have a formal dining room and people are telling me they only use that space twice a year, then, as we’re displaying in the feature at the show, there are lots of ways to create drama and beauty with a lesser price tag. So maybe in the dining room we’re not spending as much money."

Since clients are working on a budget and it’s important to invest in more-permanent items, she’ll ask her clients to look at what they already have on hand and to experiment with smaller items.

"Often, I’ll encourage my clients to grab all of their accessories, all of their artwork off the walls, and put it all on their kitchen table," she says.

"Start from scratch and really challenge yourself to put the accessories in a different place than you originally found them.

"That really allows you to have a chance to give a fresh look and feel to a space without spending any money, because you’ve just literally shopped around your own house."

It all comes down to creativity.

"I’m even guilty of this: sometimes things just go there because they’ve been there," she says.

"Also, I have a four-year-old and a six-year-old, and sometimes things were up high or put away just because they had to be."

Moving things around and repurposing them can give them new life, and it can literally give you a new perspective on that item... and it will be kind to your pocketbook.

Twitter: @WendyKinginWpg