HOW TO… KEEP A RENOVATION BUDGET LOW

Ten experts share savvy ways to control costs when managing an interior redesign

Experts share their money-saving secrets

1 think alternatives

If you’re looking to change flooring but don’t want to spend a fortune, there are now numerous alternatives to real wood, marble or slate. As seen here, there are porcelain floors that can replicate a wooden floor – affordable and easier to care for. Enass Mahmoud, founder, Decor by Enass

2 first things first

Planning is key to hitting budgets. Think of your room like a painting and start with the f loor and walls first, then add the larger items before you focus on the details. Lots of lovely little bits will look odd in a room where the f looring and wall colours are a little off, whereas a room with a great f loor and wall colour will no doubt need fewer items in it. This may also save you money in the end. Matthew Williamson, interior designer

3 keep it key

You don’t need a huge amount of furniture, there is much to gain from ‘breathing space’ in a room. Invest in key pieces that are handmade instead of mass-produced – you will get more value out of them in the long run and they will therefore be more cost-effective. Angus Buchanan, creative director, Buchanan Studio

4 insulate

Old buildings are noisy so don’t try and mute them. Spending money on improving acoustics in a Victorian building can be a bit of a money pit, so make sensible steps to improve the situation with dense insulation between the joists and recycled rubber matting, rather than trying to eradicate the noise totally with nasty petrochemical-based materials, glues and tapes, which will also use more money you can allocate elsewhere.

Wilf Meynell, founder, Studio Bark

5 prioritise

Start with the rooms you use the most, such as the kitchen or family room. Then determine how much quality you expect from each item, to see how much of a priority it is. A bespoke kitchen can become off-shelf carcasses and doors. Charmaine White, founder, The White House Interiors

Save money by collecting homeware as you go, rather than buying everything all together

6 set sale

While there is a lot to be said for planning a scheme to the last detail before you begin, it’s also worth always keeping your eyes out for interesting accessories and ornaments from your travels, f lea markets and sites such as ebay. Keep a list of things you know you’ll need – a mattress, say, lighting, white goods – and set alerts on Google for sales of those items. You can pick up great bargains along the way rather than needing to fill a space last-minute and inevitably spending more in-store. While this saves money, it also helps to bring a strong narrative and personality to the space as you find unexpected decorative gems throughout the project. Shalini Misra, founder and creative director, Shalini Misra Ltd

7 best of four

For homeowners wanting to make their money go further there are a few simple ways to do this. Be savvy with material usage. Use paint instead of wallpaper, you can achieve incredible effects with a good choice of paint colour and clever application of it. And as well as being a more environmentally sustainable option, antiques are financially useful too – you save 20% as there is no VAT.

And reuse what you can by breathing new life into pieces without replacing them. Lastly, be brave and watch explanatory Youtube videos so you can take on more tasks yourself, leaving less to the experts. Ottalie Stride, creative director,

A lbion Nord

8 intheframe

If sticking to a relatively tight budget in a bedroom, one should focus more on the mattress and the bed frame itself, seeing as we spend nearly a third of our life in bed! Saving money on other items and investing in key pieces such as this will help to make the home more comfortable on a budget. It’s always worth splashing out more on the sofa you’ll spend more time on than an armchair, too. James Thurstan Waterworth, founder, Thurstan

9 tech time

Future-proof your lighting and audiovisual needs. Lighting design will make or break a space and we always gain the expert opinion of a lighting designer in every project we approach to ensure we have considered all the electrical wiring requirements. Spend money on giving the builder a succinct electrical plan to get wires in the places you need them, even if you need to save money by not installing the light fittings or AV until your budget has recovered from the initial spend of a big renovation project. Getting this right from the outset will help create a happy home for years to come.

Juliette Wright, co-founder, Stephenson Wright

10 quality calls

Don’t think about your budget as purely expenditure, consider investing in special feature pieces by named designers that you love; these should retain and possibly increase in value over time. Buy pieces that are built to last in classic shapes that won’t date and consider vintage pieces and items made by craftspeople using traditional techniques. Spend money on a good quality sofa or armchair that can be reupholstered rather than fully replaced. And, when money is tight, opt for lighter touches such as painting a room, adding passementerie trims to existing curtains or restyling with accessories new and old. Louise Lythe, associate director,

David Collins Studio