Irwin Weiner ASID - One of my clients recently build a new condo building in Manhattan, and he asked me to stage one of the units for a flat fee. Just like for your own home design projects, I had a tight budget to work with. (Gone are the days of blank checks for interior designers to carry around like Post-It notes!)
And to complicate things, in the flat fee for the project, I had to account for all of my decor costs; the fee amount, less my costs, equalled my payment for the project. Smart "shopping for less" was in order. Here are my go-to spots when the budget is tight and I need to put together good looks.
- Overstock.com - sift through the constantly-changing items and you'll find true goodies
- Target.com - good style for mass merchandise
- Amazon - they carry everything your heart desires
- Home Goods - I bring my wall colors along with rug and fabric swatches and stock up on coordinating accessories and artwork
- K-Mart - inexpensive bedding and bath items are good for staging purposes
- Walmart - ditto (see K-Mart)
Are you surprised to see a Manhattan interior designer shopping at such places? Well, don't be. Many of us shop online and at retail for our own homes as well as for our clients. The mix-and-match of high-end custom furnishings and collectibles with mass market merchandise is time honored, and good design pulls off a great look. The caveat, of course: you have to sift through all the rubbish to get to the acceptable and even exceptional items. Here's what I shop for at these locations.
- Accessories: tabletop (placemats, dinnerware, cloth napkins, stemware), centerpieces, tablescapes (decorative accessory groupings)
- Vignette furniture (to fill in around the higher-end custom items): desk and chair; sofa, coffee table, end table, club chairs; dining room sets; bed and night stands - and stand-alone pieces like bar stools/chairs
- Artwork: everything from metal wall sculpture and framed photographs to giclee fine art canvases
- Mirrors
- Rugs
- Bedding and linens
- Accessory lighting
- Bath accessories: shower curtains, towels and bath mats, vanity accessories
- Silk flowers and plants
- Home office accessories: bookends, desk accessories, storage baskets and boxes
Bonus
Click here to read Everything You Need for Home Decorating on a Budget - including a free Design2Share PDF tips booklet!
Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features.
July 6, 2012 
Irwin Weiner ASID - At the end of the recent New York Home Observer reception, we were all given the usual swag bags to take with us, and one of the complimentary gifts was a Rory Dobner Notable Notebook - a quirky moleskin-type notebook featuring a fish smoking an elegant cigarette. The notebook was compliments of Rory and Maison 24, a wonderful gift shop located in Manhattan at 470 Park Avenue. As you can see from the photo below, they have a complete Rory Dobner store-within-a-store boasting a complete line of home accessories featuring Rory's quirky artwork. They have an online store, too, and you can click here to peruse your way through their fascinating online shop.
