Going over budget is almost treated as an inevitable part of interior design.
The sofa costs more than expected. The contractor discovers something behind a wall. A client upgrades the stone. Shipping increases. Another light fixture gets added. Then another.
By installation, a project that began with a clear number can look completely different financially.
Sometimes, unexpected costs genuinely are unavoidable.
But many budget problems are not caused by one dramatic expense.
They are caused by dozens of small decisions that were never properly tracked.
A budget is not the same thing as a spending limit
At the beginning of a project, a client might say:
“Our budget is €100,000.”
That sounds straightforward.
But what does the €100,000 actually include?
- Furniture?
- Lighting?
- Custom joinery?
- Construction?
- Professional fees?
- Shipping?
- Installation?
- Taxes?
- Accessories?
- Artwork?
- Contingency?
The first mistake is often treating the client’s total number as though all of it can be spent on products.
It cannot.
A project budget needs to be broken down before sourcing begins.
If €15,000 will eventually be required for delivery, installation, taxes and unexpected costs, that money should never have been available for specifying furniture in the first place.
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