How to Budget Your Interior Design Project Like a Pro

Make a plan before you start

Budgeting might not be your favorite part of interior design, but it can make or break a project. Whether you're designing a single room or an entire home, having a solid budget means you can spend more time being creative and less time putting out fires.

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Step 1: Start with the Scope

Before you pick out a single fabric swatch, nail down:

• What rooms are being designed?
• What's the timeline?
• What are the must-haves?

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Step 2: Break Down the Budget

Divide the budget into buckets:

• Furniture
• Materials
• Contractors
• Fees
• Contingency fund (always!)

Looking for a way to budget for your upcoming project? Check out Zena's budget calculator here.

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Step 3: Track as You Go

Use tools like Zena to assign budgets to each category or vendor and issue spending cards to keep purchases in check.

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Step 4: Learn and Repeat



Wrap up each project with a post-mortem: what went over budget, what came under, and how can you improve?