What I’d Spend More On — and What I Wouldn’t
There is a slightly dangerous idea in interiors that spending more automatically means getting a better result.
Sometimes it does.
Sometimes the expensive sofa is better made, the bespoke joinery completely transforms an awkward room and the additional cost of properly made curtains is worth every penny.
But sometimes you're simply paying more for something that makes very little difference to how the house ultimately feels.
A good renovation isn't about spending as much as possible.
It is about knowing where spending more actually changes the outcome.
Spend more: getting the layout right
Before marble, sofas or paint colours, I would protect money for getting the layout right.
Where does the kitchen sit?
Can you move comfortably around the dining table?
Is there enough clearance around the island?
Could moving a doorway make the whole ground floor work better?
These decisions are not particularly glamorous, but almost everything else depends on them.
Spend more: the things you use every day
The sofa.
The kitchen worktop.
The dining table.
The handles you touch constantly.
These are places where comfort, durability and quality usually become noticeable over time.
That doesn't mean choosing the most expensive option available. It means protecting budget for the things that genuinely work hard.
Spend more: lighting design
I would spend more on the lighting plan before automatically spending more on the fittings themselves.
A £2,000 pendant cannot rescue a room with poor lighting.
Good positioning, wall lights, lamps, task lighting and dimmers will usually make a much bigger difference.
Spend more: window treatments
Curtains can be surprisingly expensive, but they also have a huge effect on how finished a room feels.
They soften acoustics, frame architecture, introduce texture and control light.
Where they matter to the room, I would rather do them properly.
Spend more: bespoke joinery — when it solves something
I love bespoke joinery, but not every alcove needs filling.
It is worth the investment when it solves a genuine problem: storage, an awkward layout, television placement or unusual proportions.
If a freestanding cabinet works just as well, I would happily use that instead.
Spend less: furniture you are buying just to fill space
There is a strange pressure to finish a new home immediately.
But living in a house tells you things a floor plan cannot.
You discover where everyone actually sits, which rooms get used and where clutter gathers.
I would rather leave an empty corner for six months than buy the wrong thing twice.
Spend less: replacing things simply because they are old
Existing flooring may be repairable.
Cabinetry may be perfectly solid.
An old table might only need refinishing.
Before replacing something, ask:
Is this actually wrong, or do I just not like how it currently looks?
Those are very different problems.
Spend less: anything bought purely to make the room feel finished
Artwork can be collected.
Vintage pieces can appear later.
Books accumulate.
You travel.
You inherit things.
The most interesting homes are usually built slowly.
Not everything needs an immediate solution.
Spend with intention
A renovation budget disappears surprisingly quickly.
Which is why I don't think a designer's job should be to continually encourage a client to spend more.
It is to help them understand where spending more will improve the result — and where it won't.
Sometimes the right answer is bespoke.
Sometimes it is vintage.
Sometimes the £300 option works perfectly well.
And sometimes the best advice is simply:
Don't buy it yet.
Because a beautiful home isn't created by spending the most.
It's created by spending with intention.
Planning a renovation and not sure where your budget will make the biggest difference?
Room Service can help you work out what to prioritise, what to keep and where it’s worth investing. Explore our Design Consultancy and Full Interior Design services to find the right level of support for your project.