What does furniture cost?

It NEVER ceases to amaze me that this question still exists... after all, how often does the average person remodel their home? Well, the answer is once every seven to ten years, so no wonder most homeowners get sticker shock when they hire a designer to plan their room and we present the breakdown of material costs.

There are many levels or "tiers" of pricing when it comes to a home remodel. Interior designers are sworn to deliver a level of quality and finish that may be above what the average homeowner would seek for themselves. It's not because we choose to make you pay more or because we want to make more money. The truth is, we'll make the same percentage whether we select a $2,000 coffee table or a $600 coffee table (yes, those are real prices ((notice I didn't say $200 coffee table because one shouldn't exist in your life in most circumstances- more on that later))). Designers, when doing their job well, consider the quality of craftsmanship, form, scale, function and finish of that coffee table, in addition to trying to fit it into a decent budget. The construction of something that will get heavy use, like a coffee table, should be one of your main focuses when buying one, as it is as important, or even more so, than the aesthetic.

Back to pricing levels. Some designers are most comfortable with one level of pricing and it's where they live to select pieces for every client. A great designer can find something of quality at every price point and considers the budget of a client, but there is something called the "Not Gonna Happen" budget. Unfortunately,  many homeowner's projects begin in that category. It's not your fault, you truly have NO IDEA what things cost...How could you possibly compute that when you put it altogether, the average family room can range from $8,000- $22,000, depending on how much you are doing? I break the different tiers down by quality and price. Obviously, the general rule of thumb is the better quality, the more you pay. After a few levels up, however, there reaches a point where the quality is no better than other lower prices comparable pieces; you're merely paying for the name!

For the sake of clarifying simple objects, let's take a sofa, a coffee table and a nightstand and use them as our examples to explain the many levels of price.

I'll start with a good a place as any for homeowners- Pier 1. This is the low average tier. You can find a few decent quality pieces at Pier 1 and fantastic decor and accents. A sofa at Pier 1 is hit or miss. Again, you have very little variety- only 2 sofas currently, little to no options of fabric or style. Because the quality of construction is still not superb, I cannot attest to how it survive over the years. This sofa costs just $799.00 and is somewhat comfortable but you can also feel coils if you shift around at different angles.
On their website, they list NOTHING for construction of the product and it's basically because the average homeowner doesn't understand it nor search for the info, they buy by sight and sit. If it seems comfy at the time, they will buy and not think about how it will wear down the road. No doubt this sofa has a simple coil base, minimum padding and screwed and nailed corner construction. You can get a coffee table like this one for just $299.00 and it's another basic, plain, uninteresting table, but
it appears well made. The finish will not be stupendous, listed as a" hand applied multi-layer finish". (Translation- stain, stain, top coat). The drawers have no glides, it's wood on wood, so don't pull them out too much or they'll just tilt and fall!

You can also get a nighstand at Pier 1. Here's a nice looking one for $299.00 that boasts "old fashioned quality". (Translation- more wood on wood drawers, no glides). The drawers are dovetailed (which everyone feels means quality- and it use to, but now it's just a buzzword). As pieces go, though, it's a nice looking piece. Your drawer bottoms are thin. The drawers will fall out if you pull them too far. The inside is not finished, so your clothing may snag if caught on the bottom. But the piece looks nice.

For added information- I lump Ashley's Furniture and The Roomstore into this same category of quality. They are just OK. As a designer, I will not usually select main pieces of furniture from Pier 1, but I will use their accent furniture, such as their chairs and some tables, etc.

The there's a small jump up from this level to the Z Gallerie Tier. I LOVE Z Gallerie and many famous designers use their products in their client's homes... such as David Bromstad, who recently did a whole couple's home in their stuff. As quality goes, they are fair to great. To me, this is where the average begins, but so many homeowners who have never shopped for quality furnishings may find them to be too expensive, without understanding what they are getting in return.

A sofa at Z can cost you anywhere from $999.00 for a small, narrow apartment style/ size sofa to $5,000 depending on what fabric and piece you select. This is where you begin to get value, variety and you can begin to customize your look with less limitation. As a designer, this is important for me when trying to put together a unique space. I'll just pluck a sofa off the website. I like too many to go into detail!
I used this one at a friend's home and she's had it for over two years now and it still looks good, even with two active boys. She has it in a steely, charcoal gray.  It cost her $1,200 in that fabric and she has two. It was a great buy, for not going custom. They are very stylish.

A coffee table can vary in price between $299.00 and $799.00. The quality of each is good to fantastic and again, you can get creative. Check out this Moroccan inspired table for just $599.00.
It is made of solid wood and metal plating. Look at the inside of the drawers finished with the look of old maps. Brilliant and detail oriented.

For a nightstand, how about this beauty for just $329.00. Others can range from $249.00 to $499.00.
This one has ball bearing side metal glides and felt lined drawers to protect your clothing from being snagged. Drawers and cabinet are glued, screwed and corner blocked for stability and the exterior is made of cherry wood veneer over kiln dried solid wood. The drawer fronts are concave, which involves good craftsmanship to create. It's a sexy piece. Variety abounds for nightstands, with three full pages online to choose from.

Beyond this tier is full custom. It can range to...well, any price point. A custom sofa can be, what's called in the industry C.O.M, meaning that we can select any fabric from anywhere and use it on their sofa design. We can add fringes, welting, different types of fill to make the piece exactly how we want it and that comes with a hefty price tag. The price of a custom sofa can begin around $2,800 and stretch to an average of $4,000-$6,000 (or as much as $12,000+). The average coffee table in this category hovers right around $1,200- $2,000 and a nightstand, depending on the style, can average between $800- $2,000. Custom is definitely a better quality product than the previous two tiers. Even just one piece in a room, mixed with other less expensive pieces, can make a room seem luxurious and expensively done!

NOW... let's put it into perspective for shock value. Let's say you are redoing your family room. What will we need? Let's use a simple list with approximate values based on our Z Gallerie (my average) Tier.

Sofa-                      $ 1,200
2 chairs-                 $ 1,200 Consider $600 a chair for a decent quality, low variety choice
Coffee table-          $    600
2 end tables-           $   600
Accent rug-            $    300 This is for a machine made, fun, not oriental selection
2 pieces of art-       $    300 Canvas art or fun wood carvings
TV console-           $    900
3 throw pillows-     $    130 At Z Gallerie pillows range from $29.00- $69.00 (Industry average- $160)
Decor, vases, etc.- $    250 This is a low average, considering average accent to be $15-$30 each
4 curtain panels-     $   200  Lower average of $50 per panel
2 Curtain rods-       $     80 These can go anywhere from $20 a piece to over $300 ( $40 on average)


Total                      $5,760.00

This is just your furniture. This does not include your designer, if you hired one. It does not include the delivery of your furnishings, if you are not picking them up yourself. Z Gallerie has white glove delivery and set up. This does not include installation of your curtains, etc. Someone will have to do that. If you are also considering painting, replacing flooring and lighting, which you will no doubt want to do once you see these fantastic new pieces......... TA DA! There you are at no less than $8,000 for your living or family room.

I realize that this article was a bit long but it was SO necessary to give you a full understanding of how quickly a basic refurnishing can add up. Sure, you can go cheap with your furnishings, but considering you'll probably not do this again for another decade- WHY skimp on what can truly last you the duration. Investing in a $2,000 sofa that can last you ten years will only cost you $33 a month when you put it all in perspective. It's worth it in the grand scheme of things and your wallet with thank you when you don't have to replace it in two years from now!