This is lovely, isn't it? Casual and bright. You may think it's out of your budget, but it may not be, with a clear plan and priorities, patience, and value engineering. Image courtesy of Amber Interiors. Photographer: Tessa Neustadt.

*updated May 2020

Value engineering, you say? Sorry?

It's a term widely used in the design-and-build business, and it's been floating around SYH quite a bit the past few weeks. As our clients pass the design phase and get into purchasing, it comes into play more often then not. It’s something we at SYH practice in our own homes. Heck, to be honest, we don't know very many people who don't practice it.

What is value engineering? It stems from new product development and means the ratio of function to cost.

Wait. Don't fall asleep just yet. When it comes to interior design, value engineering is a strategy that means looking for ways to deliver the best design for the dollar. Simple, right? It's maximizing the bang for your available buck.

In most any home design show on TV, you'll see value engineering in action when problems arise. The Canadian client (they're almost always Canadian, eh?) is keen on creating a mudroom for her hockey family to dump their gear. She also needs new flooring on the whole main level. Of course, Client Canadian Hockey Family has a tight and firm budget, and what-dya-know, there are hidden problems discovered that blow it clear out of the water. Asbestos in all the plaster walls! An extended family of raccoons living in the attic! A leak compromising the floor joists under the (as yet imaginary) mudroom! The designer breaths deeply and calls in structural engineers to rebuild the entire house, wistfully doodling mudroom plans on a napkin for the time being. When they finally get to the mudroom, laminate is looking like an excellent alternative to hardwood.

This is value engineering. Laminate floor costs less than hardwood up front and delivers the same function. Longevity (aka planned obsolescence)? Depends on the quality of the laminate. Resale compared to hardwood? Depends on the market. Depends on how long the client plans to live in the home. There are so many factors never discussed on these shows.

When you hire an interior designer, you have a goal to achieve something like this:

The pillows, the plaid, the white, the stone, the tulip table, the old poster art...all of this is so lovely and carefully planned out by a designer. Courtesy of Emily Henderson.

or this

Sometimes you need a designer to sweat the details and find beauty and cohesion in new and old items. Here, pre-owned items are set against a renovated master bath complete with white cabinets, marble counter, brass knobs and a whimsical wallpaper. … — Sometimes you need a designer to sweat the details and find beauty and cohesion in new and old items. Here, pre-owned items are set against a renovated master bath complete with white cabinets, marble counter, brass knobs and a whimsical wallpaper. Photo courtesy of Pencil and Paper Development Co.

or this

What color can I paint my cabinets? How dark is too dark for a library? How do I mix old with new? With the guidance of an interior designer, this space combines old with new, dark and light...creating a welcoming transitional space. Photo courtesy … — What color can I paint my cabinets? How dark is too dark for a library? How do I mix old with new? With the guidance of an interior designer, this space combines old with new, dark and light...creating a welcoming transitional space. Photo courtesy of Cortney Bishop.

or this

A marriage of organic and midcentury design is carefully orchestrated in this transitional kitchen/dining combo. Indy-based Architect/Interior Designer: HAUS | Architecture for Modern Lifestyles; Construction Manager: WERK | Build

or, oh my, this

Le sigh. A stunning, clean, organized bathroom bathed in natural light. (If you dig this, you'll dig the rest of the de Gaspé home) Photo courtesy La Shed, photographer: Maxime Brouillet.

Beauty and serenity can be achieved within a budget.

YES! That's what we just said. And we believe it.

Pennies do need to be saved; sometimes home equity loans need to be taken on. (Interest rates still are awesome, by the way). But dream designs, big and small, can be achieved on a budget. One part of that is often value engineering: choosing a less expensive countertop so you can afford the ridiculously pricey but gorgeous pendants you've had your eye on for years. The other part is this zingy group, SYH's Three P's: Planning, Prioritization, and Patience.

You pay up front for a good plan from SYH, a landscape designer, or a structural engineer. That means you get a color scheme and layout and direction by professionals who have considered as many of the project's collateral impacts as possible. Once that's in hand, you figure out what to tackle first and what can wait: the laundry room and master bath go on the back burner in order to get a kitchen you love and new lighting for the painfully dark living and family rooms. You prioritize.

Then, friends, comes the hard part. Dare I say, the spiritual part. Patience. Time. Sometimes in order to achieve your dream home makeover, you get the plan, you set your priorities, and then you phase it. You do your most desired and then wait a year. Or two. Or five. You save up to buy a piece of furniture; you redo the kitchen but put in laminate countertops for now. You hold on occasional furniture like end tables, and scout for the right thing at the right price in antique shops over time. Let's be honest; a great home—the most authentic design—comes together over a lifetime.

For this client, the transformation has been slow but steady. Once SYI developed a plan and color scheme, built-ins and lighting were installed first, with a paint job that included that beautiful deep blue-green line around the windows. The vintage… — For this client, the transformation has been slow but steady. Once SYI developed a plan and color scheme, built-ins and lighting were installed first, with a paint job that included that beautiful deep blue-green line around the windows. The vintage rug was a score at an awesome price but only after months of scouring options and sources online. A good year later, the West Elm sofa went on sale, so the client took advantage. Down the road there will be a coffee table and blue Eames dining chairs. In patience there is beauty, no?

We have a mission at SYH that makes us different from other interior design firms. We create residential design that is accessible, beautiful and sustainable. We do this by helping our clients value engineer, plan, prioritize, and realize that dream homes, in real life, sometimes require patience.

There will be surprises and hiccups. The old tile may have been applied with NASA strength adhesive. Your budget may contract when you must fly to Bermuda to be in your second cousin's wedding. Estimates and quotes from designers and contractors can have more zero's than you thought they would.

Things add up, and it can be scary. But with planning and some prudence, foresight and patience, good design can be accessible, beautiful and sustainable. We promise.

We're Not Made of Money: Value Engineering and the Three P's