What 5 Designers Learned on Their Earliest Big-Budget Projects

DevelopmentWhat 5 Designers Learned on Their Earliest Big-Budget ProjectsFrom budget planning to scope creep, Todd Davis, Courtney McLeod, Byron Risdon, and others, spill the tea

By Drew Limsky

May 6, 2022

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Lizzie Soufleris

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While some lessons in professional interior design apply no matter the scale of the project, it’s fair to say that big budgets can often bring outsized challenges. And that’s especially true for designers who are green-to-high-dollar clientele and less experienced with more rarefied requests and collaborations. AD PRO tapped a handful of experts to weigh in on the lessons learned in their early big-budget projects. Here are their insights.

Make use of your client’s connections

“Our first big-budget [project]—actually, there was no budget—was doing an apartment for an heiress [on] East 72nd Street in New York,” recalls Todd Davis, a principal (with Rob Brown) of Brown Davis, which is based in Miami Beach, but has had projects all along the East Coast. “We were brought onto the project because the original designer and general contractor were not a good fit for the client.”

It wasn’t just the blank check that resulted in a museum-quality residence: “Among other things, we learned a great deal about lighting,” Davis says. “The client donated a wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the director of the museum was her curator. We worked with the museum lighting staff to design lighting to highlight the Monets, Van Goghs, and paintings by other masters.” 

Don’t spend it all at once

Courtney McLeod’s first large-scale commission was a prize, literally: Through an auction, her new client won her services to design a room. “Months later, they asked me to renovate their recently purchased home in Sands Point, Long Island,” says McLeod, founder and principal of Right Meets Left Interior Design, in Manhattan. “My firm said ‘yes’ to designing their 1920s home of 9,000 square feet in just under six months to get the family of four moved in by the holidays.”

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The designer knew not to move rashly and gut everything, despite the generous budget. “We quickly learned the importance of working with original elements in ample space by juxtaposing old and new for a modern look with an appreciation for the home’s character,” she says. “One of the most important lessons this project taught us was you don't have to rip out everything to create something that feels completely fresh and new. We took advantage of the architectural details, from the millwork to the ceiling moldings, allowing these features to inspire the design.”

Because McLeod had acted judiciously from the project’s inception, there were resources available to finish the job with the same energy and creativity that she’d had at the start. “This project taught us to over-budget for small items, art, and accessories,” she says. “Design and budget fatigue can set in by the later stages of a project. By adequately planning for the essential finishing touches from the beginning and clearly communicating the importance of these items to the client, we were able to create a complete and cohesive design.”

Go for one-of-a-kind touches

“Our first big-budget project proved to us that you really can design incredible spaces that make the clients happy and allow us to realize a vision without having to value-engineer any elements,” says Jay Britto, a principal (with David Charette) of Britto Charette, in Miami. “The reality is, the bigger the budget, the more we can enhance the interiors of our projects.”

Top line: Let clients with smaller budgets make the obvious choices. “For instance, rather than applying wall covering throughout, we installed integrated doors and used wood panels throughout the residence. Integrated doors are flush to the ceiling and provide a more polished and modern look than standard doors.” Britto says that “a bigger budget also allows us to work with vendors who are exclusive, with exclusive and collectible lines that aren’t mass-produced. Working this way adds a rich touch—elements that aren’t available to everyone. On that first big-budget project we were also able to source pieces from galleries, which was really special.”

Make sure your team is up to your level

Designer Gil Walsh says her “first big design project was running along rather smoothly,” until the “hiccup” came. “Lighting is a huge component of interior design. Even a tiny hiccup with the lighting can derail the entire project,” says the designer, who has offices in Martha’s Vineyard and West Palm Beach. “The client loved the paint color chosen and was even more impressed once all the walls were painted.”

But not everyone was on the same page. A home’s color depends as much on light as it does on paint. “Unbeknownst to me,” Walsh recalls, “the contractor changed out the lightbulbs after the home was painted. The beautiful cool gray walls turned a lavender color. The new lighting completely changed the look of the gray paint. In a panic, my client considered repainting the entire house. Fortunately, I was able to rectify the situation by working with the contractor to choose bulbs that complemented the paint color. I learned rather quickly to confirm the lighting of a project before moving forward with choosing design elements. Natural sunlight, as well as various sources of artificial light, affect all the colors in the project, from the walls and floors, to the countertops, cabinets, and furniture.”

Avoid scope creep

“I had a client with a very big budget,” recalls Byron Risdon, aa designer from Washington, D.C. “They were nice people, and it’s always helpful to work with nice people who don’t get sticker shock,” he says. But despite his client’s deep pockets and geniality, Risdon fell victim to scope creep—allowing his duties to expand without always charging for them.

“One of the lessons I learned in doing that was that I gave up a lot of my time [for free] in trying to maintain the relationship. Things got added on, thrown in—sourcing more, meeting more—and I didn’t bill for those things.” The original scope was one room, but soon the designer found himself consulting on the renovations of additional spaces, which added up to a lot of extra hours. His advice to other designers: “Don’t lose track of what your normal process is,” whatever the size of the budget. And have someone in the office—other than you—to crack the whip.