One architect who knows the benefits of the big-box outlet personally is Ed Binkley, AIA, national design director in BSB Design’s Orlando, Fla., office. Binkley and his wife, Sherry, designed and built their 2,800-square-foot custom home on a budget of about $85 per square foot—cheap by any standards. But they had hoped to get it down to $50 per foot [see “Custom for Less” from the January/February 2006 issue]. Of course, acting as his own designer saved Binkley some cash, but he and his wife also speced plenty of off-the-shelf products, including cabinetry; lighting; fans; hardware; and pre-hung, solid-core doors. “It’s about going in [the stores], looking at things in a different way, and then putting your twist on it,” he says. In their case, getting creative involved sanding and sealing MDF for the countertops and cutting bamboo plywood sheets into strips and using them as wood flooring.
Binkley cautions that the big-box store isn’t the only place to find products—both conventional and unconventional—that can be adapted in new and interesting ways. For example, he says he’s been known to scour tractor and industrial supply stores for possible architectural elements.
John K. Burke, AIA, says his Washington, D.C., firm also doesn’t set boundaries when trolling for budget-minded products. For Studio27 Architecture, everything is in play: the Web, magazines, product samples—you name it. His firm even employs a freelance librarian to update its new products collection regularly.
rules of the game Despite your best efforts, you’ll only save so much by selecting the right products for the right price. You’ll need other strategies to realize additional savings. “Labor is always the No. 1 cost, so finding something that’s easy to install is key,” Burke says. One strategy his firm employs is to eliminate specialty installations from the general contractor’s scope of work. “They charge more for things they don’t understand,” he explains, “so we get a specific sub to do the installation and we coordinate the process.”
Another workaround Studio27 uses is to frame only in standard sizes and spec only stock windows. “They make a big difference,” he says. The same goes for products in general: “We find out how products are made and what sizes they come in, and then we design around the products to save money.”
Feeney takes an even more unusual approach to help his clients save money: he leaves the decision-making to them. After giving his clients a little guidance—suggesting perhaps a big-box store or The Home Depot’s higher-end EXPO Design Center—Feeney sends them off to explore. “I let them go look and tell me what works for them,” he says. That way, “they won’t break the bank, even if they choose the high-end products.” If nothing else, they’ll at least see for themselves what things cost.
Feeney has other tricks too. He might use low-end tiles and fixtures in a secondary bathroom or in other private rooms of the house, for instance. He might even go so far as to work for a reduced fee or limit the amount of new construction in a remodeling job.
Most importantly, Feeney makes sure his clients are informed of all costs along the way. “I do a line-item estimate for each item in a space—construction, materials, finishes, flooring, and so on,” he says. That way, there are no surprises or last-minute changes. And that may be the best deal of all.