Betsy Helmuth - Big Design, Small Budget: Create a Glamorous Home in Nine Thrifty Steps

Copyright 2014 by Betsy Helmuth

Photography 2014 by John Ha

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Brian Peterson

Cover photo credit: John Ha

ISBN: 978-1-62914-549-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62914-872-4

Printed in the United States of America

I am inspired daily by my husbands patience and my mothers love.

This book is for you, Jack Helmuth and Donna Head.

B.H.

Contents

Introduction

Before we become well acquainted in the following chapters, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Betsy Helmuth, and I own Affordable Interior Design in New York City. I have designed over 1,000 spaces, including a palatial NYC penthouse, a Vermont log cabin, a Pied--terre in Argentinaheck, even a McDonalds in Brooklyn!

In this book, I am spilling my design secrets. I am giving away the gold. I want you to have a lovely homewithout a huge budget, without the help of a personal designer, and without an illusive eye for design. I want this to be the guide that helps you create a space you love to come home to.

A well-designed place is something everyone can achieve using principles that apply to any home. Lets take the pretension and mystery out of it. My design rules are easy and funif I do say so myself!

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG DESIGNER

This story of how I became an interior designer is one that I rarely shareand I almost never tell the full story. Not even my husband knew the whole of it until he read the draft of this book.

I started my design career as a painter. I made paintings for peoples apartments. They commissioned pieces, and I would go to their spaces to measure and determine what their custom art should look like. Too often, I would walk into these fabulous apartments and be really let down. Their furniture would be too big, haphazard, illogically placedand super expensive.

My clients would insist that a great piece of art would bring everything in their sad spaces together. They hoped something stretched on canvas would save the day. Fat chance. One day I let the cat out of the bag. I told one of my clients that his apartment was tragic. I told him that not even an original Van Gogh was going to give his space style. (I am known for my tact.) I offered to give him a sketch for a total redesign of his apartment and a sketch for a painting. He could decide which to move forward with, same charge either way.

He went with the redesign, and my life forever changed. I poured my heart and soul into that project. I had to prove to him (and to myself) that I could make his space fabulous. I binge-watched interior design shows, designed custom shelving, bought butchers wax to create a faux-leather wall, sampled endless paint colors, supervised contractors, and made a couple of original paintings to boot.

He loved it. It looked amazing! On the very last day of work, I returned to the space with the carpenter to install the Pice de rsistance: my custom shelves. I had my camera in hand. I couldnt wait to take pictures of my masterpiece. I had done it!

I approached the doorman, and he notified me that the tenant had denied access. Long story short: my client had lost his job, was moving out, and I was not getting paid. All those paint samples, wood chips, and cans of waxI would be eating those along with my fee.

Williamsburg

Financial District

Vermont

Park Slope

Dumbo

I got burned, but beneath my anger and sadness, a spark had been ignited. I had found a passion for design. I had designed a place that turned out fabulously. But, obviously, I didnt know the first thing about the business of design. I knew I needed to know more.

The only mentors I knew to turn to were the designers I had watched on TV. I naively googled Thom Filicia from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and called his firm. Two days later, I had an interview in his Soho offices. My painting portfolio won me an apprenticeship, and my design career began.

The first day I showed up with a bag lunch and a bit of panic. They sent me to a high-end store with a corporate card and instructions to buy juice glasses for a house in the Hamptons. Huh? The cheapest glass in the store was $40for ONE GLASS! I was feverish. I came back with a few, and nobody flinched at the receipt. We were designing for celebrities, and the world was our oyster.

I would regularly order a lamp or throw pillow that cost more than my Manhattan rent. Internally, I was aghast. Filling out the purchase orders, my brain would be spinning: Didnt I see a lamp like that at Crate and Barrel? Cant I get a pillow that same color at West Elm for one-tenth of the price?

After absorbing Thoms impeccable sense of style and learning some business savvy, I ventured out on my own. In 2005, I started Affordable Interior Design, determined to prove that elegant living need not be exclusively for the elite. I knew the principles I learned could be implemented for a fraction of the high-end price.

MY RULES

For the first time, I am outlining my principles. I have tested them over the past nine years and 1,000+ designs. These are the rules I use every day.

Not only am I a seasoned designer, I also fancy myself a psychic. I can hear you asking, Why do I have to follow rules? I bet Thom doesnt refer to a mental manual when designing. He has a mystical way of picking things out.

I hear you. While I am sure somewhere in the back of his head he refers to rules, outwardly he is effortlessly able to make things go together. Thousands of hours of practice make perfect. Plus, it is also a lot easier to make things work when you have a bottomless budget.