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JUNE/JULY, 2007
Beauty and the Budget Shop the big boxes. Browse magazines. You can have a great office without spending a fortune Cost overruns and remodeling seem to go hand in hand. Which raises the question: How can you set a realistic budget for an overhaul of your office? The first step is to figure out exactly how your office functions. Think you already know? You may be surprised. Talk to your employees to determine exactly what they do and when and how they do it. Then examine the space they need for those tasks. Once you know what changes you need—perhaps brighter lighting or easier-to-reach storage space—you can begin making the choices that will determine how much you'll spend. Start with the basics: workstations, chairs, and meeting areas. Kirt Martin, head of design at Turnstone, a unit of Steelcase, says the average price of a workstation that includes a computer desk, chair, space for files, and a guest chair is about $2,000 at Turnstone. Then decide how flashy you want the space to be. Do you want expensive terrazzo floors, or will vinyl do the trick? For ideas, flip through shelter magazines such as Dwell, which often feature home offices, as well as architecture and design publications. You can add panache without spending a lot with well-designed pieces from big-box office supply stores, such as Staples' Italian-inspired Techni Mobili Tempered Glass L-desk for $199.99, or the Ott-Lite desk lamp for $79.99 at Office Depot. For a more customized look, consider working with a designer. Most charge between $3 and $4 a square foot, depending on the size of the job, plus the cost of the furniture. (You'll need an architect for major renovation.) In big cities, the going rate is $4 to $6 a square foot. Expect to pay an additional fee for custom work such as wood paneling or a fancy conference room, often $10,000 to $20,000 a room. Some architects will act as design consultants, helping you pick furniture or lighting fixtures, for about $150 to $250 an hour. Design or architecture students looking for work might do the job for $25 an hour, but be aware that they are not licensed and may not know building codes. 
BW MALL
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