Big Ideas - Little Budgets

In all my years designing Libraries, I've never once had one that didn't have a tight budget.  But that's to be expected since most of you are limited to state funds being shared by other Libraries or relying solely on donated funds raised via extensive campaign programs.  It's just the reality of a Library construction project.

But some projects are so limited in budget, that the design must suffer tremendously.  In a situation like that, one that may even seem impossible at times, you have to rely on good old-fashioned creativity and ingenuity to get you to the other side.

If you'll stay with me for the next few minutes, I'll show you 5 really useful ideas for creating a space with high impact on a painfully small budget.

 #1 - BIG PATTERNS - CHEAP MATERIAL

VCT is a common product that you've undoubtedly seen in breakrooms and commercial buildings all over the nation.  The actual name is Vinyl Composition Tile and usually comes in 12"x12" squares.  The cost is insanely inexpensive; especially when compared to other products.  Naturally there are plenty of pros and cons, but when you're on a more scarce budget, it can be used for the largely-saturated colors and textures.  And now it even comes in a 12"x24" size to help you create even more playful patterns on the floor.  This is an excellent way to bring a lot of look for little money. 

This image below shows a very nice use of shapes and color dispersion to draw in interest so the rest of the interior space can have a far simpler look to it.

 ^{Best practices for Designing and Furnishing Your Library Spaces - Demco}

#2 - PLAYFUL FURNITURE 

 I know that you know that furniture is anything but cheap.  However, sometimes you have to make a choice.  And sometimes that choice is to bring in a few bold and colorful pieces to create a design concept that works for your Library.  If you can get by with just a little bit of color in your space and skimp on a lot of costly finish materials, then you can go the route of some brand new furniture pieces to make the brunt of your statement.

 ^{2019 Library Design Showcase - American Libraries Magazine}

#3 - BOLD COLOR MIGHT BE YOUR ANSWER

 I know I cover this a lot, but you almost can't go wrong when you design with bold colors; especially if you have a lot of natural light.  You don't need to make it overwhelming but use saturated color whether it's with paint or flooring.  This will take away from the more minimal appearance of your space if you can't afford more playful finishes or more expensive options.  Adding bold pops of color is a super cheap way to dress up your building and still add life to the overall appearance of the spaces.

 ^{Best Practices for Designing and Furnishing Your Library Spaces - Demco}

#4 - WOW THEM WITH AN AMAZING STATEMENT PIECE

 This may be one of my favorite options.  One thing your community may be looking for is a vibrant and lively Library with a fresh new perspective.  One really fun way to achieve this is by coming up with a statement piece that wows people.  In this image, you can see how they framed out an oversized shape using gyp board.  Then by painting it a bold color, they've created a fantastic visual image that is sure to excite people when they come to your Library.  In fact, my bet is that it will be the thing people remember most.

And notice how simple and clean the rest of the interior space is.  Who needs to overwhelm the space with countless other finishes when you're making a statement like this?!

 ^{Columbia Heights Library - HGA}

#5 - MAGIC CARPET TRICK

 The last tip I'll show you is a carpet trick.  Generally you see one or two carpet patterns throughout, but if you'll explore a little of your braver side and try adding more color and patterns to your space, you can get a lot more bang for your buck.

 This one below has used a saturated blue carpet with a lot of movement but then added pops of brightly colored carpet squares to create extra interest and to also unify the red soffit to the rest of the space.  This is a wonderful way to use carpet to give more life to your design.

 ^{My Little Falls - Entertainment Archives}

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are plenty of ways to make your Library look amazing without overspending.  But these 5 tips are an excellent place to start.  By using bold color, intentional furniture pieces and placement, statement pieces, carpet tricks and effective but inexpensive flooring materials, you can achieve your design goals flawlessly.