Affordable Interior Design

I’m so behind on leaving feedback for Affordable Interior Design, and particularly Kelsey Surock. I worked with her almost a year ago, and I can honestly say I am still so happy with the results. From start to finish, it was a completely spectacular experience.
From the get go, Betsy was very helpful coordinating and scheduling with me. I was on a bit of a time crunch, and they totally took that into account and made it work! I had moved into my lovely, albeit sterile, new development-​y apartment 5 months earlier. I love pre-​war apartments and old finishes, so this was an uphill battle for sure. I was really hoping to make it look and feel more like home — like a personal sanctuary in this crazy, busy city.
I have a pretty specific design aesthetic, but I don’t have the time and patience to source items, and I’m particularly terrible at finding rugs, lamps, and curtains that work with a space. I had most of the main pieces I needed, but I really needed help pulling everything together. And my walls were a very sad, blank slate.
I feel like Kelsey did a good job of understanding my aesthetic. I was very pleased with the items she sourced and her vision for the space. She completely transformed my living room and bedroom walls with interesting artwork and placement. She designed a gallery wall that I just love.
I’d say I purchased about 60% of the items Kelsey suggested, and I’ve been happy with all of them. I’ve gotten so many compliments on how lovely my apartment is, and that’s 100% thanks to AID.
The most important aspect for me was the timing. I was in a rush to get items in place before I had a VIP guest coming to stay (new, long distance boyfriend!), and Kelsey literally moved her schedule around to make it work. I was so grateful!
If you’re hesitating at all, do it. You won’t regret it!

The experience with Affordable Interior Design was great, and Kelsey Surock in particular was awesome.
Here are the 3 main reasons that Affordable Interior Design rocks:
1. The initial customer survey was great and didn’t assume anything about my understanding of design. Yes, there were a few questions that I didn’t understand. But what I loved was the part where they had me select pictures of things I liked and didn’t like and explain why. That seemed to be enough to have them all get an initial idea of what I was like.
2. Kelsey was articulate. When Kelsey was picking things out for me, she explained to me *why* she was picking them out. First she would say things like, «you should have the couch here for space.», «Sit here for more light», etc… then for almost every item she selected for me, she said why she selected it: «This lamp is tall and will match the height of the bed frame for balance», «this green color is close to your preference and is great for accenting the the space here.», etc. That was helpful for me to appreciate why she picked what she picked.
3. Kelsey was flexible. When I couldn’t find something, or I wasn’t excited about a particular piece, she replied with an alternative piece, and a reason why she picked it. Almost everything that she picked out, I got. She kept me within my budget and still made my apartment feel comfortable and welcoming.
Seriously love these guys. I highly recommend them.

This review is way overdue! We hired Betsy 4 years ago to design our one bedroom apt and she did not disappoint. We didn’t have an idea of how we wanted our apt to look other than we wanted to be functional, wow our friends and not be broke after doing it. After a short questionnaire, Betsy (who has a great sense of humor) walked us through the entire process, told us exactly what to furniture/​pieces to get and where to place it to get the look we were looking for all at a budget we were comfortable with. Every person who has come through our apt since has commented on how great our place looked, which shows that great design doesn’t have to be expensive.
We are now moving to a new 2 bedroom apt in the UWS and guess who is designing it?! If you are ready to work with a designer who has the background, vision and experience to make the most out of your living space consider Betsy and Affordable Interior Design.

Betsy did an amazing job in my Brooklyn apartment. She totally understood who I was and what my vision was. The whole experience was very educational. I used Affordable interior in my office as well and highly recommend their services.

After an underwhelming consult from Homepolish, I decided to pursue Affordable Interior Design in hopes of finding a more professional, detail-​oriented experience. Boy, did I find that — and more! From the first phone call with Olivia to the final consult with Kelsey, I had an excellent experience with this company. From the second Kelsey arrived in my home, I was impressed. Punctual, organized, friendly, EXCEPTIONALLY talented, and highly professional, Kelsey was a dream. She was a two-​hour design tornado, whipping through the rooms of my apartment with wonderful ideas — but clearly explaining her vision every step of the way. Kelsey created an incredible shopping list for me, including curtains, hardware (she measures for you!), furniture, rugs, paint colors — all mindful of my budget and very user-​friendly. She saved me TONS of time and money. I can’t praise her and the whole Affordable Interior Design team enough. Use this service! I promise you won’t regret it.

Highly recommend! Exceeded all expectations.
Helped us to to design and decorate our new big 2-​bedroom apartment in South Brooklyn, and we are extremely happy with all of the recommendations and love the look of the place.
Betsy actually chose many of the pieces (from shower curtain to mirrors to table lamps to desks to area rugs) we needed to buy and it was worth it. Besides saving me the time I would have spent searching for things, Betsy knew exactly what size articles would fit where. (Friends are really impressed and asking where I bought my things).
Essentially, all the work was done for us. Guests who come over cannot stop complimenting on what we have done with the place. My favorite part of what Betsy chose is the artwork to match the apartment. (No, let me rephrase that, EVERYTHING that Betsy chose and recommended was perfect for the place and perfectly matched to each other, in both color and style). I cannot stress enough how glad I am that we found Affordable Interior Design and a knowledgeable professional who knew so much more than we ever could.
The details: we chose the 5-​hour plan and also buying the articles for us according to the style the we chose (approximately 35 articles, including drapes, bedsheets, blinds etc). In retrospect, this was a perfect decision and saved us a ton of time and probably money, as well. (The articles were chosen according to our budget).
We had no idea how to decorate the place and what furniture goes where, and Betsy outlined all the details for us perfectly, down to inches (with our feedback, of course). (We also discussed built-​in closets and putting up some walls, so this was a large project). We recorded Betsy’s detailed instructions and followed her recommendations to the detail. The results: thumbs up and perfect!
We are a busy working couple and we simply have no time nor knowledge for decorating a new place. Highly recommend Affordable Interior Design. A++.
An absolute must. Thank you, Affordable Interior Design! This was so much fun! We will see you for our next project! Y and I.

The team at Affordable Interior Design is simply fab! I first used Betsy when I moved to a new downtown apt in Jan of 2011. I was overwhelmed with the space and also overwhelmed with the idea of living solo in my first grown up apt. I wasn’t sure where the hell to begin! I wanted a fresh start, but I wasn’t ready to spend my total salary on my new pad. I began googling «NYC interior design» and came across companies that seemed waaaaaaaaay out of my league in terms of budget. I mean, I was a 29 yr old career chick with SOME money to spend on furniture and home goods, but not thousands upon thousands of dollars. I began to wonder if anything other than fancy pantz design studios existed in NYC. So I was more than hopeful when I came across the Affordable Interior Design website. And, you’ll be happy to know, the services exceeded my expectations! Betsy held my hand through the entire process. She opened my eyes to items and design concepts which I would not have initially considered, and she managed to source great materials, all within my budget.
One of the highlights was having her help me pick paint colors for the walls of the apt. Which is something that I find tedious and beyond overwhelming. Betsy nailed the colors, and that helped set the tone for the rest of the space. After the paints were picked, we worked on a floor plan. Betsy sourced fabulous items and taught me how to better understand interior design in general. My place looked finished and fabulous! A few years later in 2013, I called up Betsy again when my fiancée-​now-​husband moved in with me. The idea was to work with Besty to help us create a newly updated and truly shared space. It was so useful to have a third person help us! And my hubby and I are now so happy with our home. She even sourced one of a kind (and yet affordable!) art for above our bed, which we LOVE!
Something to note: we’ve taken Betsy’s suggestions over time, as opposed to buying everything in one shot, in order to make the updating process more gradual and more budget friendly. And that’s one of the great things about working with Affordable Interior Design – you have an email of the sourced materials from the follow up conference call, so one can always go back and purchase items when the time is right (assuming they’re still in stock, obviously). Or, if you decide down the line that perhaps you don’t want that exact lamp, the initial sourced ideas give you a great jumping off point to then riff on. Overall, it gives you a solid template to work from on your own timeline. I’ve also used Betsy with my office space at my job. Co workers and colleagues constantly tell me how incredible my office looks! I can’t speak more highly about Affordable Interior Designs!!!
By the way, Betsy is hilarious and fun to work with and truly takes your personal tastes and style in to account! She’s the best! If you can’t tell, she has since become a personal friend! :)

I spend so much time looking at interior design magazines, but could never get my home to look just so. I decided I needed professional help, and for a small fee, Betsy gave me a plan to follow. No need to measure windows and figure out curtain rods — Betsy did it all for me and then sourced tons of great, affordable furnishings. I love that I can order the things on my own and go slowly, knowing that once I’m done, everything will go together perfectly. Every time I add something, my apartment looks more and more finished. Highly highly recommended!

When looking to most efficiently use the little space we have in NYC, going with affordable interior design is a total no brainer. I work from home so creating the right balance of professional mixed with soothing was critical. Kelsey did a great job of taking into account my personality, profession, and nuances to source an amazing list and then take the feedback I gave her on that list and come back with even better iterations. There is tremendous value in using their services as many decorating ideas helped me create my zen place…

Betsy is the best. She transformed my apartment from a boring, tasteless, new place to live into a HOME. Her fees are reasonable and well worth it because I never could have done it on my own. My $ 79.99 mirror from Ikea she recommended gets me complements from all my visitors who think it was more like $ 400 or so. And she made me love west elm while recommending the more affordable pieces there.
And the best part is Betsy tells it like it is. Consider this exchange:
Me: «Betsy, where should I put this lantern I bought in Europe?»
Betsy: «I think it would look best in the closet.»
Me: «Oh okay, what should I do with it in there?»
Betsy: «Put it in box so people don’t see it.»
Highly recommended!

Classes are structured in a very practical manner. It sets up a basic layout and gives you a foundation about what to take care of step-​by-​step.
And yes, Betsy is absolutely an amazing presenter.
That being said, it’s not an inspirational design class focusing on creativity like in school, Betsy’s lectures contain extremely dense information and tons of directional tips such as what to look and where to buy. For most people, that probably works. For me, one of the down sides is that I am not a Parisian, Bohemian, or edgy romanticist, but rather, a fonder of minimalism, Japanese/​northern European style.
I doubt Betsy shares the same taste as I do. So I would have to be my own designer. But thanks so much for opening the door of interior design. It totally helps me think and learn going forward.
Affordable Interior Design is very unpretentious — could be a little bit more classy in my opinion.
Last but not least, I love Betsy’s fast-​paced speech and lovely humor.

Betsy taught an excellent class on the basics of Interior Design where, unfortunately, I found out that I’m breaking all the rules. She’s inspired me to take the time to redecorate according to her laws, and has made it VERY easy for me to understand what the course of action is to create a great apartment based on my own personal style. I can’t wait to go to her next class. It’s a great gift for others, too!

Betsy is absolutely amazing. She has come up with an easy to understand system to help you (re)design your space while keeping it completely affordable. That is important since the other interior designers I consulted with were charging insane rates. She works very close with you to find the right touch that works for you and understand your needs. Even after finishing all her responsibilities for my apartment she stayed available for and responded promptly to any questions I had.

Betsy is wonderful. She helped us arrange our existing furniture and select new pieces for our new apartment. She ran through helpful exercises with us to rethink the way we had setup different rooms and helped optimize the use of space. She chose great new furniture for us that worked with our budget and added color and character to our place. I would highly recommend working with her!

Betsy is a god send! She took my bare bones Brooklyn apartment and literally transformed it into something straight out of Elle Décor — all on a budget! Her design process is professional yet personal — she takes the time to really understand your functional needs as well as your personal style and incorporates both into the final product. My post-​Betsy apartment felt twice as big in size yet intimately individual. Her persistence and perfectionism will ensure that you end up with that one-​of-​a-​kind a armoire /​chandelier /​intable at a lower price than you thought humanly possible (this girl can negotiate ;-) For the first time in my life, I now enjoy entertaining at my apartment (a covert excuse to show it off). I’ve recommended Betsy to everyone I know and I’ll definitely use her services again in the future!

«I looove your red chair!!» That’s usually the first thing people say when they walk into my cozy and stylish apartment on the Upper West Side. Each time that happens, I thank Betsy under my breath. It was at Betsy’s ever-​so-​subtle insistence that I get that chair as we browsed through several furniture catalogues and websites. Luckily, I took her advice on that chair along with other really great pieces and decorating suggestions that I never would have thought could all blend together so beautifully and still reflect what I had in mind at such an affordable price. I really love coming home to my Shangri-​la!

Betsy made my husband and I see our our home in a whole new light. Thanks to her, we now have a design concept and a plan that is both functional and great looking for our new apartment. My husband and I are very indecisive and constantly disagree on aesthetics. It was great to have someone so talented to assist us in coming up with a plan that pleases us both. You will not regret hiring Betsy!

Betsy is AMAZING! She turned a very stark shell of an apartment into a beautiful home! What I love most about Betsy is her ability to listen to me and create the perfect design out of all my many ideas, dreams and concepts. She actually knows me better than I know myself– and my lovely apartment if proof! I also LOVE her prices! She is a designer that I can grow with. I was recently married and will have to turn a very feminine boudoir into a bedroom for two. Thank goodness Betsy is affordable! This way we can get the masculine touch without the Brett Favre poster!

So much more than I could have hoped for. Betsy is fun, funny, and REALLY good at Interior Design.
The 3 hour plan was perfect.

After 2 years of living in my dull undecorated apartment I decided to contact Betsy for the 3-​hour budget plan. Being a musician, money is always tight. I didn’t want to spend any money on decoration that I wasn’t sure was going to work in my apartment or not. This plan seemed like a great deal since I had absolutely NO IDEA what to do when it came to interior decorating.
For the first hour, Betsy help me decide on how to arrange my furniture so the living space would serve all my needs, but also followed good feng shui. I have a huge piano in my living room which took up half the space leaving barely any room for a tv/​lounge area. I didn’t even have a place to eat. Betsy somehow helped me figure it out so I could have all my needs fit in one space. without making it looked cramp (in fact my living room looks even bigger now!)
The second hour consisted of us figuring out what kind of furniture and decoration was needed. It was like taking decorating 101. I learned so many things about decorating that I could apply to not only in my current space but future spaces if I ever decide to move.
In the 3^rd hour, Betsy emailed me links to furniture that she personally picked for me. I really loved all of her selections and the fact that they all fit within my $ 1000 budget was amazing.
I started implementing the ideas I learned from her the minute she left. 2 days later the apartment already looks like a different place.
The $ 275 is totally worth it if you are in a situation like me and really have a desire and motivation to redecorate your apartment. Betsy will leave you with a strong foundation and the confidence to make future design choices on your own. And in case you need extra help in the future, you can always hire her by the hour.