Is it me or does everyone want to get the best piece of furniture for the lowest price? Does that bring a level of bragging rights to the person who achieves that goal?
There's one thing everyone is scared to talk about when it comes to designing/decorating and that's budget. Don't you just love looking through Restoration Hardware, Arhaus, Ballard, Potterybarn, and Williams-Sonoma Home magazines? You eye up that perfect sofa and then scroll down to the tiny tiny print to see the price and your mouth drops open and your eyes pop out and you go "BLEEP...THAT COSTS THAT MUCH?!" To be honest, we all cannot afford to spend a minimum of $5000 on just one sofa-and thats usually just for the basic fabric. Throw in an ultra luxurious fabric and that cost easily doubles.
Becoming a stay at home mom, I had to be very careful with my budget when we moved into our new house. Even though my budget wasn't (and honestly still isn't) high-end worth, I still wouldn't settle for just anything. I had to figure out, sometimes the hard way, which places were budget friendly AND offered things that didn't fall apart the second you sat on it--(I've got some amazing stories about my dining room chairs haha). Your budget is the most important factor that goes into decorating anything! I do feel like people aren't aware that they can have nice things too with a mid-range budget.
Below are two design boards that I recently put together for a client with a mid-range budget. Just by looking at them, can you tell which one is more expensive?
Both boards have the same area rug, same sized coffee table, same sized custom made sofas and chairs and accessories.
If you guessed that the second one is less expensive you are correct! I can tell you that the difference between the two boards is around $6000! But you can also see that just because it's less expensive, my client is still getting a beautiful room and nothing that I wouldn't purchase myself (I may have even used that rug in another clients home haha).
Now, I can't say that budget friendly is all roses and exactly what you would get if you spent that extra $6000. There's a certain way furniture is made that pushes it up into that higher price point. Things like coil springs, wood that is used, what the cushions are filled with, the fabric that is used. There's a reason why we are not upholsters- that is mad skills to get the fabric lined up correctly so it looks seamless all the way around!
But even with the most expensive piece of furniture you can possibly purchase there still could be things that happen-nothing is fool proof.
Here are some helpful tips when decorating on a budget:
Set your budget and stick to it! There's nothing worse than thinking you have more to spend and then quickly realize funds have dried out before you purchased the big stuff.
Invest in what you are sitting on. As tempting as it is to buy that $300 sectional just think about what it will cost to replace it when the seating deflates, the fabric rips or the legs break off in a year (I actually had a sofa back break in half from my $300 sofa back in the day about a year after purchasing it).
Read what its made of! I can't stress this enough... laminate, particle board, veneers, MDF all are NOT wood, as much as they want to make it look like it is. Go for the ones that are made with all wood- kiln dried wood is the best!
Keep it in the USA.... enough said there.....
Read the reviews...there's a reason why they're there!
Remember that classic "Friends" episode with Ross and Rachel and the sofa? "Pivot!" (hahah still gets me laughing!) A majority of the places give you measurements of the couch or chair AND the door width it needs to fit into. Measure before buying!
We all love a good bargain though so here are some places that are the front runners for purchasing and good value: Ashley Furniture, World Market, Target, Overstock, RugsUSA, Wayfair (also Joss and Main, All Modern and Birch Lane are affiliated with Wayfair) and all our favorites Home Goods.
DO YOUR RESEARCH because if you don't you'll end up spending more in replacements than you would if you go a little higher to begin with.
When in doubt- hire a professional..... that's what we are here for!
Until next time friends,
Maria
Have any questions? Contact me at maria@bdesignd.com!
