We all know I love a good bargain, and I love turning “trash” into “treasure” and giving new life to old pieces I rescue from thrift stores. I like saving money, and I like the fact that you don’t have to spend a fortune in order to have a beautiful home. I’ve built a blog based on that philosophy. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t think it’s ok to splurge once in a while, and it doesn’t mean you should never invest in nice pieces for your home if you can. I’ve talked in the past about layering in home decor — mixing old with new; contrasting textures, colors and patterns; and combining a variety of decor styles. Another example of layering is mixing “high-end” with “low-end” or “investment pieces” with thrifted finds. I thought I would share what types of home decor items I like to invest in or “splurge” on, and what type of items I insist on thrifting or finding “on the cheap.” Here’s a fun little splurge vs. save list I came up with based on my own personal preferences and recommendations.
SPLURGE: SOFA
I recommend splurging on a nice sofa. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune, but I definitely recommend going with a good quality sofa rather than the cheapest one you can find. You’ll save money in the long run because you won’t have to replace it as often. I’ve mentioned before that we splurged on our sofa (it’s not “high end” by any means, but it was a splurge for us when we bought it several years ago), because we wanted it to last through our boys’ childhood and be constructed well enough that it could take a beating and survive. We also upgraded to a nicer quality fabric when we had it designed, but stuck with one that was easy to clean (a polyester blend) since we have small children and it needed to function well for our family.
SAVE: ACCENT CHAIRS
While we spent more on our sofa, we usually save money on inexpensive accent chairs. We’ve bought a few from Target (in fact, we recently purchased these chairs from there which I’ll show you soon!), and a couple we’ve found on Craigslist. (Check out how I reupholstered them the lazy girl’s way here.)
SPLURGE: TEXTILES
Nothing screams luxury to me more than high end textiles. With kids in the house, I wouldn’t invest in high end pillows or fabric in the family room or their bedrooms, but in our bedroom where I can hide away and have some “me time,” I decided to choose some gorgeous pillows from Lacefield Designs. Since the bedroom makeover has been delayed a bit (I won a mattress at the Haven Conference which I am super excited about! But because of that, we are playing musical chairs – er, beds? – and rearranging all of the beds in the house and shifting them to different rooms.), so for now I’ll show you the pillows in my mom cave, but eventually they will find their way onto our bed. I’m in love with the kelly green and navy color combo, the linen fabric, and the feather insert — it is so cushy and heavenly.
SAVE: TABLES
Tables, whether dining room tables or end tables, are prime candidates for making over. We scored our kitchen table at a local antique market for a bargain price and refinished it, and we’ve found end tables for cheap on Everything But The House and at Target. I found this console table at an antique market a few years ago too which I refinished for the entryway. Tables can be found for a bargain and made over to look like a million bucks.
SPLURGE: TOWELS
I learned this one the hard way. Buy the nice towels! I’m not saying that you shouldn’t own any cheap towels, (we definitely do), but a few nice towels for guests are worth the money. One thing I’ve found about cheap towels is that they tend to not be as absorbent and they basically just move the water around on your body rather than getting you dry. Am I the only one who has run into this problem? Anyone…..?
SAVE: LAMPS
Lamps can be scored for a few bucks at thrift stores and a little bit of spray paint can make them look as good as new. I spray painted some lamps for our boys’ bedroom, and I also spray painted this one and this one. I’ve found a couple of lamps on Craigslist too.
SPLURGE: ARTWORK
This should actually be listed under both categories, “splurge” AND “save.” I like a mix of DIY/inexpensive art with a few nice original or limited edition paintings or prints thrown in. I don’t have many “investment” pieces of art as of yet, but over the years I would love to collect some. I’m not talking about Picassos or anything obviously, but I love supporting local artists and artisans and purchasing art at festivals and on sites like Etsy or Minted. I especially love unique pieces of art that you won’t necessarily find in everyone else’s home. Basically anything that isn’t mass produced is a winner in my book, whether you paint it yourself or source it from a local artist. Even if you paint it yourself, it could be considered a splurge, since it’s one of a kind. (Here is the info on the print pictured above.)
SAVE: RUGS
All of our rugs have come from either Rugs USA or Target (except for this one that I stenciled). Rugs USA is by far my favorite source for rugs, and they usually have 70% off sales. There are so many stylish, affordable options on the market that there’s really no reason to spend thousands of dollars on an area rug. But if you find an amazing vintage overdyed Turkish kilim rug and you want to send it my way, I won’t turn you down! Ha.
SAVE: DRESSERS
Dressers are one of my favorite pieces of furniture to transform. The power of paint is amazing, and can give furniture a whole new look. You can find inexpensive dressers on Craigslist, at thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, estate sales, etc.
Now it’s your turn! What do you opt to splurge or save on? I would love to know your thoughts!
Disclosure: Lacefield Designs generously provided the pillows. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY THESE POSTS:
- Mixing Store-Bought, Thrifted, and DIY Decor
- How to Create a Vignette
- or check out my project gallery here!
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This is so helpful! We really need a new TV stand (I love ours, but it’s too small for the new TV) and I don’t want to spend a ton of money. Thinking a refurbished dresser is the way to go. The other thing I think it’s important to splurge on is a good mattress – you don’t have to break the bank, but get the best you can afford. It makes such a huge difference for us.
I’m so glad that you found this post helpful! Refinished dressers make great TV stands. And I agree! Go for a nice mattress. We made the mistake of buying a cheap IKEA one for our oldest son and it is junk.
Definitely SAVE on frames…spray paint and rub-n-buff can transform a simple frame into something extraordinary. Unless you are trying to frame out an odd-sized piece of art, stick with thrift and save a bundle.
I also save on window coverings by using dropcloths of different weights. The heavier drops I use on west-facing windows to block the heat at the end of the day. Light still filters in, but the searing heat of our 100+ days is lessened. A few clip rings and whatever you want for the rod and you’ve got some nice drapes for cheap. I’ve done 12′ drops in our living room with 20′ ceilings…they look amazing and you’d never guess they are drop cloths because I used the lighter weight and they are all pre-hemmed pretty nicely.
I like to splurge and save on accessories – you never know what you might find at thrift, but if you run across something fabulous for retail, you really do need to snap it up quickly!
Thanks Julie! I totally agree about saving on frames! I have several I’ve spray painted. It’s a great way to save money! Drop cloth curtains are also a great idea.
Thought-provoking post. I’ll save on a desk or worktable–my current ones are curb pickups and a display table from a store going out of business–but splurge on the chair, paying attention to ergonomics.
About towels: I’ve read that fabric softener coats cloth fibers, making towels less absorbent. That goes for liquid softener or dryer sheets. Good luck!
Thanks MJ! Good idea making over a desk but splurging on a chair. And that makes sense about the fabric softener! I actually don’t use fabric softener or dryer sheets since my boys have really sensitive skin, but I’m wondering if some towels maybe come with a similar coating of some kind? Hope you are enjoying the long weekend!