Whether it’s a 1,500-square-foot bungalow or 7,500-square-foot estate, decorating can be expensive.
And when you have multiple rooms to decorate and don’t have much existing décor or furniture to your name, it requires careful budgeting and planning.
One of the more difficult situations homeowners face is knowing when to spend on an item and when to save. While it’s not an exact science, we will explore some rules of thumb on this topic.
4 Items to Splurge On
Budget shoppers, savers, and DIY aficionados often get painted as being cheap and unwilling to spend money. But this isn’t necessarily a fair assessment.
These folks are willing to spend, but they want to make sure they’re spending where it counts.
If you’re going to put down big bucks for something, it should be some of the following décor elements:
1. Light Fixtures
When someone walks into a house for the first time, light fixtures grab immediate attention. This can either be a positive or negative thing, depending on the quality of your fixtures.
Sadly, most homes have basic fixtures that lack personality.
“If you’re going to spend some money on something, make it nice light fixtures,” Green Residential advises. “If you look around, you can find some nice fixtures at fairly friendly prices. Don’t be afraid to make a statement. Unique textures and color can give a tired space a fresh look.”
2. Sofa
Designer furniture can get expensive very quickly. If you aren’t careful, you can drop thousands of dollars and still not have the entire room finished.
But if you’re going to splurge on something, it may as well be an item that (a) gets used, and (b) takes up a lot of visual space. The sofa qualifies on both levels.
A good sofa is an investment. You want it to be comfortable, attractive, and practical. If you buy a cheap alternative, you’ll find that you don’t use it nearly as much.
You’ll also have a constant visual reminder of how you messed up.
3. Dining Table
Dining tables are worth spending on for the same reasons as sofas. They’re large, fill up nearly the entire area, and get used quite heavily. A quality dining table can last years, if not decades.
4. Hardware
Hardware – such as drawer knobs and pulls – can take an otherwise dated kitchen or bathroom and make it appear sleek and modern.
But there’s a lot of variance in the hardware market. Similar looking products will be priced quite differently.
In most cases, the more expensive ones are higher in quality. They’re solid, maintain their appearance, and won’t break, chip, or discolor nearly as easily.
3 Items to Save On
While you’re perfectly within your rights to splurge on any design or décor elements that you like, be wary of overspending on the following:
1. Area Rugs
Rugs make a huge difference in the visual appeal of major living spaces – including hallways, kitchens, and living rooms – but there’s no sense in overspending here.
You can find quality rugs from a variety of vendors at friendly price points. Be sure to shop around.
2. Pillows
Throw pillows can make a huge difference in a living room or bedroom. But don’t get carried away spending hundreds of dollars on pillows. You can find some pretty cost effective options at big box stores like Target.
3. Accent Pieces
If you aren’t careful, accent pieces can cause you to blow right through your home décor budget. Whether it’s lamps, wall art, or centerpieces, you shouldn’t go overboard here.
In fact, a minimalistic approach will prevent the need for lots of knick knacks in the first place.
Practice Patience
When renovating, redesigning, or moving into a new house, it’s only natural to want to speed things up and finish the job as quickly as possible.
But don’t be too overzealous, or you’ll end up making poor financial decisions.
Patience pays off in the home design space. Take your time and don’t feel like you have to buy everything at once.
Spread out your purchases and let the space evolve as you have time, money, and creative energy to try new things.
