We want our homes to look stunning, so our guests admire our taste and personality in decorating. For some, accessories bespeak character such as art works, splashes of color, and gorgeous rugs. Others prefer beautiful furnishings and classic lighting fixtures. While both work, saving and splurging on certain things makes sense.
Save On Rugs
Whether it’s a Persian rug, a wool rug, or a hand-woven Navajo creation, rugs add charm and beauty to a room. They keep the furnishings from scratching the hard wood floors. You can get a rug at your local big box store for less than $200. Since it’s going to get dirty all the time, it doesn’t make sense to spend thousands on a rare rug. Save your money by getting a very nice rug on the cheap, and you can splurge on something else.
Save On Backsplashes
We watch those cable TV home shows and marvel at the beauty of the kitchen backsplashes. The remodelers make them look very expensive. You don’t have to do that, though. A perfectly acceptable backsplash with subway tiles and contrasting grout goes for less than $2 per square foot. Your local big box store will have samples of different tiles and styles for your convenience.
Save On Occasional Tables And Night Stands
You don’t want your centerpiece sofa and chairs to have their thunder taken by spectacular side tables. All you need is a place to set your drink or your reading glasses. A simple table will fill the bill. Neither do you want your beautiful bed to be overshadowed by night tables. Save on these by using ordinary night stands.
Splurge On Dining Room Furnishings
For most Americans, the kitchen is the most popular room in the house. By extension, the dining room is where everyone gathers for meals. It will be used, if not every day, then on holidays and birthdays. It should be attractive and functional.
Wood dining tables are made in a variety of stunning ways, from farm tables to carved tables to butcher block to modern. A wood dining table and matching wood chairs is classic. You can go with distressed or highly polished. Either way, wood makes a dining room homey and comfortable, but classic isn’t the only route you can take. Modern and Stressless furniture is also on the rise. While they can come with a steeper price tag, they are also built to last, and companies like European Leather Galley have some pretty solid sales around the holidays.
Splurge On Bedding
Sleep gives the brain and body a chance to file away information from the day, rebuild flagging energy, heal itself, and prepare the brain and body for tomorrow. If you’re sleeping on scratchy sheets on a lumpy bed, then your preparation for tomorrow is impaired. Lack of quality sleep also affects the function of the organs. Get a firm mattress and soft, fluffy sheets. Your body will thank you.
Splurge On A Sofa
Visitors and family entering your home require a place to sit. There’s nothing like family and friends seated comfortably, laughing and talking. Make sure you choose a sofa with ergonomic support and made of easy-to-clean fabric such as microfiber or even denim. Plus, choosing a unique sofa can cover-up other areas in which your furniture might be a bit sparse. An eye-catching piece in the middle of a room and go a long way.
