How to Honor Your Home and Your Budget by Investing Wisely in Furniture
If you are preparing to update or renovate your home, you are blessed! Congratulations!
It is so much fun to create something fresh and new. In all the excitement, though, it is really important to be secure on your budget from the beginning, and make sure you are planning for the costs that will quickly climb, even if you are thinking all you really want to do is spruce things up with a new coat of paint!
(Famous last words … that’s what I said about a simple set of shutters!)
Decorating is a costly endeavor, and nobody wants to talk about the money side - no fun! But here are some guidelines to help you plan your investment with a fairly painless strategy you can all agree on.
1.) Where to Invest Your Money Wisely
Safety and comfort are the primary needs of a home, so the wisest pieces to invest in for quality are the things that hold you, namely your bed, and the sofa! There is no place like home unless you can’t get a good night’s sleep there!
Another significant portion of the budget should be allocated to high-traffic, most frequently used items such as floor and window coverings, kitchen cabinetry, and baths.
Elements that visually pull a room together get the final consideration. Important pieces of artwork or sculpture should be selected at least for your public spaces, and can serve as a great jumping-off point for the entire room’s color palette and/or theme. You don’t have to invest in a Monet, but try to go for the best you can afford here.
2.) Where to Save Your Dollars Strategically
With your primary furnishings selected, you can now gracefully exercise your frugal muscles on the remaining decor without compromising on style. Watch out for bargains on lighting, and fixtures made with quality finishes that will stand up to the test of time. You can still buy good-quality, beautiful pieces without having to invest a top-shelf fortune on everything you buy!
3.) Where to Begin Planning for the Project
In The Envied Nest Academy, I teach a good/better/best approach to my students. By itemizing every single thing you will need to purchase for the room, you can then sort the items into those three categories: good, better, and best.
Determine the items you want to prioritize in the best quality you can find. For you, it will be different than for somebody else. For instance, if you are a musician, you may want the best quality baby grand piano you can afford, but don’t mind shopping for sales on rugs. Others will put a dining set in their “best” category and put the piano in the “good” or Craigs List section (if they even want one at all!)
This is a great way for couples to work out some of their unspoken expectations and agree on some parameters before they even go shopping! Give it a try!
It is so worth planning out what you will be spending on furnishings even before you begin your renovation because it will help ensure there is plenty of room in the budget for everything you will need to procure.
You may begin to see the value of hiring a designer to help you make your selections. An interior professional can help you keep your budget on track and make sure what you are spending your hard-earned money on is worthy of the investment. They can also make sure your list of purchases includes everything you will need to create the home of your dreams!
