Budget, Schmudget
/A living room for less than $1.5k.
I recently had the privilege of furnishing and styling an Airbnb bungalow. Cutest house (see Operation Purple Haze post), but a major project that could have gotten out of hand in the budget category.
Anywho, this house needed to look fab, desirable, and fresh.....but on a rental budget. We needed good quality and clean, sophisticated lines without going crazy on expenses. This is actually the story of my life when it comes to decorating my own home, so I thought I would share with you some idea boards and sources that I frequent. There is a way to love where you live and do a major overhaul on your home styling without spending an arm and a leg (and without squandering quality).
Here's another thing to remember, shop local. Sourcing items that are locally made, or at least from your smaller stores, tend to be distinctive. They are things that others aren't going to have because they aren't sold in such mass quantities.
Sources:
Ikea: Ikea is the best. If you know me, you know my love (on the cusp of an obsession) with Ikea. They have great stuff, and banging storage solutions. They are smart. So smart. And......they aren't so proud of themselves that they charge a fortune. They are a go-to for me. *Side note, specific to this Idea Board. We needed swivel chairs for this room so that anyone sitting in the Tullsta chairs could turn to watch TV if desired.....quick, DIY fix: the bottom of the Tullsta chairs are wood, so we ordered some heavy duty swivels from Amazon, took the legs off the chairs, and attached the swivels to the bottom of the chairs. The chair skirt hides the swivel. Functional and doesn't look like a 90 year old owns it (I find that most swivels chairs err on the side of looking outdated as all get out).
Home Goods: Oh, Home Goods. That's the place to go for all of your home styling needs. Mirrors, artwork, filler pieces (i.e. vases, bedside table pretties, etc). It's very hit or miss, but when you go on a good day, man, it's amazing. Load up that cart.
Target: I mean, who doesn't need an excuse to hit up target. Stock up on new bath and bed items here. Great throw blankets for the bedroom, and decorative pieces with pops of color.
Antique Store: Find a good one near you. This is my little slice of heaven. I could get lost for hours in the one I frequent (Gaslamp Too in Nashville). Find unique and original art, accent furniture and items that tell a story. Vintage finds always make rooms more interesting. I love, love, love mixing old and new. It makes things less rigid and blah. Warm it up with antiques.
West Elm: Love me some West Elm rugs. Always eye-catching and always spot on. Rugs can get $$$, but WE does a great job of offering most of their rugs at a very reasonable price for what you get. This is also a good spot for some seriously cool throw pillows and little decor items.
And there you have it, the recipe for a lovely living space on a budget.
Happy hunting y'all.
Rachel