Budgeting and shopping for your space can be one of the trickiest parts of decorating. Even if you know exactly what you want, it can get difficult to break everything down and organize. Here, we are giving you our best tips on how to navigate through this difficult portion of your decorating adventure!
If you prefer us in video form, you can find these budgeting tips, and much more on our Youtube channel!
Tip 1: Compose a master list of pieces you need. This can include anything from a sofa to a vase - just get all your ideas on on paper. From there you can star the most important/necessary items and begin to prioritize. A great way to prioritize pieces is to decide whether or not you want to invest in them or part with them after a year or two.
Tip 2: Create a rough budget for yourself. Research the cost of the pieces you need at different stores. This will give you an idea of how much you can expect to spend for the items you want.
Tip 3: Start shopping for your main pieces first. It is much harder to find the perfect sofa than it is to find a fun lamp. So, start with the basics, work your way down to the secondary pieces (end tables, floor lamps, etc.), and finally polish off the room with accessories.
Tip 4: Get the necessities before anything. For example, if you are designing a dining room and don't have a table, get a table. Or if you are designing a bedroom and don't have a bed, get a bed. We could go on forever, but you get it.
Tip 5: Don't splurge on trendy pieces, splurge on neutral basics. Over-dyed throw pillows come and go, but that linen sofa will be around for a while. Don't be that person who refuses to get rid of their early 2000's Italian white leather sofa because they spent $5,000 on it.
Tip 6: Look everywhere! Don't count out sites like Craigslist and Ebay. You never know what you will find for a fraction of the retail price. Some of our favorite finds have come from both sites!
Tip 7: Shop online sales. If you love those dining room chairs wait till a holiday weekend sale. Most retailers will have some sort of sale, and sometimes you even get free shipping!
Tip 8: Take your time! It's easy to get excited about your new space and want to purchase everything at once (we've certainly been guilty of it). The truth is that most of the best rooms took at least a year to create and curate. So before you begin, make sure to take a deep breath and focus on make your space the best it can be, even if it takes a year.