I'm always looking for a good deal on home decor, and with purchasing a home for the first time this year and needing to furnish all the rooms, I was REALLY looking for a bargain. Thankfully home accents like objects, frames, books, trays and all the other little items don't break the bank. But furniture, that's another story. It's bulky, heavy, costly to ship, stressful to put together, and definitely a pain in the you know what to return. All of that stuff aside, it's EXPENSIVE!
The thing is, the most expensive pieces you purchase for your home should also last you more than a year. Heck, even more than that! Replacing pillows or swapping other accessories can be done seasonally or annually especially when they have outworn their stay. However, replacing a couch every year is completely ridiculous. If we're spending the money, we want it to last. Here are our top six things we recommend investing the extra dollar on and why:
1. Mattress
The average person spends about 26 years sleeping in their life which equates to 9,490 days or 227,760 hours. That's a lot of time to spend on a mattress that hurts your back, hips, legs or whatever other body part is ailing you. The mattress I had in high school was from my grandmother and had probably been handed down for an unhealthy amount of years before it got to me. When I went to college, a new mattress was the most expensive, yet best thing I purchase for myself. Getting a good nights rest is worth the extra dollar.
Here are some of the online mattress companies that are making headlines for temperature regulation, comfort, and happiness guarantees:
Casper:
- Price Range: $395-$1,595 - Depending on size and mattress style
- Free shipping
- 100-night risk free trial
- 10 year warranty
Avocado:
- Price Range: $1,095-$3,399 - Depending on size and mattress style
- Needed tufted by hand
- 100% certified organic mattress
- They offer Vegan (PETA approved) mattresses
Purple:
- Price Range: $699-$2,299 - Depending on size and mattress style
- #1 in Customer Satisfaction,2 Years in a Row
- Features 2 inches of breathable gel Grid to cradle pressure points like hips and shoulders while keeping the rest of your body fully aligned.
- Free shipping & returns
- 10 year warranty
- 100-night risk free trial
2. Bedding
What good is a new mattress to you if you dont have the perfect sheets to wrap around it? My absolute favorite bedding company right now is Parachute. Both our main and guest bedrooms use the linen duvet covers and pillows sets. Linen is great because it's moisture absorbing, bacteria resistant, and has ventilating capabilities. They have carry all the ingredients to make a picture picture bed, from sheets, all the way to decorative shams. For our sheets, we decided to go the non linen route. I wanted something a little silkier on my skin and was introduced to Cozy Earth via a friend on Instagram. I will NEVER purchase another brand of sheets as long as I live after finding Cozy Earth. They are the softest feeling sheets I have ever had the pleasure of laying on.
Here are a few bedding companies to check out:
Parachute:
- Linen Duvet Cover & Sham Set: $289-359 (Depending on size of bed)
- Made of 100% European flax
-
Duvet cover features twill ties in all four corners.
Cozy Earth:
- Bamboo Sheet Set: $319-$419 (Depending on size of bed)
- The world’s softest sheets guaranteed.
- Temperature regulating – feels like the perfect temperature
- Hypoallergenic
- Premium 100% Viscose from Bamboo fabric tested free of harmful chemicals
- Easy to wash and stain resistant
Buffy:
- Buffy Breeze Comforter: $179-$259
- The super-soft 100% eucalyptus shell and fill keep you comfy without overheating. Unlike polyester or down, which trap heat, eucalyptus is naturally breathable and cool-to-the-touch.
- Eucalyptus sheets: $169-229
- 100% eucalyptus fiber
- Eucalyptus fiber contains no essential oils and is safe for pets and kids
- Cool to the touch
- Hemp sheets: $279-$299
- Antibacterial hemp fiber is naturally resistant to UV light fading, mold, and mildew
- Beautiful, breathable, and designed to get softer with every wash.
3. Couch:
As the one of the largest pieces of furniture in your home, the couch comes at a pretty penny. Unless you are shopping at Ikea, you can expect to spend $800 or more on one. But like your bed, this is one of those items that you likely spend a lot of your time at home sitting on.
Here are some of our favorite places to shop for couches:
Article
Harmony 2 piece chaise Via West Elm
West Elm
Joybird
Big Sur Deep Seat Sofa via Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn
4. Statement Pieces:
Picture frames of you and your friends are easy to source and can be placed all around your home. However, there is something so nice about a statement piece that really stands out in a room and acts as the centerpiece for all the other decor in the room, and not to mention your guests, to admire. Imagine walking into a room where the Isobel Bookshelf (image below) greets you? You couldn't help but smile! When we moved into our house we decided to splurge on an oversized piece of artwork for our dining room after a friend introduced us to House of Spoils. We ended up getting the Glassy Days piece by Harry Mark and get SO many compliments on it when we have guests over.
Here are a few great places to find big art and statement pieces:
House of Spoils
- Ready to hang right out of the box
- Free shipping
- Member pricing helps you save and it's free to join the program
- Their artists are supported directly from every purchase
Idyll Collective
- For every print sold, 5 trees are planted
- Hand crafted in the US using archival methods and materials
- Free Shipping - Custom made and shipped in 7-10 Days
Isobel Bookshelf via Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters
- Orders over $50 ship free
- Their home + apartment collection continues to grow and always has stylish items being added
5. Rugs:
If you've ever purchased a rug before, you know how insanely expensive even the smallest one for your entryway can be. A large room filling area rug can cost $10,000+. I don't think you need me to tell you this, but DO NOT spend that much on your rug! That's more than a splurge. That's a low budget car. Depending on your situation with children or dogs, a good area rug should last you 10 years or maybe even more with regular upkeep. Let's do some math and say you spend $1,000 on an area rug. That boils down to $100 a year, which isn't too bad! There are a couple of ways to get an area rug that doesn't completely drain the bank:
- Buy used
- Layer a less expensive larger rug under a smaller more expensive rug
- Hit up local flea markets that are selling vintage goods
Here are some of our favorite places to look for rugs:
Lulu & Georgia
- Shipping is based on item price, but they have sales often
- They have the largest selection of unique rug styles in my opinion
Alessia Dark Wood Rug Via Ruggable
Ruggable
- Free Domestic US Shipping
- Slip proof
- Stain-resistant, water-resistant
- Machine washable. It doesn't get any better than this people!
6. Dining Chairs:
A plastic chair that stacks might be great for outdoor seating, but when it comes to the spot you sit to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, we decided to go up a notch in the comfort level. In our first apartment together, we had metal restaurant stacking chairs and ended up sitting on the living room floor to eat every meal because they were SO uncomfortable. I vowed to never make that mistake again. When we moved, we bought the most gorgeous terrazzo dining table from a shop here in Los Angeles called The Hangar, but didn't see any chairs there that we liked to match it. I ended up finding the perfect black faux leather dining chairs on Wayfair. We love them for a few reasons - they are easy to clean and can be wiped down in 2 seconds. They are oh so comfortable! And they are stylish and look more expensive than they were. Our guests can sit for hours eating, sipping wine and talking. Exactly what I want when hosting!
Here are some of our top picks for comfy dining chairs:
Wayfair
Shown above:
- Newkirk Side Chair (Set of 2)
- Castaldo Dining Chair Dark Brown (Set of 2)
- Terri Arm Chair in Cappuccino Brown (Set of 2)
- Agostini Upholstered Arm Chair Taupe (Set of 2)
Overstock
Shown above:
- Carson Carrington Akrehamn Cappuccino Faux Leather Armchair (Set of 2)
- Carbon Loft Aduba Contemporary Pleated Chair in Faux Leather (Set of 2) - Black
- SAFAVIEH Taika Leather Dining Chair - Black
- Alaura Caramel Brown Faux Leather Arm Chair with Beech Legs (Set of 2)
Article
Shown above:
AllModern
Shown above:
- Cecilia Upholstered Arm Chair
- Katelynn Upholstered Dining Chair (Set of 2)
- Augie Upholstered Arm Chair (Set of 2)
- Jewett Upholstered Arm Chair
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