Homeware: Where to Save & Where to Splurge
It can be difficult to know, when doing up and renovating your house, what to spend your money on and what to scrimp on when it comes to furnishing your house. We had the same issue when we were buying things for our house.
But since we've finished furnishing our home now, post-renovations, I thought I'd give you a list of homeware to splurge on and homeware to save on. You don't have to take my word as gospel here. It is just my opinion.
But it's what we've saved and splurged on over the last five years of living in our home, mainly based on how much use it will get or how expensive things would be to replace. So, here's the homeware we invested in and homeware we scrimped on.
Homeware to splurge on
When we furnished our house after renovating it, there were a few homeware bits and bobs we spent considerable money on. I think there are just some things for the home that you should invest on, mostly to save money in the long-term so you don't have to replace them very often. So, here's the homeware we splurged on over the last five years:
- Sofa - something we use everyday, the sofa needed to be high-quality and big enough to seat at least four people. Take a look at our DFS corner sofa here
- Dining table - dining tables are so expensive. So the last thing we wanted to do was replace it every few years. Not to mention it's a statement piece in our kitchen/diner. Take a look at our dining table from Barker and Stonehouse here
- Dining chairs - you need good quality dining chairs, especially if you like to host dinner parties and use a kitchen/diner as an entertainment space. Ours are faux leather and spin. Take a look at our dining chairs from Barker and Stonehouse here
- Light fittings/lamps - light fittings and lamps need to be able to last a lifetime. They're expensive, so I don't expect to keep replacing them every few years. Also, I think you get what you pay for with light fittings and lamps
- Mattress - your mattress needs to last at least eight years before you replace. It's a long time to wait if you're scrimped on it and hate it. Not to mention it could be an expensive mistake as you may end up buying two mattresses to find one that's right for you. Splurge at first to avoid replacing too early. To view our mattress, take a look here
- Bedding - sleep is extremely important for your health, so not only should your mattress be comfortable, but your bedding should be, too. Soft, cotton bedding is a great way of keeping you warm, cosy and comfortable as you snooze. You'll also find that quality bedding withstands the washing machine on a regular basis, as we wash our bedding once a week
- Candles - you want scents in your home to scream luxury. You don't want scents that are cheap or don't emit much of a smell at all. I like to invest in candles from places like Jo Malone and White Company, purely for their amazing and long-lasting scents. It also means you'll burn less frequently as you simply won't need to keep lighting your candles to get the smell you desire
Homeware to save on
Now you've had my verdict on homeware to invest in, we're moving onto the homeware items you should be saving money on. Again, this is entirely my opinion, so you do you. If you want to invest in any of the following items, then go ahead!
- Bed frames - bed frames are usually made the same no matter where you go. Provided they've been constructed properly, they'll last a lifetime. Of course, some might be more costly depending on what they're made from (like an oak vs IKEA bed frame, for instance), but generally, I wouldn't blow all of my money on a bed frame, I'd rather put it towards a mattress I love
- Coffee tables - coffee tables are designed to be used. They're made to have hot drinks and food put on them, as well as being a makeshift foot rest for some house guests. Why spend too much money on something that needs to be cleaned daily because of all of the use it gets? It's going to be riddled with ring marks, for instance. I don't think I'd want my expensive coffee table to be quite so well loved
- Side tables - the same reason for not investing in a coffee table, side tables are much the same and have a similar purpose to coffee tables. They're used for putting beverages and food on from time to time. Easily purchased and inexpensive to buy, side tables can be replaced if it becomes to worn
- Side boards - a dining table is one thing, but a side board to go alongside it isn't something I'd want to spend lots of money on. It's bound to be something that people crash their chairs into. That and it's often used as a clutter-collector
- Bedside tables - much like coffee and side tables, a bedside table is used for nothing more than housing coffee on a Saturday morning and for throwing books on at the end of the night. Also, no one really sees them in our room. While I might be prepared to invest more in guest room bedside tables, there are other things I'd invest in before bedside tables
- Sofa cushions - sofa cushions are designed to be thrown away, used a laptop rests and for generally snuggling with while lounging on the sofa. This means that it's likely for food or drink to stain them. We're not precious about our sofa cushions, mainly because they were from IKEA and can be easily replaced should one become stained
- Throws and blankets - for much the same reason as sofa cushions, throws and blankets will come into contact with food and drink at some point, but they can be easily washed, especially if you buy blankets and throws that are affordable. Anything made from wool will be more difficult to take care of, so don't spend loads of money on blankets and throws
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post? Let me know in the comments below which homeware items you would save and splurge on and I'll see you all again soon with some brand new content!
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