Hi all…

Have you just purchased a new home and are so house-poor that you are wondering how you are going to fill it?  If this sounds like you and you want a lot of look for a little money, here are some tips that may help:

1) Choose a few items to splurge on…these items should be items that will last through taste changes and moves…and go the affordable/cheaper route on the rest.  Good examples of splurge items are: Area Rugs (choose high quality wool/silk blends or just wool and they will last a lifetime…you can will them to your children…), Original Art (oil paintings, etc)

2) Spend less money on furniture like chairs and sofas…chances are, you can find a great look for a good price and these types of furniture need replacing every 5 or so years anyway, so don’t put a ton of money in to them….you do NOT need a $5,000 sofa…nor do you need a $2,000 chair.   Also, choose neutral fabrics on the larger pieces and dress them up with more interesting fabrics on your pillows and throws.

3) Buy pre-packaged window panels instead of doing custom window treatments…they are a much better price, they are a lot of look and you wont feel sick if you have to leave them when you sell your house because you wont have tens of thousands of dollars in to them.  Also, if you get sick of the panels you have it is super easy to take them down and replace them with new ones.

4) Spend a little extra on pillows and throws…since this is what will be dressing up your more neutral furniture and will be what adds more style to your room, splurge a little…the most you will spend on any one pillow is (maybe) $250…you will be happy with the way they make a room look way more expensive than it really is.

And don’t forget…you do not have to do everything at once…you will be happier with your choices if you do it over time and really think about the look you are going for.  You will build back up your cashflow and you do not want to regret buying things that you really don’t like just because the were cheap and you wanted to fill the space.

I would love to hear more tips…so please feel free to add them.