Master the Mix: Mixing Budgets - part I

We are no snobs when it comes to sourcing; it doesn’t matter to us where an item comes from if it works! In addition to shopping across the style spectrum, we also happily shop all types of vendors (retail, vintage, to-the-trade, custom) and pride ourselves on the ability to mix price points.

When designing the new studio, I decided to put my money where my mouth is and spend strategically, the way I advise clients to do.

As a company, we also value transparency. In this new series, I’m sharing what we actually paid to get the look, with notes on where we saved and why we splurged.

Invest in Quality Upholstery

With very few exceptions, we tell clients to invest in the best quality upholstery they can afford. You want a piece that will last—and that means paying for things like 8-way-hand-tied springs, kiln-dried frames, and paying attention to the fabric and the fill. Our sofa is a higher-end piece from Century furniture —I just happened to snap up the floor model. Retail price was likely closer to $4000.

Splurge on Wallpaper (but consider saving on application)

Wallpaper is one of the hallmarks of our designs and it was a no-brainer that we would use it in the studio. We chose a quality paper from Schumacher and paid a professional to install it. But rather than papering the whole space, we covered just two walls, which also helped define the seating area in an open space.

Wallpaper can have a huge impact and help you save in other categories: in this case, the paper does the heavy lifting and all the wall needs is a small mirror to feel complete.

Think of statement lighting as sculpture

Were you shocked by the price tag on the lamp? In truth, this lamp is on loan to me (and the price varies depending on how you purchase—I just gave it a round, ballpark number). The piece we are likely putting in this spot is from the same collection, that’s about what I will pay, and yes, I think it will be worth it.

Pull back on basics

Not everything can be the star of the show. The side table here needed to be a supporting player, and we invested accordingly.

Say Yes to Hand-me-downs

The coffee table was in my parent’s living room in the 70s; the white rattan chair took over the same room in the 80s. Not only were they free to me (Thanks Mom!), they bring a ton of soul to the space. To update the chair, I invested in a fabric I loved and had the seat reupholstered. Note: there is often a 2-yard minimum on fabric (and as much as 5-yards on hand-printed fabrics from smaller lines.) Sometimes you can pay a cut fee to get just one yard rather than paying more for yardage you can’t use—which is what I did here.

Rugs are a Wild Card

While I consider rugs to be foundational, prices vary widely. I don’t have a rule of thumb here: this was the right rug so I invested in it. As you will see in another post, we took a different tactic in the conference room.

That Last Layer: Mix it up!

Textiles, art, and accessories bring a room to life. We pull broadly in these categories. I’m not afraid of a pricey textile—or a thrift store find. If you love it and it speaks to you, I would always advise you to snap it up. You are more likely to regret the special find you didn’t buy than the one you did.

Sources

Links to sources for current items: Couch, wallpaper, table lamp, side table, chair fabric, rug, indian blanket pillow

Mirror: Home Goods

Vase: E’s Emporium

Ochre pillow: Loft Antiques