Master the Mix: Mixing Budgets - San Francisco

We really had a blast designing a primary bedroom in San Francisco with a tropical seventies glam vibe in mind. Once the primary bedroom was completed we moved onto the living, dining, stair niche and kitchen. While this is not the design we landed on, it was one of our early renditions and has a great mix of higher priced items while mixing in some more affordable pieces too.

Big Box Can be Your Friend

For the kitchen, the client chose these Jonathan Adler Bubble Pendants (a splurge!) so we evened that out with these rattan counter stools from Wayfair .

Vintage for the Win (Yes, Again!)

For the stair niche area we found a vintage rattan bookcase to display the client’s tiki mug collection for $850. For the splurge, we sourced two small ottomans that could pull into the living room for extra seating.

Invest in Durability

While the dining room pieces are splurgey, they are also practical and will have longevity. The dining table is like a large-scale sculpture, but its concrete finish makes it a sturdy choice. The dining chairs were another splurge but performance grade fabric ensures the chairs withstand to messiest of dinner parties.

Splurge on High-Impact Art

The client’s open-concept living area needed focal points to stand in for architecture. While this piece carries a higher price tag, it is worth its weight in impact. The colors and the subject matter really hit the nail on the head with the tropical vibe that the client wanted, and the large scale makes the dining area.

It’s All Relative

In the living room, the sectional price tag may seem high at first, but for such a large piece it’s really quite reasonable. Think of it like purchasing two couches for the price of one.

Rugs are a Wild Card (Yes, Again!)

We love a good rug—and it does not have to cost a ton. Will this be an heirloom, passed down to the next generation? No. Does it deliver a tone of design impact at a super low cost per square foot? Sure does!

Mix it Up

In the buffet area, we took a fun, retail piece from Anthropologie and elevated it with a lamp and mirror that bring in high-end metal finishes. Sometimes the simplest formula is to go for cheaper finishes on cheaper pieces (bamboo on the credenza) but make sure you are spending more for expensive finishes—not every company does metals right, and in person, you can definitely see the quality.

As always, I hope you found something you liked or even loved and learned a couple of things about mixing budgets.

xoxo Lauren