Why Pay More!
I confess that when I could afford it I bought an occasional item at Gucci and Prada. I also admit that I paid a lot of money and that the quality of their clothing is truly impeccable. Still I look back at those days and think myself a bit insane. Today I am what many call a "bargain shopper". My motto now is "why the hell pay more".
When you have good taste and you follow the trends and styles that are higher end, you can copy it. That is exactly what I do. At first if was an accident because I would find an item and then later see it in a high end magazine. One of my finds was a Wishbone chair that I'd never seen before at Marshall's. I looked at it and gasped, came back and bought them and then saw them in various colors in the next few AD spreads. While "Design Within Reach" sold them for 650.00 plus depending on the finish, I purchased them for 100.00 each. The same happened with my pony chairs that I paid 650.00 for and then saw them in Metropolitan Home for 1900.00. I could go on but you get my drift.
Here are some stores I would recommend to anyone who has a good eye for style and quality:
Home Goods:
Home goods has some brand name items for everything from accessories to major furniture. Their lamps are especially cool and often times have some printed shades and lucite bases. They carry a really nice line of area rugs in many styles for any home. Their accessories range from the beach motif all the way to a luxurious crystal. I love their bowls and kitchen items and they have a really nice selection, some things you might find at a high end kitchen store. I have a sofa chair in my living room in a pearl gray quilted leather and U-shaped chrome legs that is delicious. A lot of my lighting is from Home Goods and some of it mimics the very high end Ralph Lauren styles.
IKEA:
I use to make fun of this store at one time in my life. I must share that recently Amanda Peet's who has a reality show decorated her mom cave in all Ikea items. It turned out beautifully and she hired a decorator who was instructed to get most of the items at Ikea so as to stay on a budget. I don't recommend everything at IKEA and would warn of some items that are flimsy and made poorly. In addition you must be skilled at assembling things if you don't want to pay them to do this. Their delivery fee is a flat fee which is great. I love their lighting and it is not just reasonable, some of it is truly unique and high style. I recently bought a pendant that looks like a puzzle and opens and closes into a globe shape. They received recognition for the design but that is not why I bought it. Ironically I bought it for 80.00 dollars and it went up 50.00 dollars to 130.00 in less than a month. Apparently I have good taste: LOL. People don't know this but on some of the sofas they have a 10 year warranty. No one warranties their furniture that I know of and if they do it would not be for 10 years. This store is big and they have a lot of merchandise but it is worth looking at their accessories: vases, frames, matting, candle hurricanes and the like. You can save a lot of money on their dish ware and their kitchens are incredible and there are lots of choices.
Marshall's, TJ Max:
Marshall's and TJ Max offer some nice casual wear for men and many times carry designer labels if that is your thing. You can get a beautiful polo shirt for half the price, sometimes less. They have a great selection of candles incased in glass and beautiful towels. Marshall's occasionally has some great furniture peices especially tables, dining chairs. Stools and the like. I found metal yellow stools that were super sharp for 30.00 each. High style for a lot less money and worth dropping in here and there. I have bought athletic gear there that people thought was from Lulu Lemon where the gear is superb but very expensive.
Target:
I always say and have heard this repeatedly: "I love me some Target". It is a great place to find some stylish stuff for a lot less money that is made well. Their Merona line of men's wear is very nice and you can find some basic shirts that are one hundred percent cotton. I especially find their athletic gear interesting and priced well. It is a great place to buy your clothing basics: shorts, dress shirts, casual slacks, underwear, socks, and more. I love me some Target.
Ross:
I was introduced to Ross in California by a friend of mine. She uses their items to stage homes and stages for plays. You have to know what is worthwhile but they are priced really well. I think their bedding is super inexpensive and worth buying for your kid's room. It is so inexpensive that you could switch the bedding often when the kids' stain it or spill something on it. They have a low inventory but you can find a lot of things: kitchen, baskets, pillows, sheets, clothes for a great price.
So there you have it. My true confession. In the end I have mixed high and low end things in everything I own. I even love thrift stores. If you don't get stuck on high end designer stuff then you could save a lot, have a beautiful home and look great all the time. It is not about expensive items only but about being able to determine what is of quality and what the purpose of the purchase is. Take my word for it there is not always a big difference between high end and discounted things. It is more about your taste level and ability to pick things that are of quality.
When you have good taste and you follow the trends and styles that are higher end, you can copy it. That is exactly what I do. At first if was an accident because I would find an item and then later see it in a high end magazine. One of my finds was a Wishbone chair that I'd never seen before at Marshall's. I looked at it and gasped, came back and bought them and then saw them in various colors in the next few AD spreads. While "Design Within Reach" sold them for 650.00 plus depending on the finish, I purchased them for 100.00 each. The same happened with my pony chairs that I paid 650.00 for and then saw them in Metropolitan Home for 1900.00. I could go on but you get my drift.
Here are some stores I would recommend to anyone who has a good eye for style and quality:
Home Goods:
Home goods has some brand name items for everything from accessories to major furniture. Their lamps are especially cool and often times have some printed shades and lucite bases. They carry a really nice line of area rugs in many styles for any home. Their accessories range from the beach motif all the way to a luxurious crystal. I love their bowls and kitchen items and they have a really nice selection, some things you might find at a high end kitchen store. I have a sofa chair in my living room in a pearl gray quilted leather and U-shaped chrome legs that is delicious. A lot of my lighting is from Home Goods and some of it mimics the very high end Ralph Lauren styles.
IKEA:
I use to make fun of this store at one time in my life. I must share that recently Amanda Peet's who has a reality show decorated her mom cave in all Ikea items. It turned out beautifully and she hired a decorator who was instructed to get most of the items at Ikea so as to stay on a budget. I don't recommend everything at IKEA and would warn of some items that are flimsy and made poorly. In addition you must be skilled at assembling things if you don't want to pay them to do this. Their delivery fee is a flat fee which is great. I love their lighting and it is not just reasonable, some of it is truly unique and high style. I recently bought a pendant that looks like a puzzle and opens and closes into a globe shape. They received recognition for the design but that is not why I bought it. Ironically I bought it for 80.00 dollars and it went up 50.00 dollars to 130.00 in less than a month. Apparently I have good taste: LOL. People don't know this but on some of the sofas they have a 10 year warranty. No one warranties their furniture that I know of and if they do it would not be for 10 years. This store is big and they have a lot of merchandise but it is worth looking at their accessories: vases, frames, matting, candle hurricanes and the like. You can save a lot of money on their dish ware and their kitchens are incredible and there are lots of choices.
Marshall's, TJ Max:
Marshall's and TJ Max offer some nice casual wear for men and many times carry designer labels if that is your thing. You can get a beautiful polo shirt for half the price, sometimes less. They have a great selection of candles incased in glass and beautiful towels. Marshall's occasionally has some great furniture peices especially tables, dining chairs. Stools and the like. I found metal yellow stools that were super sharp for 30.00 each. High style for a lot less money and worth dropping in here and there. I have bought athletic gear there that people thought was from Lulu Lemon where the gear is superb but very expensive.
Target:
I always say and have heard this repeatedly: "I love me some Target". It is a great place to find some stylish stuff for a lot less money that is made well. Their Merona line of men's wear is very nice and you can find some basic shirts that are one hundred percent cotton. I especially find their athletic gear interesting and priced well. It is a great place to buy your clothing basics: shorts, dress shirts, casual slacks, underwear, socks, and more. I love me some Target.
Ross:
I was introduced to Ross in California by a friend of mine. She uses their items to stage homes and stages for plays. You have to know what is worthwhile but they are priced really well. I think their bedding is super inexpensive and worth buying for your kid's room. It is so inexpensive that you could switch the bedding often when the kids' stain it or spill something on it. They have a low inventory but you can find a lot of things: kitchen, baskets, pillows, sheets, clothes for a great price.
So there you have it. My true confession. In the end I have mixed high and low end things in everything I own. I even love thrift stores. If you don't get stuck on high end designer stuff then you could save a lot, have a beautiful home and look great all the time. It is not about expensive items only but about being able to determine what is of quality and what the purpose of the purchase is. Take my word for it there is not always a big difference between high end and discounted things. It is more about your taste level and ability to pick things that are of quality.
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