How is everyone doing this week? If you have been with me for some time, you know that we always use a mix of high and low in all of our spaces. There are always a couple of pieces that I fall in love with and splurge on, but the rest is a collection of affordable piece from wherever I might find them. In fact, the bargains and good buys are what bring me so much joy. Why spend a fortune when you can integrate things you like for less? Today I thought I would walk you through a few of our rooms and show you how the mix of high and low plays out.
POWDER ROOM
First up is our powder room. We recently shared the reveal on the blog. It was a true labor of love and a project that we put a great deal of sweat equity into. The one splurge was the paperweave wallpaper I fell in love with. Plus we only needed one roll for this space.
Our inexpensive vanity got a custom look with new paint. Many of the other finds were from Amazon, including the faucet and mirror.
And great news, the realistic succulent is back in stock. It’s so good.
MASTER BEDROOM
In our master bedroom we used a second hand dresser. When I started looking around at quality pieces the prices were outrageous. We spent very little on it and it’s one of my favorite pieces ever. The chairs were inexpensive but great quality from Living Spaces. They are comfortable and have held up so well.
In this seating area, the custom drapes (Tonic Living) and the pillows were a splurge to give it the designer feel. These drapery panels from Amazon are a fantastic option. The sweater rug was a Wayfair find and adds great texture to the space. There are more examples of high low in our master bedroom reveal post.
TEEN SPACE
Our teen room is a great example of mixing and high and low. We have used these white Ikea bookcases for years and years. They have been moved around over the years and I am so happy we kept them. We’ve used two in this space. We didn’t spend a lot on the swivel chairs and yet we have been thrilled so far. They even spot well. We used them every single night with our feet propped up on these ottomans. The pillows and faux stems were my splurge. They also get moved around quite a bit. The cute little woven baskets are from The Container Store for a steal.
ENTRYWAY
When you walk into our home you will see the pendant that we brought from our previous house. I have always loved it and knew it would work well here. It’s currently on sale. The mirror, runner and artwork were all steals. The mirror was a $50 HomeGoods find and the 12′ runner was $100. The prints were from Etsy. I find that you can often get creative when it comes to art and save yourself some money. Here are two posts I’ve written about that:
THE FAMILY ROOM
In our family room, I fell in love with the McGee and Co. coffee table. We needed something really large in scale and I knew it would be the focal point of the room. I made my own window treatments for the room and many of the accessories are from Amazon like this succulent.
OUR KITCHEN
Our kitchen table was a thrift store find many years ago. In fact, it was the first piece of furniture my husband and I bought together. I still love it. (This one is similar). After a fresh coat of paint, it had a whole new life. While the light fixture was my splurge, I stumbled upon these inexpensive drapery panels at HomeGoods. The artwork are prints I found on Etsy and printed myself.
A FEW FAVORITES
These are all tried and true pieces. They won’t break the bank but will add high style to any space.
- swivel chairs – we have these in our teen space and love
- faux succulent – I bought two to have on hand for hostess gifts
- faux leather stool – so comfy and look amazing in person
- beads – decorative accent, look so good in person
- runner – we have this in our hallway, beautiful colors
- mirror – amazing price for such a large mirror
- bookcase – this is in our son’s room, a great bookcase
- plant – a Studio McGee find from Target. I have two.
- sconces – only $40, so similar to the more expensive version
I am currently helping a friend with her new home and we are doing something very similar It’s okay to fall in love with a beautiful piece. It becomes the focal point of the room. But it’s very easy to fill in and style around it with inexpensive accessories and finds. My go-to spots for things like that are HomeGoods, Target, Walmart, Wayfair, neighborhood selling sites, and vintage pieces from secondhand stores. The hunt is half of the fun.
Love al of your pieces! Can you share a photo of how you styled your coffee table? I have the Hadley table from Studio McGee and am having trouble making it look “good”. Right now I have a large square tray. I tried some books with the faux fern, but it looks strange. Thanks!