Dalliance Design | A Love Affair With Design: September 2011

As some of you may know, I am a true believer in mixing expensive and inexpensive. And I am excited to try and show you how you can achieve it. I'm categorizing towards a bedroom revamp in this post, but you could apply some of these rules to any room in the house. Let's begin...

SAVE #1 As everyone knows, paint is way more cost effective than wallpaper, BUT try something a little more textural like Ralph Lauren's Regent Metallic Paints which have the slightest shimmer and texture. Or even stripes can be fun, and if you are a little more daring try stripes in the same color but with alternating sheens from flat to high gloss.

SPLURGE #1 Add something with architectural interest. It could be something as simple as a ceiling medallion around a ceiling fixture, or as elaborate as crown or picture moulding. Either way it adds a really luxurious impact.

SAVE #2 Believe it or not the two images above are case pieces that were salvaged and repainted. I highly suggest going to flea markets, craiglist, antique stores, or eBay for pieces that just need a little TLC. It takes some time and a bit of elbow grease, but shopping around can be an adventure. Try painting vs. staining, because you can get away with not having to sand down the piece too much, and it can be a great way to give a room a pop of color.

SPLURGE #2 Hardware is like jewelry, and the good stuff can be expensive. Dress up your painted salvaged piece with gorgeous knobs and pulls. These amazing pulls are by Marjorie Skouras.

SAVE #3 Make a headboard! and save on buying an expensive bed. There are plenty of tutorials online with step by step direction. Try Here. And a basic metal bed frame can be easily hidden by a simple linen bed skirt or fluffy duvet, so there is no need to buy a pricey bed frame.

SPLURGE #3 Use that left over money from saving on an expensive bed for gorgeous fabric for that headboard. You won't need too much yardage like a sofa does so even if you buy fabric that is over $100 a yard it still won't hurt you as much as buying a big bed would. Try Interior Mall for the fabrics that designers use. I like Highland Court and Schumacher, but if all else fails a simple linen at $6 a yard can look super expensive too... DOUBLE SAVE!

SAVE/SPLURGE #4 If the rug is salvageable, rent a carpet cleaner from Home Depot, it can make a world of difference. If there are too many stains or you are a renter and can't remove the rug, try a sisal or seagrass area rug. They are really inexpensive and go with everything!! And if you don't like the feel of it, add a sheepskin rug over top to sink your toes into when you get out of bed in the morning.

SAVE #5 Like one of the last posts I had on dressing up ready made drapes (see here), they are dramatically more practical than custom drapes. You can find them in luxurious linen or velvet from your average pottery barn or restoration hardware.

SPLURGE #5 If you save on the drapes splurge on the hardware. Restoration Hardware has gorgeous stuff that really makes all the difference in comparison to a Bed Bath & Beyond wannabe shower curtain rod.

SAVE #6 Save your cash on accessories. If you know what to look for you can hit up Home Goods or antique stores and find some really amazing and unique pieces. The 3 images above are all really inexpensive items from Etsy. The gold tray is only $12!

SPLURGE #6 And while you are being frugal on accessories, break out the big bucks on lighting. A sweet piece from 1st dibs or circa lighting can really last the test of time and make your bedroom super unique.

SAVE #7 Time Out. Before you go buying those crazy expansive sheets with the really high thread count, listen here. It is a scam!! Just because something has more thread per cubic inch, it doesn't make it better. My textile professors use to tell us that high thread count doesn't ensure quality. And according to Macy’s product manager Walter Bridgham "1,000-thread-count sheets are so dense with yarn, they can start to feel “heavy, like a canvas.” And designer Charlotte Moss says, “I feel about thread count the way I feel about SPF. After a certain number, does it really matter? (see more on article here). And when it comes to duvet covers, go with white down or synthetic if you are allergic. It is forgiving because it is fluffy, you can easily make the bed in a snap and a white base lets you mix up your pillows or throws when you get bored. Rule of thumb: Don't go lower than 400 thread count.

SPLURGE #7 After saving on the sheets and pillow cases, dress up your bed with a buttery soft cashmere throw or really exquisite throw pillows with intricate beading or embroidery. I like pillows from Ankasa, but you could also buy nice fabric and make pillows too.

SAVE/SPLURGE #8 For many, it can be tough to spend a lot of dough on a piece of art. Just see my post on inexpensive amazing art from Etsy. Whatever you do just make sure yo splurge on the framing. It sounds stupid but it can make all the difference. You can even dress up classic posters with nice framing. Michaels even has a great framing service that often goes on sale at 60% off.

SAVE/SPLURGE #9 Save on the Tylenol PM and buy yourself a quality mattress. Besides, we spend a lot of time there and we can own a mattresses up to 20 years at times. Trust me, it pays.

So, after hours of walking through the Javitz center at the New York Gift Show, seeing all of the wonderful new products from all of the vendors, it has finally arrived. It is always exciting to go to the furniture/accessory shows to view all of the hottest trends. The hard part is not being able to have access to it yet. Like fashion, the fall collections are revealed in the spring, but no one can get their hands on it for months. I have selected some great pieces I saw in person, from some of my favorite vendors such as Bungalow 5, Worlds Away, Arteriors, and Made Goods.

-S