Dear Alice | How to Design on a Budget

This week’s podcast is all about how to approach designing on a budget! We talk a lot about how to bring together homes that feel timeless and very luxurious while doing it without breaking the bank. If you’re moving into a new home- this one is for you! This week’s episode can be found on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcast.

First things first- your furniture budget should be 10-20% of your home’s total cost. It might seem like a lot but one thing to keep in mind is the more house you have, the more you’ll have to pay to furnish it. Same goes for high ceilings- you’re going to pay a lot for finishings, window treatments and painting. Figure out your must haves and budget so you don’t end up living house poor. 

You can buy things at vintage shops but remember that not all vintage pieces are good and worthwhile. You have to be good at the hunt and ready to wait the long game.  Study famous furniture architects so you’ll be drawn to strong valuable pieces that you’ll have a connection with. You can thrift accent tables and chairs, coffee tables but you need to wait until you find the big grand pieces. You can also thrift a 36” cafe table to use as a side table. Search for brands you like on places like Facebook Marketplace or local second hand sites (here in Utah we have KSL). Some things will come “as is” or you might find others that’ll be worth the investment in repairing it. Play the high low game for yourself and figure out where your money is worth investing.

Estate sales are incredible- you can find companies that manage them locally and get quick notice on when the next ones are happening. They’re wonderful if someone was a collector because you can find some real gems. Yard sales are sales where people want to get rid of stuff- estates sales have pieces that people held onto their entire lives. Study the rooms and pieces to get ideas of how much certain pieces are worth and make sure you’re getting a good deal.

Invest in the things people will be looking at when they walk into your home for the first time. A stately memory point can give off such an incredible first impression- what does it say about you? 

Antique and vintage hand knotted rugs online are great for entryways so look specifically for Turkish and Moroccan oneds. You can put a rug pad underneath and they’re usually pretty thin so they’re good to be underneath swinging doors. 

Your living space sitting pieces are worth the investment- you need something comfortable because you’ll spend so much of your life lounging on them. You might think you’ll wait until you can afford the better couch, but you won’t replace it and you’ll end up regretting it- just wait until you can invest in it.   

You can find lots of original art on Ebay and have them reframed and you can hang rugs on walls and use them as art. You have to be patience and flip through a lot of pages but finding the perfect pieces is a thrill like no other.

Always remember to invest in those bigger pieces- Target isn’t the spot because a lot of their pieces are too small and won’t scale well in your home. Building a beautiful home while bargain shopping is possible- just remember to make it intentional.

Any questions or podcast ideas? Email us at dearalice@alicelanehome.com