The Top 5 Areas of your Home You Should Spend Money On
When it comes to buying for the home, I fully believe in achieving the fine tightrope balance between “Spend” and “Splurge”. This being that it is worth spending more on some items for reasons of comfort, practicality and longevity than it is on others.
The big brands may not like it, but there are many more affordable versions of things available to us now* (Yes- even in New Zealand if you know where to look!); “knock-offs” of certain statement pieces and unbranded replicas of iconic appliances to name a couple. Op-shopping is also making a huge resurgence with furniture up-cycling once again on the rise and is perfect for those who like to boast unique / one-off items in their home with some eclectic styling flair!
*Note: This isn’t to say I support fast-fashion, but rather acknowledge that in these more transient areas, where we might prefer to temporarily follow a trend or adapt our spaces with the seasons, these lower-budget options make the ability to interchange / cost-effectively upgrade more accessible to those who don’t have the budgets to support seasonal swaps at designer prices.
Styling items like cushion covers, fake plants and vases, smaller furniture items like side tables / lesser-used corner-filling bedroom chairs, table lamps and artwork are all great areas to ‘Save’ some money by sourcing from more affordable outlets.
There are some areas of the home though that I believe are non-negotiable when it comes to spending a little more on in order to live better, for a substantially longer time. For these items, while the additional expenditure might ‘hurt’ I can assure you, you’ll find it well worth the trade-off for living with comfort and ease in the long run. ‘Buy once & Buy right’.
These are my top 5 areas in which to ‘Splurge’:
your sofa
As one of the pieces of furniture in our home that we spend the most time with, this definitely deserves a little dollar-dollar love! Here, it is well worth spending more money on either a notable, well-made brand or most-ideally on a custom design. By taking the latter route with the assistance of an Interior Designer, you can guarantee you’re getting a quality NZ made product, in the perfect size to fit and in a fabric and style of your choice (colour, material and cushion fill are all adaptable to best suit your lifestyle!) Pets, kids, back issues; pfft- no problem.
2. Your mattress (and pillows!).
You know how when travelling, the hotels that offer you a selection of pillows are just the ultimate?! Everyone has a different preference when it comes to our ideal sleep-stations. In order to get the best possible nights’ rest, which is essential to improving our day-to-day health and mental & physical wellbeing, it’s well worth the arduous hunt for Goldilocks perfection and finding the combination that’s just right for you- no matter the cost.
3. YOUR Kitchen appliances.
Forget about the noisy whirring fridges of old / hob elements that take forever to heat / oven doors that rattle because they don’t seal properly… Spend more on your integral kitchen appliances. Trust me, it’s worth it. They may cost a lot more initially, but overall as well as just being way more pleasurable to use, you’ll also find that more-often-than-not, the running costs will work out far cheaper and they will be way more energy efficient. Higher-end models are also designed to be more quiet- an important factor for consideration too- especially if living in an apartment or other small space! Fridge noise does not = white noise. Nuh-uh. Not cute.
4. Your home office setup.
With so many of us working from home now it pays (quite literally in terms of productivity!) to splurge on creating yourself a comfortable and efficient dedicated workspace. Invest in that flash stand-up desk, ergonomic chair and extra storage that allows you to work clutter and distraction free & you’ll soon find your home office to be the hardest-working employee you ever had the pleasure of doing business with.
5. Quality bed linen.
You wisely spent on the mattress, now please, please splurge on the sheets! Nothing beats the calming luxurious feeling of sliding into a crisp, freshly- washed high threadcount that hugs the duvet inner like it loves-it-so-much-it-never-wants-to-let-go, instead of letting it slide around inside so you’re left grappling desperately onto the sorry empty corner for warmth at night. Yep, I’m that passionate about this subject I could Mills and Boon about it all day. Seriously- TREAT YOSELF. With a larger range of quality affordable linen out there than ever, splurge on a set that looks cosy & inviting and feels great. You can thank me later.