The urge to decorate might be a tiny niggling thought, or it might be an need so powerful it cannot be denied. Decorating your home might be born out of necessity or out of a desire to update. Whether you have just signed the lease for your first apartment, or you have made the decision to redesign a home you have lived in for 30 years, the thought of decorating can be quite exciting. 

Whichever case of “decoritis” you have, the only cure is to give in and start planning. The never-ending loop of decorating and redesign shows provide a regular dose of inspiration and ideas. Spare moments of time spent scrolling through Pinterest’s endless stream of stimulus, and the daily barrage of retail emails, add up to a daunting list of options.

There are many things to consider when starting a decorating and redesign project. For example: what room or rooms are you focusing on? Is this a rental or your forever home? Are you making the redesign decisions yourself, or are you consulting with a spouse or roommate? Before starting any decorating plan, the number one consideration is always budget. Knowing how much you have to spend will determine how many of your Pinterest Board projects will be accomplished. 

Before you begin wading into the myriad of choices, a great idea is to determine where you should spend your money. What items are worth spending a little more of your hard earned cash on? How do you know when to purchase the more expensive option? A successful decorating and redesign project depends on knowing what constitutes a splurge worthy item.

Decorating & ReDesigning Living and Dining Rooms

When contemplating what items to splurge on, a great idea is to consider longevity; which pieces will you own and use for years to come in the living and dining rooms? These are usually big ticket items that will endure a parade of fickle style trends. But don’t immediately give yourself permission to spend more than you can afford. 

While the idea is to splurge, the purchase needs to remain within your budget. Research and know what you are shopping for; home furnishing stores are a beacon for social media-inspired decorators. In fact, during the first 4 months of 2019 alone, Canadians have spent $3.03 billion dollars in home furnishing stores.

In regards to the living room, a couch normally resides in a home for many years. In fact, most homeowners keep their sofa for at least 10 years; for sure, an item for splurge worthy decorating. Spending more money on a single item will ensure that it is a quality piece of furniture. The sofa will be better-made and will be constructed with sturdier fabric. This will guarantee that the couch not only lasts the better part of a decade, but that it will also continue to look great. Equally as important: quality sofas are made with better foam and therefore, will be more comfortable to sit on.

Custom tailored drapery has the power to instantly make a space feel more luxurious. Although the cost is significantly more than ready-made drapes, the polished effect is well worth the splurge. If this is not your forever home, the drapery also has the added benefit of helping to prepare your home for sale. Well-made drapes have the ability to block outside noise, hide ugly wallpaper, and if installed correctly, can make a small space feel larger.

A dining room table will also outlast many trends and is on the short list for splurge worthy decorating. A solid wood table costs more than a veneer one, but will last for many years. The natural wood finish will age beautifully and will withstand years of use. In fact, a quality piece of solid wood furniture can not only be transported through many moves, but can be handed down from one generation to another.

Decorating & ReDesigning Bedrooms and Bathrooms

Unlike the sofa, a mattress is not necessarily a stylish purchase. However, when you consider the amount of time per day that we spend on our mattress, the importance of including it as part of your splurge worthy decorating is understood. Similar to the couch and dining room table, spending more money on a mattress will ensure it is a better quality item. 

In fact, there is a direct relationship between mattress price and quality. More expensive mattresses offer better support, the all-important memory foam, and a multi-layer construction made with safe, high quality materials. Although a mattress is not what you might envision while scrolling through your social media feed, a better night’s sleep is definitely splurge worthy.

Often, the word “splurge” conjures up visions of self-indulgent purchases. And for good reason. According to the dictionary, to “splurge” means to “spend freely or extravagantly”. While this isn’t necessarily advised, there are certain items in the bedroom that are considered to be splurge worthy, but not indulgent.

If you have ever stayed in an inexpensive hotel you have likely experienced inferior quality bedding. Harkening back to the time spent sleeping, falling into bed at night entails sliding between the sheets. Inferior bedding feels scratchy and uncomfortable. Sheets are measured by their thread count: the higher the thread count, the more expensive the set, and the softer the sheets are. 

Keep in mind that a mid-range thread count will suffice; splurge but keep the purchase within your budget. Spending a little more for a quality set of sheets will ensure a more luxuriant sleep. However, it isn’t all about luxury; the higher quality sheets will wash better and last longer. Have fun with your shopping; choosing complementary colours add a touch of style to a redesigned bedroom.    

Embarking on a decorating and redesign project entails countless hours of planning and budgeting. Knowing which purchases should be included in your splurge worthy decorating will make the shopping more efficient. Although it may seem self-indulgent to spend extra on these items, it is worth it both in the short and long term. The better quality purchases will be higher quality, more comfortable, and will not require frequent re-purchasing. 

In fact, these more expensive items may last twice as long, so may even be cheaper in the end.