Get it for less

I am constantly hearing people tell me that they don't even know where to start when it comes to decorating their house. They don't know what colors would look good, or they don't know how to put things together. So, here are some things that I have heard interior decorators say to help get you started.



First, ask yourself what stores you like. West Elm, Restoration Hardware, Z Gallerie, Pottery Barn, Arhaus, Crate and Barrel, Ethan Allen? Ok, these are just to name a few to get you started. When you feel like you have an idea of what you like, look on their websites and catalogs. Pick out some things that you really love. If its big items such as couches and such, you probably won't find the exact same thing for 1/2 the price somewhere else. BUT....if it is accessories, I can almost promise that you can. Remember I said almost. :) (And as far as paint colors go, most magazines will tell you at the bottom the name of the paint they used for each room.)



I have a million examples of this kind of thing in my own home. A long while back, I saw these cute pink zebra print sheets for my daughter's room from Pottery Barn teen. They were $49 for the whole set. Then later I saw the same sheets at home goods for $19.99. And the great thing is, the sheets from homegoods were 300 thread count, whereas the ones from PB teen were 200 thread count. not that that really matters, but you were paying more for lower thread count! And in my other post, I said I would pay the money for bedding, I actually meant my bedding. Sorry Mar. :)



Here are the sheets from PB:



The sheets from HG. Yes, they are the same color......exactly.

This devon mirror is from Z Gallerie. It's $169 plus a fee of $15 plus shipping costs. It would put you well over $200. It's pretty, right?





I found mine at HG for $50. Oh, and because I am a nerd, I even measured my mirror to see if it were the same measurements. They were.

The completed look!

I love this chair from Pottery Barn. It's the PB basic armchair. I don't typically care for the skirts on furniture, but there was something about this chair that was warm. This chair is over $1,000 with the surcharge fee and shipping.

This is my chair. We have had it for 6 years now, and I love it more than ever. Oh, and did I mention that it was $249 at Ikea? It's the same white canvas like PB's and this chair's dimensions are actually bigger. People always ask if I got this chair at PB and I hate to let out my little secret. But here goes: It's the ektorp chair. And if something happens to the chair.....spills, children, dogs, whatever......their slipcovers for the entire chair are $29 each. yes, it's true. Oh...and one last thing!! They now make this chair with down cushions so it's even more comfortable than mine. sigh. This is Gwyneth Paltrow's bathroom. Beautiful. I especially love the mirror. But, something tells me she didn't run down to her local TJ Maxx and buy a bargain mirror.

Here is a mirror that I have that sort of resembles it and I paid less than $60.

And just one last note: I have accumulate these things over the years, so it takes a while to get your house just how you want it!