Another consideration is how old you are. I know that when I was younger, my tastes were quite different than they are now. It took me a while to settle into my style. So while I liked what I bought then, a lot of it is gone and has since been replaced with things more to my liking now. How trendy or classic something is will help you decide how much to invest in it.

I make very specific compromises, and they don't tend to be the same ones that most people would make. My biggest one, which wasn't really a compromise but a paradigm shift, was the house I bought. My ideal house is pre-1850. But restoring and renovating a historical property like that, in the manner that I would feel compelled to do it, isn't something I could really afford. So I bought a different sort of house altogether.

On the other hand, I just spent $600 on hinges for four closet doors, because I needed a specific, nearly invisible hinge for the design to work. The ironic part of this is that with regards to the appropriate pull/handle for the doors I have the option of a minimal pull that looks like it is from IKEA but is only made in the proper size by a company in NYC that is open by appointment only and has a catalogue of hand-drawn illustrations and are probably another $600 for four, or a "wire pull" those flattened D shaped things that I can get for $1.50 each

I think if most people were given a budget of $650 for hardware for four closet doors, they would probably spend the A$638 on fancy pulls and $12 on the hinges, but I am perverse enough to do it the other way around, since that would be "correct" style-wise.

It depends. Why do you want what you want?
Ask yourself is it the look, or is it the brand I like? Is it expensive because it's "in" or because it's "superb craftsmanship/quality..." Because it conveys a certain image or because I really, really like it?
Then take it from there.

Tibbrix, Annie and others raise a good point. How long something will last and how long you are likely to will still want it need to be considerations. Your tastes and your budget will change.

Just last week, I saw a rug displayed with a sofa we were considering buying. The rug seemed perfect and I went home wanting it too. I got home and looked it up. The size we were talking about was $10K -- on sale for $8k. If we went a size smaller - - which is what we have now and works, it would still be $6K. I'm sure the quality is there, but the problem was the design. It is a new Tibetan rug made to look like an old, worn carpet. They are very popular now, and the color was perfect with that sofa, but 5 years from now (maybe sooner), would I still love the look? Still, I told DH that if I didn't find something else I loved, I was going to get that rug. We decided to order the sofa in another fabric (similar color but different shade that made a huge difference in our room) and that rug wouldn't work as well. Found a rug I plan to order for a little over $300 -- also all wool, but a closeout rather than something from the new spring selections. I still love the other rug, but now DH can talk about how he agreed to spend $100 more on the sofa and wound up saving over $7500 on the rug. And I won't lose any sleep over whether the look will seem dated in a few years.

Take your time, especially with the big stuff, the lasting things. You can decorate in a day, but furnishing your home takes time.

"Placeholders" are more than okay. You buy something that is not exactly what you want because you need _______ (fill in the blank with bedding, lamp, bureau, end table, etc.) and you like it well enough, recognizing that when you replace it you can move it to a less important room, give it to a child for a dorm or first apartment or a house, give it to a sibling, or donate to a worthy cause. I've had some placeholders that stood the test of time and have become permanent.

My message is not to let perfect become the enemy of good. If you need a bed, buy one! So it's not perfect, but it could be good, or even a perfect placeholder :-)

Annie, I've seen one HGTV show like those you describe and it was great! The designer put together a $6000 bedroom that mimicked a $50,000 bedroom, and I liked the less expensive one better. What was that called?

The High Low Project

I am going through this now, as I just moved and have a mix of unfurnished and partially furnished rooms. First I think it is good to be patient and prioritize. Really think about what you can make do without for a while. I have never regretted a purchase that was delayed.

Next really think about where you are in your life and whether spending big money on an item is worth it. Right now I need a kitchen table. If money was no object, the table and chairs I would like cost 6K. But when I really think about it, that table will make me miserable. First 6K is a lot of money and I will worry about people (mostly the kiddo) damaging it. Second, when I am tired of it (which will happen with me), I will feel guilty.

I try to set a general budget beforehand, tallying up each major item I need to purchase and how much I'm willing to spend on each. For example, when we remodeled the kitchen, I figured out how much I wanted to spend on cabinets, appliances, granite, etc.. I did research first to get a realistic idea and price ranges of how much things cost.

Having a ballpark budget kept me on track. If along the way I decided I just had to have the $4,000 fridge instead of the $3,000 fridge, I chose less expensive tile or fixtures, etc.

For a family room, I would say spend most of your budget on good sofas and chairs because they take a beating. Less $ for tables and accessories. For a formal living room that isn't used much, you can get away with an inexpensive sofa and chairs.

For a bedroom, a good mattress should be the priority.

I usually don't factor in art or accessories because I tend to buy them piece-meal as I find things and I usually don't spend much on things like pillows, candles, etc.

As I already said, I think my approach to this is probably different than a lot of people, because while a lot of people will try to reduce budget somewhere less noticeable in order to spend on a pricey piece of bling, I tend to reduce budget and cut out the bling so I can spend on something so I never have to replace it.

I understand the concept of the placeholder and not allowing perfect to become the enemy of the good--but I think you need to be judicious in the application of these principles.

I have a sister who has had more placeholder furniture than real furniture. She can rarely afford what she really wants because she needs "something" to stand in for it as of yesterday if not sooner. The latest thing was a china cabinet that she needed because she was tired of having her china packed away. So she got a china cupboard at a deep discount because the shelves in one compartment had the holes for the brackets in the wrong position.

By the time I drilled new holes for the shelves, my father had sold his house and the china cabinet in my parents house would be available.

She knew she could have my parents' china cupboard, my father's house was on the market, and her china had already been packed away for two years.

This china cupboard that she had to have as a placeholder had things in it for 2-3 months before she gave it away and replaced it with a 60 year old solid cherry cupboard that she knew she was going to get anyway. And if I hadn't drilled the proper holes for the shelves it never would've even had things put in it at all.

The thing is that I know a number of people who would do or have done exactly the same thing.

My problem with perfect being the enemy of the good is that if I know it can be done better, good is not really good enough. I will do without altogether, I will make another choice that's different than the "good vs. perfect option" but for the most part I won't settle, if it's important. I would never have work done by a contractor who I knew was not as good as I could afford, just to save money and accept that it was "good enough" I'd either do without or change the parameters of the project.

I'm always in this boat - and I'm really interested in "finishing up" all these rooms. Like getting the pictures off the floor, having lamp shades and getting our books on the shelves-we-don't-have. Its coming along, but slowly.

I'm in the camp of waiting until you can get what you want. Right now, we have three dining room chairs. If there are lots of people over, you'll be on the floor. Sometimes we pull over the slipper chairs from the living room (so comfortable!) We really need some stinkin' chairs. But I'm picky-picky and haven't found anything I like yet. But I'm not about to spend any money on something I don't like. Instead, we can use it to buy the things stored on my 'Shopping' bookmarks: things we need and I have already picked out. The chairs will come when they come.

So much good advice here. I can only add that one of my techniques is the "how much more do I love it?" ratio. I like X, but love Y. Y costs twice as much, but I don't love it twice as much. Or it costs twice as much, but I love it 10X more. The price is the same, but the decision is different. I also don't buy on impulse-- I stew for quite a while on anything that costs more than about 50 bucks. As I result, I kinda suck at garage sale and craigslist shopping! As for placeholders, I use "air." And my imagination.

And sometimes my taste does change before I execute a plan and I find an old list of things I thought I wanted and I'm glad I never got around to getting them. Oh yeah, I also have an email file called "things I might buy someday" that contains links to things... I file stuff in it but I rarely look at it again. The stuff that doesn't stick in my mind anyway doesn't make the cut!

Lots of great advice above and here -- if you are stuck, post here! Seriously, people on the board are great at finding good options to fulfill a vision.

I always struggle with opening up the pocketbook to spend --- the best results come when I prioritize spending on things with the greatest impact, and saving where it's not so important. The worst is when I settle for something rather than waiting longer to get the right item. I actually should settle more for placeholders than buying something "not quite so right but in the budget". I'm also odd in that I'm not always buying for the long haul, and I'm perfectly content doing it.

Thanks all. Lots of good advice here. I do as much DIY and repurposing as I can. I'm terrible at sewing, but I even try to do some of that. My local thrift stores are pretty pathetic, but yard sale season will start again soon.

It is unusual for me to be working on more than one room or one project at a time, and it definitely makes budgeting more challenging, but I am having a real burst of energy and motivation to make some improvements to my home. I'm really trying to be happier with the house I'm in, rather than focusing on wanting to move. That being said, it is an excellent point that I need to prioritize what's most important for each room.

I am not much of a trendy person, and not looking to replicate what I see online or in magazines. My biggest issue is the cost of things that are well-made and high quality. I've been wanting to buy a new couch for at least five years, but I just don't want to accept the kind of construction and materials that are used for a couch in my price range. I want hand-tied springs, hardwood frame, etc., and that means a price I probably can't afford, and something that's not even available in most of the stores in my area!

The main items I'm looking for right now are rugs, bedding, and upholstery/window treatment fabrics. I fell in love with a rug that is twice as much as what I planned to spend, and now the less expensive choices pale in comparison. It's really kind of comical. I will be putting some thought into what is really worth waiting for.

Hey -- I just got a Macy's One Day Sale Ad for Friday and Saturday (yeah, Macy's can't even count to one - heehee). The 9 and 10 pc bedding sets, which appear to include one you were thinking about getting, will be on sale as a doorbuster from 9 am to 2 pm. It isn't one of the one pictured, but it says all 9 and 10 pc sets 60% off and after the doorbuster sale they will be 50% off ($119-199, reg $300-400). And they have some poly fill comforters for $39.99 any size.

As far as stand-ins. my theory is those should be no cost or very little cost things -- changing paint, hardware or yard sale kind of things. Pocket money, not your furnishings budget -- otherwise, as Pal pointed out, what's the point? But maybe our definitions of placeholders will vary too.

"My problem with perfect being the enemy of the good is that if I know it can be done better, good is not really good enough."

Lol, Pal----with that attitude you could end up sleeping on a futon or sleeping bag until you have the perfect bed.

Jlc, this is exactly what I am talking about. IMO opinion it is not about "settling," it is about getting the furniture you need for your house to function and saving for better pieces and replacing them. As Pal says, everybody has a different approach and none is inherently wrong. But I had a great farm table and chairs in my kitchen years ago (that we bought from a previous owner of our first house) that then became an extra desk for DH's home office, then became the kitchen table in our son's apartment. It wasn't junk, nor was it fine furniture, but it has served its purpose well and I don't regret buying it as we really did have to have a kitchen table :-)

Well, I don't have a bed, and I haven't had one since 2002. I have a great mattress, and I have a frame to hold the boxspring off the floor that's a little better than the one they throw in for free, but no real bedframe or headboard since my place before the last one.

• Why? because a headboard isn't strictly necessary and I haven't found one I like or have had other priorities. I do actually have two headboards for twin beds that will be going in one of the bedrooms, but no mattresses yet. The headboards are Baker, mid-century chinoserie with caning and gilt wood, and I couldn't pass those up. So there is a bit of disconnect, but I'm extremely patient.

I think we can all relate, either on the home front or an item of clothing, shoes, purse, or whatever the item of 'choice'. Who hasn't had the longing for something out of reach financially, but is it realistic or a pipe dream, and is it really going to make a difference in our happiness, well being, etc?

Years ago I had a friend who had an allowance for various householed expenses, one being groceries. She would cut short on the food buying, giving the 3 kids cereal for dinner a few times a week rather than making nutrious meals in order to save money for custom draperies and pricey furniture. Things should never take presedent over family and it's welfare.

You have the patience of Job, Pal!

Well this house is going to be my last big personal project, I hope, and I am more than happy to let it start heading toward time-capsule status.

Lascatx, thanks, but I think you have me confused with another forum member who is working on her bedroom :-) But now, of course I will have to take another look at Macy's just in case!

I may -- but I cross posted to make sure. I'm having one of those nothing meshes kind of days. The ad was a circular I got in the mail and the sale starts Friday, so prices shown now will likely be different -- but if you have a credit card and can get an extra 10%, you might be able to snap it up early and avoid the crazy weekend sale.

"Do you wait and save for your ideal, or settle for more budget-friendly alternatives?"

Don’t cut corners on infrastructure ... cheap pipes are no bargain, bad wiring will kill you.

1 - DIY what you can. I installed hardwood floors myself, it's tedious but actually low-skill. Saved about $3-4K in installation costs.

I'm making pillows and refinishing furniture, and all the furniture is used or antique. We did the painting.

2 - "try to think less about certain things or certain products and more about creating a feeling." "Keep a clear vision of your desired style without slavish copying of inspiration pictures."

^^^THIS^^^^ Instead of the precise brand and model from hour concept pictures, figure out what about the room you like, what's appealing.

In the 1970s, a magazine called "Apartment Life" used to do comparison rooms with the $$$ designer stuff and an adaptation of it using inexpensive materials. I learned a lot from that. The "High Low Project" apparently does the same thing.

3 - Learn "satisficing" ... start with the functional and performance requirements for a piece, add the style and finish requirements and don't bother looking at anything that doesn't meet them. Examine your candidates from lowest cost to highest and STOP LOOKING when you find something that meets the requirements.

EXAMPLE: Buying ceiling fans for this house ... I wanted rustic or Craftsman to suit the house's era and feel, SO wanted black or dark brown because he hates brass, 6-bladed fans have better air flow, it HAD to have a remote and LED lighting, and room sizes dictated a certain size fan. Putting it all into various online shopping sites search boxes led to about 30 fans.

Deleting the ones that looked like an Eddy Bauer catalog prop (elks and antlers and bears, oh my) and sorting by ascending price led to the clear winner ... ORB color, LED downlights, simple styling, and I could buy 4 of them without sticker shock. The one I liked the best was fabulous, but not THAT fabulous because it was also $$$$$$.

4 - Shop the resale and charity shops near where the rich folk live :)

5 - Use expensive bling selectively. If you have a couple of superb pieces, you can back them up with reproductions, knock-offs and adaptations.

I'd rather wait. We waited 10 years to get the dining room furniture that we really wanted rather than fill the space. We waited 20 years to get the kitchen that we really wanted. Now we can do anything that we want to do, and my advice is to just wait. Trends comes and go, but that's all that they are- trends. We always put money into things that really needed to be done (plumbing, electrical, structural, THE KIDS), but the rest can wait. I will also say that we were like Pal in that we would never "settle"; we were either all in or we had to let it go for the time being.

My taste is so far above my budget that I'd be living like a genuine hobo until I was 60 without placeholders. For me, home is first for living in, second to decorate. Being able to function in my house (have people over for dinner) is much more important than having the dream dining set. So for me I guess it's an equation of (years until can afford dream) plus (satisfaction level with placeholder) minus (price of placeholder) minus (quality of life without placeholder). The higher the equation, the more likely the placeholder comes in.

I think many people naturally operate this way, with Craigslist giving way to Ikea giving way to more permanent furnishings. Had I inherited nice stuff it would be in use of course. And different pieces have different impacts on quality of life.

Oh, the irony! After all the years of having discretionary income go to things like braces, music lessons, sports equipment, school exchange programs, college tuition, weddings....we find we can finally afford (mostly) what we really like. But while we do spring for a few choice items, it doesn't make sense to us to refurnish our home now with those top shelf choices we had to forego in earlier years. Should we downsize in coming years it's not likely our kids could take our stuff due to distance (DS lives overseas) and size & style of their homes. Selling would only reap a small percentage of the cash we'd spend on the pricey new stuff.

My LR sofa and love seat are beginning to show signs of wear. But instead of replacing with high end ones, I'll likely have them reupholstered or buy mid-range and save the money for a trip with our kids. Old habits die hard ;)

Editing to add that it's one of the reasons I enjoy these forums. Love seeing how people with knowledge and passion for decorating "do it right" and learn a lot here about how and where to spend.

I would be well served if I would accept a house where everything was done okay, but was standard builder-grade. Then I would have enough money to furnish and decorate. The problem in my location is that I can't really afford that anyway because the new standard builder grade houses where I live are 3x the size and 4x the price of older stock. ( I don't need 5000 sq. + elevator).

So I have a 50 year old house that has been beaten to death, and I am not going to replace hollow core doors and $10 door hardware with hollow core doors and $10 door hardware.

Maybe I am settling in a big way because I am taking a lot of my parents furniture and I am going to work with it. Is it exactly what I would buy if I were buying furniture? Maybe not, but it's a lot better furniture than I could afford to buy new, on top of an extensive renovation.

Learn "satisficing"

I have added a new and I think very important word to my vocabulary. It applies in all aspects of life. We are at a stage in life where we can afford most of what we want -- meaning very comfortable, but not so "in the money" that we don't think twice when spending it in large amounts. Also, I would never do that anyway! Although I wouldn't describe myself as frugal, I am thoughtful about what I spend my hard-earned dollars on. Sometimes that's a really really expensive sofa, sometimes it's a vacation. Sactisficing - that's what I do!

Okay, now THIS is a thread I need to come back and read later...I can only imagine the loads of wisdom found within.

Here is what I do, when taste exceeds budget:

1 - can I find it on CL, or make it from something I can find on CL?

2 - can I live with an alternative?

3 - can I find a next-best-that-works online somewhere (Houzz, blogs, DIY tuts etc)?
4 - do we have the time to save for it?

5 - what does DH want to do?

6 - in the grand scheme of life will it really matter all that much?

I find that my ability to live with something is inversely proportional to the amount of time I spend reading the Home Decorating forum LOL! SO when I'm feeling especially frustrated about something that can't be addressed...such that I am starting to fixate...I take a break from this forum and try to deal with something that is manageable at the time.

@patty_cakes: that example with the cereal is truly horrifying.

@sjhockey, lazy_gardens: My word of the day as well, "satisficing"

I'm so glad to see so many of the people go through the same thing as I do.... now, if I only had a way to better cope with design choices that I now feel were wrong purchases but weren't true placeholders, just, I should have waited.....

Gooster, yes it is, but it happened. When one of the boys came to Ca after college, he confided in me that he would never get over his mom giving them cereal for dinner. I never told him why she chose to do it, but for all I know, maybe he knew.

I think my DH 'kept me in line'. If not for that, my lack of willpower may have got the better of me. With that said, and having been on my I own the last 20+ years, i've never made a purchase which controlled other necessities of life, nor do I feel I ever settled. Most of my furnishings were found in consignment stores, auctions, or estate sales, with a couple from Craigslist. Upholstered pieces, always new.

Make notes of what it is you need along with where it will go, and keep it in your car, along with a tape measurer. I can honestly say this is not something I always did, but as luck would have it, always ended up having the perfect spot. A good example would be a French Pierre Deaux cabinet I found in a consignment shop that I just couldn't pass up. I had a wall in the GR next to the corner fireplace which was vacant, though 18' high. Using the cabinet as well as several large pieces of artwork, this became a statement wall when entering the room, and rarely gets unnoticed by first time visitors. Even though I could have used a larger piece of furniture, I loved the cabinet and knew I could make it work. Maybe having an open mind versus settling would be another way of thinking.

I thought of one big paradigm shift that I had that probably saved me a fair amount of money and I am pretty sure saved me a fair amount of aggravation.

When I was first planning this renovation, long before I actually lived in the house, I had this perverse notion that every single faucet, fixture, piece of hardware and even the light switches were going to be satin brass. (Forbes and Lomax makes brass dolly toggles and rotary dimmers--English but UL listed versions for America). This was sort of a knee jerk reaction to so many people hating brass. ( I had one alternate plan where one entire bathroom would be white, including all the faucets and hardware).

On top of this it all had to be Mid-Century Modern in spirit and "Modest" looking, because this is a "Modest" house (read: constructed on a very low budget).

As you can imagine, this is a very tall order, and as you can also imagine, I tortured the internet to death finding all of this stuff.

And then, one day I realized that I was spending an inordinate amount of my free time trying to find the satin brass doppelganger to my favorite bathroom faucet of all time, which is a commercial Kohler faucet designed in about 1960. Sturdy, reliable, modest and chrome.

I briefly toyed with the idea of getting it custom plated because there was a place a couple blocks away that did plating, but they went out of business.

I took all of these things as a sign that maybe it was okay to have chrome faucets in the bathroom, and this not only opened up a lot of possibilities (There is essentially one manufacturer who makes all their stuff in a lot of finishes, and it has an erratic reputation), but it also was a lot cheaper.

I like chrome, and good quality chrome over brass is a lovely, rich look. My dad used to say that the fall of modern society could be marked by the day when manufacturers began to chrome over plastic.

Satin brass is my very favorite finish, but it is difficult to find bathroom fittings I like that aren't three times the price of nickel. I want to replace the faucets in our downstairs bathroom with satin brass but am now looking half heartedly. If I had a whole house to do I would probably choose chrome because it looks great in every style and period. I hope you will post pictures of your project along the way, Pal!

"Tortured the internet to death." Ha ha! Oh, that is perfect.

I sometimes go back to the same internet sites I've recently visited, like the perfect thing is somehow going to magically appear, or they'll suddenly be having a 75% off sale.

Yes, sometimes a paradigm shift is the answer. I am working on a dresser, and have been looking for a specific type of knob in two sizes. Today, I finally decided to look at other options, and got all the knobs I needed, at Hobby Lobby of all places, for 50% off, and a grand total of about twenty bucks. They will look great. Much more sane than the Anthropologie knobs I have obsessed over that would have cost me 10x more and weren't really the right sizes anyway.

I am a fan of brass, but I am partial to chrome faucets in most cases. I approve. ;)

Whenever my wants of any kind have exceeded my means I have always adjusted my wants. Who wants to go through life aching for that which you can't have? Not me, any way :) Incidentally, as I've moved through life and gotten more successful and have the means for more, I've adapted to have more patience and restraint and don't need to spend it all. But when I do finally pick up something special I sure love it. It's about savouring what you can have I suppose.

I also check and recheck and recheck the same sites over and over as if something is going to magically appear. Sometimes it actually does, but usually things magically disappear, because I am the kiss of death for things. If I have too much interested they get discontinued. It could be worse, my SO kills old celebrities by looking them up online.

Kohler discontinued almost every colored cast iron fixture by the end of 2014, and I was planning on colored fixtures in one bathroom.

By checking and rechecking, I found one when it appeared and bought one of two available. and now there are none.

So I have a 375 lb cast iron tub on a rotting wooden palette that smells like dead fish sitting right inside my front door that was delivered curbside during a heavy snowstorm with the truck blocking a snowplow. And I might not even need it until 2016.

How about trying to find the "look" you are going for, but at a cheaper price tag. I recommend hitting the second hand stores. Also, do you have an IKEA nearby? They have stylish stuff that doesn't look too cheap (though it is).

I considered hitting the Like button when I read Debra Dee's post - even though I'm not a fan of the Like button concept. But I Love her comment and decided it deserves an actual post for me to acknowledge it ;)

Pal - re: headboards - It took my DH and I 29 years of marriage to finally have one and we wound up just having it made.

Lots of interesting comments. I tend to spend money on quality items such as couches but as mentioned it is really tough to find good quality ones in our area. When it comes to accessories I hit consignment stores, Home Sense and occasionally Pier 1. I switch those things too often to invest a lot of money in them. Labels and trends don't mean a whole lot to me.

A lot of people have "wants" that they dress-up as "needs" and that's when budgeting issues and ultimately dissatisfaction occurs.

some very good ideas here on where to look for budget friendly decor and furnishings, but I just have to say --- I don't think "good taste" has much to do with the amount of money you have to spend on things.

I agree, but the closer your taste is to whatever is currently trendy or popular at the time you are trying to find it, the easier it will be to find, and there will also be a variety of cheaper options via IKEA or Homegoods or Target.

Try finding something in a color that is not currently on trend or popular at one of those places. Very difficult. A few years back I was looking for a couple pillows approximately the color of the green on the Houzz logo. I could find all sorts of cheap acidic green or lime green or sage green. But a pure green, bordering on Kelly green? Sure, I could find pillows that color. If I wanted to pay over $200 a piece for them. At that point you would be better off going custom.

kswl2-

The person responsible for plating metal over plastic was my favorite genius, Richard Feynman. He describes how he did it in Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman , Chapter "The Chief Research Chemist of the Metaplast Corporation"

Point taken Violet, that is definitely true. Just using the common expression. I probably should have said When Your Preferences Exceed Your Means.

I didn't think we were talking about good taste or bad taste here, just when you liked something more expensive than you feel comfortable paying or can afford. Some bad taste is exceedingly expensive.

I'm glad my father didn't know that, Sue :-) I guess when there is money to be made, somebody will find a way to do it.

Usually I'm not so fussy that I have to have exactly what I envision when it comes to furnishings and decorative objects. Close enough will do. But when it comes to house renovation, I'll patiently wait for years to afford exactly what I want: 12 years for full glass double doors & larger windows, 15 years for carriage style garage doors, 16 years for post lamps in the garden, for some examples.

After 19 years of make-do decorating (can't believe I still have the stenciled muslin curtains I made in a pinch in 1996), we'll try again to start on remodeling the family room. We meant to do it last summer, but got too busy. And like Pal, what I want isn't readily available anymore. Wide plank Pickwick paneling -- I finally found 3 sources, all out of state (trucking fees $$$). Georgia Pacific used to mass produce it back in 1999 when we bought some for our bathroom remodel. But it's considered dated now & they don't make it anymore.

My problem is that I get bored of things or I get buyer's remorse or a couch gets a stain on it that I can't get out! So I want high quality, but at a reasonable price in case one of the above happens!

I spend a lot of time shopping around! I am redoing my bedroom and found a photo of a look I liked. I searched and found the fabric for the drapes and it was something like $300 per yard so I abandoned that idea. I looked all over and found drapes in almost the same fabric at Pier 1. They are a black and white graphic pattern. They were extremely inexpensive. Now if I want to change to flowing white drapes, I don't mind replacing them.

I also looked all over for my duvet cover and shams. After looking at so many of them, I actually found my favorite at JC Penney! Very inexpensive, great quality and I love it!

I saw many tufted headboards in my research. After looking at them all, I found someone on etsy that makes headboards and she has great reviews and is very reasonably priced. Now if I get bored of that style, I don't mind changing. I love the headboard!

The one thing I splurged on was the fabric for my throw pillows. It was $150 per yard with a 2 yard minimum. I was really hesitating about purchasing the fabric, but then I found pillows made in that fabric on etsy for about $70 each. They bring everything together in the room perfectly. I looked and looked but couldn't find anything as pretty with those colors.

I am extremely happy with the result! So I really do believe you can find things you love at a lower price.

My couch in my living room is from Rowe furniture. I looked at very expensive couches everywhere. The one I loved the most was at a store and it was Rowe. And it was not that expensive. It has been so well made and looks just as beautiful as the higher priced sofas.

When I divorced, I had to furnish a 2 bedroom apartment all at once. I ended up with a lot of Ikea furniture (a LOT), some World Market, some CB2, some West Elm, some Ross, some restaurant supply store, and a couple upholstered items from a "real" furniture store. Mostly I've been pretty happy with my purchases. My dining chairs, though, were a particular compromise. Dining chairs are expensive, and I needed at least 6 of them. So rather than spend a moderate amount of money and get something I didn't really like and would want to replace later, I spent $152 on 8 Stefan chairs from Ikea (they were $19 each then; now $25). I don't really like the color with my decor (they're black), and their construction is dubious (no cross bracing), but you can't even buy one nice dining chair for what I paid for 8 of those chairs. And they've held up well (yay Ikea hardware, solid pine construction, and my handywoman skills). I periodically think about painting them. Or replacing them. But I probably won't until they start falling apart. Because, you know, they are good enough.

I was looking for a quilt or coverlet for my guest room. I had looked everywhere and just could not find one I loved. We went to Chicago and I found one that was perfect but it was $350 just for the coverlet. Oh, I don't think so...

Kept looking and found one I actually liked better at BB&B. It he more color, very muted design and was $160 with my 20% off coupon. It included a bedskirt and shams. Looks great!

If I find something really great but don't want to spend that much, I try to find something similar that I really like. I just keep looking.