For all you wanna-be homeowners, as you're collecting your home inspirations and dreaming of the future, the best thing you can do now (besides save up some clams), is to buy what you love.
We had this truism beaten over our heads when we read Elizabeth Mayhew's Flip! For Decorating. And we've found it to be the one thing that gets out of design paralysis &mdash you know, design paralysis, when you can't decide between a streamlined platform bed or a curved metal spindle bed and you think the world turns on your decision.
We believe that no matter what style of house you find in 5-10 years, you should still enjoy beautiful things now. If you can afford a bed frame right now, and are just holding back on principle, then we say, life is too short! Don't wait a decade to buy a bed frame.
The bottom line is that you should buy what you love, and if you are listening to your gut, you will still love it in five years and you will find a way to make it work &mdash whether you end up in a Craftsman bungalow or a mid-century modern home.
Don't believe me? Just remember, being eclectic is in right now, and even if matchy-matchy comes back to the fore again, the things you love will naturally have some similarities.
Image: Joshua McHugh for House Beautiful
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Agreed - the same pieces that made me really happy in a modern apartment in Europe still make me really happy in a suburban bungalow in the U.S.
I say the same thing. I recently painting my floors black and received a lot of flack over it from friends/family that didn't think I should paint the floors. After all... what happens to resale value? Screw that line of thinking. Life is too short to spend it in a house that doesn't make you happy.
Thank you, Geek Details. I completely agree. New homeowners can always strip the floors anyway.
I agree--I have had the same antique bedroom set since I was 18--that's 32 years. It was definitely not in style at the time, but I loved it then and I love it now!!!!
I agree with the whole "if you like it, it will work together" philosophy. My mom thought I was bonkers when I announced that my 19th century chest of drawers would be going in the same room with a chrome/leather Wassily chair and a mid-century black/white/gilt console table. Now, she thinks the combo is amazing and works wonderfully!
Yes! Buy what you love now! All of the furniture items that I fell in love with fit perfectly in our house, after living in a 1 bedroom apartment for many years. It's actually kind of scary how perfectly they fit - like the Armoire that fit perfectly on one wall, with an inch to spare. Same with my wall size ornate mirror in the dining room.
Plus, you won't have any extra money once you buy a place - so buy the nice stuff now!
On the other hand, collecting inspiration shots for my kitchen/bathrooms allowed me to make design decisions in a couple of weeks and be confident in my decisions. And they look fantastic!
Yes, all so true! And you can save yourself a lot of money by not buying anything unless you love it, so in the end, you're surrounded by all your favorite things :)
Ditto...it also means you'll never look like a catalog set.
Buy what you love, but not what you can't afford!
great job.
This makes me feel so much better about the throw pillows i bought last weekend for my non-existent couch in my non-existent house. But they were my favorite color! I couldn't risk them going out season!
I couldn't agree with this more. Actually, it's a lesson I just learned. I passed up some curtains a few months ago because A) I thought they might not go with some of my other stuff. And B) because I thought they'd be around, so if I changed my mind, I could get them. Or at least find them on ebay or something. Nope. They're gone. And I want them.
Thank you failjolesfail for "Buy what you love, but not what you can't afford!"
Buying things you can't afford now is a good way to NEVER get that house or condo you want.
Especially, buy what you love when you stumble onto it at a flea market or yard sale at a ridiculous bargain price -- because you will NEVER get that chance again and you will NEVER stop kicking yourself for losing it ever ever ever.
(Ask me how I know!) ;^)
I also agree! I used to tend to buy a cheaper substitution of what I actually want, because I thought I could save up some extra $$. But it was wrong. I always ended up getting a new one that I actually want, then put the old one on Craigslist or something, resulting in losing money. So now, I buy what I really love/want, even if it's a little more pricey (of course, whatever it is only when I can afford that).