Splurge or Scrimp? Part 1.
Sometimes it’s necessary to break open the wallet. These are my top five things you should NOT scrimp on — but as a savvy consumer, you need to be educated. Don’t fall prey to the pressure of the shelter magazines, or the nice guy at the furniture store.
After your car and your house, your sofa can easily be the most expensive item you purchase. And you get what you pay for, but be careful. Just because it has a high price tag does not mean it’s superior quality. Learn a bit about how sofas are made, what materials are best and what questions to ask the seller before you hit the sales rooms. Plan to get the right size by using a floor plan; just measuring the space won’t always do it. This is a cross section of a chair, but it’s the same for a sofa. The big one here is the 8-way hand tied springs. You can’t do better than that.
2. Paint
Generally speaking, you get better coverage from a higher-end paint than a cheapo bargain basement variety. But price alone does not always denote quality or lack thereof. Check out Consumers Reports on paint performance; you will be surprised. And don’t assume that one paint will fit all needs; choose the paint that’s right for the job. Be aware, too, PLEASE, that the painter who says he/she can exactly match your more expensive paint into a less costly one doesn’t know what they are talking about. Colours can NOT be matched exactly across companies, and paint performance is specific to each brand. If you cheap out on paint, expect to re-do the job in a year or two. Here is the latest report from Consumer Reports. Now you know.
3. Hire a professional
This is a no-brainer. The price of a color consultation is often less than the price of two gallons of paint the wrong color. I, personally, saved a client $5000.00 on a kitchen makeover by asking her one question. Professionals do this sort of thing for a living. Consider how much it will cost you to fix it if you make a mistake on a major purchase— is it worth it?
4. Cushion fillers
If you want that soft, sink-in-to-it look in your cushions, and you don’t mind fluffing and plumping them every time they are looked at, get down cushion fillers. Find a supplier who uses down (not feather) and don’t even ask the price. This video is all about fill power. You should know this if you are going to buy down anything.
5. Bed linen
You will sleep better, all around, with high-quality cotton, linen or silk sheets. Period. Too many studies have proven just this. And high thread count does not mean high quality; you can splurge but also save some money if you know what you are looking for. You will be thankful you bought the best every time you go to bed. Read about threadcount here.
