Spend or Save?

Sometimes you find things at a high end store and think, "I could make that.  I know I could."  Then you start trying to assemble the individual pieces and parts and it quickly becomes clear that, although you might be able to capture the look well enough, you can't replicate the look without spending a fortune gathering everything needed to put it together.  And then there's the time investment.  If you're anything like me, this is where your lazy girl gene kicks in and you just pull out the wallet.

I have an accessory you can replicate in no time for a quarter of what it costs at retail.  Restoration Hardware is selling these bundles of old torn up books billed as Antiqued Uncovered Book Bundles, retailing for $29.

It seems silly really ...old torn up books...where's the appeal?  For me, it's just the colors and textures grouped together.  But if I ever paid $29 for them, I would hope my family would consider committing me for that 5150 hold thing Brittany Spears went through when she had her little break down.

Bottom line, a trip to the thrift store and some strategic ripping and binding (used the twine I  bind my recyclable papers with) later, I had my own version for the mantel:

I did purchase the cast iron letter C on top of the books.  The 4" version (they come in 4 sizes and can be hung on the wall as well) was $6 with my Resto discount...so that's $10 for you non employees :-).

Go tear up some books and tell me how it went.

Spend or Save?

Although I love the challenge of decorating on a budget (the thrill of the hunt I suppose), there are times when you should be prepared to spend a good chunk of change. 

An example of something you should be prepared to spend more on would be your upholstered pieces.  Obviously, you can score these on craigslist and ebay too, but if you can't find what you're looking for at a great price, you still can't go wrong viewing these as investment pieces.  Most of us keep them long enough that we more than get our money's worth out of them.

There are, however, some things I just don't want to spend on and don't believe I should have to given deals that can be scored on the internet and at places like Home Goods.  Here are a few examples:

This beautiful chandelier is currently available on horchow.com for $725 (not including the $57 for delivery and processing).

The chandelier below is currently available at overstock.com

I actually purchased the one from overstock for my home office and it's gorgeous.  I would never ever pay $725 for this piece as it is a very specific trend and I don't know that it's going to stand the test of time like an upholstered piece would.

This pretty capiz shell pendant light is also on horchow.com for $695 (additional $45.00 delivery and processing).

The version below is available at target.com for $399.99 (free shipping).  I still think that's too much for such a trendy piece, but at least it's a savings of $340 versus the Horchow version.

 

This one, also from Target,, can be had for $49.99.

Whether to spend or save is your call, but do yourself (and your bank account) a favor and at least spend a few minutes on the internet to be sure the same or similar item isn't available for a better price.

Happy bargain hunting!