What to Splurge On vs Save On in Home Decor

Spend money on the things you touch, sit on and walk across every day: the sofa, the rug, the light controls and the hardware. Save on the things that are easy to swap, like accent chairs, table lamps, throw pillows and plants.

It's very common to freeze before a big purchase, so don't feel bad if you do. The "laced up" approach is simply tightening the details that hold a room together and loosening your wallet only where it pays off.

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Why does the sofa deserve the biggest share?

The sofa is the workhorse of the living room, and what makes it good is mostly hidden. Look for a solid hardwood frame, a sturdy suspension (eight-way hand-tied or good sinuous springs) and dense foam cushions. Ask the retailer what is inside. If they can't tell you, that's an answer.

If a dog is allowed on the couch, fabric matters as much as the frame. Choose a performance fabric or a tightly woven velvet, and check the manufacturer's double-rub rating: a higher number means the fabric survives more wear before it thins. As an architect, I recommend removable, washable covers for any sofa a pet will use.

Where to save on seating

Accent chairs get shorter, lighter use, so they don't need the same heavy-duty build. Buy vintage and reupholster, or go mid-range, and try the bolder shape or pattern here. Replacing a chair later hurts far less than replacing a sectional. Throw pillows are the cheapest way to change a palette each season.

Measure before you buy. Leave about 30-36 inches for a main walkway around furniture. In a narrow room, an apartment-depth sofa (around 36 inches deep, against 40 or more for a standard one) keeps the path open.

How much should you spend on lighting?

Spend on the fixtures people look at directly: the dining chandelier, pendants over an island and wall sconces. Spend on dimmers too. Putting every light on a dimmer is one of the cheapest ways to change how a room feels at 8 p.m. versus noon. Wiring changes are a job for a licensed electrician.

Save on recessed trims and table lamps. Builder-grade trims work fine when the bulb is right, and a good lamp shape from an estate sale or budget shop looks the same lit as an expensive one.

Check the bulb color. Around 2700K to 3000K reads warm and flattering at home, while cooler bulbs can flatten finishes and make a living room feel like a waiting room. A single ceiling light also casts harsh shadows, so aim for several light sources at different heights: a floor lamp, a table lamp and an overhead fixture.

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Is a big wool rug worth it?

Yes, if the room sees traffic. Wool is dense and durable, and it tends to clean up well. Rugs also soften echo, which makes a room calmer to be in.

Size matters more than price. A small rug floating mid-room makes the space feel smaller. In a seating area, at least the front legs of every piece should sit on the rug, and for most living rooms that means an 8x10 or 9x12.

Save in low-traffic spots like a guest bedroom or a mudroom, where jute, sisal or a decent synthetic does the job. If the budget is tight, I'd buy a large, inexpensive natural-fiber rug for coverage and layer a smaller vintage one on top.

What hardware should you splurge on?

You touch faucets and pulls many times a day, so weight and finish are worth paying for. Choose a faucet with solid brass construction rather than plastic internals, and pick heavy cabinet pulls. Good hardware makes stock cabinets look custom.

Save on the cabinet boxes and the backsplash. Standard boxes with upgraded fronts and hardware look far more expensive than they are, and plain white ceramic tile with a darker grout looks clean and timeless.

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If you mix finishes, stick to two. Our guides on mixing warm and cool metals and mixing brass and silver show how to keep undertones from clashing.

Use pulls on drawers and knobs on doors. For drawers wider than about 24 inches, use two knobs or one long pull so the force spreads evenly.

Where does outdoor money go furthest?

Splurge on the parts that involve labor and structure: patios, pavers, decks and drainage. Poor drainage can damage a foundation, so this isn't the place for the lowest bid. A more mature tree also gives shade and privacy years sooner than a sapling.

Save on flowers, perennials and pots. Smaller nursery sizes catch up quickly, and lightweight composite planters can mimic stone or terracotta. Keep large-rooted plants a few feet from the foundation.

With dogs, skip delicate ornamental grasses they like to chew or trample, and choose sturdy shrubs such as boxwood. Boxwood can be harmful to pets if eaten, so check the plant against the ASPCA list or ask your vet before planting anything a dog chews.

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What finishing touches make a room look pulled together?

Once the big purchases are in, these cost little and change a lot.

• Hang curtain rods high and wide, halfway between the window frame and the ceiling or even at the ceiling, so the window looks taller.
• Group objects on a table or shelf in odd numbers, such as three or five.
• Add something alive: a plant, cut branches or flowers.
• Pair textures, like a wool throw on a leather sofa or a smooth metal side table next to a velvet chair.
• Hide cords with covers painted to match the wall.

Contrast also helps the eye read your pieces. In Gestalt psychology, the figure-ground relationship describes how we visually sort a scene into a figure and a background. A sofa that differs in tone or texture from the rug beneath it stands out as the figure, and the room feels layered.

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For more high-low ideas, see the Opera aesthetic version of this list, or textile layering ideas for a creative studio. If you're shopping for seating at the table, here is how to style velvet dining chairs.

It's fine to leave a wall bare or a floor uncovered while you save for the right piece. A gap costs nothing, and the wrong purchase usually costs twice.

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