Cash or the couch? That is the question.



King Furniture's Jasper Couch... le sigh

So as our house is rapidly (seriously, it’s going up so fast) being built my husband and I have been knuckling down and thinking hard about furnishings, appliances and pretty aesthetic things that will make our new home look faboosh!

It’s so easy for me to get carried away with the possibilities of furniture – I mean who wouldn’t be excited at the prospect of filling a brand new house with nice, shiny, plush furniture?

However, husband man has had to pull my head out of the clouds a few times now and has slapped me with the harshest word in a shopping-lover’s repertoire - “budget”.  I know we have to budget – we’re building a house for goodness’ sake, but I thought maybe we could splurge a tiny bit on the furnishing part…

The thing is, I know you can do things on the cheap, but my issue is that even though you might be able to buy a 32-piece furniture set for $3000 from Fantastic Furniture, doesn’t mean it’s going to last. 

It’s like buying a pair of crappy Supre jeans for $30 and expecting them to last as long as a pair of Levis…. Not going to happen!

So now our dilemma is this – how to keep a reasonably sound budget while still furnishing our home in stylish, modern and pretty things? Well I have found inspiration in a very good friend.

My friend Graham is amazing at doing things up – especially furniture. He can buy a $15 coffee table off eBay and strip it back, add some texture, paint and accessories and voila – you have something that looks like it came out of a Domayne catalogue. 

Oh, did I tell you that he also produces artwork? During my last visit to his house, I enquired as to where he purchased a gorgeous metallic three-piece canvas hanging on the wall of his sitting room. He nonchalantly said he made it – I was floored!

So I am taking a leaf out of Gray’s book because I think it will serve my purpose well – a mixture of quality store-bought furniture and appliances mixed with items that we have lovingly restored.

I mean we’re going to have a veggie garden as well, so if we’re growing our own food, we may as well refurbish our own furniture and make our own art?!

At least I still get to go shopping at some of my favourite furniture shops, but I think I can cut corners and make some savings too. Gotta love a win-win situation!

Hmm but I still think I'm going to pop into King Furniture and have a gander at the Jasper Couch...