I love when other bloggers share how much they spend on a room. Usually it makes me feel great….because I saved a whole lot….or frustrated….because I should have just bought the thing I REALLY wanted instead of the cheap knockoff. It’s a double edged sword. It’s Russian roulette but with your debit card and in the end, we all hope we come out with a room that we feel is comfortable and gorgeous and something we aren’t still paying off in 2028.
I’m back today to share our sitting room cost of makeover and also to give you another ‘save’ option since this space was a definite ‘splurge’. Also in full disclosure, we received the art from Minted, tile from Floor & Decor and the rug several years ago in exchange to be featured on this blog. I would have definitely still bought all the items I selected because they are WORTH EVERY CENT. The other items we did purchase. I’m including everything in the budget breakdown (at retail price, no coupons or codes) so we can have a realistic view of what is happening here. The space I’m talking about today is this sitting room….
So when it came to purchases, the budget breakdown looked like this….
- Paint – $250
- Tile & supplies – $760
- Shelving & supplies – $70
- Decor – $150
- Art – $580
- Leather Chairs – $1124 each
- Chandelier – $515
- Rug – $955
- Ottomans – $147 each
- Tripod light – $76
- Sideboard – $914
- Pillow – $35
- Bench – $300
- Curtains, rods and books, misc – already owned
GRAND TOTAL – $7,147
I gotta admit, I wasn’t super proud of that number at first….because it seems like A LOT. But the thing is…I love everything about this space. I want to take all my kids pictures in there because it’s so pretty. I spend each night in here detoxing from diaper changes and screaming. And each item is the exact item I would choose. I thought a long long time about each selection and the fact is…I’m 36….I am celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary this year….dang it…I am a grown up and I want to stop cheaping myself out and selecting the so-so items. I know that is a lengthy tangent that is completely unwarranted but I really do feel like I had a realization recently. As I mature (aka get more candles on my cake), my budget allows for more quality items and my style is evolving to include some bigger purchases. So yes, it is a splurge. And yes, it is probably gawk-worthy for some of you. But I’m sure others understand my spending a little bit better. All that to say….yup, it was dang expensive and yup, it was dang worth it. If you missed the reveal of the whole space with befores and afters, click here to see it!
But now for those of you that probably would love to see a little side by side, I put together a comparison board on areas that you could save. Obviously tile and paint aren’t changing prices drastically (especially since I got the paint on sale and the tile is price-guaranteed at Floor & Decor)…but other things are. So here is my splurging board with the items I got and put in my room….
PILLOW – $35
ART & FRAME – $580
CHANDELIER – $515
TRIPOD LIGHT – $76
SIDEBOARD – $914
BENCH – $300
LEATHER CHAIR – $1124
OTTOMAN – $147
RUG – $955
and here is a similar look with a tighter budget. It’s got a lot of similar elements and could really spruce up a space to make it feel warm and inviting.
PILLOW – $12
ART & FRAME – $129
CHANDELIER – $270
TRIPOD LIGHT – $76
SIDEBOARD – $371
BENCH – $168
LEATHER CHAIR – $364
OTTOMAN – $80
RUG – $344
What a savings right?! You could really get a big bang for your buck! And the biggest surprise was that I found that light gray bench and it had the same cute bolsters and a better price….but the more affordable one opens up for extra storage! Isn’t that a great? So then the question is….do I regret any of my purchases? Do I have buyers remorse? Or do I think I should have splurged on anything or saved on anything?
The answer is nope. Not even a little bit. Not even the bench because the darker one ties in the ottomans. I actually love the room so much that I think the only thing that will change in the future might be the addition of blinds (it’s very bright in the mornings) or maybe switch out the table that is between the chairs. I love the round shape but the one we have was a hand-me-down and I think something with storage would be more functional. Other than that, I am so glad we saved on the tripod lamp and used a lot of my decor stash…..and I could not imagine sitting in a more comfortable chair each night or having a more beautiful beaded light fixture. And that sideboard? FORGET IT. It’s still one of my favorite things and has so much storage!
And then my next question is….what is a space or an item you splurged on? Do you regret it? Jeremy bought a big screen TV back in 2002 and he still talks about how much he spent and how ridiculous it was. But he always says that he was the life of the party during the Super Bowl….just to watch the Patriots win…again 🙂