How to create a stylish home without breaking the bank
The price of everything seems to have rocketed lately which has led me to become a member of the growing “ow much?” brigade.
Don’t get me wrong, if I had plenty of disposable income I would be more than happy to pay handsomely for a fabulous new Sense sofa from Roche Bobois, which retails at £5,490, and I’d throw in a gorgeous Orla Kiely Stem rug at £620 to match.
A handmade classic kitchen, which will set you back anywhere from £30,000 to £70,000-plus depending on size, would also be on my shopping list, along with a host of other items.
The fact is I, like many others, will save to splash out on something special for the home but our budgets don’t stretch to
cover everything we would like to change.
Fortunately, my resourceful grandmother taught me very early on that you don’t always have to pay a fortune for the best quality homeware if you look at the second-hand market and other places with bargain buys
Back then the internet had not been invented, salesrooms tended to be the domain of experienced dealers and few charity shops stocked furniture so hunting for what you wanted entailed finding those who dealt in house clearances. Since then, getting the look for less has never been easier. Now many charity shops specialise in furniture and furnishings at cut prices.
Facebook Marketplace is a great asset and has local buy and sell groups. I would recommend becoming a member of the ones that are closest to you as if you do see something you want from there it will be cheaper and easer to transport it to your home and you should be able to call in and see the item “in the flesh” before you agree to buy it, which is very important.
As it stands in my local marketplace groups there is everything from a large collection of match pots of Farrow and Ball paint, a gorgeous yellow velvet armchair with foot stool for £50, a bistro set for £20, a beautiful French-style double bed frame from Dreams for £75 and a velvet DFS sofa for £80. I could go on.
The more affluent the area, the more likely you are to find something high end.
Car boot sales can yield fruit if you choose carefully. The York Racecourse Car Boot sale is one of the best, especially for those who love antique and vintage items. It is now running every Saturday up to and including October 31 except race days.
Second hand stores still exist though they are few and far between but there are still some great vintage and retro stores along with vintage fairs which are always a treat to visit as they take those of us who are knocking on a bit back down memory lane.
Buying at auction is a buzz and we are fortunate that Yorkshire has some excellent auction houses with top-class items for sale along with pieces that have clearly had a life but have more to give and others that are “do-er uppers”.
Most auction houses will have a website listing items for sale and they have designated viewing days where you can see items in the flesh.
If you Google “auction houses within a 20-mile distance of my area” the internet will oblige, though it may also miss a few gems.
If you want to take a look at auction lots, there are viewing days before the bidding itself and at auctions you also have to register in advance to bid on the day. You can do this remotely online or you can be in the room.
Look for bargains in stores. John Lewis generally has a section where you can see and buy returned items at a discount. They may have a chip or a few marks or minor issues or they may not.
The best thing about buying these is that you can use the store’s courier service to get it delivered to your home.
It comes with a cost that is generally well worth it because it means you can buy larger items without worrying how to get them to your home.
IKEA offers a buyback option for those who want a change and are planning to offload its products. The second hand items have to be in reasonable condition, of course, and you will get in-store credit for them to make your next purchase more affordable.
Among the list of items the store will buy back and sell on to customers include dressers, office furniture, sideboards, display storage, cabinets, multi media furniture, dining tables, desks, chairs and stools, dressing tables, clothes rails, free-standing mirrors, kitchen furniture, table and floor lights plus home decoration items such as bowls vases, mirrors and artificial plants.
You can find second hand Ikea products to buy in the Re-shop and Re-use section of the store.