How To Redecorate/Repurpose Your Space, Part 3: Shopping For Your New Space

I recently started a new blog series about redecorating/repurposing your space. As our lives change, so do our needs. And as our needs change, our homes need to change with us. It is one of the reasons I still love our Nottingham Model after over 15 years.

When Paul & I built our home, we didn’t think we would have children. Two years later, our first son was born, and 18 months after that, our second son came along. This home has changed right along with us, and when I say we utilize it all, I mean it. Especially after I recently repurposed one of the rooms that wasn’t getting the love (use) it deserved.

Do you have a space you want to transform either visually or for it’s functionality? I hope you will join me for this fun journey as I show you how I turned a barely used guest room into a space just for me. I’ll share my process, my tips, and more!

Next up, shopping for your new space!

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Now that you have your redecorating plan and you have created a blank canvas, the next step is to source the furniture and décor for your new space. Depending on what you need, this may feel a little daunting, but don’t worry. Just read on!

Decide What Do You Need

The first thing you will want to do is make a list of what you need, based on how you will use the new space. Start with the big things (furniture, area rug, window treatments, etc.) and go from there. As you pull the space together, you can fill in with artwork and room décor.

The original plan for my new space was to use it primarily as a home office and fitness studio, so I knew I needed a few key items…an area rug, desk and chair, some sort of shelf, a small frig, and a set of free weights.

Before I get into where I shop, I wanted to share my philosophy on buying furniture. I don’t spend a lot on furniture for two main reasons – I get bored easily and I have 2 boys & a dog (need I say more?). That doesn’t mean we by cheap stuff. We buy good quality stuff, but we just don’t spend a lot on it. We’ve had much of the furniture in our home for a long time. For example, Paul & I purchased our dining room table and chairs from Pottery Barn 24 years ago when we bought our first home. While PB can be expensive, our good friend was working there at the time and got us a nice discount. It is worn and well-used, but it has held up well. I don’t get sentimental about “things”, but this table has certainly been the source of so many wonderful memories for us.

Why do I tell you all this? Because where I shop for furniture and décor are not high-end stores. So if that’s your thing, this post may not be your thing. You’ve been warned!

Where To Shop

My first stop when buying new furniture or home decor is my own home. You would be surprised what ideas can be sparked by walking around your current setup and imagining a new use for a piece of furniture, vase, table, etc. We have several pieces of furniture in our home that have seen multiple uses and locations. So look at what you have first before blindly buying more stuff!

After shopping your own home, you can start to hunt around for what’s left on your list. I have a couple of online stores where I always start – Wayfair and Amazon (shocking) for starters. I have had such great success with Wayfair. The quality has been consistent (read the reviews!), and their customer service is quite good!

But first up, this is the area rug I purchased for my room.

I found it on Ruggable (love their products!) and it checked all the boxes for me. I knew I wanted turquoise blue as an accent color, and I love the gold running through it, which is another accent color I incorporated into my room. I also wanted something durable. Ruggable rugs are great because you can machine wash them.

Speaking of rugs, if you will be purchasing a new rug for your space, let me give you some advice. Choose your rug first. Before you paint, choose drapes, or buy furniture, decide on your rug. This will be the anchor for everything in your space, and it is much easier to plan around the rug vs. trying to find a rug that works with everything else. Choosing your rug first will give you much more flexibility in the overall design of your space. Trust me.

In the end, I found my new desk, desk chair, and shelf unit on Wayfair. Not only do they have quality products and good service, but you can find reasonably priced furniture and it ships quickly. I purchased this small frig (perfect for keeping cold drinks) from Amazon. I love the retro look of it and it is great for keeping cold drinks. It is also the resting spot for my mini Keurig!

 

Something of a surprise in my decorating endeavors is I have recently started finding some great things at Walmart. This chair being one of them. I wasn’t planning on buying a chair for my new space, but I saw it on social and decided to try it out. Seriously. I friggin’ love this thing. It swivels and it is so comfortable. The size is surprisingly big (but not clunky) and the quality is spot on.

And it’s from Walmart!

Other Tips For Buying Online

When buying furniture online, it is a good idea to rely on the reviews before pulling the plug. I also make sure the piece is going to scale well in the space (things can look a lot different online, including how big/small they really are). You should also be aware of the seller’s return policy. Not only how long you have to decide to keep or return, but who is responsible for the return shipping costs. This is especially important when purchasing sizeable items!

Next up in this series is pulling the space together – furniture placement, adding décor and hanging artwork. There is a method to it all!

Dream. Build. Live.