A little while ago, I worked with a colleague who everyone thought to be quite the stylish lady when it came to interiors. And she was. She had an amazing eye for colour, showed great restraint when putting a room together (she knew exactly when to stop dressing) and her taste level was pretty exceptional. Her downfall: she was ashamed of budget buys.
One day she was telling me about one of her kids rooms, which had a bed from brand X, bedside from brand Y and some art from brand Z (I don’t remember the exact brands, but they were what I would consider to be at the higher end of the scale).
When it came to the shelf she had in her little one’s room, she leant in toward me and lowered her voice (as though a shameful secret from her past was about to be revealed) and whispered “and the shelf is just cheap find… from IKEA“.
The sentence seemed to get quieter as she got to the end of it, as though saying the word IKEA out loud would see squad cars appear out of nowhere and take her to design jail. This happened a few times when she would talk about her house, actually, and she wasn’t the only one in the circle who treated budget buys with such shame.
Studying design and interior styling in years gone by, I saw it a lot. Declaring that most of my house was decked out in brands like Freedom (that was acceptable), IKEA (tsk tsk) and Target (gasp, shriek and quiver) was akin to telling people I was raised by wolves. And don’t dare utter the words ‘replica furniture‘ or Fight Club will break out.
This attitude toward budget homewares brands baffled me then and it still baffles me now, especially when I see people whisper about something they found at The Reject Shop or Kmart. Typo is sometimes referred to in the same light, but Cotton On Kids… is oddly OK.
What’s with the style snobbery and brand shaming, I wonder? I don’t really care where something comes from as long as it looks nice and nobody gets hurt. And yet, in design circles that seems to be completely frowned upon. I was even around some industry insiders a few months back who rolled their eyes at Adairs decor, as though it was so very passé. Am I living in a parallel universe?
Sure there are some budget furniture pieces that it’s best to steer clear of (more on that here) but for the most part, I’m genuinely confused as to where these attitudes originate.
I’d be keen to get your thoughts on whether this has ever happened to you. Or if you have found yourself feeling like admitting to bargain buys is a cardinal design sin. Maybe you’ve been shamed by someone who thinks spending less than nine grand on a sofa is akin to living in poverty.
I will wrap up by saying that I do understand if the distain for budget buys is due to poor quality (or cheap slave labour). Of course, I completely appreciate that some items are so cheap because the quality is not there. But as a consumer, I’ve always completely understood that concept in some stores and purchased the goods knowing they wouldn’t be treasured possessions that’d be handed down from generation to generation.
I don’t go to Pizza Hut expecting five-star service, and I apply the same concept to some of the budget stores I shop at.
Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts on bargain buys and budget homewares – and how they’re thought of in your circle.
Image one via Cotton On Kids, images 2 and three via Kmart.
Gone are the days of having a disposable income that I can spill into home decor at the turn of every trend, truth is, I’m a full time mum by choice, raising our 2 soon to be 3 kids, but still like our home to look interesting, current and reflect our style. So I am very thankful for budget finds because otherwise I’d have to do without. I jealously observe those who can afford to dot designer pieces throughout their whole house and wonder what their credit limits are at. Hey, it makes me feel better! If I could I would too but I’m glad they are available to me with a smaller price tag attached.
I think a lot has to do with sourcing the right low budget piece. You can buy incredibly good things at Ikea and mix it in with your other bits of furniture. Personally I think if you have a talent for this you can reach a much wider clientele
What a great post! I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying budget homewares. I have found some great things at Kmart, target and reject shop in the last year, and I’m not ashamed to have them side by side with some of my more expensive furniture and homewares. It makes it more interesting I think!
It’s a very interesting topic. On the one hand I think finding a low cost but good looking piece for your home is a thrill like no other! I bought 2 of the plywood Frosta stools from Ikea the other day that I have been loving so much in my lounge room. I also bought the kmart copper wire basket for our throws that has been another awesome addition to the space. Having said that, quality is also important to me. For larger or ‘hero’ pieces I prefer to go with vintage – I admire a LOT of bespoke timber furniture but it’s so not in our budget to buy and with a young family I just can’t justify it. And I totally agree with Suzy – we spent $1,700 on our Armadillo & Co lounge room rug (thank YOU tax return!) and I am embarrassed to tell people about it!
As i’m getting older i’m really starting to understand the value in mixing my interior items so that higher end brands I love can be represented along with bargain vintage finds and some mass produced bargains as well that allow me to engage with current trends. It’s a balancing act. I think supporting local where possible and affordable is really important as well. There’s something really beautiful about helping creativity to flourish in your community
I don’t find it shameful to bargain and take home a cheap yet eye catching home decor buys. The lady you’re talking about must be approval-seeking by nature. May be it’s upto the individuals, not in general.
I live in the UK and I have to say we love a bargain over here! I would say when it comes to my home decor and furniture approx 60% of it is second hand or items I purchased on sale and I delight in telling people (especially my 99p armchair I won on ebay!). But I do love to splurge too and have spent a ridiculous amount on wallpaper, paint and home accessories from Laura Ashley. The funny thing is I feel uncomfortable telling people how much these expensive items cost (and sometimes lie “it was a real bargain in the sale!”).
Its such a shame that so many interior designers have a reputation for being snobby and having a ‘holier than thou’ attitude. I got the same feeling at design school, and I was frowned upon if I should dare mention anything mainstream. Im cash poor but creativity rich and I still passed!! I get a lot of joy from helping people create something that looks good with what they have and sharing ideas for bargain buys.
Viva les bargains!!
This is SO true! I could (and pretty much do) visit IKEA every week and never get sick of it – so many of my favourite things are from there! I definitely have Target too, but seriously, if it looks good / is liked by those living in the space / does its job then who cares?!
I would love to own some of the crazy expensive pieces I see so frequently online and in mags, but I’m doing just fine with the lower end items over here!
Don’t get me started on this subject Chris!! You know how I feel about a great bargain find and no one has the right to judge anyone on their choices or how much they paid for their find. I am just so glad that there are a lot more stores stocking a great selection of affordable homewares and furniture now. The budget consious shoppers are now able to purchase some amazing products without taking out a second mortgage to do so.
If the design is good and works with the room I don’t care what label it carries (as long as it’s ethical!). I have quite an outrageous dinner table that everyone who sees, comments on. The funny thing is, that sometimes when I tell people it’s second hand they no longer like it…. Go figure!
That is so weird about your table Rachel, but I’ve definitely encountered that sort of “oh…second hand?” attitude before. And it’s horrible, right?!
Oh man I have a lot of secondhand things (I love trash and treasure markets!) and find people are either horrified or impressed. The budget homewares debate is similarly polarising. I have interior designer friends who are proud of their ability to make cheap look a million bucks; while others do the “it’s from IKEA / Kmart / Target” whisper and ashamedly ask me not to publish that on my blog. But why not? Not everything can be local or handcrafted or bespoke. I don’t see the shame in nabbing a bargain at all. Be proud of it! I’d rather have a house furnished on a budget and a chunk paid off our mortgages.