It’s so interesting how your spending habits can change the instant that your husband has full transparency of your finances upon the creation of a joint bank account. In the years before joint checking, I’d buy whatever my heart desired, whenever my heart desired it. Clothes, shoes, home décor, you name it. If it was on sale and cute, it was mine in approximately 3-5 business days. I was a bit reckless. Oops.
Now, things are different. I’ve done a little growing up, I’ve become infinitesimally more responsible, and I respect that I can’t be careless with our money like I could be with mine. But mostly, I feel like Skyler won’t consider a brand-new jewel-toned velvet sofa as crucial of a purchase as I do, and if he came home to that beautiful, soft, wonderful, perfect little sofa in our living room, he would not be as thrilled as I’d like him to be. So, as we have begun to navigate this aspect of married life together, we’ve been handling all non-essential purchases as joint decisions.
Enter: Skyler’s new set of golf clubs, and a set budget for me to spruce up the interior of our home in any (reasonable) way I’d like.
In case you were wondering, that budget was not even close to enough to cover my dreamy velvet sofa, so I went back to the drawing board. I started flipping through the mental Rolodex of things I’ve wanted, jumping from room to room within our house. I weighed the pros and cons of a big-ticket item vs. several smaller pieces. (Sorry Roomba, maybe next time.) Back and forth and back and forth. I added dozens of items to online shopping carts, spanning so many tabs that my web browser could barely keep up. Ultimately, I trimmed my focus and my shopping list, focusing solely on sprucing up our bedroom. It’s the room that has frustrated me the most because of its wonky layout, and consequently, I’ve spent almost no time and energy decorating it. Instead, I’ve made sure the public parts of our home were up-to-snuff, and neglected the single space in which we spend the majority of our time.
So, while I was deciding on our new nightstands, bedding, gallery wall pieces, décor, closet organizers, etc., I also rounded up this week’s list of the top 10 must-have items to spruce up your bedroom – all under $50!
- Fresh Knobs. I swear, this is the easiest trick in the book! Updating the hardware on your dressers and nightstands is the easiest (and fastest ) way to breathe new life into stale furniture pieces. All of our dressers have mismatched knobs from Anthropologie; their assortment of hardware is really hard to beat.
- The Swim Print. This isn’t the most PG option for a gallery wall, but a) it’s just a butt and everybody has one and b) the bedroom is the least trafficked room in your house, so it’s safe to be tucked away there. I scrolled by this print a dozen times while searching for a quirky print for the gallery wall I’m installing above our bed, but something just kept bringing me back. Skyler does this thing before we go to bed at night where he pats my bum, says “Butts, butts, butts!,” then rolls over to go to sleep. And that is why this print brings a smile to my face. (For $10 off a print from Society 6, click here!)
- Loren Leather Ceramic Hanging Planter. Despite the fact that I was born without a green thumb, I am all for littering your home with plants. I especially love this hanging planter, which eliminates unnecessary clutter from the top of your dressers!
- Pressed Velvet Pillow Covers. ICYMI: I am obsessed with velvet. Toss this lounge-worthy, statement-making pillow on your bed for an instant and colorful refresh.
- Mereille Hanging Frame. I’ve already mentioned the gallery wall that will soon be up in our bedroom, and I love this antique brass hanging frame that looks way cooler than your run-of-the-mill picture frame. It’s a simple way to add visual interest to your space!
- Made by Design Closet Organization. Target’s new line, Made by Design, is simple, beautifully designed and reminiscent of Scandinavian design. It’s pared down – no frills – and full of purposeful pieces, like this closet organization system. Maybe someday I’ll have a walk-in closet the size of a small country, but until then, I’ve got to maximize (and organize) the space I already have, and this system is the perfect thing to get my closet looking its best! The best part? It’s so affordable!
- Vibrant Sheets. I scooped up a new set of bright, whimsy sheets from Target’s other new home collection, Opalhouse, to tie the rest of our new bedding together! Color is definitely in right now, so we’re finally shedding our all-white decor and I’m so excited to see it all together.
- Washed Linen Bathrobe. Okay, fine, so this isn’t exactly home decor that will spruce up your space for the season, but in my opinion, linen is the fabric of summer, so this soft pink robe would be a perfect upgrade to the old ragged one you’ve been using for years. (Guilty.)
- Menlo Glass Globe Wall Light. I love a well-lit room, and I’ve always had a thing for sconces, which is what drew me to these! Standard sconces require professional installation, but these suckers are the updated, easier, millenial version, so they plug right in, and switch on and off.
- Alma Tabletop Jewelry Storage. Rounding out the list is this beautifully designed jewelry holder. If you’re anything like me, all of your jewelry is clumped onto a tray, matching sets of earrings are nowhere to be found, and all your necklaces are tangled together. No? Just me? Well, I’m in desperate need of some organization, and this is trendy enough to display, but practical enough to do a job well.
What are some of your seasonal favorites? Tune in next week for the final installment of summer essentials, focused on your living room! (And if you missed last week’s kitchen roundup, click here!)
Tiny Tales 