The Secret To Shopping Your House

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Do you know the secret to shopping your house? I’ll share some of my secrets for when I’m not in the mood to buy anything new or can’t afford it.

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Let’s say you are tired of your furniture. But maybe you already have what you need. Perhaps it’s in another room, and you just haven’t given it any thought yet. It’s time to do that.

Wander through your home and look at all the possibilities. But first, maybe you should jot down some notes. Make notes about your anchor furniture when shopping your house.

Stand back and look at the largest piece of furniture in the room. That would be your anchor furniture, such as the couch and rug.

After that, take a look at your smaller pieces and wall art. I love to switch up my wall art and move it from room to room. It lends a whole new look to a different room!

I’ve begun leaning paintings instead of putting holes in the wall to hang them. Sometimes I also like the look of paintings overlapping when leaning against the wall.

Breaking down all the sections of a problem makes it much easier to solve. This is especially true when shopping your house instead of buying new.

Walk around your home and look at what you have. Look at it in a whole new way. Could that work in another room? Get your measuring tape out. Looking in every nook and cranny is one of the secrets of shopping your house!

Do You Already Have What You Need?

Once you’ve measured the furniture, move on to the next problem. This is how you figure out if you already have what you need.

Shopping your home will save you lots of money. Shop your home before you get in your car and drive to a store. Alternatively, you can search suitable online shopping sites.

I think we often rush to buy things before considering what we already have. I’ve done it. The excitement and rush of changing things take over, and I’m on my way to the stores.

People often fail to take the time to think outside the box. That’s what you have to do when you repurpose something. And it’s one of the secrets of shopping your house for what you need.

You can switch up whole rooms. Maybe your living room would work better as a dining room, and vice versa. Just because a room is designated as a dining room doesn’t mean it has to be used solely for dining.

Turn A Dresser Into A Coffee Bar:

Got a dresser you don’t want hidden in the bedroom and prefer to keep out on display? Turn it into a coffee bar. If it isn’t the color that you prefer, then paint it. Paint is cheap, so use what you already have and give it an update.

I’ve purchased indoor/outdoor chairs at Pier 1. (Oh, how I hate that Pier 1 is no more!) Whenever you buy something labeled indoor/outdoor, it always seems cheaper. Which is funny when you think about it, since that means it has more than one purpose. I also often buy outdoor rugs for indoor rooms.

If you’re designing a home office and don’t have a desk, consider repurposing a table as a desk. Everything does not have to match. In fact, that’s boring. It looks more interesting if it doesn’t match.

When I look at things in a store, I stand and take a few minutes to think about my space. Then I go home and shop my house to see if I have something similar I could use.

How Many Ways Can You Utilize One Piece Of Furniture?

I think of how many ways I could utilize it in various rooms. If I’m going to buy it, I want it to be multipurpose so I get more bang for my buck. 

Do you need shelf space up high, but only have a short shelf? Put the shorter shelf up on a table and see how it looks. You never know, you might like it there.

And better yet, you didn’t have to spend a dime because you shopped your house instead of purchasing something new. 

Do the unexpected. You don’t have to limit your mantel decor to just one type.

Get out a group of pitchers or jars and line them up on the mantel. They don’t have to stay in the kitchen behind closed doors. You can gaze at your collection while also having something different for the mantel.

That’s what I mean about secrets to shopping your house! Anything is possible.

Change The Appearance, Not The Furniture:

Have a couch or a chair you’ve grown tired of? Before you buy a new one, consider layering quilts over it to change the look entirely.

Buy pillow inserts and change out the pillow covers. The covers are cheaper, and you can swap out the look from time to time without spending any money.

Pillow covers can be folded up and stored away more easily than actual pillows, so they also take up less storage space.

The secret, really, is to make things look like you want them together. To make it look like you meant for it to be that way all along.

At first glance, you might think something doesn’t meet your needs. But don’t make a decision so quickly. Could you give it some thought? Why don’t you ponder the idea overnight?

By adding, trying, editing, and refining, it often begins to look right.

Look at your artwork and consider using paintings in a different room. It might just be what another wall needs to give it more personality. Lean it against the wall and leave it there for a day or two, and think about it.

A Dining Table Will Also Work In A Craft Room:

Do you have a dining table that you never use? Use it in a craft room.

If you have a set of furniture, consider breaking it up and using some of the pieces in different rooms.

Just because you have a dining room doesn’t mean you have to use that space as a dining room. You can make that room an office, studio, den, book nook, playroom, whatever you need most in your home.

By shopping your home and using what you already have, you will save money. And you will save time and effort by not having to go from store to store looking for that special piece. It may be right under your nose, and you just haven’t given it any thought before.

So take your time. Look at things differently. Tilt your head to the side and stare at it from every conceivable angle. Perception is everything.

If you need a workspace and have a desk or table for a surface, consider using a dining room chair instead of buying a dedicated desk chair. They’ll both work.

Maybe you already have a dining chair in the attic or basement. It could have belonged to another table, and for some reason, you didn’t get rid of it. When shopping your house, you may come across things you forgot you had!

If you have a piece of furniture with good bones, consider giving it new life. Paint it, stencil it, add wood appliqués, and/or change the knobs.

That piece might have many possibilities that you just haven’t discovered yet.

As Confucius said: “He who will not economize will have to agonize.”