Are we the "DIY Generation"? The Internet has made DIYing accessible to us all and it has changed the view from the thirty somethings couch. If I want to make a headboard I search "how to make an upholstered headboard" and all of a sudden I am creating a beautiful, personal and affordable piece of furniture that ten minutes ago I had no idea how to do. If I want to refinish a bookcase I simply search on Craig's List and can have a gently used, well priced bookcase in my garage that afternoon.
We pride ourselves on conquering the hunt. We spend hours, days, weeks even finding that perfect piece at the perfectly thrifty price. We then invest more hours, days and weeks into sanding, painting, recreating what we set out to find. Don't get me wrong, I
totally enjoy the process. I love the thrill of the chase. I love the satisfaction of talking down that thrift store owner $40 on that desk that I know with a little bit of love will be perfect for my home. And I can't seem to drive by Goodwill without stopping in.
Maybe this is a virtue that all began that very first time in school our teacher taught us about recycling...you remember it...
reduce, reuse, recycle. (Wasn't there a song that went along with it?!?) Although we may not intentionally have set out to save the earth, recycling is exactly what we are doing so rock on mother earth, we are here to do our part.
But inevitably one question pops into my head right about here. When is it time to set aside the sander and invest in those bigger ticket items. When do I buy a
quality that will last me years to come. When do I spend the money on the top notch couch because shoot we sit on it everyday (and if we are talking about my dogs, they sit on it for 10 hours everyday). Well, I don't know the exact answer but here is what
I have come up with...
1.
What is your design personality? Do you like to redo every room every year or two? Do you easily get sick of your spaces and want to start all over. If this is the case I feel like the argument for buying more expensive pieces in hard to make. But if you want to invest in a quality dinning room table that you will use for a lifetime, even pass down to your children then I don't think IKEA will do.
2.
Does this piece define your room or just compliment it? If the piece of furniture is the main focal point of the room then it needs to be high quality. For example, upholstered chairs in your formal living room (I don't really know who has a formal living room anymore, but just go with it). Go with quality, it will make the entire room look more expensive! But the side table, bring in some character here with a quirky piece you picked up at the local consignment store at a great price.
3.
How long do you expect the item to last? This is tricky...what comes to mind once again is our couch. We spent
a lot of money on our couch. It is a Pottery Barn slipcover couch, with a chaise and pull out bed. Did I mention it was not cheap. But here is the thing, with the very high usage our couch gets I don't think anything will be up to the challenge of lasting 5 years. So even though I expected the Pottery Barn couch to last a lot longer I am thinking that with our next couch we just go for the IKEA slipcover couch and know that we will have to replace it in a few years. But with the money we will save I wont feel so bad about it. Now, I realize that doesn't really answer the above question, but you have to have realistic expectations. A high quality dinning room table can last you a lifetime but the coffee table in your family room might barely make it two years. Just keep this in mind when deciding how much to spend.
At the end of the day I think my favorite DIYers are the ones who understand how to make an $1000 bed look wonderful next to a $30 chair. And a $500 desk look perfect framed by homemade no-sew curtains. It is mixing the old with the new, the recycled with the never been touched, the personal with the practical. This is how DIYing is done!
Now this is only "Part 1" of this post. I feel like this question crosses over to much more then just design. So I have hit up some of my expert friends in other territories to help me answer this question. When to buy quality in your wardrobe or at the grocery store!?!? Keep you eyes peeled for installment two coming soon.
