written by Jill Olson Duran

By this time in the new year, the holiday decorations are put away and hopefully all the leftover glitter is cleaned up. With colder winter weather and more time spent inside, we tend to want to renew and refresh our home interiors. We are lucky that Mount Juliet offers several stores to find inspiration and ideas. So where do we begin? No matter what your
decorating taste, here is a guide to get you started on your Home Sweet Home!

WHERE TO SPLURGE

The soft seating pieces that are the staples of your family’s living space are definitely splurge worthy, such as your sofa, your husband’s chair where he’ll plop down every evening, or your oversized sectional that is perfect for a cozy movie night! For these heavy-use pieces, I recommend considering them as an investment. A higher quality sofa will definitely outlast a cheap knockoff by many years! Choose a neutral sofa to ensure that it will fit with changing styles and tastes. Your kitchen table and chairs – I would not skimp here and buy the bargain kitchen set; it simply won’t hold up. These core kitchen pieces need to be durable due to the amount of wear and tear they will take. You will not regret paying a little more on the front end for something of a higher quality!

WHERE TO SAVE

Smaller pieces of furniture such as end tables and nightstands – Their only function is usually to hold lamps, decorative items and the occasional drink. Accent pieces are typically ones you don’t use a lot. This is a great place to follow a trend you’re not sure will stick around, or add some color that you may tire of in a few years. Have fun! Wall art can take a chunk out of the decorating budget if you’re not careful. Consider framing beautifully embellished scrapbook paper or landscape pictures from calendars. My basement is
decorated with my kids’ artwork that I’ve saved over the years. I love the personal touch this adds!

While I wouldn’t say I’m a big spender in general, I am more than a bit addicted to buying pretty things for my home. It is said that the first step to kicking an addiction is admitting that you have one, and I am well aware of mine!

Still not sure you can design your Home Sweet Home on your own? You can hire a local interior designer for just a consultation for a usually small fee to get you started. Consider not just new items, but explore our town’s resale and consignment shops, and even yard and estate sales.