Tight Budget? Here’s Cheap Furniture that Looks Expensive!

Hi Everyone,

Oh, I promised myself I wasn’t going to take forever to produce a post; however, interior design DOES take forever.

Putting it together takes some time, too.

However, based on a comment the other day, I wanted to see if it was possible to furnish a two-bedroom apartment for the purposes of selling it for under $10,000 by shopping retail, mostly on Wayfair.

 

I chose Wayfair because they have such a tremendous selection of cheap furniture.

 

They certainly have some expensive furniture too; however, I often find items that look like they cost much more than they actually do.

Make no mistakes. There’s also a mountain of junk to wade through. That’s not Wayfair’s fault. It’s the manufacturers who haven’t caught on that cheap doesn’t have to mean ugly and tasteless.

Still… If I have only $10,000 to furnish an entire two-bedroom condo in Boston, that means I can only spend around $4,000 on the living room.

For staging purposes, I think less is more; not necessarily minimalist, but a comfy sofa and two club chairs are sufficient.

 

But, there’s also a secret that I’m about to share.

 

The upholstered pieces are not all that important. Sure, they should have classic lines and proportions. I would select plain fabric patterns in natural or natural-look fibers.

Here’s the secret.

Are you ready?

 

Okay, the secret is the details– the accessories, art, pillows, vases, flowers, plants, and lighting.

 

People will remember the fabulous lamps you have, but they’re less apt to remember the sofa.

Why?

Because they’re also looking at your gorgeous throw pillows, lamps, and artwork. The sofa, unless it’s remarkable in some way, won’t be remembered.

Therefore, the place to splurge a bit is on the pillows and lamps. And by splurge, I mean we’re still on a strict budget, but you can get a $200 lamp.

 

Artwork is also very important, especially if you have a lot of wall space.

 

However, you don’t need to fill every wall.

What I love are all the gorgeous art prints available on Etsy. There are dozens of sources in my Etsy Guide. The prints come either as a download or you print the art and have it framed. Some vendors provide the print, while others will also offer the print in a simple frame.

Some vendors sell pre-made art walls. Of course, if you don’t feel like fussing or don’t have the time, that is the easiest way to go.

 

But, Laurel, are you suggesting that we must spend $10,000 on furniture to sell our homes?

 

No, not if you’re still living there. But if you’ve moved out and the home is bare, realtors say that homes show better if furnished. Yes, if furnished nicely.

Rental furniture is expensive and usually not very exciting.

In addition, it also depends on your market and price point. Boston is one of the most expensive cities in the country. If you want to live in a 2-bedroom, 1,000-plus square feet, in the heart of the city (Beacon Hill, Back Bay, or the South End) in move-in-ready condition, there is nothing you’d want to live in for under a million dollars. People expect to find a lovely home.

 

Another thing to remember is that after your home sale, you may need some of the furnishings for your new place.

 

Or, you might have a young adult child who would be thrilled with the free furniture.

As we discussed earlier, if your place hasn’t been painted in the last ten years, it should be painted.

Unfortunately, a 1,200 square foot home will cost at least $20,000 to have painted. If you want a good paint job, it will be at least $30,000. However, you might be able to find a painter who will do it for $10,000.

I would check on Next Door.

 

Okay, let’s move on.

 

In the beginning, I thought I would do some white slipcovered upholstery, but then, in my 555-foot-deep rabbit hole, I found two beautiful olive green Chesterfield sofas. One is the typical tufted piece with the big roll arms.

But, the other has a gentle camel back and a more delicate arm. You’ll see them both very soon.

So, what I did first was I summoned ChatGPT, who is the next best thing to having my very own personal genie.

 

Maybe that’s what the G stands for, Genie. Genie Part-Time?

 

Okay, I sent him the condo on Garrison Street– a black and white version.

And then this message:

 

Dear Chat,

Could you please send me back a Beaux-Arts style living room – just the room, no furniture. One-point perspective, large square Corinthian Columns, or pilasters, and other architectural mouldings of the period. Fancy plaster crown moulding. Creamy white walls, walnut-stained hardwood floor. A Bay to the side would be nice, but it’s not essential.

Thanks so much!

 

And then he sent me back this.

 

 

Not bad. I asked if he could add a bay on the right, and I got the image below.

 

However, in the end, I decided to use the first one.

 

Last week, I had a bizarre sesh with ChatGeniePart-Time.

 

Chat led me to believe that I could send him pics of the furnishings I wanted to use with a mock-up, and he could get everything into the proper perspective for me.

Well, he tried, but in the end, he realized that he can’t do that yet.

 

He kept saying, “Okay, here it comes.”

 

And he’d send me back the same empty room. That happened three times, and the last time, he vanished.

When Chat vanishes, it doesn’t mean he’s mad at you; he never gets even close to being angry. If he suddenly disappears, it means he got his cyber pants caught in his cyber bike chain. Ya know?

You see, if you’ve never been on ChatGPT before, what I quickly learned is that he is the most suck-uppiest creature ever. His subservience has no limits. He doesn’t get tired. He’s always there, and he always wants to do more and more and more…

And more.

It’s ridiculous, but in the best way possible.

Anyway, he finally confessed to me in so many words:

 

“What you want, Laurel, is to offload all of the elements in your room and have someone else just do it. I wish I could, but at this point, I can’t. Hopefully, one day. I’m sorry I can’t help you further with that part of the project, but would you like me to remove the furniture from any other rooms? That I can do easily.”

 

Can we see that room, too?

 

The problem is Steven’s photos are repped by a copyright troll. To be clear, not because of Steven, but because of Steven’s photographer who owns the rights. This is the reason why I wanted his room stripped bare. Yes, it’s a derivative of the original, but with new furniture, and other changes, it becomes a new space.

I’ve found a lot of terrific furniture, and some of it will be featured in a widget of “cheap furniture.”

Please remember this is the living room only, and it is 100% conceptual. I can do other spaces if there’s interest. I would love to try and do the rest.

Let’s first look at the old living room.

 

And now for the cheap furniture that (hopefully) doesn’t look cheap.

 

 

Everything but the pillows and prints came from Wayfair and do you want to get guess how much all of that cost?

 

I put everything into my cart on Wayfair, and without shipping and tax, the total was under $3,000!

 

 

And by golly. I’d have this furniture in my living room!

This would be great for people downsizing, a second home,  or anyone on a strict budget. Or, people who’d rather spend their money on something else.

Okay, here’s the widget. I updated and added onto one from another post from two years ago about decorating on a budget without it looking cheap. I think this is the one.

 

Please let me know if you’d like to see more.

 

In the meantime, you might enjoy this post about cheap sofas,

And this post is about cheap lamps.

And this is one of my favorites about cost-saving decorating and when it’s good to splurge.

xo,

 

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