As the money-brain of the operation here at Lambert Home, I’m always looking for ways to save and “Chinch” as Sarah calls it. But as designers and even as a homeowner, there are places that I believe investment makes all the difference.
Upholstered Furniture
Your upholstered furniture are your foundational pieces that get lived in and lived on day in and day out. This lands them at the top of the list! The livable difference in a quality piece and a budget piece are marked. From worn cushions and stained fabric to pilling upholstery and sagging backs (you’ve seen it, when the fabric on the back of an upholstered sofa kinda hangs there lifelessly and gapes and gaps. UGH) the wear and tear on your upholstered pieces can be rough and it’s important to invest in pieces that can stand up to your family and stand out in your design! When buying upholstered furniture you want to insure you’ve got quality hard wood frames, stain-proof fabric or top-grain leather, and solid cushion construction.
Rugs
Rugs are a personal passion of mine as the market is entirely saturated with inexpensive, cheap, and immoral rugs. The fact that you can get a $80 8×10 rug on Wayfair right now should be a red flag to anybody shopping with integrity. These cheap items are manufactured without integrity or consideration for human life. I have stood in meetings with huge rug manufacturers asking what steps they take to insure that their rugs are manufactured ethically and received laughs and responses like “Oh…frankly, that’s not a priority for us right now.” If this isn’t compelling enough, The visual difference in a quality investment rug, and a cheap throw-away rug is alarming. ALARMING!
Art
Often times, art is where we can tell the story and culture of our home. For example, my front wall has custom framed pieces from all of my family’s travels as well as carvings and baskets from our glorious time in Africa. Art is a place where Hobby Lobby just isn’t going to cut it. The purpose of our art is not just to fill wall space. The purpose of art is to tell your story, share your family culture, and invite visitors into life with you. This requires investment.
Window Treatment
Absolutely non-negotiable. No matter what your style, black out roller shades, grass-cloth vignettes, floor-to-ceiling drapery panels, no matter your style window treatments are a MUST on the investment list. They serve a triple function as privacy, as light control, and as a style-communicator therefore, they deserve the dollars!
Lamps
The bigger the lamp, the bigger the impact. Period. We LOVE the design impact that a large table or floor lamp makes and frankly, there’s just nothing like it! Your lamps can be epic statement pieces, but normally only when you’re ready to invest!
Styling
Okay!! I know I said there are only 5 big pieces that deserve your dollars, but I’ve got to give Styling an honorable mention!! If we invest in these cornerstone pieces but then leave the styling for dregs, the space simply won’t finish out to perfection. Invest in styling too my friends!!! To see how we have styled some of our projects, check out our Pinterest or Instagram feeds!
We would love for you to see all our options that are available in-store or help you source these items worth the investment! Come in and see us!
