Cheap and Chic

I'm excited to present a post from guest writer, eco lifestyle expert, and all-around awesome guy Danny Seo. Today, he's here to walk you through some simple, smart tips for buying a new mattress.

If you're like I was a few years ago, buying a mattress from a store was akin to purchasing a used car: stressful, high pressure, and not fun.
In 2009, I partnered up with the Simmons bedding company to create a line of eco-friendly mattresses called the Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo. It was my attempt to do a mainstream line of eco beds that would be sold in retail stores nationwide and come with all the bells and whistles Simmons mattresses are known for: great customer service, white glove delivery, long and trustworthy warranty. The line was a hit.

This post isn't about my beds, but about the insider tricks and tips I learned about the mattress business and what consumers should know and do when shopping. Here are my top 5 tips:

1. Bring Your Pillow. When you sleep at home, most of us do not lay flat on your back, shoes on, head firmly pressed against a bare mattress. Yet, we do that all the time when "test driving" beds in stores. Since you can't strip down to your PJs in the store, do the next best thing: bring your pillow. Resting your head on whatever number of pillows you normally sleep on will give you a true feel for how a new mattress will feel when you sleep on it.
2. Don't Bother Looking For a Lower Price. Some stores have the tagline "If you find a lower price, it's free!" but the truth is, you will likely never find a lower price. Regional chains work with mattress manufacturers to make special version of popular beds. So instead of just selling a Simmons Natural Care mattress, it could be called The Simmons Natural New Hope model or The Simmons Natural Care Iverness Valley. These model names are often unique to stores, so finding a lower price can be next to impossible. If you find a bed you like, negotiate with the store and don't bother shopping around.

Keep reading for three more matress-buying tips from Danny Seo!

Figuring out how to inject modern style into a home from the Victorian, Edwardian, or Arts and Crafts era sometimes poses a challenge for motivated, modern-style-loving homeowners. When interior designer Jennifer Hannotte purchased her Edwardian home in Toronto, she knew she wanted to renovate the home to reflect her style.

Jennifer opened up the home and used both high and low materials and items to create a modern feel inside the home, all while sticking to a strict budget. Want to hear how she did it? Get all of the details on Houzz.

I'm excited to present a post from one of my favorite sites, Stylelist Home!

Believe it or not, redecorating your home doesn't need to be a massive and expensive project. Simple touches like adding a decorative tray or changing your pillow cases can have dramatic effects. To help you get inspired, we pulled together 14 easy decorating ideas that will update your home without breaking your budget. In fact, most of these projects are completely free . . . and the rest weigh in at under $10.

1. Rearrange the bookshelf. Reorganizing the bookshelf will easily make an entire room look more styled and polished, and you don't even have to get rid of anything. One tip is to arrange your books so they look like a smooth landscape of rolling hills. Put the tallest in the middle and fan out to the smallest or create multiple peaks (as long as the books flow together) or lay a few books on their side and stack them like a pyramid.
2. Rearrange your furniture. This may sound simple, but rearranging furniture is a great (and free!) way to completely change the look and feel of your home. If you always find yourself climbing over an ottoman, move your couch back to create a passing lane. Is it too cramped? Try moving your side table to another room that's more spacious.
3. Change a light switch plate. Finding the light switch is always a daunting task, especially for guests. So why not try decoupaging pretty patterned paper to the plate for a nice pop of color? Your friends will thank you and a little touch of color will liven up any space.
4. Make pillow covers. One yard of fabric is all you need to make two adorable decorative pillow covers. Adding a fresh pattern or color to your living room or bed will elevate the design and you can buy designer fabrics on sale for an inexpensive price.
5. Buy fresh flowers. A vase full of fresh flowers instantly brings life to any space, especially in the dreary winter months when everything outside is cold and pretty lackluster. You don't need to get fancy—a bouquet of supermarket roses in a happy hue is enough to make a difference.

Want to find out the rest of the tips? Get all 14 DIY home improvement ideas when you read the rest of the post on Stylelist Home!

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member inglenookdecor from the Su Casa group:

I thought I would share the newest cities my husband and I have added to our stenciled canvas wall art. It's all the cities we've been to together that mean so much to us. (We didn't include the ones we've been to solo, no matter how exciting they were).

A little cheesy and corny I know, but most artwork this big is in the $2000s. I can just imagine us getting older adding more and more (the letters will get smaller and smaller or we'll make two or three more . . . we plan to travel much people!) and the memories of those places so vivid, it would feel like we were there yesterday. Sorry, I'm going all The Notebook here. We even stenciled the cities in together of course, me commenting on how crooked he made some of the letters. Or maybe that was me who did it?

Have you done any DIY decorating lately? Be sure to share your photos in the Su Casa group!

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member lauren from the Su Casa group:

I recently moved into a new home and along with a new home comes lots of projects! We decided to put our tv in a separate room, so our living is purely for entertaining. So our little den was outfitted with our old Ikea couch, we had the best of intentions of getting something new for the room down the line but on a recent trip to Ikea we found our couch covers were on super sale. Rather than buy a brand new couch for the room, we decided to go the more thrifty route with a new cover, pillows and some extra batting added to the sad looking cushions. For about $100 for everything, the couch was transformed and looks pretty much like new. Here is the before: Keep reading for the after!

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member LAKR from the Su Casa group:

We're renting this loft from January to June...long enough to settle in, but we don't want to spend a bundle decorating, and we can't make permanent changes, of course.
I really disliked the  undersized curtains on our beautiful front window which looks out onto the waterfront.  I had a feeling that floor to ceiling curtains would draw the eye upward, soften some of the echo in the room, and make the room seem wider.  I would have toyed with the idea of a bold black/white Marimekko print or a beautiful color, but the budget had limitations...

This is the living room before, with the curtains that came with the apartment.

Keep reading to see how LAKR transformed the windows for around $20!

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member ella1978 from the Su Casa group:

Since the economy is what it is, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share a few simple and affordable ways to spruce up your master bedroom.

1. Pillows You can add pillows to your bed to give a little extra color, texture or just a little something special to the room. You can buy pillows or make pillow covers for ones you might already have that are a little outdated. Check out how to cover your pillows here!
2. Throw Blankets Again, this is a quick way to add color, texture, and interest to the biggest feature in the room, your bed! Make it a warm, snugly one for the Winter and something light and airy for the summertime.
3. Paint Your Old Nightstands Are your nightstands looking a little dated or ragged? The simple fix is to give them a quick upgrade with a coat of primer and two coats of paint. Go bold with a bright color or sleek with a glossy dark finish.
4. DIY Artwork Add an interesting graphic print, or even a great quilt, to your wall to add interest behind your bed and draw the eye to the focal part of the room. You can even buy pre-hung canvases and give them a little touch of "you" by painting them to match the decor. Make them solids, add a floral or graphic pattern and voilà! You have a whole new room.
5. A New Rug Do you have hardwood floors in your bedroom? A new rug is a perfect way to change the whole room. Go with something dark or bold to give the room a whole new flavor.

Check out our blog for five more tips!

Do you have any tips to share? Be sure to post your ideas in the Su Casa group!

Source

Yesterday on Facebook, I shared that a friend of mine had just purchased her first home. However, since she's just made a major investment, she's trying to decorate inexpensively right now. I have my favorite sources for inexpensive furniture and decor, but I was hoping that you might add to the list. I have to say, there are some savvy shoppers out there! Thanks for all of the suggestions. Take a look at some great places and ideas for saving money on home decor. If you have another source, please add to the list on Facebook or in the comments.

• Kristen suggested, "TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Target, Cost Plus, Pier 1, and furniture outlet stores. We also have a store here called Just Like the Model . . . it's furniture taken from model homes once the models are sold. They have great prices, and beautiful items, both furniture and decorative."
• Sheri said, "Cost Plus World Market. Gorgeous decor and great prices. Some nice furniture as well."
• Evelyn listed "Home Goods, Ikea, and The Container Store!"
• Kristen said, "I like shopping for vintage home decor on Etsy, for a personal touch. Etsy has enabled coupon codes, so you can find some pretty good deals on the site!"
• Brooke suggested, "A lot of times you can find some good stuff at thrift stores! A little sanding, staining, paint, and some good old fashioned elbow grease can go a long way!"
• Pamela said, "Home Goods! I have found great rugs, chairs, bedding, and accessories that I am very happy with! The inventory is always changing."

Keep reading for even more suggestions.