Affordable Decorative Items

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: decorative items don’t have to be expensive. In fact, I’ll always look for a bargain when shopping for the little items around my home, especially while my kids are young and clumsy. Instead, I prefer to leave room in my budget for original art and comfortable seating.

I spent some time this week rounding up some of my favorite decorative items. All are under $100 and many are on sale because of Labor Day. Woot woot!

Trays, Catch-alls, and Stands:

This category is a favorite of mine because there’s so much versatility of use. E.g., that marble cake plate from the Amber Interiors’ shop would be great in a bathroom, coffee table, or, yes, in a kitchen. I also love the idea of using that leather dustpan as a a book or accessory catch-all on a bedside table. And, I have that little distressed wood pedestal from McGee & Co., and it’s adorable in a bathroom with stacked handmade soap.

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Objects

Decorative objects can be particularly great additions to a bookcase or shelf, but really go anywhere and everywhere. Want proof? Here’s a few pictures of the same Crate & Barrel kiwi birds in several different places around my old home:

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I like my decorative objects fun and whimsical. Here are a few that I really love right now, including my kiwi birds (that now also come in black!).

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Faux and Dried Greenery

There are people who are firmly in the no-fake-stuff camp and I get it. But for the rest of us who forget to, say, water the plants in that rarely-used guest room bath, this is for you. And, even if you do have a green thumb, there are many, many reasons to go with the dried or fake stuff. Why keep replacing fresh eucalyptus when both faux and preserved versions look exactly the same? I have a huge teak bowl of purple artichokes that literally fools everyone who enters my house (except when they say how cool it is I immediately tell them they’re fake and the jig is up). If you are dipping your toe in the fake plant world, I will say that succulents are the most realistic because the real stuff is rubbery too. I have a few faux aloe plants that I honestly would not be able to tell were fake if I didn’t inspect them closely.

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Beads, Chains, and Knots

This grouping are all things that you lay or drape on other things (e.g., on a tray or book). These items are a great and easy way to add texture and dimension to your tabletop.

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Vases and Jugs:

I personally love when vases or other vessels look like they were found on an archeological dig because I feel like they always look good/interesting with or without greenery/flora, but I tried to give you some diversity. The dried and faux stems I highlighted above would look so good in any of these.

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Miscellaneous:

Here are a few additional items that don’t easily fall into a category. I love the idea of that cool black broom just hanging or leaning on a wall in a mudroom or next to a fireplace (bonus point for pairing with that aforementioned leather dustpan, but in black), or those brush objects hanging out on a powder room vanity. Also amazing in a powder room: that beautiful diffuser with dried flowers (use your favorite scent, or if you need a recommendation, I’m really into this LAFCO scent). Finally, I love the passive aggressiveness one would exhibit when putting that book next to a bed in a guest room.

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That’s it for me. Happy shopping! Enjoy the last long weekend of summer!