It’s that time of year where your home gets transformed from everyday to extraordinary. Lights, garlands, tiny villages and greenery rule the day. I”m going to share with you a few of my favorite Christmas villages that can make a big impression, ranging from pricey to affordable.
Do you love Serena and Lily's impossibly chic collection of home decor, but not the steep price points? I mean don't we all wanna feel a little California-fancy sometimes? To help I've compiled a list of the absolute best Amazon dupes for some of the most popular items from Serena and Lily. Read on!
Another example is a light fixture that I recently fell in love with from Shades of Light, the Boho Carrick Sconce. I almost forgot my rule and bought this without looking for the same light somewhere else, but google image search came in clutch AGAIN. I found the same light from the manufacturer, Mitzi , on sale at Amazon for $80 cheaper as the Tessa Wall Sconce. And to think I'd almost paid 25% more because I was dazzled by the (admittedly) beautiful Shades of Light website!
One of the best examples I've found to date of a pricey item available at another retailer for less is the Serena and Lily "Tucker" chair. This chair is also available at Design Within Reach (dwr.com) as the "Salt" chair. Same chair, same manufacturer (TON, a European maker), with two different price points. DWR will frequently put the "Salt" chair on sale for 30% off and then you can stack a 20% off coupon on top of that -- which turns out to be a huge savings over the price at Serena and Lily -- and DWR offers free shipping (S&L does not).
Give this trick a try anytime you're buying something on the pricier side, besides making economic sense it's sort of like a fun treasure hunt across the internet. It doesn't work every time, but when it does it feels like a win, and we all need more of those!
*Please note this blog post contains affiliate links, and I may receive a commission when you click on a link to purchase. Affiliate links are generally a very small source of blogging income and do not influence any opinion or review stated on the blog.
.png)
1) Wooden Link 2) Onion Baskets 3) Sea-grass Lamp 4) Coral Pillows 5) Conch Shell 6) Glass Vase
7) Lidded Baskets 8) Beaded Ceiling Light 9) Faux Tulips 10) Wall Baskets Blue 11) Blue Heron Art
*Please note this blog post contains affiliate links, and I may receive a commission when you click on a link to purchase. Affiliate links are generally a very small source of blogging income and do not influence any opinion or review stated on the blog.
I love to review higher priced decor pieces here on the blog so others can decide if something is worth the investment and read an honest review of the item in question. No one wants to shell out a thousand dollars for a rug only to find it doesn’t meet expectations.
When I purchased the Pottery Barn Odessa rug in the 8' x 11' size I couldn't find any reviews online and bought it with my fingers crossed. I actually found it for sale on Wayfair.com as the Rushmore Rug (Something that boutique companies like to do is rename an item and sell it for a higher price -- I wrote an entire blog post about just this topic) and paid about 40% less than what Pottery Barn had it listed for. It's the exact same rug by the same company, just listed under a different name.
Looks aside this rug is a little thinner than I had hoped and we had to use a 1/2" rug pad underneath. It's now comfortable to walk and lay on for short periods but I wouldn’t call it plush under foot. Honestly, it's beautiful, but the biggest caveat has been kind of a bummer -- loose fibers working their way out daily and two years later it still clogs my Dyson cordless vacuum when I clean it.
I get on my hands and knees ya'll, weekly, to snip all the wool pieces that stick out of this rug from just normal wear and tear of walking on it (we do not wear shoes in my house either). This was a huge disappointment to say the least, given the price of this rug. A certain amount of snipping is normal for a hand knotted rug, but after several years my old lady knees have really had enough.
Sadly, this is one item I would say to skip. I love the look of this rug in my living room, but it hasn't been worth the headaches and I'm on the hunt for something more durable with less overall maintenance. For the price I expected more, and would not recommend unless you don't mind continuing maintenance.
The stack below is from an interior design I did this past year where the theme was loosely nautical boho. Admittedly the picture is not great, my apologies. The top two books are very easy to find and the bottom book is a bit harder, but measures about 12.5" x 11" if you need to find a surrogate. The Kaufmann Mercantile is a fascinating read and would make a great stocking stuffer for the man in your life! Buy the books here: The Kaufmann Mercantile, Monet, North: Adventures in the Frozen Wild.
For a more luxe vibe I love this three book stack with the black and white color scheme. These would be perfect on a side table next to a velvet sofa or in a modern feminine bedroom. Just as you see in this photo, stacking something sculptural on top of your books is a great punctuation mark and helps to create the "moment". Find the books here: Chanel Collections and Creations, Elements of Style, Coco Chanel.
All of these stacks have been sets of three which are a favorite of mine but don't be afraid to do two or more, and up to five if the space is big enough and the bottom book is hefty. Don't necessarily worry about staying within the same subject matter, though that can be a nice bonus when it works. Enjoy, have fun, and have an excuse to buy more books!
*Please note this blog post contains affiliate links, and I may receive a commission when you click on a link to purchase. Affiliate links are generally a very small source of blogging income and do not influence any opinion or review stated on the blog.
 |
 |
| 2014, move in day |
 |
| 2015 |
 |
| Gray walls, 2017 |
 |
| 2020, new floor and table! |
 |
| 2014 |
|
| 2023 |