I won't play the "can you tell which one is really vintage" today because it's pretty obvious what photos were taken with an iPhone in questionable lighting with a shaky hand! But you can see where I'm going with this...while designing a weekend home for a busy Boston couple with an affinity for everything mid-century, I headed out on a shopping spree. My mission; to furnish a 6,000 square foot house but make it look like it hasn't been touched in years. While the budget has no limits, I always save when and where I can. One of the factors I consider when buying anything for clients is how they will
live in the space. Are they relaxed, single retirees? Do they have animals? Is it a family with kids who act like animals? In this case, the active teenage kids tend to bring friends along for weekend retreats, so that will dictate what I bring into the design. For example, I wouldn't splurge on an expensive rug or light colored fabric in an active home. Instead, I will devote more of the budget to appliances, light fixtures and flooring. As I shopped for a mid-century dining room table I found this incredible set for $5,500 (insert gasp here). While the clients fell in love with the pieces, one requirement was for multiple guest chairs for larger parties. That's when I turned to my trusty friends over at Overstock.com where I found chairs that could easily co-star with these A-listers. The price? $90 for TWO! While the CEO of this family probably wouldn't normally bargain hunt, they certainly appreciated the way I balanced their design budget!
