Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This post is sponsored by Room & Board.
In case you missed it: I bought a house! Which sounds kind of crazy, considering I just moved to the PNW just over a year ago. But life works in mysterious ways, and I’m now happily living in the house of my dreams just outside of Portland, OR with my amazing partner Dylan and our adorable pup, Lily.
Emerson Bed | Float Wall Shelves
Owning a home has been an equally thrilling, exciting, stressful, and time-consuming process. I already have a never-ending work related to-do list, but I feel like now I have one that’s at least twice as long for the house. Painting and projects and upgrades, oh my!
At the end of the day, though, I’m so grateful to (1) invest in my future and be a homeowner, and (2) be able to put some hard work into this house and create a space that’s truly my own. We still have a lot of work to do, but I think that’s always going to be the case. The most important thing is to celebrate the small victories, enjoy the process, and remember to ditch that to-do list every once in a while and have a fun-filled weekend of zero housework.
Gallery Leaning Shelves | Hudson Dresser
I feel like I’m finally at the point where I can walk into each room of my house, see the small changes that we’ve made, and appreciate the difference. And it feels really good! Most of the rooms in our house are still incomplete in some shape or form, but we did finish the master bedroom this past weekend — hence the title of this blog post.
SoHo Mirror | Fleming Storage Bench
I’m so thrilled to be partnering with Room & Board…again! I filled my previous bedroom with their pieces and have been beyond impressed with the style, quality, and functionality of each one. Room & Board crafts high-quality, modern furniture that is not only built to last, but also sustainably sourced. This (awesome) company is dedicated to American craftsmanship and works with family-owned companies to produce over 90% of their furniture…how awesome is that?
I said in my last post that I knew I would be using my Room & Board furniture for the rest of my life, and that still holds true. So many of us fall into the “everything new” trap when it comes to home decorating. But that definitely does not have to be the case!
I’ve always considered myself to be a pretty thrifty gal, and try to re-use as much as possible while also reducing my waste. So I’ve compiled some easy, practical, and totally do-able low waste decorating tips for you all. When the time comes, I hope you’ll use them on your own space too 🙂
My Top Tips for Minimizing (Furniture) Waste:
1. Buy quality when it matters.
One important part of reducing your waste is re-using the things that you do own.
I’ve learned the hard way that when it comes to items you plan on using long-term: it’s much better to spend a little more up front and buy something that’s built to last, instead of going with a cheaper option that will only last a few years. I will acknowledge that not everyone can afford to shell out $$$ up front for a top-of-the line house. If that’s the case, I suggest you look at step three too 😉
That uber-cheap college furniture I bought? Yeah, that’s no longer with me. However, I was able to repurpose all of my furniture for Room & Board! My Float Wall Shelves, Hudson Dresser, Hudson Nightstand, and SoHo Mirror served me just as well in my old room as they do in my current room. I also moved a few pieces to different rooms in the house — my old Full-sized bed frame is now in the guest room, and my old standing lamp is now in our downstairs living room.
2. Don’t feel like you have to buy everything new.
Float Wall Shelves | Hudson Nightstand | Emerson Bed
Like I already touched on in my last tip, don’t be afraid to re-use your old pieces! Sometimes all an old furniture item needs is a fresh space 🙂 This not only extends to furniture, but to decor as well.
Decor prices can add up real fast, and half of the time those items just sit there and collect dust! Buying secondhand is always my first choice when it comes to decorating. Not only is it more budget-friendly, but you’re also reducing the amount of new items that need to be created in a factory. I like to shop at local thrift stores for the majority of my items (which also cuts down on packaging!), but I also used both OfferUp and Letgo to find some other items.
Secondhand is better, but free is best! My favorite way to decorate my earthy-inspired house is to find pieces of nature that I can take home with me 🙂 This includes shells, cool looking sticks, and even that giant piece of driftwood that rests above our bed!
3. Take your time to avoid buyer’s remorse.
It can definitely feel disorienting to live in an unfinished house, but you know what’s worse? Spending a ton of money on things you don’t need, only to realize that you don’t even like them a few months later.
I think it’s best to start with larger pieces (like furniture) and build upon those as time goes on. When you decorate intentionally, it also allows you to put more character into your house! Adding in mementos from trips or miscellaneous pieces from local art shops or photos of memories is a great way to remind yourself of fun times and add more positive energy to your space.
And that’s it, friends! If you have tips that I missed, please leave them in the comments below 🙂 Obviously there are a lot of things you can do to reduce your waste, but remember that every little bit counts too. Until next time x
