Thursday, September 25, 2008

Quiz: Budget buy or designer splurge?

It was that time again, planning for what to talk about on my next KITV home style segment. I always try to make it fun, interesting and informative—but what am I going to talk about next? As I was getting dressed to go out to dinner the other night, inspiration hit me—literally as I pulled it over my head.

I paired my designer black jacket, bought on sale at Escada (no, that’s not an oxymoron, and I can’t mention the price because my husband reads this blog!) with my bling-ed out sequin silver tank top that was $12.99 from Walmart. That was it—budget buys and designer splurges! There’s a time and place for both.

So I decided to do something fun and a little different. I wanted to put Mahealani and Dan to the test. After the last few months of my teaching segments with them on Wednesday mornings, I wanted to see if they and the viewing audience could pick out the home décor budget buys from the designer splurges. And come to find out, Dan did better than Mahealani did—but you know what? That’s no surprise, because he always seems to do better when it comes to my pop quizzes!
Now it’s your turn. Can you pick out the budget buys from the designer splurges?

This is going to be a lot harder for you, because Dan and Mahealani were able to touch and really get a sense of these objects.

I started off by saying that every room can stand to have a little touch of black. It accents the other colors and lends drama. Black accent pillows are a great way to do that. Looking at the four pillows, which two do you think are the budget buys, and which would you splurge on?

The first has a dusky gold fabric and a soft black velvet design. It can be contemporary, eclectic and all in all fabulous. The next one is retro-inspired, black and white with beautiful flowers and Swarovski crystals for luxurious embellishment. The next one is striped black and bronze, with gold bamboo as an opulent accent. Finally, a subtle yet elegant island pillow of black and ivory with beautiful monsteras adding a decorative accent.
Next are the throws. Throws are a great way to add texture and warmth to a sofa, a chair or even the foot of a bed. So which of the three do you think is the budget buy? The first is a luxurious taupe chenille throw with crocheted pattern and soft fringes. It has a beautiful shimmer and texture. Next is a light chocolate-colored faux fur throw that’s lined with a suede backing. Then we have a chestnut-colored soft bamboo throw, organic, great for the environment and for any room. It’s super soft and silky.

Finally, the silk orchid arrangements. The first one sits in a clay pot with artificial moss cascading down, and there are three sprays of blossoms. The second is in a resin striped canister with moss globes as accents and also three sprays of blossoms.

So what do you think? Can you tell which is the budget buy and which is the splurge? Post your answers here, then check my next blog for the answers and a peek at the receipts!

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