We’ve all been there; looking for that one standout piece for our homes only to find the perfect one at a ridiculous price. Well, what if I told you I’ve found the top Autumn 2014 home trends at a fraction of their price? With these budget-friendly alternatives you’ll have enough leftover for a second thing from this list…
Every home needs an upgrade every now and again. Whether that’s just a new pillow, throw, or a completely different sofa is completely up to you. If you’ve fallen in love with that perfect new thing though, there’s a few unwritten rules to pay attention to before committing to a buy. The most important being; most retailers copy each other. Just take our Top Alternatives for Dre Beats article for example – most products have a huge number of dupes that are just as good for lower prices.
They don’t mean to of course. With most ‘season trends’ being released within the same few months it’s doubtful one retailer’s seen another’s collection. There are only so many trends each season, which means many retailers come up with similar ideas for them. This sucks for the retailers of course, but it’s great for us! It means you can find splurge and steal versions of most items. You shouldn’t always pick the steal options just because they’re cheaper; really consider which item works best for you, and splash out on the ones you love the most. If you’re trying to stick to a strict budget though, then this post is definitely for you.
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Autumn Cushion
Autumn’s all about rustic and cosy. We’re thinking the crisp colours of autumn leaves – browns, oranges, yellows, all calm and earthy tones. These pillows give an injection of Autumn into the home, for very different price tags. Animal prints work really well on neutral sofas with plain cushions around them. And because Autumn is all about sitting in your warm home, watching the leaves fall with a nice cup of tea, getting a new pillow or two would be the perfect budget upgrade for your home.
SPLURGE: Worldstores, £26.99 STEAL: Tesco home, £10
Autumn Time
Neutral clocks look fantastic on most walls, and can really liven up a kitchen or living room. I fell in love with the splurge buy for this one; the London Heritage wall clock in cream from John Lewis. The colour is absolutely gorgeous, but the clock itself is a little out of my price range. I found a dupe from TK Maxx for a ridiculously low price, and although it’s got some differences it makes a great budget buy.
SPLURGE: John Lewis, £100 STEAL: TK Maxx, £7.99
Autumn Lighting
Bit of an unusual one for this; I’ve found a splurge, steal and a save version. Tripod floor lamps seem to be the stars of 2014, they’ve been all over the TV and spread across magazines. Marks and Spencers are always top of the supermarkets for star buys, and for this trend they’re no different to usual with a gorgeously modern tripod light. Made have a slightly different take on the tripod, but it’s no less beautiful. Finally Sainsburys have an oh-so similar design to the Marks and Spencers light, only in a different colour. It’s up to you which one you think would suit your home better.
SPLURGE: Marks and Spencers, £199 STEAL: Made.com, £99 SAVE: Sainsburys, £37.50
Autumn Seating
There isn’t anything particularly Autumny about these seats, but they really would make a nice feature in any home. This is the first time I’d suggest going for the steal buy because they look so similar no one will really be able to tell, and it’ll save you over £200! Either chair would work great in a slick modern room, or in an industrial themed space. For the price of the steal chair you could even grab 2 or 3 to put around a dining table.
SPLURGE: John Lewis, £300 STEAL: Dwell, £89
Autumn Candles
There’s no debating that Autumn is one of the greatest times to light a few candles in the evening and snuggle up on the sofa in a big comfy throw. The best scents are warm and inviting, and of course you’ll want a candle you know you’ll be able to light a few times. Yankee are one of the most loved candle brands, and their scents and candles are always on point. But if you’re looking for a great budget alternative, the strong but sweet smell of Ikea’s vanilla candle is what you should go for. It lasts for 40hrs (and we can back this up, having bought 3 just for ‘testing’ purposes of course….) and the smell is pretty powerful. The Yankee candle has an impressive 110 – 150hrs of burning time; we can’t vouch for the smell, but Honey Glow sounds like it would be perfect for Autumn. The choice is yours.
SPLURGE: Very.co.uk (in Honey Glow), £19 STEAL: Ikea (in Vanilla), £2.50
Autumn Bowl
Coppers are beautiful all year round, but they really come into their own during Autumn. The splurge and steal are slightly different this time being different colours, so you could choose to lighten up your room with the splurge or keep it calm and toned down with the steal. This would make a great addition to a coffee or dining table, just finish off with some fruit or some candles.
SPLURGE: Cox & Cox, £35 STEAL: Not On The Highstreet, £16.95
Autumn Look
Ok, so this isn’t just for Autumn, but you don’t have to tell anyone that! A full length mirror is handy to keep in a hallway or bedroom, but it’s not too useful for anything more than looking at yourself. Why not try getting one with a drawer underneath? You could pop in a hairdryer, a pair of straighteners and some hairbrushes to make it a new place to do your hair. The options are endless, and could turn your simple mirror into something much more useful. There’s not much between our splurge and STEAL picks for this, except for colour, so choose what best suits you.
SPLURGE: Argos, £199.99 STEAL: Wren Living, £49
Autumn Lampshade
If you want to turn an exposed ceiling bulb into a feature in any room, a gold pendant lampshade would be bang on trend. It adds an air of sophistication and luxury, which usually means it doesn’t come cheap! The splurge this time is very minimalistic, whilst the steal has a little more to it, but they’re both incredible.
SPLURGE: Debenhams, £169 STEAL: Very.co.uk, £49
Autumn Drinks
Imagine curling up in front of a crackling fire with a hot chocolate in hand, ignoring the blistering cold weather outside and having a laugh with friends and family. Stag prints have been popping up all over the place, and if having this woodland creature on your pillow was too much, maybe a mug would be less commitment. These could even transition you nicely into Christmas 2014!
SPLURGE: The Lost Lanes, £16 STEAL: Bouf.com, £9 SAVE: Worldstores, £7.99
That’s it for this list, but I’ll be back next month with another set of dupes. Have you seen any similar items from different retailers you’d add? Let me know in the comments below, or over on Facebook or Twitter.
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