How to furnish your home stylishly for less than $10,000

By Aaron De Silva

May 17, 2017 10:55 AM SGT

When would-be homeowners begin budgeting for their new nest, furnishings are typically not their top priority. So many other considerations have to take precedence: the down payment, the mortgage, the cost of renovation. Taking care of fundamentals is the sensible thing to do, for sure. But it means that there might not be much left over for furniture, which is challenging if you’re style-conscious.

Thankfully, you don’t have to rely only on IKEA, if you’re on a budget these days. Don’t get us wrong; we love the Swedish home furnishing giant’s offerings, especially the design-oriented PS Collection. It’s just that we don’t want our homes to look as if they were lifted straight from the pages of a furniture catalogue.

There’s now a plethora of options, both online and offline when it comes to stylish, reasonably priced furnishings. So we approached our friends in the design industry and set them a challenge: furnish a home – at least the main spaces such as the living, dining and master bedroom – with a budget of $10,000. To keep things consistent, we asked that they recommend pieces to suit popular styles like Contemporary and Scandi-Modern.

Mark Chen, co-founder of interior design firm Artistroom, responded by admitting that it’s a tough budget to match. “But there are a few furniture shops that are quite popular nowadays: retailers like Muji, OM, Castlery, Ethnicraft, Commune and BoConcept.

“They sometimes offer pieces like sofas for around $2,000-plus (even for a full leather sofa); dining table and chairs for $2,000-plus; TV consoles for between $900 and $1,500; master bed frames for between $900 and $2,000-plus; and coffee/side tables for around $400 to $800.”

If you’re a fan of the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic (think Mad Men), Chen suggests checking out shops like Ethnicraft and Commune, which specialise in wooden furniture. The pieces are made from teakwood, which he says can then be stained to give an oak or walnut finish. This would match the wood tones that are associated with the Mid-Century style.

N501 sofa in leather, $2,995 from Ethnicraft

Bruno TV Unit in solid wood and brass, $1,399 from Commune

For those who prefer more Contemporary styles, Chen recommends Castlery, which has “Pieces that are quite slick looking, like the chesterfield sofa which comes with a modern twist.”

Penny Loveseat in leather, $2,999 from Castlery

Erricson Wong, co-founder of online furniture and lighting store Inhabitant, suggests several pieces from his portfolio of brands. ““All these would suit a Contemporary or Mid-Century Modern look. For the living room, I suggest the Sketch Alto Sofa, L’abbate Dormitio Lounge Chair and Mater Bowl Coffee Table. For the dining room, I suggest the Inclass Sui Table and Jottergoods Porter Chairs. For the bedroom, I have the Jottergoods Rivet Side Table. You just have to go to IKEA or Muji for the bed frame,” he says with a laugh.

Sketch Alto Sofa in solid wood and fabric, from $2,350 from Inhabitant

L’abbate

Jottergoods Porter Chair in metal, fabric and leather, $250 from Inhabitant

Jottergoods Rivet Side Table in copper-plated steel, $690 from Inhabitant

IKEA’s minimalist Malm bed frame, in oak veneer, can be had for $449. Meanwhile, Muji has a double bed with storage compartments for $719 (in oak; $759 in walnut).

Caleb Queen Size Bed in maple and birch, $719 from Castlery

Also coming in at $719 is the Caleb Queen Size Bed from Castlery. It’s recommended by Redzuan Abu Bakar, creative director of interior design company Ensemble. He also suggests a few other pieces from retailers such as Lifestorey and Comfort. “In my opinion, these are quite neutral and would work in most spaces. This flexibility allows homeowners to change their styling and maintain the longevity of the furniture.”

Hex Side Table in solid marble and antique brass, $732 for 2, from West Elm

Plum Armchair, $2,565 from Cult

Abu Bakar adds that homeowners should also explore buying pieces online from retailers like CB2 or West Elm. “Although they can only ship items of certain sizes and weights, they provide a wide variety of options if you can’t find the perfect piece locally,” he says.

For more ideas on how to decorate your pad on a budget, check out this link.

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