Amazon Favorites: Home

As the last of my planned Amazon Favorites series, I wanted to feature (IMO) the best category of all: Home! My big rule while we are renting is to avoid buying large, statement furniture pieces. Our current apartment is tiny compared to what we will most likely end up in with a home, and the last thing I want to do is spend a ton of money curating furniture that fits our current place, but looks tiny in our future house. Amazon is a great resource to fit both style and your budget + practical needs.

Out of everything available on Amazon, I really encourage you to look for home accents, furniture, and those little touches – not only will you save a ton of money to achieve the look you are going for, but you will also be able to quickly (and if you’re like me, frequently) change up your space with minimal effort & maximum personalization. I am constantly rearranging our place, swapping colorful rugs for monotone neutrals, mixing up accent chairs between rooms, and refreshing our artwork with things I’ve made recently or purchased. Amazon is a great resource for all things big + small to create your ideal space.

Improvements

This self adhesive contact paper comes in a glossy, realistic white-grey marble pattern that looks (and feels) extra luxe. I love to add this to just about any plain surface I can find, and often have a couple rolls on hand just in case. My favorite project to use this for thusfar is revamping Ikea Furniture, like the gorgeous minimalist MALM white dressers or glass coffee tables. Stay on the lookout for a few DIY’s I’ve done with this contact paper – including the furniture pieces above + some great rental friendly re-do’s!

When I first purchased screw-in hooks, it was actually an impulse buy in the hardware section of target. Target usually carries two different sizes, and I figured – hmm..this may be a good thing to just keep on hand. Little did I know I constantly found myself reaching for them – to hang my cute copper colander/measuring spoons/measuring cups in my kitchen, to hang accessories in my closet, to keep dustpans + brooms off the floor in the living room, even as invisible curtain hooks for when I want the windows open. I’ve since started ordering these on Amazon and constantly find new ways to use around the house.

I always keep various colors of chalk paint on hand in case I want to impulse change up furniture! Hey – impulse changing is better than always impulse buying, right? Folk Art paint is always consistent and reliable and this formula is so good. It comes in so many colors so you can most certainly find a few in your color scheme! I love painting furniture white because it just looks so clean and fresh every time, regardless of the style of furniture. It’s also a great way to mix classic pieces, with more modern shapes, and different wood grains while still achieving a cohesive look. Plus, if you change your mind and want to add some color, you can use another color of chalk paint over this and sand down any spots you want to distress, which will expose the white underneath.

Accents

This super chic faux sheepskin throw is a perfect small area rug, can be used draped over furniture (not as a blanket – it has a faux sheepskin backing), and I love to use for a cute flatlay background to have product really stand out. It’s relatively longer faux fur than most rugs I’ve seen, which is super luxe and feels much more expensive than the price tag on this. I’ve also had to wash this (thanks to my dog deciding to cuddle with this while he was nice and dirty from the dog park), and it fluffed just fine while air drying. I washed by hand with mild detergent, let hang, then ran my fingers through it once it was dry – perfectly back to normal. Currently fighting the temptation to buy a few more of these to drape all over the house (and at this price point, why not?)

I LOVE coffee table books and brightly bound books for our shelves. Sadly my teething pup is in the bad habit of getting these from the bottom of our coffee table and chewing on the corners, so I’ve since had to stash them away and really don’t like to spend a ton on them (until we can get him trained so I can finally add to the collection). This kate spade book is a super cute size and color, and looks good stacked or on a shelf. Such a great classic to have – with a guilt free price tag!

Another great coffee table book find, with the same appeal as the kate spade. I love the color of this and love stacking them together. And again, a price tag I can appreciate for a fashion book.

I’ll admit, i’m just now really starting to realize the important of good lighting. While I love the look of pendant lights, big statement floor lamps, and of course chandeliers, I personally haven’t started purchasing any for our place because I’d rather wait until we own a home and I can get exactly what we need for that space. I do love the gold brushed floor lamps from Ikea, and use salt lamps throughout the house for a cozy, warm glow and touch of boho. I love that they look good off as well as on, and I prefer the salt lamps that are more pink tinted than orange. The above salt lamp is one of the first I got and definitely one that makes our place feel like home!

Furniture

Guys, I can’t rave enough about this next find. I stumbled upon this chair while looking for a comfortable, want-to-sit-and-watch-the-game-in accent chair, without buying one that looked like a grandpa recliner. This chair is the perfect combination and just looks so good! And to find for under $200 – I just can’t get over it. I paired this with a white faux fur ottoman and layered area rugs for my living room, and it constantly catches my eye with how stylish it is. I love it and can totally see us using this in a bedroom/office once we get new living room furniture for a house. I also want to mention – this shipped almost fully assembled and just needed the legs to be screwed in. It was so easy and is really good quality! One more point – this is a really comfortable wide seat, and just gets more comfortable as you break it in. Once you first set it up, don’t fret if it’s a little stiff. The fabric is really nice and thick (durable) so it takes a few days to soften up and get cozy.

Nailhead Upholstered Linen Headboard

One of our “treat yo-self” purchases when we got married is getting a King size bed. We are constantly talking about how it is one of the best purchases we’ve ever made, especially since both our dog and cat like to cuddle up with us at night. We luckily got a top of the line, amazing king size for WAY less than we were planning (Atlanta friends, drop a comment if you’re looking for new mattresses and I’ll let you know where we went). One big surprise is that for big, statement headboards and foot boards for King mattresses, we were looking at paying more than what we paid for the mattress itself. We also don’t have a ton of length in our master bedroom, so I wanted to avoid a foot board to keep the room open. This Nail-head upholstered headboard was exactly what I was looking for: slim, sleek design with minimal footprint, no foot board needed, matches our white/grey bedroom color scheme, and SO affordable. For a king headboard it is only $112!! I honestly was skeptical of the quality with that price, but after reading reviews decided to go for it and I am so glad I did! Multiple color options and sizes are available in this one as well.

As I’m writing this piece, I’m honestly realizing just how much I love the pieces I’ve found on amazon. These chairs are (again) one of my favorite things in our home and I constantly get compliments on them! Multiple colors are available in these velvet chairs, and they’re all pretty gorgeous! I went with this muted dusty rose, because I currently have a few pink touches but with all of the neutrals it almost acts as a neutral. They are so cute together, or I’ve recently separated and have one as an accent (with the faux fur throw underneath as a rug in the living room) and one for my vanity chair in our bedroom. The quality is great on these; the legs are actually metal but in a pretty wood grain finish, so they are super durable, and the velvet even has quilted backing for a super cute touch. I can’t wait to get a bigger place so I can buy these in more colors and incorporate throughout the house!

Bedding

Another big price tag that goes along with getting a King mattress are your linens – I had never paid attention to the price jump you see from going to a King and was pretty shocked when I first started purchasing for our bed. Amazon has been such a lifesaver with this – this bed skirt is so affordable and a really nice, crisp cotton in a more modern silhouette than the traditional ruffled skirts (that honestly make me cringe, sorry…). I love the white and it makes our bed look like a luxe hotel bed.

Following suit in the affordable & amazing quality king size bedding is this bamboo sheet set! I am IN LOVE with these sheets. They are so lightweight and breathable, and have almost a silk feel. They come in multiple colors, but I love all white bedding + sets (if you can’t already tell). Plus, where in the world can you find King size bed sheets (that are amazing quality) for $30.95? Not even your local Homegoods, Marshalls, etc. can beat that. I also purchased these for our guest room bed because they’re just that good.

Right down to the pillows, I found every piece of the new bedding we needed through Amazon. These Bamboo Ultra Plush Gel Pillows are just as good if not better than my favorite gel pillows (that I can’t remember the name of for the life of me, but they were a pretty penny and definitely an investment). It’s kind of amazing – you get two king size pillows for $37.49. The bamboo is so soft, and the gel helps regulate temperature so these pillows always feel cool to the touch. I have always slept with 2 pillows, but these are so plush and the perfect size that my husband and I just use 1 each. I have had them for going on 1 year and our sleep has improved drastically. Can’t recommend them enough! Also – these are available in a Queen size as well and are only $29.99 for 2. Cant. Beat. It.

Have you all ordered any of the above items and do you love them just as much as me? Let me know if you give any a try or want to share any of your Amazon home favorites below! Be sure to stay on the lookout for plenty of DIY’s of our rental with many of the items listed above and subscribe!