HEIRLOOM INTERIORS: WHERE TO SPEND AND WHERE TO SAVE
A peek inside the Sleeping Cabin entryway.
One of the most asked renovation questions we receive is: “Where should I spend vs save on interior finishes?”
There are variables within every renovation that will affect the importance of certain elements. How you intend to use the space, your style preferences and your budget all come into play. That said, over 10+ years of renovating homes and cottages, we’ve found that particular finishes are worth investment while others are an opportunity to reserve your budget.
To clarify that by “spend” what we really mean is “BE CAREFUL WHEN CHOOSING” and TAKE time considering These elements. It’s not just about the price point, it’s about how You use a space.
WHERE TO SPEND
The top three things that we feel you should “spend” on when it comes to interior renovation finishes..
The Steep Hill Sleeping Cabin: Lee opening the pocket door to the main floor bedroom.
01. Touchable Elements
For example: Door knobs, cabinetry hardware, switches and fixtures that you use everyday and touch often. Choosing not only well made products but also durable finishes that will stand up to a lot of use over time. We like unlacquered brass for it’s durability and find it only gets better with time and use. It’s more of an investment up front but worth it knowing 5-10 years on it will still be both a joy to use and look at. If you prefer a finish with a cooler tone we recommend polished nickel.
Sleeping cabin pocket door hardware.
02. High Wear Surfaces
For example: Floors in high traffic areas like kitchens, entryways and bathrooms. Surfaces like a kitchen counter and tabletop where everyone eats. These surfaces get used, wiped down, cleaned and endure a lot of friction throughout the day so they need to be high quality to withstand it all. We’re not opposed to the look of worn in materials that develop a patina but that needs to be considered when choosing the right one for the space.
03. Things that can’t be replaced often/EASILY
For example: A shower system that needs to be installed behind tile and cannot be easily replaced. In our experience, bath and shower fixtures need to be of the absolute best quality that the budget will allow or when they inevitably need fixing you’ll end up spending a lot more to resolve any issues.
The Heirloom Sleeoing Cabin bathroom shower tile, hand held washer and hardware.
WHERE TO SAVE
So where should you save? Well, there are lots of ways to save when choosing interior finishes, but these are the three that we feel have a big budget impact.
The Heirloom Sleeping Cabin: Wall cladding combines wainscoting and drywall.
Wall materials
For example: Drywall is highly efficient, repairable and infinitely changeable with paint, wallpaper and additional moulding. We considered panelling all the walls in The Heirloom Sleeping Cabin but ultimately opted for mostly drywall on the walls with wainscoting below and this saved a lot of money without sacrificing impact or refinement.
Anything that isn’t permanent
For example: Slowly add the furnishings you like and make plans to upgrade more interchangeable fixtures with time. We generally prefer sourcing vintage when it comes to furniture for the cottage. In almost all cases, slowly collecting interior furnishings over time will lead to a space that feels more unique and personal.
In The Heirloom Sleeping Cabin we found an original mid-century couch and chair set that was in excellent condition for a fraction of the cost of new designer furniture. Shown below.
In the boathouse we are currently using a mix of furniture that we brought and what was left behind. Shown Below.
The Steep Hill Boathouse: A mix of collected furniture makes for a comfortable and inviting guest space.
03. Cabinetry
For example: Ikea cabinet bases offer incredible value and can be customized almost as much as bespoke cabinets. We recommend using Ikea bases and having front custom made to suit your specific space and style. We’ve worked with several custom cabinetry manufacturers to fit completely bespoke kitchens and bathrooms, however, we have yet to be blown away by the value or the attention to detail.
For The Heirloom Sleeping Cabin we built our own cabinetry and incorporated custom venting details. The cost savings from the cabinets we built on site allowed us to invest more into high-quality hardware. Shown Below.
The Heirloom Sleeping Cabin Cabinetry: Framed, painted oak shaker cabinet fronts with unlacquered brass hardware and an oak countertop.
Accelerate your cottage development with professional-grade plans.
A preview of The Heirloom Sleeping Cabin Architectural Plan Set.