The things I’ll spend money on for my home – and the things I absolutely won’t

Screen printer Hannah Carvell is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on colourful home design for a creative family to live in. See the rest of her articles here.

These days I TRY not to buy too many things for my home. Or perhaps I should say I’m not very good at buying new things for my home. Money is tight, and even if it wasn’t, I’m not sure I’d suddenly find myself wanting a matching set of six chairs, a brand-new dinner service and cushions in this season’s colour (well ok I will admit as I typed that I am always tempted by a cushion).

I’d much rather spend £5 in a charity shop and come home with one enormous vintage serving plate that I absolutely do not need. I’m more of a collector I guess, I like finding things slowly and letting them find their way into our Somerset cottage, one piece of treasure/(clutter) at a time.

There are, however, a few things I’m prepared to spend my limited budget on.

A good frame

I make and collect art, including my own screen prints, and I’ve learned that the frame can be almost as important as what’s inside it. A beautiful frame can completely transform a piece of art.

Don’t get me wrong over the years I have bought many a cheaper frame and sometimes an Ikea frame can be the perfect quick solution BUT I can also see that when I have spent the money on a custom made frame for a special piece they really do stand the test of time in both quality and how they look on my walls. I think if my budget allows it framing is worth the investment, every time.

Making the house smell good

There is something about walking through the front door and being greeted by a lovely smell that makes a house feel instantly more inviting. I am also very aware I am a house full of MANY pets and wouldn’t be surprised if people were to walk in and think it smells of dog/chicken/cat so I do like to find products that might help to mask this.

I was lucky enough to be gifted a Jo Malone candle last year, which I love the smell of but would only light on special occasions trying to make it last. Now I know I am late to the party here but I just discovered the Aldi dupes recently doing my weekly food shop, and they are so so similar! I have stocked up on the candles, hand soaps and reed diffusers in the Aldi Hotel Collection that smell near identical to my dwindling Jo Malone one and now have no issue with using them on a daily basis.

(Old) crockery and jugs

Absolutely not an essential, but a weakness of mine and I’m very easily tempted by old crockery. I have a particular weakness for a large vintage serving plate and jugs. I have far too many. I know this. My family know this. I also know that if I see another lovely old jug in a charity shop, I will probably buy it.

I tell myself that I need them for the flowers I grow, which is at least partly true. There is something I love about cutting flowers from the garden and putting them into an old jug that was made decades before I was born. It feels much more special than buying a brand-new vase simply because it matches the room.

I love old ceramics because they make a table feel collected rather than coordinated. Nothing matches in our house. Plates don't match I have all my nans old blue and white china, collected over years, chipped but so familiar and loved by her and now by me. Our cups don't match, bowls and glasses certainly don't match each other. I like just it that way. There is something much more relaxed about putting together a table from things you've found or made over the years rather than opening a box containing twelve identical pieces.

And then there are the things I will save for

At the moment, that might be some really beautiful tiles for our fireplace. On the whole these days my budget for spending is very limited, but there are certain things I think are worth waiting for. If I’m going to put tiles somewhere that I’ll look at every day for years, I don’t want to choose something simply because it’s the cheapest option available. I want something I’ll still love when the current decorating trends have completely disappeared.

Which brings me neatly to the things I absolutely refuse to spend money on.

Matching sets

I just can’t do them. A matching dinner service makes me feel slightly anxious. Six identical plates? Eight matching mugs? A whole collection of crockery bought in one afternoon? No, not for me, inevitably a dog with its head in the dishwasher would break one, too much pressure and just too neat for my vibe. I want the slightly wonky plate. The cup with a pattern I’ve never seen before. The bowl I made in pottery class and the serving dish that has clearly had a previous life and cost me £2.50 from my favourite RSPCA charity shop.

If I can paint it, repair it, re-cover it, move it somewhere else or make it work in a different way, I will.

Living in an old cottage has probably made me feel this way even more. Nothing is perfectly straight, nothing is pristine and very little looks as though it was all bought at the same time.

Why would I want to change that? I don't want my home to look like a catalogue. I want it to look like us. (My 14 year old son however longs lot live in a modern house with lovely new and neat belongings, haha I have clearly not rubbed off on all family members)

And perhaps that's why, despite having very little money to spend on decorating, I don't feel as though I'm missing out. I'm not interested in buying lots of things. I'm interested in finding the right things. A beautiful old jug. A huge serving plate. A blanket that the whole family fights over. A frame that makes a screen print sing. A candle that makes the house smell lovely. And, one day, some tiles that I hope will still look beautiful when someone else is living here.

I think my rule is becoming quite simple: I don't want a home full of expensive things. I want a home full of things I love and if I can find most of those things second-hand, even better.