Cheryl Luckett, Dwell by Cheryl, is my second guest in a summer series on “the thrill of the hunt” AKA finding that one piece of furniture or item for your home or event your hosting. You can view my previous guest, Jennifer Burnham, here. Make sure you follow both of these talented women on Instagram and Twitter!
Cheryl is one of those people that you first meet and instantly makes you feel at home. Not to mention she gets excited over the thrill of the hunt like I do and does it with style, as you will see from her fun wardrobe!
Cheryl has her hand in everything. If you follow her on Twitter or Instagram you will know that she is always out finding the latest treasure! She’s a registered dietitian by trade, works in Human Resources by day, but “completely obsessed with interior design”. Cheryl’s obsession became a business venture when she started her own interior design business, Dwell by Cheryl.
Those who know me know I am ALWAYS on the hunt for a good deal.
Whether it’s at a thrift store, an antique mall, a yard sale or the clearance aisle at my favorite retailers, I can always sniff out a good deal. In fact, it’s hard to say when it first began, but I have memories of a Michael Jackson purse strapped across my chest stuffed with my allowance as I scoured through a table at the local salvage center with my Aunt. Yep, I’ve always loved a good deal. There’s just something about finding something you love and paying next to nothing for it, even if it does require lots of work.
I’m often asked, how I find so much “good stuff”. It’s seems like a simple question, but the answer is pretty complex. I actually taught an entire class on it this Spring. You can read more about that HERE.
There are so many things you can do to increase your chances of finding great deals on home décor and furnishings, but there are a few that top the list.
The first is frequency. This is the tip that most don’t like to hear, but the fact of the matter is I don’t always find great deals. Some trips to the thrift store are a total bust. However, the difference between me and many others is the fact that I don’t let that deter me from going back. You see, thrifting in particular is all about timing. The more often you go, the better the odds of finding something spectacular.
The second is do your homework. I actually study before I hit the road on a serious deal-seeking adventure. I find that it helps to know what’s new and now when you’re standing in a sea of old stuff. With home décor and furnishings, context is everything. However, the context in thrift stores, antique malls and yard sales is less than inspiring, so you often need to bring the inspiration with you. For example, you need to be able to envision how the vintage lamps will look in your modern space.
For an untrained eye, that can be difficult, so magazines, apps and catalogs can be great for translating what you see into what the item could become.
Lastly, don’t over think it. Lord knows I’ve faced my share of retail regrets, but few of them resulted from a purchase made verses the ones not made. In my humble opinion, home should be a haven, a safe place for you (and yours) to dwell. It should be filled with memories and you should aim to fill it with things you love.
It’s not perfect, but it’s mine and I love it!
I find it interesting that so many of us over think the whole process. We debate over how it will be used, where it will be placed, is it “on trend”. However, when you really love something (not just like it) I’ve found that it often just works. It works not because it’s the perfect hue or just like the one you recently saw elsewhere for much more, but simply because you love it. So quit worrying so much. It’s YOUR home and it should be a representation of YOU.
Happy hunting!!
Dwell by Cheryl is an interior design company based in Charlotte, NC. Among Cheryl’s many accolades is winning Best of Houzz in Design and Service for the second year in a row.
Everyone deserves to Dwell in a space that they absolutely cannot wait to come home to. Let Dwell by Cheryl help you to create a dwelling you love.
Contact Dwell by Cheryl Website/Blog
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[…] Cheryl Luckett, Dwell by Cheryl. You can view their “treasure hunting” tips here and here. Make sure you follow both of these talented women on Instagram and […]