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When you move into your first home, it’s likely that you will have a mishmash of previously owned items that family members have handed down to you in your moment of need. You might also have been scavenging around flea markets and discount stores to get things that will last just a few years until you can ‘do it all properly’.

Unless you are truly dedicated, this time will never come.

What you may not realise is that even though your home is not yet particularly yours, you can definitely start investing in pieces now that will last you for a long time. These pieces are unlikely to go out of fashion and will be easily manipulated to fit with seasonal trends as they come and go.

Though it is hard to make investments when you are young, holding off on buying lots of cheaper furniture and choosing more carefully will pay off later on. Buying sensible, hardwearing household items will make sure that they last and will make redecorating a simple case of a splash of paint and some new accessories. Plus, it means that you won’t have to suddenly spend a lot to do the house, just split the cost over the years.

Here are a few things worth saving for.

Well Made Furniture

If you want to incorporate real lasting style into your interior design, there is no better place to invest your money than in high end furniture. When furniture is built to a high standard you can be sure that it will last for much longer than its cheaper counterparts. Solid wood is always worth investing in as it will certainly last much longer than a ‘wood effect’ which will probably peel off after a few years.

However, price is not everything. You can certainly find good bargains on high end furniture and design. Have a look around for vintage pieces as well, especially if they are a beautiful shape. Shape is the most important part of any piece as it is usually the only thing that can’t reasonably be changed. You can reupholster or paint dark wood, but the shape is here to stay.

The most important pieces to choose are your sofa, dining table and bed. These will be the most used pieces of furniture in your whole house and will likely determine the style of the rest of the room. Get these right and you will be able to keep them going for many years to come, simply changing accessories and paint colors when you want to revamp the room.

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Wooden Floors

A wooden floor is a really good way to spend your money. It will be easier to clean than carpet and less prone to holding allergens too. There are all sorts of different wooden floors available but if you pick one that is hard wearing, it should last you for many years to come.

Wooden floors have remained fashionable for a very long time for one simple reason: you can always update your look by adding in a new rug as styles change. For modern open plan living, a continuous wooden floor provides a natural flow between spaces that can be defined using layered rugs.

The Perfect Mattress

Sleep is incredibly important and it is shocking how many people make do with a mattress that isn’t suited to them at all. A bad mattress won’t just interrupt your sleep, it will cause you back problems in the future if your spine is not properly aligned over night.

There really is no excuse for not visiting a mattress showroom before you purchase and while you are there make the most of your time. You should lie on each mattress for at least 15 minutes before you decide whether it’s for you or not. Don’t let yourself be hurried along, and don’t feel self conscious either. Settle down as if you were to go to sleep and try at least 3 different mattresses. Obviously, if you are buying as a couple, you both need to be there!

LED Lights

They may be more expensive, but LED lights are perfect for lowering your energy bills and providing you with much brighter light. How you choose to light each room is really down to your own preference but you can add fantastic drama with your lights if you know what you’re doing.

Current trends for low hanging lights over the dining table or in the bedroom are really beautiful but make sure that you install basic spotlights as well. You might not use them all the time, but when you need a bright light that is otherwise unobtrusive, a spotlight is definitely the way to go.

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A Big Mirror

Once your lighting has been sorted, the next best thing you can do is introduce large mirrors around the house. They will reflect natural light giving these sensation that your rooms are much bigger than they really are. A cluster of smaller mirrors will also work well to make a feature of an otherwise empty wall.

While you can get cheaper mirrors, the best are glass and will give you the clearest reflection. You might get away with a cheaper mirror but once you have a glass mirror, there really is no comparison and you will see the difference. This is what makes it worth the investment as a good mirror will never let you down.

As fashions and interior decorating styles go in and out, these are the few things that you can be sure are a wise investment to make. Any house is not turned into a home over night and you can be sure that as the years go by your space will reflect the times and the changes too.

There’s no rush to make your home perfect. In fact, perfection is not really what you should be striving for. Instead try to make your home feel comfortable, safe and reflect a little bit of your personality too. Good interior design is a journey, not a destination.