'Invest in your staples, thrift your fun' is the fashion trick I'm stealing to help me decorate my home – here's how I found the perfect high-low balance

The concept of a capsule wardrobe of staples has always been one that I've rebelled against. Because, as someone who used to work in fashion and has a severe shopping habit, it sounds boring, right?

Equally, a home full of 'staple pieces' doesn't appeal to my eclectic nature. I'm far too chaotic for such a hushed interior design style. But, just like our wardrobes, our homes certainly benefit from a balance of timeless and personality-packed, conversation-starting pieces.

So how do you achieve such a transitional design mix? Well, after spotting this video by TikTok creator Annie Bogart (@anniebogart), I've adopted a new mantra that has totally changed the way I approach my decorating. Here's how to apply her genius, 'invest in your staples, thrift your fun' shopping advice to your home.

I can often be guilty of chasing passing interior design trends, splurging on things I don't actually need or that don't feel like me, thanks to getting stuck in the cycle of constantly wanting to update my home.

Inevitably, I end up with buyer’s remorse, and my home feels more like a jumble store than a place that will remain stylish for years to come. That’s why Annie’s words stuck – it’s not necessarily about buying less, but about buying smarter.

'This is my hack on how to create a closet full of timeless staples that also has a touch of your own personality and uniqueness,' Annie explains in the video. 'You should always invest in your staples and thrift your fun.'

'Staples should match your preferred silhouette, your preferred color palette, and your preferred style in general,' she says, referring to your wardrobe.

But this concept can also be applied to your home. Just like a crisp white shirt anchors any outfit, a well-made sofa or bed anchors a room.

If you think about what the 'staples' are in your home, it tends to be items like your sofa, your bed, and your dining table – the pieces that carry the weight of your home.

They're not always the most exciting purchases, but they're the ones you interact with every day, and if they’re uncomfortable, poorly made, or too trend-led, you’ll notice quickly. Investing in quality here pays you back in comfort, durability, and longevity.

That’s not to say you have to buy the most expensive option out there, but choosing well-crafted, classic silhouettes in colors and materials you know you’ll love long-term means you won’t feel the itch to replace them every few years.

Consider the idea as future-proofing your home: once those staples are in place, it frees you up to have fun with vintage or budget-friendly accessories, which are easier to swap out as your taste evolves.

'When you're buying staples, it should follow a set of rules based on silhouette, color palette, and style,' Annie continues. 'Your thrifted items can then be your fun, creative pieces – and your way to try something new, but I think it is the most efficient way to use your money wisely.'

Once those bigger ticket pieces are in place, you can turn your attention to the smaller items that bring character: lamps, side tables, mirrors, artwork, textiles, and decorative objects. These are the items that can completely shift the mood of a room without blowing the budget – there are plenty of affordable thrift shop finds that will make your home look more expensive out there.

'Alongside those core elements, I love to introduce vintage finds and unexpected details,' says interior designer Lauren Gilberthorpe. 'Antique chairs, a playful lamp, or a quirky painting picked up at a market add personality and tell their own story. They prevent a room from feeling too carefully composed and instead bring texture and rhythm. It is this balance of the reliable with the whimsical, and the new with the time-worn, that creates interiors with soul.'

'I am always drawn to pieces that feel deeply personal to a client. Mixing old and new is one of the most natural ways to achieve this,' she adds. 'It is not about cost or status but about how each piece contributes to a home that feels authentic and lived in.'

Like Lauren, some of my favorite pieces have come from markets, thrift stores, and even late-night scrolling on Facebook Marketplace. They’re easy to switch out too, when you want a refresh, and they stop a space from feeling too dated by trending items of the time.

'Whenever I decorate a room for a client, I always suggest the inclusion of something antique or mid-century because it adds depth to things,' agrees designer Benji Lewis.

'Period pieces also offer a reassuring sense of heritage, so even if I’m working for a client who enjoys sourcing new goods, I’ll propose the idea of including something preloved too,' he adds.

Of course, balance is key. It’s one thing to mix new and old, but making sure they feel intentional together is where the magic lies. My trick is to look for threads that tie items together – whether that’s a common color, a shared silhouette, or personality.

That philosophy allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds: longevity where you need it, freedom where you want it.

This balance between investment and thrifted pieces is essentially the art of high-low decorating – mixing designer or higher-end pieces with more affordable or secondhand finds.

It’s a decorating approach that not only makes a home feel layered and personal, but also prevents it from looking like it was bought straight from a catalog. For me, that’s the real beauty of this philosophy: the sleek sofa might provide the structure, but it’s the $50 flea-market lamp that makes the room feel playful.