The advice to wait until you can afford quality furniture is sound—but what if you’re impatient and there’s nowhere to place your drink while sitting on that investment sofa you saved up for? While low price tags can mean cheaper looks and poor quality, inexpensive furniture doesn’t have to be a temporary substitute destined to be discarded years later. There are some great new pieces to be found for under $200 that will more than hold their own alongside your high-end furniture. The key is to focus on casegoods—think side tables and accent pieces made of wood, metal, or other durables—as opposed to large-scale upholstered pieces.

The Silk & Burlap storefront. Photograph courtesy of Robin Altice.

Frederick has long been known for its charming antiques stores and saccharin-sweet boutiques, which are the stuff of Girls’ Day Out dreams. But there’s a change in the air in this quiet Maryland town these days—a whiff, if you will, of subtle, citified sophistication. Perhaps it’s because Bryan Voltaggio’s Volt and his recently opened Lunchbox have made Frederick a foodie destination.  Maybe it’s the new bars and bistros popping up along Market Street. Or maybe it’s because denizens of the design world are setting up super-chic spots like relative newcomer Silk & Burlap—much more Soho than shabby chic.

Silk & Burlap—a lifestyle boutique with a focus on vintage furniture and modern clothing and accessories—is the brainchild of native Californians Angelique Hoffman and Saule Smariga. Both women have a background in retail: Hoffman formerly worked as a district manager for Pottery Barn, and Smariga was a buyer for Nordstrom’s East Coast stores. When the two supermoms were introduced by their daughters at gymnastics, they realized they were both in need of a creative outlet. “We hatched the plan over many glasses of wine,” says Hoffman. “Our philosophy would be simple: Do we love it? Would we wear it? Would we put it in our homes?”

Personalized song hearts, $65. Available here.

Valentine’s Day may come around just once a year, but a dash of red or pink will give your home that loving feeling all year round. Head to Etsy for whimsical touches like personalized artwork and glitter-encrusted figurines. Or if you’re looking to embrace your sultry side, All Modern offers a wide selection of contemporary seating—including a heart-shaped cone chair and Heller Studio 65’s famous lip loveseat. Click through the slideshow for 18 V-Day-appropriate pieces to fall head over heels for.

In our February issue we showed you how to brighten your winter wardrobe with pops of neon. Now, daring decorators can liven up their home with the same electrifying shades. Year after year, Jonathan Adler churns out showstopping neon pieces, and this season is no different—tangerine ottomans, fuchsia poufs, and turquoise trays are just the tip of the iceberg.

Photographs by Neil Alexander.

Using a cheerful palette of pink, yellow, and lime, Kelley Proxmire of Kelley Interior Design created a Rhode Island seaside retreat bursting with traditional yet playful touches. Inspired by the home’s sprawling 15-acre landscape, the designer mixed botanical prints with raspberry fabrics, sunny wallpaper, and pops of green. But it’s small touches like colored piping and monogrammed pillows that pull the whole look together. We asked Washington’s queen of prep to share her tips for creating a room Lilly Pulitzer herself would envy.

Photographs courtesy of Helen Norman.

The designer: Lauren Liess, 29, of Lauren Liess Interiors and her upbeat, über-accessible design blog (which recently reached more than 60,000 readers!).

The house: A single-family, ranch-style home in McLean.

The project: Turning an overlooked formal living room and dining room into a family-friendly space.

Urban Outfitters branch curtain tie-backs and Viva Terra coat tree. Photographs courtesy of Urban Outfitters and Viva Terra.

Recently we showed you how to create a winter wonderland using white accents—but if you’re ready to branch out further, twig-inspired decor is another way to bring the great outdoors inside. Anthropologie’s winter line is brimming with pieces that would make Snow White and her woodland friends feel right at home, including a forest canopy bed and a “Who’s the Fairest” vanity mirror. For a more masculine look, head to West Elm for rustic accessories like the “Branches” floor lamp, a twig cheese spreader set, or printed Roman shades.