You may be able to find some cheaper inks but Van Son is well worth whatever extra it costs. As a general rule, print text in black. Black ink provides the greatest contrast between the words and the paper they're printed on. This makes the best readability. If you wish to add a second color to your work red is probably the best choice, followed by blue, brown, and dark green.
Fine printing uses color sparingly.
Gaudy printing will detract from the message the words are meant to convey. Furniture, Reglet, Leads and Slugs Furniture is spacing material placed around the lines of type you've set to fill in the empty spaces in the chase of your press. Furniture is traditionally made from hardwood that's oiled for stability, but is also available in metal and plastic at a higher price. It is often used to provide the spacing between paragraphs, though this is more properly filled with metal slugs, or to fill in the narrower gaps in the chase that are too thin for furniture. Reglet is much more difficult to manufacture yourself, so you're probably better off trying to buy some from your typehouse.