>> Thrift stores / estate sales / Craigslist. I like the thrill of the hunt. Yes, it can be irritating when you hit several stores in one day and NOTHING works, but when thrifting is good, it's GOOD. Even if you think you're not down with something this time-consuming, I recommend trying it at least a couple of times. The stuff you find is so unique that it's worth a little extra effort.
>> Etsy. Artwork! This is one area where I'm really picky, so it's nice to have almost 4 million(!) options at my fingertips. It doesn't matter what you're looking for--photography, a painting, personalized typography--Etsy will have it. And a bonus: you're supporting indie businesses. Well done.
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| All from Etsy: pointing hand // map // botanical print // geometric print |
>> IKEA. Obviously, #1 in my heart forever. When we moved I half-jokingly told the Hubster that I could decorate our whole house with stuff from IKEA... and then we sort of did. We've bought furniture, picture frames, curtains, bedding, lamps, assorted kitchen items--and there's always more stuff that catches my eye. If there was a law that said I could only recommend ONE store to people for the rest of my life (in the event of a dystopian future, I guess?), it would be the blue and yellow palace.
>> Target. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have not been 100% happy with all of the furniture I've gotten from here over the years, but their accessories are great. I especially like the Threhold and Nate Berkus collections. They're an easy way to add a sprinkle of trendy pieces into your house without spending a ton.
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| All from Target: terrarium // floral pillow // monogram mug // diamond rug // starburst mirror // lattice pillow |
>> Homegoods. Just for the sake of sheer variety, I had to include ol' HG. One of my best friends and I have pretty different tastes when it comes to decor, but both of us always find stuff to buy here when we shop together. They also get extra points for having a huge selection of seasonal goodies.
Honorable Mentions: West Elm and Crate & Barrel. These aren't quite as affordable as the other places on the list, but they have sales on a regular basis and that makes me love them. I treat purchases from these two more like investments--they're pricier and therefore need to last a while. Example: the basement rug is from West Elm and we purposely chose something neutral so it will still work if/when we redecorate or move. Stripes 4 eva, yo.
So where do you get your decor and furniture? Do we have any of the same favorites? If you had to pick ONE, what would it be? And while we're on the topic, what other categories should I do for these posts?
Our favorite is definitely Crate & Barrel. We started getting the catalogs after we purchased our roof deck furniture from them and now we get sucked in. Part of it is that they have some really nice pieces with the clean and modern lines we like and everything we've purchased has been really high quality that we know will last forever. However, they are pricey so that's the unfortunate part. While I know IKEA is a favorite for many, we just can't make ourselves purchase large items there. We'll pick up frames, vases, candles, etc now and again, but avoid all furniture because it always seems to fall apart. I always feel like any of the fabric goods are low quality and scratchy too. Maybe I'm just a nitpicker...lol. We're a fan of Home Goods for sure (scored our lamps for the bedroom there for $40!) and also like to find smaller accent pieces at World Market. We've found that for side tables and other such things, World Market has pretty quality, solid wood items that won't break the bank-- and they have LOTS of sales or coupons, so we just wait for one or the other and then buy what we've had our eye on.
ReplyDeleteWorld Market ALMOST made the list, but I haven't bought anything significant from there for our house; I tend to go there for gifts. :-) Maybe I should change that...
DeleteI hear you about IKEA. Some of the stuff IS kind of wobbly and (though I hate to say it) cheap. But we shelled out for their newer pieces that are made of actual wood and love them. And maybe I'm just a weirdo who babies her furniture, but all of our "original" IKEA stuff survived the move! Snap!
Target is awesome but I'm starting to like their website more than going to the actual store which lately (at least the one near me) looks like a bomb hit it. I think The Container Store also has some super neat stuff for the home, mostly for storage and organization but the items are still aesthetically pleasing to the eye. :)
ReplyDeleteI used to really dislike visits to Ikea as a kid, but I really start to like them now! I have a couch, table and bed from them and I am still very happy with them after a couple of years. I can never go there without snatching up any kitchen goodies. I love their glasses, plates and trays. I have been on the lookout for a botanical print like that for a while now, I am hoping to find one soon :-) Favourites over here are named HEMA, Sissy Boy and Dille & Kamille. If you're ever in the Netherlands, I bet you'd like them too! I've seen some things I liked at the Target website, but they don't ship to Europe, and Anthropologie has lots of things I like, but I think most of them are to pricey.
ReplyDeleteWe shop at all these places too. The thing is, there's no one standard for quality and/or affordability these days. We've had IKEA pieces last for years, and other things ordered from much more expensive places that I won't name here that we returned because the quality was so terrible for the price. Sidenote, returning large furniture pieces is a huge pain in the butt and we've done it probably 4 times since we moved into this house. But when you're on a budget and you need furniture to last, you gotta do what you gotta do.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's almost impossible to find "steals" at thrift stores, estate sales, or craigslist here. People are way too savvy in this area and know what things are worth, or at least what they can get for them. I see people on the internet finding midcentury stuff for so cheap and that just doesn't happen here...or at least I don't know anyone who's really gotten a deal. A lot of times, buying new furniture is cheaper or about the same price. :(
Also, I know what Marilyn means about Targets...we have one here that is really nice and one that always looks like it's going out of business, plus a couple more that fall somewhere in the middle. If I'd only ever been to the one that always looks like a disaster (really, like sections roped off with yellow tape, empty shelves, seemingly no one working there) I'd probably never go back. The same is true of IKEAs I found out recently. The IKEA closest to us is really nice, always well-stocked, always crowded too, but we drove to the one in Baltimore a couple of months ago to pick up something that had sold out of our local IKEA and it was like WWIII. There was no one there, it seemed really small, and a lot of the products had been manhandled and picked over, and it was dirty. If that was my only IKEA, I'd never go there either.
I've heard about the lack of thrifting deals in certain cities, and that just sucks. Where are all of the people who just want to get rid of things?! It's tougher to find deals around here if you're actually in the city, but out in the 'burbs it's still doable.
DeleteOur Targets and IKEAS are okay, but Nordstrom Rack is really hit-or-miss. One location is great, while the other is messy and dark. If I hadn't been to the good one first, I probably wouldn't have gone back.
I can't wait until the IKEA is open in Kansas City! I want some new shelving units and their prices are great!
ReplyDeleteHooray IKEA! I wish there was one closer to me. Dallas is about 4 hours away, Kansas City is opening soon and will be about the same distance. Maybe that's good for me and my pocketbook though. I have to really plan my trips! Most of our non-furniture home pieces are DIY or thrift. With a splash of Target.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good thing the nearest IKEA is a few hundred miles away!! Had a great time shopping IKEA with my daughter. Love their fabrics, too.
ReplyDeletePretty close to my list of favorites! My daughter recently introduced me to ModCloth. They have an online store that has the coolest stuff. Her and I both collect black cats and they have lots of that.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I've never bought any decor from ModCloth! I'll have to go look again.
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