This post has been a long time coming. For years people have been asking us where we like to look for rugs and where we find cheap but chic lamps. And thanks to whipping up over 120 mood boards (see them all en masse right here) as well is transforming our entire house, we’re pretty well versed in hunting down many an item from many a store. Now we’re letting it all hang out in one mondo post full of our favorite places to shop for house stuff. Hold on to your hats folks, this could get crazy.
We did our best to include stores that should be pretty universally available in the US (and sometimes beyond) so we left off the local guys that we love (which we also wholeheartedly support) since they’re less accessible to the majority of our readers. But definitely don’t forget to check out local boutiques and family owned businesses to troll their aisles as well. You can find amazing nearby haunts by checking out your Yellow Pages, googling around, asking friends and neighbors, and even hitting up sites like yelp.com. But let’s get this show on the road, shall we?
Chandeliers & Pendant Lights: West Elm, Lamps Plus, CB2, Overstock, Z Gallerie, Ballard Designs, World Market, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ikea, and Marshall’s (where we found a sweet $30 green chandelier for this makeover).
Table & Floor Lamps: Target, JC Penney, CB2, West Elm, ZGallerie, Crate & Barrel, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ikea, Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock, World Market, and Walmart (they have a great low-cost collection called Canopy).
Swing-Arm Lamps & Sconces: Any local lamp outlet or store (check your Yellow Pages or google), Z Gallerie, JC Penney, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, West Elm, and Overstock.
Rugs: Overstock (this is by far our favorite rug resource- they have a ton of affordable stuff in all sizes and colors), Flor, Home Goods, Marshall’s, The Company Store, Crate & Barrel, Pier 1, West Elm, Ikea, Pottery Barn, Dash & Albert, CB2, JC Penney, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and World Market (where we got our bedroom rug below).
Sinks, Faucets & Kitchen/Bath Fixtures: Overstock (once again they’re our go-to resource for sinks, faucets, and bath fixtures at almost impossible prices), Lowe’s, Home Depot, Plumber’s Surplus, Ikea, and eBay.
Curtains: Urban Outfitters, Bed Bath & Beyond, JC Penney, West Elm, Target, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, World Market, Pier 1, Overstock and Ikea (where we got all of the curtains in our entire house).
Curtain Rods: Lowe’s, Home Depot, JC Penney (these first three have extra long rods for large windows & extender rod pieces), Target, and Ikea.
Blinds & Roman Shades: Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s, West Elm, Pottery Barn, Ikea and Walmart (where we got almost all of the bamboo blinds in our house).
Frames: Ikea, Target (nothing beats these first two when it comes to price, style, and variety), Bed Bath & Beyond, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Marshall’s, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, and Red Envelope (they sell great framing systems that hang en masse on a rod).
Armchairs/Slipper Chairs: Overstock, Target (these two are the ones we always hit up first), West Elm, Ikea, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, JC Penney, Pier 1, Craigslist, thrift stores.
Desks: West Elm, CB2, Ikea, JC Penney, Target, Overstock, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, and Room & Board.
Desk Chairs: Target (we always love a leather parson’s chair), Ikea, CB2, Overstock, JC Penney, West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and Home Goods.
Sofas: Any Rowe retailer (check your Yellow Pages or google around for one near you), Ikea, Room & Board, Crate & Barrel, JC Penney, and Overstock.
Dining Tables & Chairs: Target (where we got ours), Ikea, JC Penney, Overstock, West Elm, World Market, Pier 1, Craigslist, and thrift stores.
Console & Media Tables: Target (where we got both of ours), JC Penney, West Elm, CB2, Ikea, and World Market.
Coffee Tables & Side Tables: Target, Ikea, West Elm, CB2, JC Penney, Z Gallerie, Crate & Barrel, Coffee Tables Galore, Craigslist and thrift stores.
Throw Pillows, Towels, Etc: Target, Home Goods, Pier 1, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, CB2, Overstock, Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Z Gallerie, Urban Outfitters, and West Elm.
Hardwood Floors: Lumber Liquidators (where we got ours for a steal), Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Ikea.
Televisions, Radios & Other Electronics: Target (where we got both of ours), Best Buy, and Walmart.
Ottomans & Benches: Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, West Elm, TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Marshall’s, JC Penney, and Overstock.
Decorative Accessories: Z Gallerie, Target, West Elm, Home Goods, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, World Market, Pier 1, Ballard Designs, Ikea, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, CB2, Anthropologie, and Urban Outfitters.
Wall & Floor Mirrors: Target, West Elm, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, JC Penney, Ballard Designs, Z Gallerie, and Overstock.
Art/Wall Decor: Ikea, Etsy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pier 1, West Elm, Target, Ballard Designs, Z Gallerie, Home Goods, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and JC Penney.
Servingware, Platters, Mugs, Etc: Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel, World Market, Pier 1, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s and Ikea.
Vases: Micheal’s (where we got all the centerpiece vases we used for our backyard wedding), Target, Crate & Barrel, thrift stores and Ikea.
Boxes, Bins, & Baskets: Ikea (where we grab almost all of ours), Target, Marshall’s, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, The Container Store, Bed Bath & Beyond, West Em, and Crate & Barrel.
Cabinetry & Countertops: Home Depot (where we got ours), Ikea (they have great chic & cheap butcher block counters and affordable cabinetry a plenty), Lowe’s, KraftMaid, local stoneyards (just google around or crack a Yellow Pages), and Corian (we like their snow white counters that look & feel like crisp marble).
Kitchen & Laundry Appliances: Home Depot (where we got our range hood pictured below), Lowe’s (where we got nearly every other appliance in our house), Sears, and Best Buy.
Duvets, Quilts, & Bedding: Bed Bath & Beyond (they always have a great clearance section), West Elm, Target, Ikea, JC Penney, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, The Company Store, Overstock, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, and Marshall’s.
Floating Shelves & Bookcases: Ikea, Target, World Market, Bed Bath & Beyond, JC Penney, Overstock, West Elm, and CB2.
Ceramic Animals (yes, we realize we’re weird): ZGallierie, Ballard Designs, Target, Home Goods, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, thrift stores, and eBay.
Pet Bowls & Beds: Target (we picked up two ceramic ramekins and a white ceramic tray to make a cute little food & water station for Burger and grabbed a few floor pillows to serve as little doggie beds for him to lounge on in the sunroom), Overstock (chic under-$40 beds like this can be found, which are all over $100 on other sites), All Modern Pet also has some great discounted designers doggie duds and digs.
Shower Curtains & Liners: Amazon.com (they have lots of extra long ones, which we love), Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, JC Penney, and even Walmart (we’ve admired this one in person).
Dressers & Armoires: Target, West Elm, Ikea, JC Penney, Overstock, World Market, Craigslist, thrift stores.
Outdoor Furniture: Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart (it’s actually where we got the lounge chairs on our patio) and Target.
Other Online Shops To Hit Up: amazon.com, ebay.com, kaboodle.com, and nextag.com are also great places to search for almost anything from multiple vendors (just drop in a keyword or a simple description and see what pops up).
And don’t forget that you can DIY things like pillows, curtains, shower curtains and more by snagging fabric and whipping something up yourself. Heck you can even make a headboard, build a pedestal table or reupholster a chair to give it a whole new look, so you don’t always have to buy new to get something that looks fresh and current in your home.
But what about you guys? Not only do we want this post to become an easy reference, we also want everyone else to chime in with their favorite places for furnishings and accessories so the comments will become a veritable extension of our list. So what say you our lovely readers? Where do you go for what? Any unexpected places that always deliver the goods? Oh and we just know we’re forgetting something so if you can think of any categories that we didn’t cover or stores that we were fools not to mention just let us know!
Psst- Wanna know where we got almost every item in our house? Click here for a full breakdown in our room by room source list. And if any of those items are no longer available, we’ve searched high and low for extremely similar (or identical) options right here in our amazon shop so swing through there to see that collection as well. Happy hunting…
Carla says
Thanks so much for that list!! My husband and I have been dying for a new hardwood floor forever and now are in the process of buying it. We heard that Liquid Lumb. had great prices…but now that you said it, I believe it. LOL!!
And I agree with the other poster about Hobby Lobby. I don’t think that you have those in your area but they do have tons of sales and coupons all the time. They have huge mirrors, frames, baskets, just a ton of stuff. But now they sell online and last time I checked it was free shipping if you spend $25.
Katie says
This is great. I’m breaking out my Google doc of go-to sites as I have to say you missed a few good ones…
Frames – MICHAELS. Scored a ton today for 55% off. Look for the sales.
Light fixtures – BELLACOR.COM. Huge selection, every price range, very dependable.
Blinds and Roman Shades – JC PENNEY. Always for windows.
Furniture – ASFURNITURE.COM. Regional store but great online shop. Think Ikea prices but better quality.
ACCENT-FURNITURE-DIRECT.COM. Haven’t tried personally but blogger/designer Nick Olsen spoke of them recently.
Miscellaneous others – SMARTBARGAINS.COM, HOMEDECORATORS.COM and (sometimes) WISTERIA.COM (try the sale page).
JenWoodhouse.com says
Great post, Sherry! Thanks!
Another great site for comparison-shopping:
http://www.shopzilla.com
JenWoodhouse.com says
PS. Thanks for your comment, Katie. I’m checking those sites out now!
Melissa says
Thanks for this awesome post! We shop at the same stores but when it comes to online shopping for home decor I struggle a little bit. I am on the hunt for area rugs and have been to overstock but do you have any tips on how to shop for rugs over the internet? It’s so hard without actually seeing and feeling it in person. Can you tell I’m the person that has to touch everything in the store. Any tips on how to tell if the rug is good quality?
YoungHouseLove says
We love reading the reviews for rugs on overstock! They’re very honest and will indicate whether colors are more vibrant in real life and mention when a rug feels plush and high quality. We find they really help to clarify if something is a great buy or if a rug looks great in the pics but is better left unordered. And as a worst case scenario you can always return things for a full refund if they arrive and they’re not what you expected. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
carlyn t says
GREAT POST!! This will definitely be a helpful resource as we renovate and decorate!!
Katie says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Just in the process of painting & moving into our new-old house. Love your blog and have spent a few late nights browsing the mood boards – great to have so much advice on where to look for the items now too!
Paula Grace says
Wow, you guys are awesome for listing your top places. That is wonderful of you! I love giving back too. That’s what my Monday’s Method is all about. On Mondays I do interior design advice for my readers. It’s easy, just email me with a question and send some photos and viola ~ an answer. Here’s this weeks post ~ http://paulagracedesigns.blogspot.com/2010/01/mondays-method_17.html
Always love your blog!
Paula Grace ~
hollym says
Your Go To Source for everything: China
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Hollym,
Did you read the paragraphs before and after the list? We definitely encouraged everyone to support local and non-chain stores like small businesses (which we also do quite religiously). We also included eBay, Etsy and Craigslist along with thrift stores in quite a few categories! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
juliet says
good post! this is bookmark-worthy!
House Hunting in Paris says
OMG this is AMAZING THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Lacey says
Since y’all seem to do a fair amount of online shopping, I was just wondering (or suggesting, rather) – do you use ebates.com or igive.com or something like that? They’re websites that give you a percentage of your purchase back…or igive donates them to your charity of choice. These sites are the reason I love shopping online!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lacey,
We haven’t yet but we’ll have to check them out! We especially love the donation/charity idea. Thanks so much for the tip!
xo,
s
Lori says
John & Sherry~ This might be my favorite post you’ve ever done. It’s a one-stop shop for all things DIY related, beautiful and affordable. For some reason I thought I was missing out on some great resource center that all other DIYers were familiar with, but from the looks of your list I’m not so far off after all. Thanks for the affirmation and keep up the great work!
Lori
Murray says
I love Lee Valley/Veritas for those hard to find items. Like this bento box that is perfect for holding lunch or screws/nuts/bolts or Legos: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=43331&cat=1,43326,43330
Adriene S. says
John & Sherry-thank you for this awesome post. I have many favorite posts on your blog but this could be the best best one yet or at least in the top 5. Again thank you! You guys are an inspiration to me and I’m always trying to show my husband ideas and plans for our house which mainly come from you!
megan says
It is so kind of you to share your favorite sources…thanks! I need a new rug and will check out your list.
Lindsay @ Likely Design says
I’ve already commented once, but I swear I dream about blogging, haha, so while I was doing yoga this morning I realized that you didn’t mention FLOR in the Rug category! I have a Flor rug in my living room and while in downward dog I was admiring my rug, LOL! Wow…
Flor.com is my favorite resource for rugs because we’re so hard on them and they’re so easy to clean…no moving under the vacuum, no snagging or rolling edges, you can switch them up whenever you need to and it doesn’t hurt that I can get a trade discount as an interior designer. :)
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so right about Flor! How could we have forgotten them?! We love our basement rug! Off to edit our list and add them…
xo,
s
NikKidd says
Thanks so much for the post – I’m definitely going to do a deeper read on it next time I’m looking for something specific. Right now we’re in a build-our-own phase, so the KnockOffWood site was right up our alley!
Unfortunately, I didn’t see one category that’s been driving me crazy lately – decorative paper sources! I’ve been inspired by posts online about folks using decorative paper to cover bins/boxes, line drawers/cabinets, etc. but have had the HARDEST time finding any fun and coordinating decorative papers to use. Do you guys have a go-to source for those, or know anyone who does? I’ve looked at wrapping paper sites, Container Store, Hardware stores and craft stores to see what I can find but everything was either too small (scrapbook paper size), too seasonal or too UGLY! Any ideas?
YoungHouseLove says
Other than looking on Etsy, ebay or even in craft stores like Michael’s I’m afraid we don’t have any go-to sources for decorative paper. Have you tried visiting specialty shops like Papyrus or googling around for online finds? That might yield some stuff that you love. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amelia says
Thank you so much for the helpful list! I do have one question in particular about the floating shelves that you recommend. I was looking for a molding-type floating shelf and just purchased a set from Bed Bath and Beyond. Unfortunately, they’re impossible to hang (correctly). Although I can get them up on the wall, they never sit flush with it (they have two keyhole-hardware-pieces on the back of them to fit over the screws in the wall). I see that you have floating shelves in your dining room and was assuming that they were the Ikea ones — how are those mounted (and are they sturdy)? I was thinking of jerry-rigging (sp.?) the ones I got from BB&B, but it might not be worth it. Just wanted to see if you had any advice or any posts on floating shelves that I may have missed in your archives! Thanks again for the list, all your hard work, and the awesome blog. Oh! And thank you for putting up the “after” pics of the bathroom — I was super excited to see it all completed and I think it’s all gorgeous.
YoungHouseLove says
We hung out Ikea ones with metal anchors that can hold tons of weight and they’re perfectly flush against the wall and very sturdy. We highly recommend them, and the price is great. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kyley says
This is great!
I was wondering about your rug sources though…most of your top favs are online. I’m currently rug shopping but worried about buying online because what if I don’t like the feel/texture when I get it – I hate to have to send it back and loose my shipping charges.
Have you ever gotten a rug online that you hated…any “secrets” to making sure you don’t get something you hate the feel of?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kyley,
We love reading the online reviews for rugs before ordering them (overstock has great ones). They’re very honest and will indicate whether colors are more vibrant in real life and mention when a rug feels plush and high quality. We find they really help to clarify if something is a great buy or if a rug looks great in the pics but is better left unordered. And as a worst case scenario you can always return things for a full refund if they arrive and they’re not what you expected. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda @ Serenity Now says
I love your bamboo shades! The WM near my house doesn’t have any, but I haven’t looked at the other local WMs yet. Do they carry darker stains? I’m about an hour North of Richmond, so I’m hoping our stores might carry similar things. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Unfortunately the bamboo shades at our Walmart were recently recalled so we got our bathroom shade from Home Depot. The good news is that Home Depot has darker bamboo blinds (and no recall) so they’re a great place to look. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Katie says
NikKidd – here are some paper sources for you to check out. I can vouch for them:
Whimsy Press
Rock Scissor Paper
Paper Mojo
Paper-Source
Be sure to hit these guys post holidays to stock up as they have great sales!
Kelly says
What a great list, I always wonder where you find such great stuff. Now…if only Kansas City would get an IKEA!
Catherine says
Thank you for this! My fiance and I are trying to find fun, affordable places to start decorating our first apartment/house (haven’t decided yet). Love y’alls blog and can’t wait to convince him that we can DIY everything ourselves!
Rachel says
Love this. Totally useful.
Felicity says
Great list, I consult it all the time. Have you guys ever seen any company carrying sisal floor tiles? I looked at the Flor site and didn’t see any and it appears that a custom sized rug for our room is going to be way expensive. Just thought I’d ask since I’m pulling my hair out googling!
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! We don’t know of any shops that sell sisal floor tiles, but perhaps another reader will chime in with that info or you can try googling around for a lead? Good luck!
xo,
s
Leah Lackey says
THANK GOD FOR YOU GUYS! My style (after 13 years of NOT KNOWING) is starting to take shape because of you! I’ve run to Home Depot for 2 days as well as talked to fans on Facebook; geez, when you see my home next, it will be a bit reminiscent of the movie, “Single White Female,” only in the decorating world – I want my house to look like yours!!! You have no idea what difficulty I’ve had, as I am completely challenged in this area…unfortunately, my husband is, too…no vision, no ideas – you are helping me so much with your specific instructions and your where to find guide. YOU HAVE NO IDEA….thank you SO, SO MUCH! Now, I have to try to not get overwhelmed….I’m on my own trying to do this stuff….. :)
Leah Lackey says
OH and I posted the pics of my UGLY family room on your fb page…just IN CASE….fingers and toes crossed…..
Leah
Lauren says
Hey, S&J
I am trying to figure out who did your electrical work? I know you have posted it somewhere, but I have been searching for an hour and cant find the post. Maybe in the projects tab you could add a tab for the various service providers you have used to do things you can’t? For example, Mr. Sandy refinished the floors.
Thanks!
oh and the new house is really looking good! Can’t wait to see Karl in the living room!
Lauren
YoungHouseLove says
That’s actually a really great suggestion! We’ll add it to our (admittedly very long) to do list. Here’s hoping we can tackle it soon! In the meantime, here’s that info for ya:
After getting a few estimates we decided to go with Capital Electrical Contractors (an electrician named Adam helped us). Here’s the number as it was a few years back when we called: 804.763.6550. Good luck!
xo,
s
anna says
how about the lovely yellow carpet in your living room…. where would that be from?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s the Moorish Tile Rug from Potter Barn but they no longer sell it so maybe try ebay?
xo,
s
Brittany says
Hey guys! Love the blog. If you are up for a road trip, this place is AMAZING.
http://www.burningbridgeantiques.com/
And it’s right down the block from a new ice cream museum to boot. Pretty awesome. Take care!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Colleen says
Hey Sherry,
Do you have any recommendations for fabrics? I know you’ve DIYed some curtains and also picked up tons for Clara’s project. I’ve looked at Joann’s but am having a hard time finding modern patterns that are inexpensive. Any advice would be great (even online retailers!)
Thanks,
Colleen
YoungHouseLove says
We actually get a lot of stuff from Hancock or JoAnn (using 50% off coupons from their site/the mailing list of course, so things that aren’t on sale can still be more affordable). Also fabric.com has some great stuff. And local places are great (we have places here like Williams & Sherrill and U-Fab which are both local shops with some pretty good deals that run from time to time).
xo,
s
Alexis says
Well I’m only a year behind on this post, but…up here in Canada we love http://www.urbanbarn.com. Not sure if they ship to the US but they’re a great source for inspiration!
Christine says
First time reading your blog and it is fantastic! I have an offer in on a home and looking for some good ideas. i love you color palettes. I also love your blue duvet cover. Can you let me know where you purchased it?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
That was West Elm a while back. Maybe try eBay?
xo,
s
Katy says
My hubby and I are looking to upgrade our bedroom furniture from a queen to king sized bed. Our current stuff is from Ikea, and hubby is insisting that we go to a better quality store so that our next set lasts forever (also I think he doesn’t want to assemble it.) I know you guys have an ikea bed – do you think it will last forever?
Katy says
I should probably mention that one of our sets of drawers is a bit wonky…mostly due to assembly error, I believe.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re love our Ikea bed! At our last house we had one for nearly five years and sold it with the house (the new owners wanted it to convey) and as far as we know it’s still going strong. And our new bed is over a year old and we love it. It’s not rickety or wonky or anything. We’re really happy with it. My guess would be that Ikea has a certain level of quality depending on what it is (chairs/sofas/beds seem to be made much sturdier than things like cheap malm dressers, which can be glitchy). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jessica says
I love the list. One of my favorite stores here in the south is Hobby Lobby. Have y’all checked out one of those yet? Instant Love!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes we love HL! I think it came to Richmond after we wrote this post.
xo
s
Rachel Schultz says
I use this all the time. I think it’s your best post ever!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Rachel!
xo
s