On a budget? I’ve never had the luxury of not shopping on a budget. Each and every client and/or friend has some idea of the amount of dollars they wish to invest in their furniture. Longing for a beautiful home without breaking the bank account? I am sharing ten places to shop for budget friendly furniture. I’m going out on a limb here because I am most often hired to furnish a home with luxurious decor. I have my favorite trade resources to which I am loyal for their quality and customer service. However some of my best finds cost very little and have just the personality or that all important signature Bling (see former blog post) that is needed to perk up and finish a “Sentzational” room.
It may take a little longer narrowing down the choices. And sometimes on line shopping is beyond exhausting. But here I’ve recommended 10 places to shop for budget friendly furniture for both brick and mortar stores (where you can sit and feel an item) or web-based on-line stores that are truly affordable.
My 10 Favorite Places to Shop for Budget Friendly Furniture
On a personal note many of the treasured pieces in my own home are hand-me-downs. So don’t forget to ask about that precious armoire or marble topped table that belongs to your favorite relative. You never know if they are getting ready to move or replace it. I find they are flattered and may put your name on it for future reference!
Vintage, Antique and Consignment Shops
Not surprisingly, many of my interior doors and mirrors have been found at Salvage or Second Hand Stores. Great accent pieces can be found as well. For one of a kind treasures I’ve provided the links to some of my favorites in the Seattle Area: Second Use, Pacific Galleries, and Earthwise.
Crate & Barrel
Crate & Barrel has both brick and mortar stores and online shopping. Great selection for modern and fresh accent pieces, accessories and occasional chairs.
CB2
CB2has some great bargains. CB2 is Crate & Barrel’s hip, modern little brother. I especially like their styles (and prices!) for Dining Furniture.
Room & Board
Another affordable resource for beautifully designed dining chairs is Room & Board. One of my favorites is the Evan Chair. Here it is shown one of my client’s homes in Natural Walnut.
The sofa and accent pillows in this client’s Mid Century living room are from Room & Board. Don’t you just love our coordinating little model? See more photos of this beautiful home on my portfolio page.
Ballard Design
Best for accent tables and accessories, I love to browse the Ballard Design catalog for pretty ideas. Suzanne Kasler and Bunny Williams have curated collections that are outstanding for inspiration.
West Elm
Working from home? Looking for home office furniture? This may be the best place to find smaller scale desks, bookcases and related items to organize an efficient workspace. For a decade I worked for a Steelcase dealership furnishing corporate offices. The collaboration between West Elm and Steelcase assures one that the collection is of the highest quality.
And West Elm is one of my favorite sources for great affordable accent pillows.
Wayfair
No matter what you are looking for, Wayfair probably has a knock off version of it. If you can be happy with a reproduction of an iconic design, this may be the best place to find it on line.
IKEA
Last year I helped a client furnish an entire rental apartment (including the kitchen cabinets!) in a half day visit to IKEA. She was ecstatic because she said it was all so inexpensive it was that much easier to make decisions. I was glad I didn’t have to help with the assembly. Her contractor is multi-talented. It turned out awesome and under budget.
Ethan Allen
My first job out of college was working at an Ethan Allen Gallery. And I loved it. Besides providing (free) design consulting, I helped with setting up the room settings (which were unique in those days) and accessorizing the vignette displays. It was the best first job experience. Our income was strictly based on the sales quotas of the furniture we sold. I had many loyal clients and this job launched my career. Although I moved cross-country I still am grateful and think about those dear clients often.
Providing my expertise in teaching design workshop classes to consumers every month helped me build my reputation in the community where I was living. I met some really great people who became my very good friends…almost family. Although corporate ownership has changed (and design styles), I still believe the value for the quality and design of most products is very high. Shop Ethan Allen.
Etsy
Etsy is a global site where millions of people are selling the things they love.
Most recently I found some terrific original large art pieces perfect for a client and I discovered a variety of truly extraordinary coffee tables.
It’s a fun site to browse for inspiration and also excellent for one of a kind unique gifts.
Houzz
A great website for inspiration, Houzz is like a magazine. Some items in the images shown are available for purchase. I personally use this website to share my Portfolio and promote my design services. It can also be a good resource for comparative product pricing. I think it is a worthwhile use of your time to check it out. Another handy feature is being able to save your favorite images to an idea book which you can share with friends or your designer. The Houzz link goes to my page.
I hope these 10 favorite places to shop for budget friendly furniture might be helpful resources (and stretch your dollar investment) as you decorate your personal space. I have no affiliate links to any of the stores I’ve shared. These are just some of the places I start for well-designed affordable furniture when shopping on a budget. Enjoy browsing! What are your favorite places to shop? Please share!