Decorating your home with affordable furniture is no easy task. It requires time, creativity, patience, vision, passion and some really great products. Before you plan to dip into your savings account, we’ve got good news for you: it can even be done on a budget. And no, you don’t have to spend hours (and all your money) at IKEA. Repeat after us: there is a world beyond IKEA, and while it might not come with meatballs or endless halls of perfectly arranged furniture, there are a lot of options when it comes to great home decor stores that are affordable and gorgeous.
According to interior designer Jan Showers, the key to creating a home you love, even on a budget is to “mix quality pieces with less expensive finds. When it comes to collecting, not every piece has to be precious. It’s much more important to find things you truly love.” The idea is to invest in quality pieces that will stay with you (think your couch, your bed…) and then to get creative with reasonably priced items to enhance the overall look and feel of your home. If you’re ready to get started but you’re not sure where to look, here are 7 great brands to check out that can add a stylish, cozy, classic or modern flair to your home, without breaking the bank.
1. CB2
Think of CB2 as Crate & Barrel’s less expensive, more modern and a bit more fun cousin. The quality of the products is great considering the price points, and you can get everything from a placemat to a dining table in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles. Did we mention they always seem to be having sales and special offers, so cheap just got cheaper. And beginning October 1st, CB2 is collaborating with Lenny Kravitz on an exclusive collection that we can only imagine will be the epitome of rocker chic and casual cool.
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2. Land of Nod
If you need to decorate a kid’s room or nursery, you can spend a lot of money really quickly if you’re not careful. The crib and rugs and wall decals and rocking chairs add up fast. Land of Nod (owned by the same parent company as Crate & Barrel and CB2) offers adorable kids furniture and decor for reasonable prices and top quality. We won’t lie and tell you that everything is cheap, but you can get a beautiful rug for under $100 and fun wall art for under $25. They have what seems like endless options for toy bins and shelves, and their bedding is soft, cozy, cute, and affordable.
3. West Elm
When it comes to accent pieces and decorative basics, nothing beats West Elm. You can find a great storage basket for $29 (yes, seriously!), awesome placemats for $12 a piece, cozy couches on sale, and they always seem to have special offers and major discounts, including their 15% off EVERYTHING sale, going on now.
4. Target
Yes, the same Target that you frequent for essentials like diapers, shampoo and socks is a great place to visit for home decor items on a budget. You can shop online or in-store (though some items might not be available in every store location, so definitely shop around on the website before you buy), and they always offer fun collaborations with home decor experts like Nate Berkus (Oprah Winfrey’s decor guru).
5. One Kings Lane
This site is all about the flash sales, which they offer daily, on everything from Ralph Lauren bedding to artistic photography to vintage market finds. This site carries a variety of brands, some more well known than others, so you can achieve a unique look that matches your personality, without having to invest in insanely overprices/expensive pieces. And you don’t even need to seek out the sales; you can sign up for their newsletter so they let YOU know when they are hosting special offers.
6. Pier 1 Imports
A perfect option when you’re hunting for fun accent items, home gifts or seasonal items. There’s no better affordable furniture store for candles, throw pillows, picture frames, decorative knobs for your cabinet or Christmas decorations.
7. H&M Home
You know, love and trust H&M as a destination to buy reasonably priced clothing items that are fashionable, fun and affordable. Do you ever wish they would have a home store that boasted the same qualities? Well, they do! And it’s awesome. You can find a cushion cover pillow for $5, a soft throw blanket for $35, and a beautiful (and on trend) rug for—wait for it—$30!
