Spin off on ‘Decorating’—how do YOU get good deals on decor?

[Carol in Cal.]

Title says it all.

Add examples and stories if you like—let’s share ideas!

[Carol in Cal.]

My main strategy is to figure out what I want and then settle for something that is similar but way cheaper.

For instance, we badly needed a new couch and loveseat for our living room a few years back.  The ones we had in there were old and used when we got them, and were in bad repair and not worth recovering or fixing on any level.  I went to quite a few stores to figure out what to get, and was appalled by the prices.  But that honed my taste, and enabled me to determine exactly what size range would work for the room.  When our next door neighbors moved across the country, I bought their set for $300.  It was in perfect shape and it fit the room and colors extremely well.  It’s darker than I wanted but for the price and because of the fact that it was an upgrade, it really made sense.  Also, the fact that the sunk cost is lowish made it easier to stomach those little things happening that might have driven me nuts if we had ‘invested’—a coffee spot that ended up coming off didn’t even phase me all that much.

[gardenmom5]

for wood furniture - I've done a lot of craigslist.  my latest find I wanted something for a nightstand next to my overheight bed.  (and I have a latex mattress - so it's shorter).  I found a *perfectly sized* small 1940s mahogany dresser with a top that badly needed to be refinished and cleaned, but was otherwise good.   I cleaned the whole thing up, refinished the top (came out beautifully!) and put another coat of varnish on the whole thing so it would be glossy.  then I got a piece of glass cut to fit the top.  all told, I probably spent around $120.  compare that to new in the store for similar to $800+  not including the glass top.

my biggest score was a couple of brand new sofas with 8-way hand-tied springs. it was a real bankruptcy sale.  the kind run by the bank because the owner skipped town.  I got both for what I had budgeted for one not as good of quality.   

now - I need to buy a new sofa, and I've no idea what I want. . . . .

eta: I've gotten some great deals on Persian carpets on ebay.  stores will sell their overstock/won't sell fast enough there.

Edited February 1, 2020 by gardenmom5

[kbutton]

I was hoping someone would start a thread like this!

What's worked:
Trash, hands down. The best stuff has come from neighborhood trash. In some cases, we fixed it up or it was fine. Other times, I asked for things to be fixed as birthday gifts (my dad refinished a beautiful music stand that was due for some love and had some broken side panels). Trash can sometimes just change the spending dynamic--finding something practical in the trash can free up money for something decorative, lol! In our current neighborhood, the neighbors actually made a point of saying that trash picking was not only allowed here but encouraged, and that people put things out a day ahead for that reason. 

Yard sales/thrift shop--I rescue a fair amount of handmade items such as table runners or doilies. We lost our best thrift store. I could buy a lot of fabric there to make items as well.

Repurposing items that used to be utilitarian into something decorative.

Picking over things family members are finished with.

Big sales at stores (like Hobby Lobby)

The As Is section of IKEA

Kohl's for practical stuff that is homey (curtains, sheets, etc.). Just have to have patience with sales and Kohl's cash to make it worth the time. Sometimes it's a situation where I am getting something needed with the resulting Kohl's cash vs. getting the decorative item for rock bottom price, but overall I am saving a lot of money.

Estate sales if I can catch them early in their sale process. Getting stuff from a relative's estate is also helpful. (Or someone else did, and then they passed what they had on to us.)

 

What's flopped or been a mix:
I bought a pair of vintage Stiffel lamps for very little money, but I had to special order drum shades and the glass bowl thingies they sit on (or modify the lamp for $$$ in a less than attractive way). Sigh. But now I know more how to spot that kind of lamp and avoid it. The lamps are pretty and being used, so that's good.

Stuff that is hard to match--I think I have pretty good taste, but it's not unusual for me to find things that are just hard to match by accident, and then I have to buy something else to make it work. 

Chairs from yard sales or thrift stores. Things that seem usable and sturdy, but you get them home and find out they need a screw tightened every week or two, or else they wiggle and flop. (And it's more the way the chair is constructed than stripped screws, etc.--it becomes clear why they were donated.) We get better chairs out of the trash, lol! 

[prairiewindmomma]

I really try to clarify what it is I want before I go shopping. Most people put too small of pieces of art up on the fall. Either they need to be in an arrangement together or you need to aim for a larger piece. So, I picked black frames as something I would look for, and painted frames black if I needed to to help everything look cohesive.

I really wanted leather Pottery Barn couches....like for 20 years wanted them. I took a UHaul to a PB furniture outlet and bought them for 70% off retail.

I buy down throw pillow forms and get pillows with zippable covers from Home Goods. Target has cute pillows for the same price but the cotton insides mash down and don’t recover after a year or two. A lot of the “fast fashion” in home decor doesn’t hold up. 

My best finds have come from Habitat ReStores. 😉

[almondbutterandjelly]

Salvation Army thrift store -- got three barstools for $56, and didn't even have to recover them.  Just took off the fabric, stain sticked it in places, threw it in the wash, and it was great.  Staple-gunned it back into place.

Also Salvation Army thrift store -- bought a beautiful queen headboard for $20 for dd's room and spray painted it white.  Lovely.

[Liz CA]

We have gotten good deals from places like "Raw wood." This meant the furniture were unfinished and we had to varathane or paint the item. 

For upholstery, I would look at IKEA. While I have not had any upholstered items from them I heard nothing but good reviews so far. Our couches are over 20 years old but are holding up well. One factor is that the cushion covers come off for laundering and this has made all the difference with animal hair and spills. The foam padding is still okay though not as bouncy as it once was.

My friend finds amazing things at thrift stores and Goodwill stores. I have been luckier with things like work bags and some clothing at second hand stores but it largely depends on your area or it may be worth driving to an area where the thrift stores get high quality items. 

Edited February 1, 2020 by Liz CA

[Carol in Cal.]

I have done pretty well with neighborhood garage sale facebook pages.  The items tend to be photographed and close by, and I can usually tell right away if something is going to work.

One time when this didn’t work was, someone posted that she had 35 white plates with silver colored rims for a ridiculous price, maybe $20.  I spoke up to take them, thinking that they looked like they were about half salad size and about half dinner plate size.  Now, why I wanted them was, I have an everyday set that we have had for decades, and just about every plate in it was chipped.  The matching cups were never used because we prefer mugs, and so the saucers weren’t used either.  The bowls were a weird shape, too shallow, and took up a lot of room in the cabinet so I had put all but the plates in the basement, and the plates were essentially ruined.  I had started to look for a new set, but was stunned at the prices, and wanted open stock which is very hard to find in niceish casual ware.  So I thought these were normal looking, neutral plates that were a cheap upgrade on what we were using, and would do as a stop gap.  

When I went to pick them up, though, they were ALL dinner plates.  A staggering quantity, and not a salad plate in the bunch.  I took them anyway, and just put a stack of 8 in the cabinet and the rest out in the garage.  Now whenever someone is moving into the area and needs to borrow stuff while waiting for furniture, I bring them a set of those plates, a big fat blow up air mattress, a set of bedding, and some misc. glasses to borrow.  But seriously those stupid plates are probably going to keep me from buying nice new dishes for the rest of my life.  

[klmama]

6 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

But seriously those stupid plates are probably going to keep me from buying nice new dishes for the rest of my life.  

I think you've gotten your $20 worth from them. If you really want new dishes, why not buy them and donate these to someone else who will appreciate them? 

[Carol in Cal.]

3 minutes ago, klmama said:

I think you've gotten your $20 worth from them. If you really want new dishes, why not buy them and donate these to someone else who will appreciate them? 

I can’t quite justify it at present.  Getting there, but not there yet.

However, I HAVE identified my desired new dishes and if anything similar to them pops up on the elist or facebook pages I will be ready to pounce!

[klmama]

Good!  I guess I can understand.  My 25 yo Corelle is still going strong, despite nicks around the edges, and I'm not replacing it yet, either, lol!

Edited February 2, 2020 by klmama
spelling

[sweet2ndchance]

Dh and I both love thrifting. We aren't able to do it as much as we would like anymore but we still keep our eyes peeled for good deals when we are able to get out to the thrift stores. We made almost all of our furniture ourselves because we like to wood work and we can usually build something custom for much cheaper than trying to find something that is sort of like what we want at the store. I have gotten lots of great deals on decor stuff from sales and coupons from places like Hobby Lobby. All the art on the walls either I made it or dh made it. It really helps that dh and I both agree on the style and feel that we like for our home and we both have eclectic tastes so we are fine with things that go together but aren't exactly matching. 

[Katy]

Estate and Moving sales  (figure out the upper class neighborhoods in your area and watch for sales there).

Homegoods for random seasonal stuff.

[Sneezyone]

Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. I got an awesome leather chair and ottoman for $70. I also got a hutch that I refinished...for free. 

Edited February 2, 2020 by Sneezyone

[Carol in Cal.]

There are a lot of local ‘Buy Nothing’ facebook groups that are dedicated to people giving each other things very locally.  It’s been awesome for me, although not really for furniture (but I have seen some little dining room sets and infant toys go by).  Worth a look.  The blessing and the curse of it is that it’s local.  So you meet your neighbors, and help them in close proximity, but also you’re not casting a very wide net, and typically this doesn’t cross socio-economic lines much, although as my particular neighborhood is very mixed ours has a lot of variety.

[Shoeless]

A lot of estate sales/auctions. No one is interested in brown wood furniture anymore, so we've been scooping pieces up for almost nothing.  There are a lot of antique/junk shops around here, and we've gotten nice pieces from there, too.  It's taken a few years, but we've finally got enough furniture for the house. The only thing I want now is a cedar chest for the foot of the bed and a new sofa. 

[Carrie12345]

Know what I want before I start shopping.

I spent so many years in hand me downs and “that’ll work” out of necessity that it took me forever to figure out what my style actually is. I eventually wound up wasting money on stuff I’d randomly see and/or inexpensive stuff that didn’t last. Now I don’t shop without a specific purpose.  Example: Not looking for “candle holders”.  Looking for wide base, matte black candle holders without a whole bunch of details that will make dusting a pain, no more than 6” tall. (To replace the sparkly candle holder I got real cheap, that doesn’t match anything, and snags my duster while I’m cleaning.)

[Carol in Cal.]

6 hours ago, MissLemon said:

A lot of estate sales/auctions. No one is interested in brown wood furniture anymore, so we've been scooping pieces up for almost nothing.  There are a lot of antique/junk shops around here, and we've gotten nice pieces from there, too.  It's taken a few years, but we've finally got enough furniture for the house. The only thing I want now is a cedar chest for the foot of the bed and a new sofa. 

Isn’t it amazing?  I had someone who I didn’t even know offer me a huge, heavy old antique dining room table, the kind with 5 inch diameter legs and many leaves.  It was so heavy that I couldn’t use it (because I had to be able to move it around and expand/contract it to make it work in my space) but it was solid oak.  Would have cost a fortune in an antique show 30 years ago and now you can’t even give it away.

[Carol in Cal.]

3 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

Know what I want before I start shopping.

I spent so many years in hand me downs and “that’ll work” out of necessity that it took me forever to figure out what my style actually is. I eventually wound up wasting money on stuff I’d randomly see and/or inexpensive stuff that didn’t last. Now I don’t shop without a specific purpose.  Example: Not looking for “candle holders”.  Looking for wide base, matte black candle holders without a whole bunch of details that will make dusting a pain, no more than 6” tall. (To replace the sparkly candle holder I got real cheap, that doesn’t match anything, and snags my duster while I’m cleaning.)

This is so true.

I spent about 4 years thinking that a dark wood hunter’s chest would perfectly fill a spot that I had jealously saved for something special.  I studied these where ever I found them, and slowly realized that although they are impressive, they are too shallow and not tall enough to really work there.  I’m so glad that I spent the time on this because it is what enabled me to finally get just the right other type of piece, but this is not a fast process for me and I am not very good at it.

[lynn]

Kirkland has 25% off everything coupons at least once per season.  Marshall s, hobby lobby,  sometimes Kohls has what I'm looking for.

[Arcadia]

FYI Pier 1 is closing some stores. We were at the Cupertino store yesterday.

“Pier 1 Imports plans to close 11 of 16 stores in the Bay Area, employees confirmed to The Chronicle.

Stores in Colma, Cupertino, Fremont, Los Gatos, Napa, Novato, Redwood City, San Francisco, San Mateo, San Rafael and Walnut Creek are set to close. The closures will begin in February and may run through April, employees at some of the locations said when reached by phone.” https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Pier-1-Imports-to-close-11-stores-in-the-Bay-Area-14978950.php

[wintermom]

I had a streak of good luck at my local IKEA As-is section. Got an entire kitchen (cabinets, island, counters), and 4 matching stools. It was a display being changed out. Otherwise, we've gotten a lot of furniture from friends and neighbours.

For artwork and decorative pieces, dh invested in paintings several years ago, and I have some nice pieces of glass and metalwork I bought in Norway back when I worked there and had money. 😉  I've stopped buying cheap decor altogether, opting for my few special pieces that are unique and have special meaning to me.

Our musical instruments are a huge part of our "decor" as well. We've got conga drums, guitars, ukulele, old violin and piano. Practical and beautiful! 😃

[Shoeless]

 

3 hours ago, Dotwithaperiod said:

I had the hardest time finding a cedar chest in Texas, finally found one and hauled it here when we moved. Now I see them everywhere here,beautiful ones for under $50. 

 

I'm having a hard time finding one for under $250 in this part of Texas. People have been snatching them up and painting them all. 😕 I don't want a turquoise cedar chest! I just want an old-lady, wood colored cedar chest! lol

10 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Isn’t it amazing?  I had someone who I didn’t even know offer me a huge, heavy old antique dining room table, the kind with 5 inch diameter legs and many leaves.  It was so heavy that I couldn’t use it (because I had to be able to move it around and expand/contract it to make it work in my space) but it was solid oak.  Would have cost a fortune in an antique show 30 years ago and now you can’t even give it away.

 

It really is! I am happy to scoop it all up! We've spent hardly anything to furnish the whole house. 

It will all come back around in style again.  Just wait. 

[caedmyn]

I use Craiglist and FB Marketplace for furniture.  The only furniture in our house that we bought new is our mattresses and a nightstand.  A couple weeks ago someone just a few blocks from us was selling a big gorgeous buffet with a marble top on CL for $60, and it's now sitting in my foyer.  Our dining room table came from CL, but the chairs that came with it weren't holding up well to the kids, so we bought another table and chair set from FB marketplace and resold that table with the 6 of our old chairs that weren't broken.  DH was in a hurry to get rid of it so he dropped the price below what we paid, and it ended up costing us about $100 for 6 nice heavy chairs that match our old table in color.  Single chairs were something like $79 at Furniture Row, and they definitely aren't as sturdy as the ones we have, so that worked out pretty well.

Most of my decor items and my nicer rugs have come from Ross.  It's near several places I go regularly so I visit it a couple times a week. A couple things have come from Tj Maxx but it's not as convenient for me to go there and I don't find much I like/want there.  I've also got decor items and artwork at Hobby Lobby, always with a 40% off coupon or on sale for half off.  I've got curtains mostly from JCPenney and Amazon, or by using multiple coupons at Bed Bath & Beyond.

I haven't bought much artwork, but have found a couple pieces online and saved some money googling the name of the piece to find the cheapest store for it, and then looking for coupon codes to use on top of that.