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Whether you’re just starting out in furnishing a new apartment or just don’t want to spend a ton on furniture, you probably plan to hit up your nearest Ikea and grab some of that sweet sweet particleboard goodness. I get it — there’s a lot of it in my home, too. But as you graduate to midrange furniture pricing, there are actually a lot of options.
Here are a few places to find cheaper furniture stores and home decor haunts that are both big names and smaller, more niche boutiques.
Let me know if I missed any to add to the list! Especially if they offer USB chargers in their couches…
Joss & Main
Part of the Wayfair family, Joss & Main is the place for major flash sales. Keep your eyes on holiday weekends especially.
Hayneedle
Hayneedle is a Wal-Mart brand, so know that going in. With that comes solid deals on furniture and home decor. Plus, they do a pretty good job on showing you how to style rooms.
Hay
Hay is Copenhagen-based so it has a similar Scandinavian feel to Ikea but a bit higher quality and with lots of style.
Blu Dot
A midrange company in terms of price, Blu Dot is an under-the-radar gem that focuses on clean style and cool color options all designed in their Minneapolis studio.
Urban Outfitters
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You’ve probably owned a boho chic fashion piece from UO at some point in your life, but they also extend that style into home decor and furnishings, too. And they’re not nearly as expensive as you might imagine.
Hem
Hem is Swedish for “home” so it’s another Scandanavian company here to give you all the clean line looks you want. I’ve heard that the quality is pretty good, too, especially considering the accessible prices.
AllModern
I’m a big fan of AllModern, the contemporary styled wing of Wayfair. It’s got a similarly huge selection but cuts out a lot of the stuffy designs you’d want to avoid anyway. And just like with Wayfair, it’s full of sales opportunities.
Etsy
You might not think of Etsy for home furnishings and decor, but you’re likely to find great quality, hand-crafted goodies here while supporting small businesses and independent designers. Shipping might be a little more spendy, but you can snag amazing finds.
Campaign
With only six furniture options and a few accessories, Campaign is definitely a capsule find. The selection is limited since they focus on making the pieces versatile in color and fabric and classic designs that you can keep forever.
They offer removable covers and a lifetime guarantee on the frames which means my cats can scratch them up and I can replace the cover. Hallelujah!
Target
I probably don’t have to introduce you to Target — you’re probably shopping there while you’re reading! But I do love how you can snag great designers who are looking for a more affordable market. Joanna Gaines and similar designers find a great market with those of us obsessed with their style and can’t afford the designer versions.
Article
If you’re into stripped down and minimal design, Article is your best bet. Shipping is a low flat rate and everything is easily assembled, reducing overhead costs.
Apt2B
Apt2B focuses on providing stylish looks for lower costs due to their simple and clean designs. Their outlet section is particular cost-effective.
Sixpenny
I love how Sixpenny gives you design guidance by separating its inventory by styles, “Archive” (vintage-inspired contemporary), “Foundry” (authentic industrial), and “Nest” (offbeat farmhouse).
They focus on real wood and high-quality construction. Everything ships pre-assembled which is great news for those of us tired of assembling those Ikea shelves.
Burrow
Similar to Campaign in its ultra pared-down selections, Burrow offers a few, classic choices with customization, sustainably-sourced wood, stain-resistant fabric, and a hidden USB charger. Yep, that last one caught my attention, too.
Overstock
It’s on sale. It’s all on sale. And the sales are actually good! Overstock has become a staple for a lot of folks looking for deals on anything and everything, but furniture is one of my faves.
Minted
If you only think of Minted as a stationery company, you’re definitely missing out. They also offer custom-printed wall murals, art prints, table linens, lampshades, pillows, shelves, curtains, and decor.
About the Author: Catherine Clark
Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.
But all these sources, for all their good points, share one huge fault for me: what they sell doesn’t go with an older house. Are there sources that provide style and period-compatible options for those of us who have houses that were built anywhere from 1940 back to, say, 1840?
Those stores are definitely out there (a new roundup maybe!), but I suspect they aren’t in the cheaper price ranges due to their niche nature. I’ll investigate!
This weekend I went to At Home for the first time and fell in love! Great selection, similar price point to Ikea or Target. I could easily buy more than will fit in my house there.
The only downside is you can’t order online or have it shipped, so you’re in charge of getting it home yourself. We had to enlist the help of a family member with an SUV to get our patio set home.
Oh no! Maybe take another look at this list so it doesn’t include shady companies! Maybe it’s good that you’re just putting all this out there, so people can make choices for themselves? Sorry if I’m being too reactive – it’s just that in Boston (my hometown) Wayfair had a walkout because they are the company that signed a contract to provide beds for the American internment camps! And Urban (and Anthropologie and Free People) has stolen artwork from Etsy designers, and had a shirt that said “eat less”, and had another piece of clothing that had a trans slur on it. And as for Walmart, the internet is rife with documentation that shows how it has toxic views on labor unions (supporting their employees’ rights), underpays their women, and has crap tons of money in offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes.
Of course, many other companies follow similar behaviors. And I don’t shop there either. I would never pass any kind of judgment on those who do choose to shop at such places. I just think that Offbeat is such a wonderful and progressive forum, and I love how the articles are oriented around being true to ourselves and making the world a better place. This could be another excellent moment to continue embracing those ideals!
No offense is meant here, and I’m not attacking anyone (hopefully this will stem any vitriol.) I’m coming from a place of love. In the end, it’s your money and you have the freedom to do what you want with it.
With you, Olivia, especially in regards to Wayfair. There’s no need to promote a company that supports concentration camps on this site. I thought Offbeat was a place to support those who make the world a better place. Maybe I was mistaken.
I agree with you, Olivia. I was going to bring up the issues with Wayfair and Walmart myself. I personally prefer my purchases to align with my values, so won’t support such companies.
I would also suggest that if you live in a larger city or metropolitan area especially, look at buying secondhand furniture & household items. In my own city I could buy pretty much anything I wanted for my home at an estate sale within a matter of a very short time.