Where to Shop for Home Decor on a Budget

During our stretch in apartment living so far, a lot of the items we had collected through the years were “just good enough” items. Do you know what I mean? Things that weren’t of the best quality or fit for our space, but we made do because they were affordable. Moving into our new place this summer, I was determined to do my research to get better quality and more mature pieces, but still on a fairly reasonable budget.

I had a clear picture of the new items I was seeking: couch, dining table/chairs, end tables, media stand, coffee table, counter stools, desk, and a new vibe when it came to how we styled the place. We took the opportunity to sell or donate our old items that no longer fit the bill as I planned out our vibe for the new space (you can read about that process here). My main question was: “Where do I even start looking for new pieces?”

Enter my new obsession: Cost Plus World Market.

Sure, I had shopped here throughout the years for odds and ends (maybe a birthday gift or interesting knickknacks) but I had never paid much attention to them as a destination for furniture or home styling. As I write to you now from our new couch and look around the living room, a majority of what we selected is from World Market.

It’s important to consider both price and style. I would consider our style to be eclectic-meets-simplistic/clean. World Market was very reflective of our style/vibe and was able to meet our price range. Nothing is worse than when you force a style based on a good price/deal and you end up owning a bunch of furniture that isn’t you.

Here’s the thing: I’m just not much of an online shopper for certain things. Furniture can fall into this category. While I love to peruse sites online in the planning phase, before I take the plunge in purchasing something, it’s ideal to be able to see it in person. I don’t think anyone wants to deal with a big furniture item arriving from an online retailer that you don’t particularly care for and have to figure out how to send it back. I like to be sure. Anyone else?

This was a really great feature of World Market, as I could stalk things online and then go double-check in store it fit with my objectives.

Tip: If you happen to be from the Bay Area, there is a World Market outlet in Tracy. We drove out there and landed this couch, in perfect condition, for 60% off. Amazing.

Here are some of my favorite items we picked out for our apartment:

For a few other items, like dining table and chairs, I ordered this International Concepts unfinished table from Target, along with these Safavieh black wood dining chairs. Our acrylic coffee table is also Safavieh.

I also picked up A TON of crystal knickknacks from Goodwill, along with the cutest puka shell coasters. Bottomline: don’t be afraid to get resourceful.

World Market typically has amazing sales as well (we scored most of our items for around 30% off) so look out for those promotions! Where do you like to shop for home decor? Share your tips for decorating on a budget in the comments below!

XAshley