My Favorite Places to Find Designer Furniture and Home Decor for Less

Furnishing a house is no small feat. It’s expensive no doubt but also requires measuring and an eye for what goes where and would work with what as well as a measure of practicality for what your needs are for your home and each space. Then there’s the coordination of deliveries, the wait times, the shopping and searching for the perfect pieces. There’s a reason people hire designers. While they’re certainly an investment, they take on all of that, ensuring your house looks amazing, functions well, and that you have everything you need to utilize the spaces in your home in the ways that best suit your family. However, some of us insist on doing things ourselves. I am one of those people. In another life, I would have been an interior designer. Honestly, I sometimes still think I may (we can have multiple acts, right?). But I’m testing my skills by decorating our house to start and truly learning from all my mistakes along the way. The thing is I have a very specific taste and want what I want, but I don’t want to wait for it and well, as I mentioned, I have an entire house to furnish and I’m not one of those we’ll do it over time people even though I’ve been trying, to be truly I have. So I’m attempting (my best) to take a similar approach to decorating and furnishing our house that I do to getting dressed — mixing high and low, secondhand and vintage finds with splurges and newer and custom pieces that I can’t stop thinking about and have high impact. I’m not a big fan of going cheap on home furnishings and decor though. I find that you end up wanting to replace it so it’s often wasted money. I’d much prefer to scour estate sales and Facebook Marketplace if I can’t justify the price tag at that time. I’ve been sharing some of my secret (or maybe not so secret) sources for how to buy furniture and home decor on a budget on Instagram and gotten lots of questions, so I thought I’d put it all together in a blog post.

While I do like to plan out rooms, I also like to jump on a great find or sale item or special piece I fall in love with when I’m traveling or perusing home stores. I often look for inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram and from my favorite designers when I start working on a room. Then I use that as a jumping off point to start designing a space. I’ll often have a few pieces in mind that I want and try to source those but I love to check places like Facebook Marketplace and Estate Sales to see if I can get the item for less. I also love to mix in vintage and one-of-a-kind pieces so those are great places to find those types of places that can give your space character and depth. Here are my favorite ideas/sources for how to buy furniture and home decor on a budget.

Estate Sales

Check facebook groups as well as websites like Auction Ninja, Plum Cottage, Modern Day Auctions for estate sales in your area. You can bid online and then coordinate pickup. I have found many good pieces at estate sales from an antique dining table for $50 to Serena and Lily kitchen chairs. We often will rent a van or UHaul and pick up the pieces ourselves but you can also hire movers.

Facebook Marketplace

Glass of Bovino is the queen of tips for shopping Facebook Marketplace (and for how to buy furniture and home decor on a budget) so check out her account. But you need to train the algo by liking and saving the designers and types of pieces you are looking for. Scour it frequently and you can be handsomely rewarded. I usually make my husband do the pickup and wait to pay until I see the item. Scams are possible, so you want to ensure quality and the item but it’s a great way to find some really good pieces as people move or buy things they can’t return. I’ve sold lots on there and I will tell you, a lot has been like new that I ordered but didn’t feel like paying to return.

Etsy

Etsy can be a treasure trove for home items like rugs, custom curtains, decor, and even special pieces, from vintage furniture to custom grasscloth tables and upholstered daybeds. I love supporting small businesses and being able to shop for or create one of a kind pieces.

Chairish

I will say that Chairish’s prices have gone up to a point where I feel like they’re a bit much for secondhand, so I usually just shop Estate Sales and Facebook Marketplace, but it’s a great source for vintage and secondhand furniture and decor and sometimes you can find a good deal, but often on a piece that needs a bit of love.

Open Box Sales

Many retailers, from lighting companies to Wayfairs and Pottery Barn type stores will offer open box discounts. These can be great places to get the exact item you want for less without worrying that it’s been damaged, which can be a risk secondhand. If there is something wrong with it, you can return to the trusted retailer, but in my experience, I’ve sourced great lights and a couple pieces of furniture this way and it’s been like new.

Amazon

I don’t shop for a ton on Amazon. As I mentioned, I like to invest in quality, well-made furniture and save for the right piece. However, I will buy sisal rugs on Amazon and recently got a great bamboo chair that I’m using for a desk on there. I’ve also sourced some really great home decor there, so don’t discount everyone’s favorite mass retailer. The other benefit is the prime shipping and their return policy.

Outlets

I have found some really great pieces from my favorite furniture brands at crazy discounts at outlets. Some have had small imperfections but the price tag always reflects that and with three kids and a husband, I don’t mind a little wear and tear — it’ll end up that way eventually anyway. Restoration Hardware, Design Within Reach, Pottery Barn, West Elm all have outlets as does Serena & Lily.

Interior Designers

Follow interior designers on Instagram and Facebook. They often will have items they bought for a client or never used in a space that they need to clear out and will sell them. This is a great way to get a curated designer item for a lot less. I’ve found some one-of-a-kind special pieces this way as well as designer pillows and wallpaper.

Your Parents’ Basement

Don’t discount it. Chairs can be reupholstered. An old desk can be transformed with some paint. A vintage secretary can look really fabulous in room with more up-to-date pieces.

Streets of NYC (lol)

If you know, you know. Honestly, this was a great way to score furniture as a young, broke new-to-the-city journalist. People would leave their furniture outside when they moved and I found couches, desks, chairs, tv stands, you name it on the streets and would just pick it up and walk it home.

Ikea

Don’t discount Ikea. SO many designers use their pieces and decor items in homes, mixing and matching them with high-priced items. I love their couches for a playroom, some of their tv stands and some of their baskets and organizational items.