Admittedly, I am an Ikea addict. Whenever we travel to visit my in-laws, I make sure to leave enough room in our mini-SUV to accommodate a trip to the nearby Ikea, to stock up on all sorts of items that I may or may not need - but which give me great pleasure to shop for. We recently sold our home in town, and moved to nearby Emerson Way in Northampton MA. This move was about downsizing, to that end I spent months selling much of our furniture, and donating unwanted items to various charities and recycling events. This allowed us to purchase some new furniture to go with the new house. Since the house we bought is new construction, we also had the fun, if overwhelming, task of purchasing lighting fixtures, tile, paint, cabinet pulls, bathroom fixtures, kitchen appliances, etc. As you can imagine, I clocked countless hours on various websites shopping for our new home - and posting ideas to Pinterest and Houzz (fantastic resources for seeking and organizing ideas). Much of my time was spent in person or online at Ikea. They have some great and inexpensive options (as long as you don't go "full Ikea"). But Ikea is only one resource for inexpensive and attractive furniture. I was excited to find this blog post on the ever-informative and juicy Apartment Therapy website. It includes some great resources for Ikea alternatives.
For more information. any real estate needs, or to schedule a showing, contact us today! Discover recent real estate listings in the Northampton, MA area here.
Beyond IKEA: 10 Other Cheap, Chic Furniture Stores
SHOPPING GUIDE
We know -- you're tired of seeing IKEA on every single affordable furniture list we pull together. It's one of the biggest and best sources for modern furniture on a budget... but, yes, it can get old. So, to make up for the IKEA overkill, here's a list of sources for cool furniture on the cheap. We tried to stick to non-obvious sources. Don't worry -- there's no West Elm or CB2 here either.
East Coast
All stores listed below have e-commerce sites with online ordering.
MUJI This Japanese store has multiple locations in New York City, as well as a US website for national orders. Their selection of sofas, beds, shelving, and tables is simple, stripped-down, and inexpensive.
White Furniture They have locations in New York and San Francisco, and they manufacture knockoffs of classic mid-century designs. The quality is much less solid than the real thing, but the prices are low.
The Grove Furniture Based out of New Jersey, the Grove sells solid wood unfinished furniture. Styles tend to be basic and traditional, but it's a good source for cabinets and case goods that could be painted any color you like.
Midwest
All stores listed below have e-commerce sites or catalogs with phone/mail ordering.
Roy's Home Furnishings Roy's is a 30-year-old Chicago institution. They're known for excellent prices on upholstered furniture and big pieces like dining tables and beds, and they recently launched an online catalog.
Dania They have stores scattered throughout suburban metro areas in Illinois, Minnesota, and the Pacific Northwest. Styles are a mix of contemporary and Scandinavian-modern, and prices are affordable.
Chiasso This Chicago store focuses on modern metal-frame furniture. Not all of it is cheap, but there are some very affordably priced sofas, tables, and shelving. They tend to carry small-scale pieces designed for apartment living.
McMaster-Carr Supply Company Headquartered out of suburban Chicagoland, this catalog retailer specializes in industrial equipment. They'll happily sell to retail customers, and you can find sturdy shelves and stools at great prices.
West Coast
All stores listed below have e-commerce sites or catalogs with phone/mail ordering.
TINI Store Perfectly suited to this list, TINI stands for This-Is-Not-IKEA. This LA-based vintage furniture store has great prices on mid-century modern stuff, and their website is updated frequently.
Hoot Judkins Serving the Northern California area, Hoot Judkins is an unfinished furniture store. They have a mix of modern and traditional solid wood pieces, from dining sets to beds.
Stanford Surplus Property Sales Colleges and universities are rich furniture resources that are often overlooked. Many schools put used office and dorm furniture on sale at the end of the year, and Stanford even has a web catalog where you can search their inventory online.Top Photo:
Larsen Chair, $350 at White Furniture
via Beyond IKEA: 10 Other Cheap, Chic Furniture Stores -- Shopping Guide | Apartment Therapy.