Frugal Decor: The Best Websites for Decorating on a Budget

While you may have gotten away with calling the hand-me-down couch from your parent’s basement mixed with an Ikea stool and some bean bag chairs “eclectic” in your younger years, we all reach a time when we need to up our game a little in the home department and create a more adult living environment. You don’t need to spend a bunch of money or hire a designer named Francois to get a chic and expensive looking apartment, but you do need to have the right resources. That being said, from accents to vintage furniture, here are the best websites for decorating on a budget.

Craigslist

Especially if you live in a bigger city like NYC, craigslist can be a goldmine for finding expensive furniture for super cheap. Most people who are moving end up panicking to get rid of unwanted furniture in the weeks before the move, so you can take advantage of their need to just get rid of things asap (especially near the end of the month). In my last NYC apt, I upgraded all of my cheap Ikea furniture to Crate and Barrel and West Elm pieces that I found second hand on Craigslist for 1/4 of the retail price, and all in great condition.

• I suggest a wide search at first, for example “West Elm Dark Wood Coffee Table”. If there are minimal results, try simply “West Elm Coffee Table” and then just “West Elm”. You never know how people are describing their items, so may have to try several different searches to find what you’re looking for, but use the store name to make sure you don’t pull up junk.
• Contact the person before hand to ensure that there isn’t any substantial visible damage to the item so you’re not disappointed when you show up to get it.
• Keep in mind that you will need to pick up the item, so enlist a friend with a van for bigger items (in NYC I found a “man with a van” who charged $50 to pick up and deliver).
• Always negotiate. Remember that people don’t want to get stuck with this furniture that no longer has value to them, so try and get them as low as possible. Use any damages to justify a lower price, or just smile and play the role of sweet broke girl. This is generally my backup strategy.

Ebay

Ebay is great for things like lamps and accent pieces that are easy to ship. Even though the prices may be great, buying things like couches or heavy tables can get expensive to ship when sellers are using services like FedEx, plus you can’t always trust that they will package it in the safest way. Ebay is also great for antique or vintage pieces that you won’t be able to find anywhere else, especially since you have access to sellers all over the world.

Joss and Main

Free to join, you get insider access to high quality housewares, furniture, and accents that are priced about 70% off retail. With carefully curated events usually lasting just 3 days, Joss and Main showcases distinctive designs and trends, along with the talents of noted influencers from the interior design community. New sales begin every morning at 11am EST.

One Kings Lane

This gem of a website has become my newest obsession. It is on the pricier end of the spectrum, but they feature items curated from top designers as well as many one-of-a-kind and antique pieces. From furniture to great accents, you can find great deals scattered among the higher priced pieces, plus they have clearance items featured on Sundays. You need to check in often, because OKL‘s sales are twice a day – 11am and 9pm EST, and generally only last for 72 hours.

MYHABIT

Founded by Amazon.com, membership to MYHABIT is free and so is shipping and returns on U.S. orders, which is really nice since it’s easy to love something online and then hate it once it’s in your room. Lighting, rugs, bedding and more are offered from boutique brands at up to 60% off during their 72 hour sales starting at 12pm ET daily.

Gilt Home

Not just for grabbing designer clothes and bags, Gilt Home offers new sales daily that feature designers like Jonathan Adler as well as interesting furniture, lighting and art all for 60% off retail prices. I’ve gotten a bunch of really cool prints and accent lights from Gilt for great prices – just don’t get distracted by the designer handbag sales on the homepage. It’s dangerous.

Wayfair

This is probably the most extensive discount home site I’ve found. They feature over 11,000 brands of product in categories like furniture, lighting, rugs etc. as well as free shipping on many of the larger items which is a huge bonus. With every purchase, you also earn generous reward dollars that you can use on future orders. The items are a little more generic than One Kings Lane or Gilt, but for items like rugs and dining chairs, Wayfair is the site I would check out first.

Decorating is hard work, but ordering everything from the comfort of your home definitely makes things easier (and cheaper). While these sites are great for your important pieces, never overlook spots like the Salvation Army or Goodwill, and see if you can mix in pieces you currently own. Do you have any other great decorating websites you’ve used in the past? Please leave a comment and let me know!