The Best Places To Shop For Affordable Furniture & Home Accents If You Like IKEA
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IKEA's stylish furnishings, reasonable prices, and exploration-minded showrooms make it an easy brand to love. However, the Swedish retailer is not without its drawbacks. Assembling your newly-bought tables and shelves can be a hassle, and all the particleboard products aren't exactly the most durable, either. The simplicity of IKEA's decor offerings allow them to suit all sorts of homes — but this also results in everyone ending up with a similar interior design style. When it comes to tuning up the aesthetics of your space, it's never a bad idea to branch out a bit. There are plenty of other home goods retailers out there with products that can either complement or improve upon IKEA's iconic style. Many of them can be described as budget-friendly, and are worth investigating no matter how devout an IKEA fan you are.
MUJI and H&M Home are great IKEA alternatives with affordable offerings that will appeal to those who love chic decor with modern simplicity. Both of these brands have a kitchenware collection that rivals IKEA, too. Online retailers like All Modern and Wayfair can also be worth a look if you're in the market for new furnishings and home accents. We will note, however, that there are only a few sites and stores out there that can truly match or beat IKEA's prices. But even when you pay slightly more than you would at the Swedish retailer, you're still getting unique additions to your space that are definitively budget-friendly. When you shop, just make sure you're avoiding a popular interior design aesthetic that's quietly becoming outdated.
Wayfair
There's one key aspect of Wayfair that always makes it worth a look when you're shopping for new furniture — and that's the size and scale of the site's catalog. You can find items that fall into just about any interior design style here, and you can add as much or as little color as you want to your space with what's on offer. The sheer variety is certainly helpful for those interested in mixing modern and antique furniture. There are lots of different brands to choose from, but that also means that prices can vary dramatically.
H&M Home
H&M is a brand that you might first associate with clothing — but it actually has a decent variety of decorative accent pieces and dishware on offer as well. There are cute cushions, curtains, and sheet sets to choose from, along with storage containers and table lamps. Though the store doesn't have too much in the way of actual furnishings, IKEA fans will still find the lineup worth looking into. Note that not all H&M locations carry the brand's home products, so make sure to check online to see if your local store includes this department.
MUJI
MUJI is a Japanese brand that's all about simplicity and minimalism. The furnishings on offer at this store all have clean lines and neutral colors, and tend to mix metals and woods to great effect. There's a decent selection of kitchen and dining products as well, with prices that compete directly with IKEA's. Bedding and other similar home accessories are here, too. The only real caveat that comes with MUJI is that its U.S. locations are limited to New York, New Jersey, Oregon, and Massachusetts. However, you can easily order from them online if you don't have one in your state.
Target
Target has quite a bit to offer those who want to keep the price of styling their space as low as possible. The Threshold Collection by Studio McGee and the Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Collection, in particular, both have lots of exciting new pieces to choose from. The furnishings tend to have a bit more contemporary character than the likes of IKEA, but still lean on natural finishes and colors. The decor pieces are elegant and charming, and there are lots of seasonal products, too. Target's Room Essentials line also rivals IKEA when it comes to dorm room staples.
Scandinavian Designs
The average price of furniture at Scandinavian Designs is admittedly higher than at IKEA, but if you take a look through the former's clearance section, you can still find some gems that have reasonable price tags. Why this brand is specifically worth recommending to IKEA fans, however, has more to do with the fact that it utilizes many of the same Nordic design principles as IKEA. Cozy simplicity, a timeless color palette, and natural textures dominate the offerings at Scandinavian Designs. If you want to upgrade from IKEA without changing up the look too much, this might be a good stop.
TJ Maxx and Home Goods
TJ Maxx department stores, along with the same company's Home Goods offshoot brand, have lots to offer when it comes to decor, furniture, and lighting. Prices and styles vary significantly, so you never quite know exactly what you're going to find when you pop into one of their locations. Small products like the decorative trays, lamps, and picture frames tend to be more ornate than the comparable items at IKEA, but can still be perfectly suitable for those whose home follows a modern aesthetic.
Urban Outfitters
There's a lot to love about Urban Outfitters home goods section. The duvet covers and sheet sets are gorgeous, and there are all sorts of funky blankets, curtains, and rugs that match their style. The brand's bookcases, hutch cabinets, and media consoles have plenty of personality, and lots of curving edges. This last feature makes them especially good for homes that lean on midcentury modern decor. Even the wall art that's on offer feels unique and fresh — the pieces have bold colors and abstract designs that make snazzy statements. They're certainly well-suited for use as living space focal points.
World Market
World Market's furniture tends to cost slightly more than IKEA's, but still manages to fall firmly into the budget-friendly category. Their designs tend to be more lavish and complexly-detailed than those found at the Swedish retailer. This arguably means more unique character, and less of a tendency to lean into cold minimalism. World Market also has a small spaces collection that's specifically ideal for those who don't have an abundance of square footage. There's plenty of outdoor furniture to be found here, and a sizable collection of cookware and kitchen products that are worth a look, too.
All Modern
All Modern carries furnishings that suit a decent variety of interior design styles, despite the brand's seemingly limiting name. Though their collection is largely on the more contemporary side, it includes pieces that support maximalism and modern farmhouse aesthetics, while still catering to those who prefer Scandinavian minimalism and Japandi arrangements. The color palette of the catalog includes lots of natural browns, greens, and off-whites. All Modern's brick-and-mortar stores are limited to Massachusetts and Texas, but thankfully, they offer fast shipping on a wide variety of their products.
Yamazaki Home
If you love how sleek and clean-looking IKEA's products are, you'll definitely dig the fairly-priced furniture and storage solutions at Yamazaki Home. Many of the brand's items are specifically oriented toward efficient organization. Items like the shoe racks, console tables, and utility carts have slim designs that don't draw attention to themselves. Small products like the desk organizers and countertop shelves also put functionality first. The colors of Yamazaki Home's collection is largely limited to white, light wood, and black. Some will see this as a drawback, but others will see it as a plus, because it looks cohesive.
Rooms To Go
Shopping for furniture at Rooms To Go is convenient for those who want to buy everything as set, but there are still plenty of modular options on the company's website for those who want to select their pieces individually. Prices on certain beds and couches can be particularly attractive, and there are sales on all sorts of items that have shipping included in their cost. Many modern and contemporary products on the site can complement homes that lean on an IKEA-like Scandinavian design style. The retailer also has an impressive 4.8-star review score on Trust Pilot.
Amazon
If you're looking for affordable, modern furniture that rivals the offerings at IKEA, it's impossible not to recommend checking what's available on Amazon. Like Wayfair, the online retail platform carries an enormous variety of brands and styles. This means that prices and quality levels can vary significantly, but that deals are always somewhere to be found. You can easily sort by color, shape, and finish, as well as price. Before you shop, you might want to specifically define the style you're going for in your space, and learn about some of the once-outdated design trends that are making a surprising comeback this year.