Buying Cool Stuff at Crappy Stores

I believe that you can find something cool just about anywhere if you look hard enough. When it comes to shopping for housewares there are so many great places to shop like CB2, West Elm, and Crate and Barrel. But most cities don't have these stores and even if they do the products are pretty expensive. Living in a smaller town on a smaller budget means that you have to get creative. I wrote a post about my Craigslist, thrift store, and garage sale finds a couple of months ago. Between buying used furniture, IKEA, and Target it's hard to find other cool things for an affordable price. So this post is all about desperate times calling for desperate measures... When you've looked for something vintage or used, something at the cooler cheap stores (IKEA and Target), and you still can't find anything then you have to dig even deeper. I'm talking about Walmart, Kmart, and The Dollar Store. Yeah, pretty desperate right? These store may not scream "We have cool stuff for your house!" But I stand by my original statement that you can find cool stuff if you look hard enough. My suggestions for finding cool stuff at crappy stores are: 1) Shop online. The selection is way better and since these are huge chains shipping is never that bad. 2) Don't buy stuff that you expect to last forever. Need a dining room table you want to pass down to grandkids? Don't buy it at Walmart. Need a table cloth for that dining room table? Buy it at Walmart. 3) Buy basics and trendy things. Yes, both. Some basics like plates and linens are great to buy at cheap places because if they break they are easy to replace. Cheap stores are also good places to buy trendy stuff because the whole idea of trendy is that it will only be cool for a little while. If you buy the cheaper version then you won't feel guilty getting rid of it when the trend has run it's course.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now for some online window shopping:

These cute throw pillow are from Walmart and are all around $14. Considering cool pillows at Crate and Barrel are at least $50, I consider these a great deal.

Tripod floor lamps are right on trend and you'll be hard pressed to find one for under $280. This Walmart version is only $138.29!

Rugs can be very pricy so most people buy basic ones so they'll last longer. But if you buy this zebra rug for $129.47 at Walmart you can get something bold, graphic, and trendy for such a great price that if you get tired of it in a few years it won't break the bank if you move on to something else.

How cute are these cereal bowls from Kmart? I mean seriously, I want them now. And for only $3.99 they are a great buy.

Ok Kmart, you've completely exceeded my expectations, this chair is bananas. It's also only $315.09. Amazing!

It also comes in deep blue.

I really need new blinds in my house but I can't afford to do the whole Next Day Blinds thing (this type of shade runs about $150...for one window). After looking around online I found some very nice looking ones at Walmart. And for only $40 they are an absolute steal!

This classic glass is only $1.00.

As you can probably guess from my many gallery walls I buy a lot of frames which can get expensive. Dollar Store frames are the perfect price ($!) and if they don't have the color you want they take about 10 seconds to spray paint.

These cute little tins would be an adorable addition to any desk or kitchen (they are about 5 1/2inches round) and for only a dollar you could do just about anything with them.

I'm loving these Beverly Brown watercolor prints on canvas from Kmart. The 24x36 prints are only $67.49. That's a great price for something that will make such a big statement. -------- So there you have it, my first installment of 'Buying Cool Stuff at Crappy Stores.' (With such a catchy title I'm sure this blog is going to explode any day now :)