apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Never heard of them, and live a gazillion miles away anyway, but that frame with the photos is a definite DIY project coming up! :)

I receive the Wisteria catalog but never order anything because I think their items are overpriced, plus I like to see items in person and avoid made-in-China stuff. Luckily I live near their outlet store where the prices are much more reasonable. Last December they had a 50% off Christmas items before Christmas with a lot of unique items for really great prices, so I've made a calendar reminder note for December 2009.

Their quality seems OK to me (about same as World Market or Pier One) but I will avoid the "antiques" after reading these reviews.

I've bought a few things from Wisteria over the years -- a fireplace screen (and coordinating tools) that was both unusual and far less expensive than the generic ones I found elsewhere; a gorgeous mirror; a heavy metal folding chair with lovely lines; and a footstool with a woven leather seat and cast iron frame that was $100 less than an identical one in another catalog (Napa Style).

As you can probably tell, I've been very pleased with all my purchases but they have all been accessories rather than furniture -- I can certainly understand the hesitation buying something as large and expensive as a sofa sight unseen.

But as a devoted bargain shopper, I would say the Wisteria items I bought are a far higher quality than what you would get at World Market or Pier One.

I like Wisteria for it global decor look. I love the inlaid bone or hammered metal furniture items that Graham & Green in the UK sells. You can find a selection of those very same items at Wisteria. The items there are much higher quality than Cost Plus but they still have their flaws. I bought a bone inlaid mirror from Wisteria and the hooks in the back of the mirror weren't properly soldered to the mirror - making hanging the mirror on a wall risky. As for the prices, they are pretty high. Anthropologie, which is hardly bargain basement, sells that red mirror shown here in green for $100 less!

While the prices are hit or miss -- sometimes I see something elsewhere for more, sometimes I see it elsewhere for less -- I've been happy with many of the items I have ordered from them.

I have some Chinese pots with the correct markings, a great linen tablecloth, and some other silver accessories. I've been happy with the quality -- any manufacturing irregularities seem in line with things I have actually purchased while traveling. Perhaps we've become accustomed to the "perfection" we see in mass-produced wares.

And I definitely wouldn't compare Wisteria to World Market or Pier 1. They are a small shop and it shows. The service seems very personal, but their e-commerce leaves much to be desired.

I've shopped at their outlet sale...although I love the candlesticks we bought, it did take some well-placed glue to make them functional! A friend, however, bought a small console table and mirror--she's very happy with the look and quality.