Shopping

Whether you have a dining room table, an open bar or kitchen island, a pendant lamp makes for a great lighting solution. By providing a low, diffused glow, these ceiling lights create cozy atmospheres, ideal for intimate gatherings. Because style options can be seemingly endless and mind-boggling, let us help you choose with these ten high and low recommendations from our Marketplace.

When it comes to stocking your first home, it’s easy to see why the bathroom could be an afterthought. After all, you’ve got furniture to add to your living room, and pots and pans and tons of tools and appliances to purchase for your kitchen. But bathroom essentials are every bit as important as the things you’ll need for other rooms of your home. Remember, not only will you use your bathroom multiple times a day, any guests that come to your house may use it as well.

Between Hobby Lobby, Joann Fabrics, and Michaels, I pretty much always have a 40% or 50% off coupon burning a hole in my pocket. If you’re lucky enough to live close to one or more of these stores, get on the mailing list. It’s worth it! I’ve honed my couponing skills and have determined the absolute best items to buy (nursery-related, of course!).

Are you in the market for an eco-friendly sofa or side chair? If so, then you’ll want to check out these ten companies leading the way in sustainable furnishings. From their use of FSC-certified wood frames, all-natural materials like wool and organic cotton, and non-toxic, formaldehyde-free stains and finishes, these companies aren’t only better for you and the planet, but their sofas are darn stylish to boot.

Buying a new mattress is a big investment, and knowing where to go to find the best options for your health and for the planet—not to mention for a sound night’s sleep— is key.

Cargo bikes. Otherwise known as “the SUVs of the Bike World” (without the pollution and spiked fuel costs), these babies are serious workhorses. Those who swear by them have often sworn off any other mode of transportation. Kids, groceries, garden supplies? No problem. Thankfully, you no longer need to live in Europe to get a hold of one. From East to West Coast, here are 10 retailers that sell cargo and carrier bikes.

Visiting SoHo for a shopper is sort of like visiting the Louvre for an art lover — all the big names are spread out before you in one walkable place. It’s crowded, totally commercial, and lots of fun if you like hopping from store to store, weaving between people with shopping bags, and finding just about anything you could want for your home. Although most stores tend to be high-end showrooms, there are still enough eccentric holes in the wall to satisfy the adventurous shopper.

So, you’re shopping for a sofa that won’t overwhelm your tiny studio apartment or you’re looking for seating to fit inside an alcove. The problem is, you keep coming up short (bad pun intended — sorry). Most furniture stores tend to favor large sizes, especially when it comes to anchor pieces like sofas and beds. But if you know where to look, you can find moderately sized sleepers, settees, and loveseats that will work in a small home.

If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard, an outdoor fireplace is a great investment for entertaining. Think s’mores, hot dog roasts, or even just cool nights spent gathered around the fire. Fire pits generally come in three main types: wood burning (the most popular and usually the least expensive), gas/propane (a less smokey option that’s pricier), and gel or ethanol (which creates a smokeless, odorless flame).

A good architect knows how to get the most out of every square inch of potential in a small space without sacrificing a sense of openness. Even if you don’t have the budget to work directly with an architect, you might find some inspiring ideas just by clicking through their projects online. When you’re setting up or rearranging your own home, it can be helpful to see how others have solved similar problems.

Most people don’t have the space for the full scope of glassware, but depending on your drink of choice, there’s a glass or two that fits your needs. Here’s a brief guide to 10 styles and a few places to buy them. There are, of course, other options, and you can read more about the various styles in the “related resources” links below.These are everyday glasses that can be used to serve water, milk, juice, or chilled drinks.

Paint is one of those products many of us don’t think twice about, except when it comes to color. Once we’ve honed in on the perfect shade, our main priority is getting it up on the walls as soon as possible. While a freshly painted room may seem harmless, there are some chemicals in paint that can be toxic, many of which are grouped into a category called volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

We New Yorkers feel lucky when we’ve got a sliver of balcony space, and we want to make the most of it — even if the area is only wide enough to accommodate a couple of window boxes. Here are 10 modern planters that attach to a balcony wall or fit over balustrades and railings. The Steckling Cube by Rephorm is a basic modern container designed to fit over a balustrade with a maximum diameter of 60 mm. Sold through European retailer Connox, it’s €39.

Sconces are the chameleons of small space lighting — they blend in anywhere, whether a bathroom, hallway, or bedroom. Here are 10 particularly compact and useful designs, from high-end Italian pieces to budget utility lighting. West Elm Their Flat Stock Single Sconce has a mirrored backing that reflects light, and it’s affordably priced at $59. There are double and triple versions as well. If you’re a renter, check out their non-hardwired Industrial Sconce, $79.

How many times have you moved in the last decade? According to 2010 US Census data, the number of Americans on the move is rising slightly. People who changed addresses went up from around 11 to 12 percent from 2008 to 2009. For those restless folks who go through lots of lifestyle changes, modular furniture can be a huge help, since it’s able to easily adapt from one location to another. Here are 10 of the best resources (some high, some low) for furniture that can change with you.

As American-made furniture gets more press coverage, some reports are showing an increase in demand. While American craftsmanship has long been associated with traditional styles (like Shaker and Colonial) we also have a history of modern design and production. Here are 10 sources to check for mod and contemporary home furnishings.

Yay for springtime! I am reveling in the glorious weather today in New York. (And clearly everyone else is, too, given the fact that every bench in a 5-block radius from my office is occupied.) The season of outdoor relaxing and entertaining is upon us.

When it comes to backyard sheds, you might have noticed that they’ve gotten a major upgrade over the years. For the most part, modern sheds have replaced the cobwebby shacks packed with rusty garden tools and dirt-caked floors. Today, a backyard shed is just as likely to double as a chic office space or tiny home for an in-law as it is a place to house your tractor. We’ve rounded up some of the most beautiful modern sheds to help you start creating your own dream backyard.

A good barstool is hard to find — often made for commercial use, barstools can lack the smaller scale and warm materials of home furniture. Here are 10 that range from inexpensive industrial metal models to painted wood to upholstered seating, at price points between $100 and $1,000. Design Within Reach Designed by Xavier Pauchard in 1934, this classic metal cafe stool was updated in 2009 by Tolix designer Chantal Andriot.

It’s taken a few years, but prices on many prefab homes have dropped into the range of affordability, while DIY plans have become more popular, too. Warren Buffet’s company, Clayton Homes, now offers green prefab dwellings under $100k, and new build-it-yourself plans clock in as low as $10 per square foot for materials. Here’s our latest list of the best resources, complete with costs and updated for 2011.

Since the 1980s, people have been declaring that the LP is dead, yet DJs and vinylphiles have kept it alive all these years. Cool album art, quality sound, and cheap prices on vintage records are all reasons for holding onto your LPs, but the big drawback is the hulking amount of space they consume. If you’re dedicated to preserving your record collection in tact, there are some good storage options at all price points — here are eight.

When you think of the global-import aesthetic, you might automatically imagine bamboo windchimes at World Market or faux Kuba cloth pillows at Pier 1, but not all import stores are mega-chains. There are plenty of small, independently owned shops that specialize in vintage and contemporary pieces from foreign countries, often collected during the shopkeeper’s own travels.

As far as we can tell, 2011 is the year of online shopping… at least for hopefuls that are diving into the ever more crowded pool of members-only flash sale sites like Gilt, One Kings Lane, and Eziba. Here are five focused on home decor, all of which celebrated their launches in the past few months (or have yet to launch). Joss & Main: Parent company CSN Stores launched Joss & Main in January 2011.

A bed is a big purchase, and you want to make sure it’s something you’ll keep for years to come. If you’re someone whose tastes fluctuate between traditional and modern styles, look for a bed that can adapt as your decor changes. Here are 10 places to start. Plantation: This Los Angeles showroom sells unique custom beds. Priced to spec, they’re as modern or as traditional as you decide to make them.

“In Windsor chairs, the seat is made of one piece of solid wood, and the back spindles are separate from the legs.”CLASSIC • American Windsor | Marlow Side Chair – $299 at Crate & Barrel • Budget Windsor | Salt Chair – $98 at DWR • Peacock Windsor | Original 1947 Peacock Windsor Chair by Hans J.

We’ve seen lots of creative DIY shoe storage on Apartment Therapy, but if you prefer to shop for readymade solutions, here are 12 good options. Six are on the high end (inspiration for a project, perhaps?) and six clock in under the $100 mark. Unica Home The Shoe Box by Kristalia is a universal wall cabinet. The inside can be customized with the shelves of your choosing, and it can be mounted horizontally or vertically on the wall.

Sometimes the best way to keep your laundry off the floor is to find a bin or bag that you really love using. Whether it’s a laundry basket that’s good looking enough to keep on display or a back-of-door hanging bag that’s functional and easy to use, the right system can make all the difference. Here are eleven options, from hampers to drawstring bags to industrial baskets.

Although it’s ostensibly designed to separate space, a screen or room divider is really as much a sculptural object as a functional one. By definition, it’s visible from all sides — it can hang from the ceiling, float on the floor, or stretch between the two planes. As a three-dimensional object that straddles the worlds of art and design, the screen invites contemporary creators to play with things like material composition, scale, and texture.

Ever had the hunch, when you’re reading the thread count on a set of sheets, that the number might not justify the price tag? Us too. When you’re shopping for bedding, it can be difficult to navigate the marketing materials and determine what really matters and how much to pay. Here are a few tips and sources to keep in mind when you’re trying to find high quality at a good price.

Time to take a mini-vacation. From Josef Frank’s Stockholm shop to Liberty of London on Regent Street to Marche Saint Pierre in Paris, we’ve gathered some of the best “destination” textile showrooms from around the world. This is just a starter list — add your favorite high-end fabric shops in the comments. Svenskt Tenn: Stockholm Josef Frank and Estrid Ericson worked together at this fabric and furniture store, which remains today a bastion of Swedish modernism.

From faded block-printed bedspreads and jewel-toned wall hangings to Colonial era teak furniture and diaphanous mosquito netting, Indian decor is as diverse as it is beautiful. Trying to define “Indian decor” is a futile and reductionist endeavor even for an expert (which I am not) — akin to trying to sum up “European cuisine” in a single blog post. That said, Indian-inspired fabrics and furnishings have happily become more mainstream in the United States.

If you’re undertaking a kitchen renovation, most likely you’re looking at a new floor. But you might be wondering: Are there sustainable flooring options? Indeed there are!

Clay cookware might seem delicate, but like cast iron, it can go from stovetop to oven to table. Unglazed clay can also be seasoned to retain flavors, and since clay is more porous than iron, it’s better at retaining moisture. It requires proper care (most unglazed clay should be soaked in water before use) and it can be difficult to clean, but for anyone used to cooking with cast iron, it’s got a lot of similar benefits which can outweigh these minor inconveniences.

What are the biggest furniture stores you can think of off the top of your head? IKEA, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel? Those were the ones that immediately came to my mind, so I was really surprised when I opened Furniture Today’s 2011 Retail Planning Guide and found a list that included some humongous stores I’d never heard of. Nebraska Furniture Mart? Badcock Home Furniture? Having lived in big northern cities for my whole life, these places have stayed outside my radar until now.

image:85d565f3f04669ec0d0d5dd6257d12d4642427cd w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" With the popularity of high-end California Closets and mid-range Elfa systems, the more basic underdogs are often overlooked — here are 5 sources for CHEAP closet and shelving systems to get you started organizing on a budget.

Organic bedding is not as unusual (or boring) as it used to be. Companies like Plover Organic, LOOP, and Coyuchi have set the standard for beautiful and environmentally-friendly bedding, but there’s one problem: they can be kind of expensive. Is there such a thing as budget-friendly organic bedding? Yes, there is! Here are our top picks for organic bedding—sheets, blankets, and pillows— all under $100.

Apart from Carrie Bradshaw’s surprisingly-large-closet-for-a-one-bedroom-Manhattan-apartment, most small spaces don’t come with much room for clothes storage. Traditional dressers and wardrobes tend to be big and bulky, but there are exceptions to the rule. Here are ten modular, wall-mounted, and small-scale designs that could work in a modestly sized bedroom. CB2: Their Slice Storage Shelf ($150) is a smallish (2-foot-wide) drawer that mounts to the wall.

Painting is the first “low expense, high impact” project most decorators recommend for home improvement, but lighting can make just as big a difference. It’s all too common to live with one ugly overhead fixture for years without realizing that a few well-placed lamps can make a home SO much more livable. If lighting is on your home’s shopping list, here are 20 places to look — from high-end stores to budget sources.

With the proliferation of online art galleries, novice collectors have more options now than they’ve ever had before. Independently owned art galleries and print shops offer editions for as little as $10 or $20 — or even original paintings in the low hundreds — and it’s easy to browse images without having to set foot in a brick and mortar space.

Subscription gifts might seem a little dated, but there’s something really appealing about giving or receiving a gift that lasts beyond the holiday season. Plus, with the proliferation of online catalog companies, there are plenty of options now that are a little cooler than the old-school monthly fruit basket club. MicroBeerClub Beer clubs give connessiours a chance to mix things up and try brews they might not otherwise have tasted.

As someone who spent 6 months shopping for the perfect round 30-inch table to fit in my kitchen, I know how hard it can be to find a good small dining set. (I eventually scored an irregularly small Saarinenesque set off craigslist.) From that experience, I gathered a list of bookmarks for small dining sets — here are 12 sources and styles.

New kitchen systems vary widely in price, depending on materials, types of fittings, and (most significantly) whether they’re custom made or off-the-shelf. Here’s a guide to several modern styles, from the top of the line to basic budget options.Going the custom route costs more, but it also allows you to choose exactly what you want in terms of storage and style.

Whether or not you’ve started your holiday shopping, gift boxes are always good to have on hand. Here are 10 places we keep in mind for basic boxes that can be wrapped with just a ribbon and, after they’re opened, repurposed as organizers. IKEA: They’ve got some nice small storage boxes, including holiday-ish tins that could still be put to use after the season is over. Shown: Tripp Storage Tins, $8 for a set.

It’s November 1st, which means we’ve officially entered the holiday entertaining and gift-giving season. Whether you’re planning a party or you’re so organized that you’re already checking people off your gift list, here are 12 sources for gourmet foods for special occasions. Schoolhouse Kitchen Based out of Brooklyn, New York, this web shop specializes in all-natural condiments and canned goods.

I started this guide last year with a bare bones list, and since then, I’ve been collecting resources for loft stairs and ladders. An attic or loft ladder isn’t something one usually shops for, but if you find yourself on the hunt, it can be really difficult to sort through good and bad options. Here are 10 recommended places to start. Arke Arke is a US subsidiary of an Italian company that just recently made their products available in the US through Home Depot and other stores.

Recently, Consumer Reports started reviewing induction cooktops alongside electric and gas ranges, while IKEA released their first US model. Welcome to America, induction cooking. Historically, the biggest barriers to buying an induction cooktop were price and accessibility, but as this style of cooking gains momentum, more affordable cooktops are appearing at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears, and the kinds of stores where most Americans shop for appliances.

While we’re on the subject of color and bedrooms, how about some ideas for turning up the volume without spending too much. Bedding is one of those things that you can find on sale at any time of the year, makes a big impact, and is easy to change when you’re ready for something new. Here are 10 places to look when you’re shopping. Target They’re everywhere, they’re affordable, and they’ve revolutionized the concept of designer labels for the masses.

When you’re a renter reading a design blog, it can be frustrating to see so many gorgeous pendants and sconces that aren’t available to you (unless your landlord is cool with you hiring an electrician to hard-wire a light fixture, and most aren’t). There are, however, several plug-in options for walls and ceilings… here are 10. West Elm: Although their selection tends to favor hard-wired pendants and sconces, they always have a few chic and affordable plug-ins.

Textiles are a fast and easy way to update a table, and there’s a lot of good stuff out there—particularly if you love modern and contemporary design. From simple Scandinavian patterns to organic cotton tablecloths to spun vinyl placemats, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite designers, stores, and distributors in the field. Here’s how to find them. Crate and Barrel This chain store has a reputation for providing quality tabletop at affordable prices.

From Roman aqueducts to the annual Milan furniture fair, Italians have a history of being ahead of the design curve. Italy’s had several “golden ages” of design, and in recent history, both modernism and contemporary design have flourished there. Italian furniture tends to be high-end, high-quality, and is often the result of strong relationships between designers and manufacturers.

Celebrity chef cookware is semi-taboo territory for food writers (the cheese factor can be hard to ignore), but celebs can make good products. Bad ‘Home Shopping Network’ lines aside (I love Jamie Oliver, but his HSN collection is some of the junkiest stuff I’ve seen in a long time), some celebrity-endorsed products are worth checking out when you’re shopping for kitchen equipment.

While the average American home size may be shrinking, the trend towards big family-style kitchens seems to stay strong. It’s not always easy to find compact appliances, so in case you find yourself renovating a small kitchen and starved for helpful resources, here’s a good starter list. CompactAppliance.com Based out of Austin, Texas, this online store has pretty much every small appliance on the US market, including washer/dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, and cooktops.

When it works, wall-mounted shelving can be the key to organizing a small space. The problem is that it’s often poorly made, it sags and warps over time, or it’s just not effectively designed. These products are ones we’ve been tracking for a long time, and some of them have been around since the 60s. They run the gamut from high to low, but they’re all useful in different ways.

Children generally enjoy having a space to “work” like mom and dad, whether they use their desk for drawing, reading, or playing with toys. Here’s a quick guide to some of the best pint-sized desks, most of them designed for children ages 2 and up, with a couple that can even make the transition into grown-up furniture.

As a follow-up to last week’s post on How to Shop for a Sofa, we thought we’d round up a few more stores to check when you’re buying a new couch. We’ve divided them into three categories based on price: 1) high-end furniture in the low thousands and up, 2) mid-range sofas from $1,000 to $3,000, and 3) budget sofas under $1,000.

When you’re visiting a new city, one of the best ways to spend a weekend morning is at the local farmer’s market, sampling whatever’s in season. If you find yourself in any of these 20 cities, here are our recommendations for good markets, along with hours, locations, and links.

Full of designer gadget stores and — of course — a strong market for home theater equipment, Los Angeles is a top shopping destination for tech lovers. LA-based Unplggd editor Gregory Han has been blogging and reviewing stores there for several years, and our team of writers continue to fill us in on their favorite sources. Here’s the best of the bunch.

Brian’s bedroom office is a streamlined, minimal setup that could easily fit into a living room or dining room nook in a small apartment. The pieces he’s chosen have a simple style that can be recreated for very little money or a whole lot, depending on what you buy and where you buy it.Like most furniture, the price of a folding chair depends on where it’s sold, the quality of the materials, and who designed it.

When you visit Etsy to search for something it gives you the results in small doses, 33 per page. Now, thanks to PicClick’s new Etsy browser, you can see ALL of the results on one page. It is fast, easy, and totally addicting!To try it out for yourself, visit PicClick, type in your search, and away you go! All of the results will appear on the page. As you scroll down more results will show up. If you find something you like, click on it and it will open in a new window.