The 10 Furniture and Decor Sources We See Over and Over Again in House Tours
The house tours we feature on Apartment Therapy are an endless source of inspiration, from the ways in which renters add personality to their home to the creative storage solutions space-strapped homeowners come up with. And of course, we’re always keeping an eye on the products people choose to furnish their homes with. Because I was feeling curious, I decided to do some very important investigative work and come up with a list of the 10 home furnishing sources most often seen in house tours.
Since there are literally hundreds and hundreds of tours to sift through, this list should be viewed with a grain of salt—although it’s a pretty accurate assessment, according to our House Tours editor Adrienne Breaux. Some honorable mentions that didn’t make the cut but are still featured pretty heavily include Pottery Barn, Serena & Lily, Wayfair, Rugs USA, Schoolhouse, Article, and The Container Store. Check out the list below, as well as some of our favorite products from each retailer that we’ve spotted in tours.
Surprising no one, IKEA is by far the most popular brand seen in house tours. From furniture to storage solutions and everything in between, it’s honestly rare to find a house tour that doesn’t have any IKEA in it. Some of the most popular pieces we’ve seen? The HEMNES nightstand (pictured above), the BILLY bookcase, the KARLSTAD sofa, and, of course, the RÅSKOG utility cart.
We see a lot of West Elm in our tours, especially when it comes to sofas, coffee tables, and other living room furniture. The modern furniture retailer tends to have higher prices but frequent sales (and you can find budget-friendly options in most categories). Some popular pieces we’ve seen include the Andes sofa (pictured above), this contemporary pendant light, this small space-friendly mini desk, and these labeled kitchen canisters.
The budget-friendly mega retailer is another popular source for furniture and decor in our house tours. Target’s in-house brands, including Project 62, Threshold, and Opalhouse, are particularly visible. Some favorites we’ve spotted include this set of 2 counter stools (seen above), these tasseled curtains, this slim writing desk, and this modern tripod floor lamp.
When it comes to decor and bedding, Anthro reigns supreme as the go-to source for unique, boho-inspired pieces. Anthro’s home section is definitely on the high end, but watch out for sales and home-specific promos. Recent Anthro finds we’ve spotted on tours include this rattan bed (pictured above), this gorgeous round mirror, this lacquered nightstand, and this striped bone shelf.
It’s no surprise that Amazon is a popular source for furniture and decor. With low prices, easy Prime shipping, and an almost endless number of options to choose from, you can’t go wrong when shopping here. Some examples of items we’ve seen in recent tours include this heavy duty over-the-door shoe rack (pictured above), this wood plant stand, this hexagonal side table, and this minimalist set of storage baskets.
Urban is one of our favorite unexpected sources for budget-friendly boho furniture and decor, and you’ll find plenty of UO throws, rugs, and more in our house tours. The leaning mirror pictured above is one example, as well as the AT-famous peaches shower curtain, this copper side table, and this under-$1,000 leather loveseat.
One thing all our house tours tend to have in common is a nice mix of new and secondhand pieces. While you’ll see tons of thrift store finds and inherited pieces, you’ll also see plenty of furniture and decor found on eBay (as well as Craigslist and Goodwill). Some eBay finds we’ve spotted include this sheepskin rug (seen above).
World Market is full of unique, budget-friendly finds, but the brand especially stands out for their colorful textiles and furniture. For example, we love this velvet tufted floor pillow (pictured above), this tiered hanging basket, this under-$10 velvet throw pillow, and this faux flokati chair.
Both CB2 and Crate & Barrel are featured heavily in house tours—like West Elm, their sofas and living room furniture are especially popular. While not quite as expensive as some of their competitors, both brands tend to have high prices and are great sources for big ticket statement pieces. Examples of CB2 products we’ve seen in recent tours include this extra-large wall sconce (pictured above), this sleek coat rack, macrame plant holder, and this round marble coffee table.
With its endless array of handmade decor, unique art, and vintage furniture, Etsy is a major resource in our house tours. Examples of Etsy shops we’ve seen featured in house tours include Aicha Carpets for vintage rugs (featured above), Plantwares for planters, Ninoshea for lighting, and Alabatis for linens.