Live by the floor sample, die by the floor sample (and other philosophies)

I've been at amateur home-decorating status for over a month now, but I've been a bargain shopper since my first paycheck from the days when I worked at The Gap in high school (well over 10 years ago, but who's counting).


So I thought I'd share some things I've learned:


1) Live by the floor sample, die by the floor sample. I know I mentioned this earlier in my post about the entertainment unit, but this has been the best way I've been acquiring other pieces of furniture. Case in point:

Lazzoni sideboard. At a whopping 80" wide, the perfect entryway piece.

I had never heard of this Italian company but I randomly walked past their gallery after work one day (on my way to the Container Store!!) and I fell in love with their buffets and sideboards, mainly because they were so wide and modern. Most of the sideboards I had were either masquerading as dressers or just didn't have enough storage. I really liked this one floor model that was blonde wood but when I went to go buy it, my saleswoman discovered from her boss that someone else had already reserved it. So they felt bad and offered me the next most comparable unit, which I hadn't even considered bc it was actually more expensive. Thanks to a hairline scratch on the top of the glass during the website photoshoot, yours truly is the owner of this very model seen here. (And yes, they did the right thing and discounted it even below the price of the original one.)

2) CB2 in SoHo discounts random furniture every Tuesday. OK, well I guess this ties in with #1 but I only learned this because I've been to the store 3x in the past month. The second time around I was fortunate to find the Hive Storage Unit.

To be honest I couldn't tell what was wrong with it, but hey I had been eyeing it since I first saw their catalog last year (thank you person who used to live in our old apartment and subscribed to the best magazines). I just really like how the unit comes with three honeycomb spaces. I should probably get another one but I don't have that many magazines.

It also makes an appearance in every episode of "Better With You." I made Mike take a picture of The Hive last time we watched the show; not a bad one either might I add.

Anyway, I've seen some discounted dressers, sofas, rugs, and artwork on sale. In the times I've gone it really does change every week and the sales person said there's no rhyme or reason behind some pieces over other ones, since a lot of them don't have obvious scratches. It's just more to make room for new furniture.

3) Design Within Reach is only within reach if you want to buy a dining room table or chairs. I was soo excited to go here last weekend! My co-worker recommended the Secaucus outlet and based on the atrocious website prices, I had a feeling I'd get lucky here for a sofa. But alas, this seemed to be a day when they were only selling tables and chairs. An EXCELLENT deal, as most items were between $200 - $400 and as you can easily see here, there are tables that cost several thousand dollars. So although I'm not in the market for a kitchen table, it's definitely a place I'll keep in mind and probably just call ahead of time to find out what bulk of goods have hit the warehouse.


4) The USPS Moving Kit has some pretty good coupons. I've heard you can also pick up the packet at any post office but I haven't tested this out. In any event, mine came with 10% off Overstock, 10% off Lowe's, and 20% off Pier One to name a few. The last time I moved, the memorable coupons were 20% off Ikea and 10% off Home Depot. I never used to think 10% off anything amounted to all that much, until I started buying furniture. L-O-L. Now it pretty much covers shipping or tax.


5) If you set up any registry at Crate & Barrel, they'll send you a 10% Off completion card. There are wedding registries on their website, but they also have a section for "Other Events." I set one up, literally named it "Housewarming" and put 2 items on it. A few weeks later, I was sent a 10% off coupon meant for completing any remaining items. Bonus: the discount applies towards everything in the store, and it's good for 6 months.


6) Mom's free furniture offer is still a bad deal. I don't know why my parents, and many other parents judging on the homes I've visited, felt the need to decorate their living rooms straight out of Marie Antoinette's parlor. 

Sofa found from Googling "Louis XVI furniture"

Sofa found in my childhood home, and the home my parents occupied before that, circa 1979

I just politely say that it's not really my taste.. I think Miss Waffle might feel the same way about her dress but it's alright because she can't talk.