Furniture Hunting

I'm particularly bored at work this week, so I figured I'd write a post about something that I busied myself with for about 6 months this year, namely finding affordable furniture on the island of Manhattan. While everyone's idea of affordable differs, here is a list of furniture resources that can accommodate a range of budgets.

CB2 - 451 broadway (between canal and grand) - If you like modern furniture, this is the place for you. As Jon said, if I weren't married to you, this is totally how I would decorate my bachelor pad. A subset of Crate and Barrel, they claim to offer the same quality of products at better prices- a helpful salesperson told us that their upholstered items are made by the same manufacturers as Crate and Barrel, but they only offer it in one or two colors to cut down on price. Their dinnerware is particularly cheap and has a funky twist to it. It's a fun store to browse, but beware of pushy hipsters.

Z Gallerie- 443 Broadway at Grand St- This was one of my best furniture finds. It may be on the higher end of this list, but it offers good sales and white glove delivery for furniture purchases. Jon and I stumbled across it when we wandered out of CB2 and walked down the block, only for me to decide that I needed a bathroom. (Theirs is located downstairs and is quite lovely.) They have great bedroom furniture if you're looking for sets- it's less expensive than the Door Store and has more interesting inventory. They also have a wide selection of accessories and tabletop items. Plus they always have a lot on sale.

West Elm - 112 west 18th street- This store has some nice items, but I think it's a little hit or miss. I've heard the quality of the their upholstery isn't great, but I picked up some really cool lamps here. Just browse the website and wait for things to go on sale, which like the Gap, they always do. Then call ahead to make sure it's there and voila, you can stop by and pick it up easily since it's right off the 1 train. It's also right around the corner from the Container Store and Bed Bath and Beyond's Chelsea locations, so you can run many errands at once.

Bed Bath & Beyond- 1932 Broadway at 65th Street & 620 Sixth Avenue between 18th and 19th Streets- Although known as a homegoods store, it actually offers a surprisingly large range of furniture pieces. It sells bookcases, media consoles, desks, cabinets, wine racks, storage solutions, and even ottomans. Definitely worth a shot, but call ahead to make sure that they carry the item that you're looking for in the store. Otherwise, this time of year, their shipping prices are more reasonable

Crate and Barrel- 611 Broadway & 650 Madison Avenue - their "Ready to Assemble" furniture is much more affordable than their regular stock. It's on the higher end of this list, but you can rest assured that it's of a higher quality than other do it yourself furniture sources, such as Target and Ikea.

The Door Store- 601 Amsterdam Avenue (at 89th Street), 123 West 17th Street (between 6th & 7th Avenues), 1 Park Avenue (at 33rd Street) , & (their main showroom) 969 Third Avenue (at 58th St.)- Although I'm not the biggest fan of the Door Store, they have very affordable upholstered items. Plus they have a large selection of pullout couches, which is always a plus.

Craigslist- You can use search limits to find almost anything you're looking for. While the website may have a lot of crap that people are trying to get rid of for way too much money, there are also some great deals on things you actually want to purchase. I always like to see an image before I go see something in person. Also, I would avoid purchasing anything upholstered. I'd stick with tables, dressers, mirrors, etc. It's also a good idea to ask if the person has pets or smokes and why he/she is selling the item. And, remember safety first, you should never go alone into a stranger's apartment.

HousingWorks thrift stores (or any other thrift store for that matter)- These stores are located all around the city and you can feel good because the proceeds help fight AIDS and homelessness in NYC. The Manhattan locations are:
143 West 17th Street
157 East 23rd Street
202 East 77th Street
306 Columbus Avenue
245 West 10th Street
1730 2nd Avenue
You can either go in and browse or check out their website at shophousingworks.com. You can bid on auction items (which are part of their amazing window displays) and then pick them up or have them shipped to you. Just click on "Shop by category" and select either "Furniture" or "Housewares." If you don't mind used items, thrift stores are all over the city and a great resource. Once again, unless you want to reupholster an item, I would stay away from anything you can't wash. For more general shopping, the Housing Works thrift shops are always having special events and sales. Check out their website for more information: http://www.housingworks.org/social-enterprise/thrift-shops/

Apartmenttherapy.com is a great website. It gives good decorating tips and the posts make for interesting browsing. More importantly, it lists local sales. Usually, the stores they list are way too expensive, but it's worth checking it out.

Hope this helps! Happy Shopping!