Unusual Places HGTV Designers Shop For Interior Decor
If your home is in need of a refresh, it may be time to pick up some new décor. There are so many options when it comes to shopping. And, where you browse for new items depends on the style you are aiming to achieve. If you're hoping to create a space that looks like it could be featured on your favorite HGTV show, it may be as easy as shopping where the designers shop.
HGTV designers have a knack for turning an ordinary home into a perfectly put-together space. They use a variety of colors and textures that bring a room to life while still being functional. Plus, the items they use to decorate a home always seem to reflect their iconic styles while also being exactly what their client was hoping for. These experts are as unique as the spaces they create, and where they love to find their interior décor just might surprise you.
Joanna Gaines shops the neighborhood
Joanna Gaines is known for her ability to repurpose old items into new functional pieces. While there are many places to find secondhand items, Joanna has a lot of luck at yard sales. She told Southern Living that she looks for "anything that came out of an old house or building that's kind of its own story. That's the kind of stuff I'm always looking for." Some of her favorite items to shop for at yard sales are vintage books, old light fixtures, and unique storage solutions.
If you want to decorate your home like Joanna Gaines, make time to stop and shop the neighborhood yard sale so you can score some unique finds. If you've never been to one, they're easy to find. You can look in your neighborhood newsletter or on Facebook to see where they are planned for the week. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find a community-wide yard sale where numerous residents participate.
Sabrina Soto gets thrifty
Sabrina Soto has the incredible ability to decorate a home on the smallest budget. To find objects that work in her clients' spaces as well as their budgets, she hits local thrift stores to save money. These shops sell secondhand items like clothes, furniture, artwork, and dishes. Since the items for sale are donated by community members, the inventory is constantly changing. Thrift stores have low prices, and some have special discount days where you can purchase items for even less — sometimes under a dollar!
Shopping at thrift stores saves you money, but they can be overwhelming. Thrifting may require a little more work and imagination on your end, but the possibility of saving a lot of money is a great motivator. Soto gave some valuable tips to the Denver Post about what to look for while shopping at a thrift store. She explains that many items can repurposed for new uses like transforming a birdcage into a chandelier. Soto also encourages shoppers to look for hidden potential. For example, you can elevate a not-so-stunning lamp with a fabulous shade.
Emily Henderson makes sustainability a priority
Emily Henderson likes to create interesting spaces using unusual furniture and décor. However, instead of shopping for the latest trends, she shops at vintage and antique stores to be more sustainable. Emily told Rejuvenation that "the most sustainable thing you can do is not buy more new things. There are vintage designs out there that check the same boxes and are better for the planet." Plus, items sold in vintage and antique stores tend to be more interesting than the brand-new items you'd find at other stores, which means your space will have more character.
Both antique and vintage stores sell used items; however, according to M.S. Rau, the difference is that antiques tend to be over 100 years old, while vintage stores carry items that aren't quite as old but are still unique. These stores tend to be in trendy parts of town, surrounded by restaurants, coffee shops, and other locally owned shops, so you can make a fun day out of shop-hopping for new finds.
Jenn Todryck elevates a space by bringing the outdoors in
Do you want to instantly elevate your living space? Do what Jenn Todryck does and shop Amazon for some greenery. The designer told Realtor.com that she loves plants and she likes to "place them wherever you want, where the lighting is. I love a flowing plant for a coffee table or a mantel, but whatever the plant wants, it'll tell you." Like many of us, she likes to simplify her shopping experience, which is why Amazon is her go-to, even for plants.
Amazon has completely changed how people shop, but it is a bit of a surprise to learn that you can buy houseplants on the popular site. Todryk even has her own curated list of Amazon faux plant finds that she recommends. The marketplace has everything from snake plants to succulents that you can incorporate into your home design. Plus, it's a great place to source cute planters and other foliage accessories.
Nate Berkus searches far and wide for interior décor
Nate Berkus loves creating unique spaces that reflect his clients' personalities. He also loves to travel, so it's not surprising that his favorite places to shop are flea markets. Berkus considers himself a savvy shopper, looking for unique items like pottery and crafts that are meaningful to the area he is visiting. Decorating your home with flea market finds gives a space character while also making it feel more personalized.
Flea markets originated in Paris, France, and are open-air set-ups where shoppers can find antique or handmade items like jewelry, clothing, dinnerware, and other decorative pieces. They are now held worldwide, typically on weekends, bringing shoppers out to find one-of-a-kind items at a decent price. Berkus told Conde Nast Traveler that one of his favorite flea markets is Vanves in Paris, which has a collection of vintage collectibles. He also explained, "Madrid also has an excellent furniture and decoration market...I discovered it two summers ago and now it's a go-to."
Erin Napier loves a local find
Napier fills the spaces she designs with small details that make them feel special yet homey. This blend is a large part of her home design philosophy. That's likely the reason she likes to keep her search for interior décor close to the location of "Home Town." Whether she is on the hunt for antique furniture or decorative textiles, Napier heads to locally owned shops in Laurel, MS, since that is where she feels most connected.
Locally owned stores, especially in small towns like Laurel, have a charm about them that you can't get anywhere else. Their inventory tends to reflect the local culture, and by shopping locally, you're supporting the community you live in. These stores tend to be a bit more expensive than some other interior decor sources, but as Napier explained in an Instagram post, "it is worth the price to help support local economies by providing a demand for the jobs needed to create these products."
Christina Hall stays in the box
It may seem like HGTV designers only shop at flea markets and specialty stores in search of one-of-a-kind items, but that isn't the case for Christina Hall. Hall likes to create spaces that work for everybody, which is why she prefers the convenience of big box stores to find interior décor. She told Realtor that CB2 is her favorite place to shop for home accessories.
Big Box stores may not be as trendy as shopping locally or antique hunting, but there is no denying that they tend to have great prices and are more accessible than other shopping options. Big box stores have interior décor items that revolve regularly, so if you are a fan of buying what's on-trend, they might be your best bet. Plus, you can't beat the convenience of shopping their stores online, where you can decorate an entire space with the click of a button.