13 Underrated Walmart Finds You Should Stop Overlooking, According To Interior Designers

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Those who shop there regularly will already know that Walmart is full of practical and decorative wares for the home and garden. Perusing its shelves, you can find everything from garden planters and kitchen storage solutions to cushions, rugs, and full suites of living room furniture. But which ones should you snap from the shelves? Which ones are you unlikely to find a better deal for elsewhere? To help you answer that, we decided to pick the brains of the experts.

In exclusive interviews with House Digest, six interior designers have offered their take on the most underrated Walmart homeware finds. Some suggest that it's the place to go for interior lighting ideas and bathroom accessories, while others insist that it's a treasure trove of soft furnishings. Some argue that it offers the most cost-effective home organization upgrades, and some don't see why they should pay full price for a quality curtain rod when they can buy it at bargain prices at Walmart. From functional furniture and storage solutions to kitchen hardware, bedding, and much more, if you want to shop like an interior designer the next time you're in Walmart, then this is the guide to help you do it.

Lighting has the potential to make or break any interior design scheme, and accent lighting is where the magic happens. It's the type of lighting that ties everything together — the fixtures that you use to highlight your favorite design elements while making your space feel both welcoming and cozy. And while there are loads of luxury accent lighting ideas that you can choose from, if you shop at Walmart, you may not actually need to spend a fortune to buy them. According to Craig Gritzen, Founder and Principal Designer at Curated Style Collective, "Walmart is a great place to look for accent lighting." In an exclusive interview with House Digest, he explains, "They have a good selection of table and floor lamps in various shapes and styles."

As for how to get the best out of Walmart's selection, that depends, to an extent, on the type of accent lighting you need. "I recommend readers look for simple table lamps and floor lamps with fabric shades," says Gritzen, who adds that lighting is the ultimate way to elevate a space without breaking the bank. By swapping out a basic lamp for something a little more "designed," and by adding a warmer white bulb, Gritzen says you can instantly elevate your space, making it feel more lived-in and comfortable.

Another way to improve your home decor is with the simple inclusion of an area rug. These can be used to great effect to break-up larger runs of otherwise-monotonous flooring, lending a level of personality and design flair without the need to replace the entire floor. And according to Craig Gritzen, these are another underrated item you can easily pick up at Walmart. "They carry a decent selection in store and online for both indoor and outdoor spaces," he explains.

The chain also offers a selection of rugs for other areas of the house, like kids' rooms, home offices, or indeed any space where both durability and affordability matter. Gritzen suggests, first and foremost, looking for washable rugs, which will ensure you can easily maintain your new decor. After that, he says to look out for vintage-inspired patterns and natural fiber looks with neutral tones — both of which are very much on-trend right now. And if you're shopping online, don't forget to use the Walmart app to decorate your room by seeing how your shortlisted rug looks in situ. This will help guarantee you're absolutely happy with your choice before you even visit the checkout.

If you need something for your bathroom, then chances are, you'll find a version of it at Walmart. And yet, according to Craig Gritzen, the long list of Walmart-available bathroom accessories is easily overlooked. "It can be a great place to find accessories that make a bathroom feel finished," he explains. Importantly, it can also be a great place to do so while sticking to your budget.

Gritzen says the key is to look for items that either match or coordinate well, to pull your bathroom space together. "I also recommend looking for wastebaskets in upscale finishes like brass, matte black, and stone-look materials," he adds. As an example, this white marble-look waste basket features natural stone-look detailing, making it a good choice if you're decorating your bathroom like a wellness retreat. And yet, the price tag of less than $6 makes it an very budget-friendly addition.

Interior design is about more than just paint colors, floor styles, and the items you display on your shelves (although those are all important parts of it!) If you like to entertain, then it's also about the items that enable you to do so. And according to Cara Woodhouse, Interior Designer and Founder of Cara Woodhouse Interiors, Walmart is a fantastic place to find them. Speaking exclusively with House Digest, she explains, "Walmart has become surprisingly strong when it comes to glassware and entertaining pieces." As for which specific types of pieces she likes to shop there for, she adds, "I love sourcing simple modern wine glasses, barware, and serving essentials there because you can get a clean, minimal look without spending a fortune."

This is an important point. When designing our homes, it's far too easy to become hung up on those wall finishes and carpet choices, and forget to allot some budget for the things that "come after." It could be a one-off housewarming party, or maybe you and your friends take it in turns to host a monthly dinner party. You may even need to outfit a vacation retreat with quality, but budget-friendly, serveware. Whatever it is, if your budget can't stretch to the premium tag associated with more luxury items, Walmart can help you find what you need without breaking the bank. As Woodhouse puts it, "It's especially great for larger gatherings or second homes where you want style without feeling overly precious."

Whether you need ways to organize your kitchen drawers or something to tidy up your entryway, Cara Woodhouse once again points to the shelves of Walmart as a great place to find solutions. "Their baskets, drawer organizers, and utility bins are affordable, practical, and easy to integrate into a more elevated design aesthetic when styled correctly." Now, you could be forgiven for thinking that "affordable" translates to a loss in style or quality. But that's the thing.

In today's competitive marketplace, it's no longer essential to spend a fortune on storage solutions. And don't forget, form and function are perhaps more important to interior designers than they are to anyone else shopping at Walmart. As Woodhouse says, "As a designer, I'm constantly looking for ways to make homes feel beautiful and functional, and Walmart has excellent storage solutions that people tend to overlook."

One of the strongest current trends in outdoor design is to give our decks and patios the same level of attention as we give to our interiors. It's easier said than done, and one of the biggest "blockers" is often the budget that's required to do so. But there are certain finds at Walmart that can help to elevate your outdoor area on a budget. "Outdoor styling can become incredibly expensive," admits Cara Woodhouse, "so I think Walmart is underrated for simple patio accessories and outdoor pillows."

When it comes to elevating a patio, the devil is often in the detail. And while it's often worth investing in quality outdoor furniture to ensure both comfort and longevity, you don't then have to spend hundreds of dollars to put your own stylish stamp on it. At Walmart, says Woodhouse, "I've found great neutral options that can easily be mixed with higher-end furniture pieces." These, she adds, are a great way to create an intentional, layered look, but without unnecessarily overspending on every detail.

It's easy to get carried away when styling your home, especially if you treat every piece as an investment in your design's longevity. But once again, you don't necessarily need to fork out in order to find quality pieces. This depends, to an extent, on what you're looking for. However, says Cara Woodhouse, "Walmart is also surprisingly useful for foundational decor pieces like simple frames, basic lamps, and mirrors." She adds that she regularly tells people that not every single piece in a home needs to be treated as an investment.

Instead, Woodhouse's advice is to adopt a mix-and-match approach. In her own words, "Mixing affordable foundational items with more unique statement pieces is what creates a home that feels collected and personal rather than overly designed." Over on the Walmart website, for example, a simple search for "floor lamps" returns more than 1,000 results, many of which are surprisingly budget friendly. You could spend as little as $15 on a stylish floor lamp to brighten your living room's darkest corners, reserving the rest of your budget for other items — or keeping it in your pocket.

Another small detail that can go a long way towards making or breaking your home's design is your bedding. Not only should it look good and match the design of your or your guests' bedrooms — it should also be comfortable. You'll need to decide which of the various bedding materials is most suited to you, but once you know that, you needn't look further than Walmart to find it. In an exclusive chat with House Digest, Lori Miller, President of LGC Interior Design, suggests that the selections available in store are always worth checking out.

"Walmart has a great selection of bedding that is soft, luxurious, and reasonably priced," says Miller. More than that, you can find sets in countless colors and patterns, meaning you can easily coordinate your bedding with your rooms' designs. And according to Miller, you can usually find matching pillows to complement your chosen bedding set, too.

Given how important storage is to the majority of homeowners, it's unsurprisingly important to interior designers, too. Walmart's range of budget-friendly, stylish, and functional furniture is a boon to those who need to organize a space on a shoestring. In particular, says Lori Miller, Walmart's various open-shelving units with metal legs are a find that should not be overlooked.

As an example, we dug out this 5-tier wood and metal standing shelf unit from Walmart's long lineup of shelving sets. It includes a stylish black metal frame and four wood shelves, plus a matching wooden drawer in the bottom for storing various items. It currently retails for $28.99, which sounds cheap. And yet it's rated 4.4 stars overall with more than 1,600 reviews to-date. "I'm a designer," explains Miller, "and I always need storage." On open shelving sets like this, she adds, "These just don't go out of style, and my clients love them."

If you're beginning to wonder why on earth you'd bother paying full price for certain home fixtures at other big-box stores, you're not alone. Lori Miller totally agrees, and not just about shelves and bedding sets. In fact, she explains that Walmart also has some of the best quality thick metal curtain rods for homeowners to choose from.

Before you go ahead and add one to your basket, there are some important things to consider before choosing your new curtain rod. For example, you'll want to ensure the finish matches your curtains and wider decor. Importantly, you'll also want to make sure that your chosen rod can support the weight of your curtains. For this reason, Miller recommends picking the ones at Walmart with finials (the pieces on either end that keep the curtains in place). "The good news is that these don't bow in the middle when you use them," she explains.

One way to elevate the look of your kitchen and bathroom without undergoing a full renovation is to change your backsplash. These are often treated like "statement" pieces — contained, but highly-visual pieces of functional art that lend the space a pop of color and interest. You don't even need to remove the existing tiles, either. According to Zenia Nesterova, Architectural Designer at VIGO Industries, there are various types of peel-and-stick backsplash tiles that can elevate a space quickly, easily, and importantly, cheaply. In an exclusive interview with House Digest, she says, "I feel homeowners consistently miss out on the use of a great peel-and-stick backsplash tile."

Specifically, Nesterova recommends products from popular brand Smart Tiles, which consistently score highly in user reviews on Walmart's website. She explains that homeowners tend to view peel-and-stick tiles as a low-quality, quick-fix option. But you shouldn't dismiss them, she says, because they can refresh a significant, highly visible area in your kitchen or bathroom with next to no effort. Provided that you follow her advice and ensure that the wall is dry and clean before applying them, you may well be glad that you decided to save on the cost and labor of installing the real deal.

Changing your kitchen handles, says Zenia Nesterova, is one of the easiest ways to upgrade your space. More than that, there are various cabinet hardware styles that can help to make your kitchen look more expensive — and often on a surprisingly modest budget. She points once again to Walmart, where there are many hardware options to choose from, including a decent range from popular home decor brand, Better Homes & Gardens. And as for why they're so effective, she explains, "They are frequently treated as an afterthought during a renovation, but we use pulls for nearly every step we take while cooking and cleaning!"

From a style standpoint, Nesterova explains that the simple addition of new hand pulls can refresh the look and feel of an entire room. But she stresses the importance of diligent shopping. "To eliminate surprises," she says, "I suggest trying out one pull first before purchasing them in bulk. The size can look perfect in photos when buying online, but in reality, it could feel strange in your palm." And before you order anything, she recommends measuring the center-to-center spacing of the existing hand pull holes. This will help you to avoid extra drilling, or worse, the need to "patch" old hardware holes.

The temptation when buying furniture for your home is to visit a dedicated furniture store and invest, often heavily, in the future of your household's comfort. However, according to Adrienne Morgan, Founder and Principal Designer at Adrienne Morgan Interior Design, there is a promising line of furniture at Walmart, which is often overlooked. This, she says, is a shame, "because it's comparable to Wayfair and other entry-level retailers."

As an example, Morgan points us to the furniture in her very own living room. "I have a pair of mid-century modern style armchairs in my living room that I ordered from Walmart online," she explains. They feature light cerused oak, solid wood frames and cane backs, plus thick, upholstered seats. "Everyone who sees them asks me where I found them," she adds, explaining that the chairs are not only super stylish, but also very comfortable.