Lauren Neumann : On a Budget: Should I Just go to Ikea?

Ah, Ikea, the home of paper tables with funny names, 99 cent toilet brushes, and one giant hot dog poster that will never make you hungry. Yes, it is a place I know well, and a place that I very much enjoy! In fact, in my early twenties, I may have gone as far as to say that I loved Ikea. But as I've grown a bit in both age and taste, I've learned that there are so many other places you can go to for a deal.

Between shops like Marshalls, HomeGoods, the sale section of Target, your regular ol' thrift store(s), and online shops like Wayfair & AllModern, you can find some pretty unique stuff for around the same price (and often less). It does require some digging, but it's worth the added effort too keep your home from becoming an Ikea Cut-Out.

Something Ikea does really well is that they offer inspiring catalogs, full of fun ideas on how to piece everything together. And while it may be tempting to just buy everything as-shown (because that's easy GOSH DARNIT) You can instead, take that styled imagery and make your space come to life with products from different vendors. By doing this, you are bound to wind up with a space that is more uniquely yours, as well as ending up with products that (hopefully) won't fall apart so quickly..

Below are a couple examples to help get you started:

Reading Nook

source

wayfair.com

The Ikea Accent Chair retails for $399
$20 difference

wayfair.com

The Ikea Glass Cabinet retails for $249
$26 savings

Target

The Ikea Floor Lamp retails for $49.99
$2.50 savings

Living Room

source

wayfair.com
The Ikea Sectional retails for $699
$34 savings

Side Note: It's important to invest in a good sofa and most anything in this price range will not be up to par, ergonomically. With that said, sometimes the budget is tight and if that's the case for you, just know that you have options outside of Ikea.