I know most people are lazy, and Ikea is great, but seriously, good interior is like a good wardrobe. It consists of the most diverse items, collected throughout the years, and in the end show the personality of the owner better than anything else. So take your time with it. Let the items, the ones that you really love, like a pair of beautiful heels that you really need to have, define your home. Not Ikea. It’s not that I don’t like Ikea, but I don’t think that everything should be from Ikea. Just like with your wardrobe, you can’t go into one department store and go out with a whole wardrobe for the next couple years. Some people tend to forget that there are many other great interior brands out there, that are not too pricey either, out of convenience. Because actually Ikea has everything, from a perfect stool to really nice glasses. It’s all there on one spot, but I think you should also explore the other interior shop solutions that exist out there.
Because of my boyfriend’s new studio, which had to be furnished, I spent a whole lot of time on interior. It was basically like furnishing a mix between living room and office, and I didn’t want it to look not nice, because I will spend a lot of time there as well. We got most of the big furniture from Ikea (against my will), because yes, it was cheap, and yes, it was convenient. But as for the decoration items, I forbid my boyfriend to buy more Ikea candles and lamps. I wanted something different, a collection of different items that go well together, and not a collection of items from the same brand, that are made to fit together. That would have been too easy. So here it is, my list of interior shop solutions other than Ikea, that are affordable and still stock great products, in the German market.
1. ebay / ebay Kleinanzeigen : Ok ebay is not a shop, but still, if you are too lazy for flea markets, you might still be able to make some bargains here and find amazing products ! Give it a try !
2. Das Tropenhaus : Actually they have their focus on children furniture, but they also carry a lot of gorgeous deco articles for the perfect finish to your rooms !
3. Maison du Monde : My favourite online furniture shop from France! They have lovely products, which are really super affordable ! If you don’t want every piece of furniture in your room to be Ikea, check it out ! They only have one shop in Germany so far, but Iam sure they are going to expand further in the next few years !
4. Stilkiste : A destination for deco stuff that might go with the name “shabby chic”. Really nice if you like that kind of style.
5. H&M home / Zara home : Some of you might, and other might not know, that our favourite high street brands also have home lines ! Just like with the clothes, H&M is cheaper than Zara, but you can find something nice for your home at either one.
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| photos via Pinterest |
And keep in mind, everything for your home can be considered an investment. If you think about it, for how long have you used the same plates, forks, chairs and pillow cases ? Unless you are some weirdo who has to exchange such stuff all the time, I bet you have been using the same ones for years and years. Don’t be afraid to spend money on it, you will use it all the time, and if you invest and pick products wisely now, you will safe yourself a lot of money and time in the future.
I’d love to show you our studio, but I can’t seem to find the photos I took recently, so I will save it for another post. Until then: happy shopping !
P.S. Interior shops have sales as well ! And it happens to be sale time right now !
tough look dont hurt 