Hi Kelly, is there a Z Gallerie in your area? If not, you can shop their on-line site~I love their stuff!! How about Restoration Hardware, Pier One, Pottery Barn, and even JC Penney'S has some nice things. Tuesday Morning claims to get their stock from furniture and department stores, so that might be another source.It might be nice to add a few vintage things into your decorating also, so you might want to try local antique stores. Furniture consignment stores usually have accessories, too.

Most of my own things were not purchased new since i'm a real bargain shopper! Many have come from antique/consignment/thrift stores, and fleamarkets. I don't care for the Marshall type stores either, but do like Homegoods, especially the dishes. ;o)

I understand where you are coming from. Everything in stores looks alike with sometimes price as the only variation. The only ways I know to combat the problem are eBay, antique stores, flea markets, and second-hand stores. Old things are instantly cooler.

Ohh, don't forget traveling. Tell the hubby that he NEEDS to take you to (insert somewhere awesome here) so you can find something special for the house. Better yet, take him. I'm liberated that way. :O)

Thanks for suggestions. I'm heading to Atlanta this weekend and may head up to the outlet mall - there's a Pottery Barn outlet there. I may hit a few antique stores too!

eBay.

I don't know where I would be without it. I accumulated 60 odd danish modern candlestick for myself (I know, there are drugs I could take for that), and a series of a dozen, specifically, art-pottery-1940s-60s-clamshell-planters--for a client.

There really is no place other than eBay to have such access to unique vintage collectibles or junk. Before Domino Magazine folded, their website had a list of accessories catalogs :(--one that I remember off hand was Wisteria. Ballard Designs also has some interesting stuff.

Patty cakes, thanks for mentioning zGallerie. I checked out the site and fell in instant lust with a white ceramic horse.

Hurry! Someone else give some websites with accessories so I can get it out of my head!

I agree about ebay. You can find some wonderful things there at low prices.

Pal, right now I'm going crazy buying vintage flower pots on ebay! I've got a bunch of house plants coming so I'm getting ready. :)

I like Homedecorators.com when they're having sales.

Another place is Kohls. Either online or at the store. They have a little bit of everything (usually online) for all rooms in the house.

Don't know your budget--but these higher end sites have sales too.

Jim

The Well Appointed House

Horchow

Gumps

Scully & Scully

Wisteria

I buy a lot of my tchotch when I travel. Instead of buying lots of small souvenirs and silly gifts for others that will be forgotten in an instant, I try to buy one substantial item for the house if I feel I can afford it and can even find something I love.

But, when I think of my bedroom nightstand, it is populated with pieces acquired at estate sales and going-out-of-business sales. I also have a family hand-me-down plate that probably should be hung on a wall, but its where I throw my jewelry at the end of the day. One of the sad things about our current economy is that some favorite stores are going belly up. Keep your eyes peeled...it's an opportunity to buy nicer things at discount prices.

I also have a small collection of crystal (Baccarat and Lalique) that I kind of fell into accidentally. I've let my husband know that if he is at a loss for a gift idea, he can add to the mix. I have about a half a dozen of these and I wouldn't want too many more probably. But maybe you could think of something you'd like to collect, that is readily available, and put it on your ongoing list for people who give you gifts.

Another thing I have a ton of is crystals, large and small. My SIL is in the business and we travel together to the wholesale shows. I am not so into the metaphysical properties of them...just love the way they look. Lotta bang for the buck with a big gorgeous rock or a bowl full of polished citrine pebbles! And they go with any decorating style, IMO.

I like places where you can find things that are different, not something that everyone else is going to have. I second those that mentioned picking up pieces when you travel. We are big antiquers, so when we travel, we seek out the antique stores in the area.

Many of our decorating items come from antique stores, ebay, etsy, etc. I love having items handed down from our families too. I rarely purchase decorating items from department stores or places like that. I like the unique!

tina

Kelley, If you are headed to Atlanta, how about the Designer Warehouse. Here are my notes:

1-75 Exit 252B/Howell Mill Rd
Open 10 -5
off the Howell Mill just north of downtown proper (the second to last exit going south on I-75 before Warehouse or something similar. Go east on Howell Mill, then left on Collier (2nd light?). It's a mile or two down this road.

I have been most of the routes that are mentioned in this thread e.g. ZGallery, Home Goods, Marshalls. What made me rethink that was a visit to RiverRat's house. Her beautiful home was decorated with memories, it seemed as though everything had history. Like the beautifully framed comb and brush set. "Oh, that's DH's great grandmother's". What an interesting poster "Oh, that's a poster DH got years ago when he went to the play in NY". And on and on.

Since then I have tried to decorate with meaning for me and for my family. As an example, I came across the certificate I received when I was certified as a Docent from the Salvador Dali Museum in St Petersburg. I had it framed and made it the center piece of a grouping along with all my Dali books, an enamel picture I got from the Dali Museum in Spain, my docent name tag, and a collectors bottle of Dali perfume.

My brother visited a few weeks ago and picked up a rock that was split open to reveal quartz. I reminded him that when we were kids fishing in the Gulf, dad would pick up a gnarly rock and say "you never know, there could be beauty in this rock so don't judge by the outside". He did remember and it brought a smile to his face.

I get accessories at craft fairs, Ebay, second-hand stores, thrift stores and antique stores.

Online, I second Wisteria and Ballard Designs. There's also Art & Artifact and Anthropologie. Coldwater Creek and Sundance also have some home decor things mixed in with the clothes.

Mustangs - I love those ideas. I love decorating with items that have meaning. Truly the way to make a house a home.

tina

If your house has an eclectic style, check out World Market.

If you are lucky enough to have things that have memories attached, or family history, they should definitely be used in your decorating. Things with sentimentality are the best accessories and can always be added to w/store bought items. In other words, use what you have.....first. ;o)

I agree with PattyCakes about "if you are lucky enough to have things". I've never been sentimental so I don't have much. What I have been doing is finding things at flea markets or antique shops (like the cut open rock) and attached the history to it.

Do you have a Kirklands near you?
I used to get a TON of stuff from there to decorate my house! Unfortunately, they closed down most of their New England stores (that's where I live).
Really cute stuff and excellent prices!

I like furniture stores best for accessories.

My two favorites lately are a local antique mall which i wander for a few hours a week just looking for the stuff everyone misses :) I have picked up several lovely victorian chocolate boxes, fabulous decor books from the 1940's and earlier (very fun) glass items, gad lots of goodies.

I also enjoy the goodwill :) both our local one and the one in the town across the bridge. I've picked up several pieces of cut glass for nothing. It's like a wonderful treaasure hunt.

Z gallerie is fun, I'll give them that, but in general I prefer antique, thrift and local boutique stores that carry interesting and unique items. And I adore shopping when traveling. I'd agree that a house full of memories beats the heck out of a house that is just accessorized. You can always start with accessories to fill spaces...but some day I hope to replace all of the randome stuff with stuff that has meaning :)

Here in Atlanta (Roswell, really)Ballard Designs has an outlet store called Ballard's Backroom. It is right on the way to the PB outlet off GA 400 (Holcomb Bridge Rd. exit). I go in there every chance I get and have found some neat things. It is definitely worth checking out.