Home Decor and Furniture Retailers I Love! 🥰

Hi everyone, it's Nick. Welcome or welcome back to my channel. Okay, in today's video we are going to be talking about my top five favorite retailers. So last week I did the top five retailers that I never shop at. And this one is the opposite. This is the five retailers that I really, really love. Now this video is unsponsored just like last week's was. I mean, last week's was like obviously unsponsored because no retailer wanted to be in that video, obviously. But this week is also unsponsored. So you're gonna get my authentic opinions as per usual on what retailers I really love. Now I've specifically highlighted retailers that have either a retail presence or shipping all across Canada and the United States. And the reason for that is just because, you know, although I love little boutique places as well, and that's maybe a future video, I wanted to highlight retailers that were really accessible to the most people. So these are sort of the mainstream ones that I really love. Also, I will add like don't buy necessarily all of your stuff from the same retailer. Like you don't have to buy all your furniture and decor from the same retailer. I have curated from lots of different places that I really love, a lot of the stores that I'm going to be highlighting here. And even though one commenter said that my place looks like I live in a West Elm, I hear you. I thought that was funny, to be honest. It's not all from West Elm, by the way, and West Elm didn't even make this list. And I will highlight where these retailers are really strong and sort of maybe one of the weaknesses or some of the weaknesses of these different retailers as well as we go through it. Hoo, that's a lot. Let's get going. Okay, the first retailer that I really, really love is called Sundays or Sundays Furniture. So they are a Vancouver-based, actually like three of my five are from Vancouver. I don't know, maybe it's a local bias, apologies in advance, or maybe we're just really good at making good furniture. I don't know, but maybe it just suits my style. I don't know. But first up is Sundays, and Sundays is probably the smallest retailer on this list, but they still ship all across North America. And the thing I like about them is they're very much in this sort of relaxed, beautiful, Japan-y style. They make a lot of things in solid wood. And that's really important because I think a lot of places use wood veneer, even retailers that are on this list, but I notice a lot of Sundays is solid wood. Like the field table is gorgeous. This is a table that I have personally specked out for my new home. It is beautiful. It's got the sort of rounded edges and these big sort of rounded, chunky table legs, which I think is really, really cool. And it comes in solid walnut, and it's a really good price for solid wood. So oftentimes you're getting this trade-off when it comes to furniture pieces where like you'll get a walnut veneer, and it makes a ton of sense because obviously these retailers are trying to hit a really accessible price point, which overall is a good thing by using like real wood as opposed to something that is printed or whatever. Obviously using a real wood veneer, I think is a step up and that is great. So you're not getting sort of a wood effect. So I love the wood veneer to get the price point a little bit more accessible for people. But what I really like about Sundays is oftentimes, I think all the time, I don't know if maybe they do it in every piece, but a lot of their pieces are made of solid wood. And I think for a mainstream retailer that ships all over Canada and the United States, I think that's really solid. And I think it's such great style, great product, good quality, and at a relatively accessible price point. It's not cheap, but for what I think you get, I think it's really awesome. I will say this retailer Sundays is very style specific. So if you love Scandinavian or really this kind of like Japandi design style, I think you'll really love Sundays. It's called Sundays cause it's kind of like that relaxed sort of vibe that you get on a Sunday morning. And that really sort of comes through in their furniture. So I do think they're really solid if you love that design style and you sort of want to create a relaxed, comfortable, but quality space. And that's personally something that just really fits with my sort of design aesthetic or design ethos. So I think, you know, if you maybe like what I talk about on this channel, then maybe Sundays might work for you. So definitely give them a checkout because they're not that well-known, but they do still ship all over North America. So definitely worth taking a look at. Okay, number two on my list of mainstream retailers that I really love. Again, another Vancouver fave, and that is going to be Article. So Article is very well-known. I think people all over North America have heard of Article or maybe ordered from them. It's one of those brands that just, you know, sometimes when you're like from, do you ever find this like wherever you live, if something's from the city you're from, you like never really know if it's like big outside of the city that you live in, because obviously people here know Article because it's like the warehouse is down the street from me right now. But I don't know if someone from like New York or Atlanta has ever heard of Article, but apparently you all have because Article is actually a really huge company now. I really love their stuff. I think Article is really strong at creating a very sort of shoppable experience, if that makes sense. They've really sort of locked down a mid-century modern or a Scandinavian, sometimes a little bit boho, but they've really kind of catered to those particular styles. So if you love those styles like I do, then you'll probably really like Article. I think the quality that you get for the price point is quite good. I've never really had a lot of quality issues with Article, although, you know, everybody's experience is a little bit different. And because I've bought a lot of like patio furniture from them and I've bought, you know, like couches from them, I've bought a lot of stuff from them. And overall, I would say I'm really pleased with the value that you get. And especially because they really pioneered, at least to me, the sort of online curated. So we're not talking Wayfair, where it's really just this huge marketplace. We're like a really curated collection that makes sense for a particular style. So sometimes I think, you know, where they are a little bit challenged in my opinion is they usually don't get too crazy and really kooky. They don't really push the envelope design or style wise. So some people might find them to be a little bit basic or a little bit sort of pedestrian because, you know, it is really leaning into a Scandi or sort of modern, mid-century modern sort of design style. So if you're someone that, you know, has really embraced these funky postmodern sort of pieces, article is probably gonna be a bit boring for you. And that would be sort of a challenge, I think. But I think for a mainstream modern consumer that is looking for well-priced, value-oriented furniture and decor, I don't think you can really do much better than article. Okay, my third favorite sort of mainstream retailer is going to be CB2. I talk about CB2 quite a bit on this channel. And I quite like them, but here's the thing. They're very different than article and Sundays for sure. So CB2, what I love about them and sometimes don't love about them, but I overall love it, is that they take risks. You gotta give it to them, right? Like they really, their designers, I think, are taking a look at what is kind of happening in contemporary design. They are really always pushing the envelope in terms of kind of what they see a lot of the really sort of interesting and creative designers in the industry are doing. And they sort of don't, they never dumb it down for a mainstream audience, but they sort of create a collection that feels very contemporary, but also feels a bit accessible to your average person. I think they really push the envelope, especially just as a retailer that is still very much operating kind of in the mainstream. So they're an extension of Crate & Barrel. And Crate & Barrel to me, which is not on this list, but it's still great. If Crate & Barrel is really much more of sort of a mature legacy retailer, and so they don't take nearly as many risks, well, CB2 being catering to, I think, a much more urban, younger demographic sort of pushes the envelope and leans a little bit more contemporary and kind of cutting edge of what's happening in design right now. A lot of designers will source CB2 products and bring them into their homes for good reason, because I think they do a really great job of just kind of doing some pieces that will fit in the mainstream, but just with a little bit of a twist, right? Like I really love this coffee table they have right now. I think it's beautiful. It's made of walnut, fantastic. And again, like you would see other retailers like Article or even Sundays do a similar coffee table, but what CB2 has done, by just rounding out the corners, by tilting the legs a little bit inward, and then just doing this interesting detail work on the legs there, it's really just made a very simple, basic table into something a lot more interesting than what you would see probably from those other retailers, or most certainly what Crate & Barrel would do. So another area that I think CB2 does really well is sort of their decor and sort of their decorative objects that they have all around their store. So things like bookends and those little globes and little bowls and things like that. I think they are very high quality, especially in the materials that are being used while still being a little bit more of a mainstream price point. So yes, I know a lot of you are maybe thinking if you're used to going to HomeSense or HomeGoods or Target, and you can source some say marble coasters or things like that. I think CB2, yes, it's a little bit more expensive, but you are gonna get some really interesting looking, usually natural stone objects made of onyx, made of Carrara marble, green marbles, red marbles, pink marbles, black marbles, like travertine. Some really interesting pieces that you can definitely bring into your home that I think will really elevate your space and look at a lot more interesting. And you might say, oh, but Nick, that's insane. Like this is not mainstream. We're talking $160 for a decorative object. That's ridiculous. I hear you, I get you. But remember that CB2 is almost playing in the space. Like if you take like another place I love is like Montana LaBelle, which follow them on Instagram, like their stuff is beautiful. But when they do a decorative bowl, you might be something more like 360 or 500 or something, right? So remember that when you're talking real natural stone into a decorative object like that, and it's a real chunk of stone, like not made of wood or veneer or whatever, or something like that, like this is real natural stone, like real onyx that they've put into, say something like a pendant or something like a bookend or something. You know, it's really expensive to produce that stuff. It's not cheap stuff. The material is quite premium and expensive and luxury. And they've managed to make it maybe not $30, but 180 is not 400, which is what you're gonna pay at somebody's other places. Now, personally, I will say some of CB2's furniture risks are a little bit out there for me. And I've had some issues, say with like the furry shag chair that they still insist on selling. But even though I don't like it, I still admire that they take a risk. And I think it's really important that we have retailers out there that are still taking gambles. And I think it's a great thing that they produce some stuff that doesn't always work for me, because it's gonna work for somebody else. And it just shows that they're taking a gamble, right? If you wanna just be super boring, then well, that's no offense to Ikea, but like that's what Ikea is really known for, right? Like just basic stuff. But CB2 takes risks. I don't always think they pay off, but I admire that they do it. Okay, next up on my list, we're gonna go back to Vancouver. Another Vancouver retailer that I love is Rove Concepts. So Rove Concepts is another retailer that I absolutely love. They just opened a showroom here in Vancouver the other day. Oh my gosh, amazing. And I gotta say, this was really to see their whole collection up close and personal, which I never really got to do before because it's an online only retailer or kind of was, but I guess now they're doing some in-store stuff. It's honestly better in person, you guys, than it actually even is online. I love the fabrics that they offer. I love that they offer so many different fabrics. So Rove Concepts might compete with someone like Article, for example, right? But you take Article and they usually offer a few different fabrics on their couches, which is fine. And that's great. And you know, you might get one in white and then cream and then gray. And that's cool. But Rove Concepts gives you tons of different fabrics. And I really love that. So you can pick these really interesting modern designs. I would say it's kind of similar to Bow Concept. I don't know if Rove Concept and Bow Concept, maybe that's kind of where they got the name. I don't know, but it reminds me a lot of the Danish company, Bow Concept. Feels a little bit like CB2 is sort of playing on the same space. Feels very contemporary, but I love that Rove Concepts offers such a massive range of fabrics. So there's a ton of custom fabrics are there. You can get felt, you can get velvet, you can get boucle, which, you know, I don't love, but that's okay. A lot of you do. That's cool. I also love that their sectionals are like oversized. Like I think they're really quite big and a lot of their stuff is very modular. So you can change a lot of their sectionals to fit the size of the space that you have, which I think is great. So if you're blessed with some giant living room or something like that, which is so cool, you can put in a really big, beautiful sectional in Rove Concepts. And they actually offer that, which, you know, if I look at other retailers that made me do that, I mean, maybe Crate and Barrel or RH, which, you know, made my list last week because I think that it's a little bit overpriced for what you get, but I think Rove Concept is a much better value than you're going to get at something like, you know, RH. Where Rove Concepts, I think, is a little bit weaker is number one, it's not really a huge criticism because I understand why they do it. It's kind of like I mentioned earlier with Sundays. A lot of their wood stuff is veneer, their furniture. So, you know, you might get a coffee table or you might get your sectional or something like that. It's oftentimes going to be like a walnut veneer. It's not a deal breaker for me, but it's just something to be aware of that, you know, it is possible that you're going to be spending thousands of dollars on furniture that is a wood veneer. And I know a lot of people think that that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. I get it though. I understand why they do that and where they arrive at that price point, but it's something to be aware of. And the other area I think is on like, you know, where CB2 is really strong is where Rove Concepts is not as much. And that is around like decorative objects or sort of decor. I think of them really much more of a furniture retailer than I really do think of them as doing a whole lot in sort of the decor area. So coffee tables, end tables, beds, sectionals, couches, loveseats, like dining tables, dining chairs, all beautiful. I think they're really, really solid there. But in terms of actually, you know, unless you're like a minimalist and you just want to stop there with furniture, you're probably fine. But if you're like me and you want to kind of curate a little bit more of an interesting space or have a little bit kind of some decor, some art or whatever you want to put around the space, this is where they sort of fall apart. And I would personally lean on other retailers to take it from there. Okay, and then my fifth retailer that I really love, and this one, I'm going to say, it's a bit of a cheat. I'm sorry, it's a cheat. It's a marketplace. It's not actually like a retailer, but I really wanted to highlight it here. And that was Etsy because yes, I know they're not, they don't, Etsy itself doesn't sell anything. It is a marketplace of lots of different other vendors. But I think I couldn't really do this list without highlighting areas of your home, you know, art and decor that are better off, perhaps not always being shopped at some sort of big retailer like Target or something like that. So Etsy does connect you with a lot of really small retailers. These are people like amazing ceramicists or they're artists or they're woodworkers or whatever. And they're producing fantastic, fabulous works of art that you can bring into your home. A lot of this stuff is super high quality. And oftentimes, because you're cutting out all the middlemen and the distributors and stuff from mainstream retailers. And oftentimes the price point of a lot of these decor pieces and whatever are going to be a lot cheaper than you would pay at sort of a mainstream retailer, like other ones I mentioned, even on this list. So I really love Etsy for sourcing sort of those pieces that feel a lot more personal, where you can support somebody local and really kind of find something that's handmade. You know, unless you're talented yourself and you can make it all yourself, in which case, good on you. You know, that's amazing. That's fantastic. I do not have those gifts, as you all very well know. So for me, sourcing really great pieces from Etsy is really, really important. Again, we're talking retailers here. So yes, vintage and thrifted and all that stuff is fantastic as well. That's not really what we're talking about in this video. I would say for new stuff that you're buying, for shopping, I would say Etsy is really fantastic. I also, by the way, really love Amazon Handmade for something similar, but I would say Etsy is really just much further along on getting all those retailers onto their platform. Amazon Home is still a great option as well, of course, but I just think Etsy is probably superior just in terms of the amount of products that are on there. Now, I would say where Etsy is weaker, in my experience, is I think you really need to be careful to do your homework around where is this actually coming from? Because are you sourcing from a woodworker who's actually making this because they're super talented in the suburbs of Seattle or something, and you're like, oh my God, look, I found this amazing guy who creates all this fantastic candlesticks or whatever from his garage. Are you really sourcing that? Or is this drop shipped from China and you have no idea actually where this is coming from? And it's the same stuff that's gonna end up at Target, maybe even more expensive because they're pretending that it's from a small retailer, but it's really not. So you do really need to be careful. Obviously, if you can communicate with the vendor and really customize your piece and really kind of get to know them a little bit and read the reviews, then I think that goes a long way towards really finding those really cool objects, just sort of not like the drop shipped stuff. But yeah, do your homework there. That's obviously some place that Etsy, you have to be a little bit careful of, but overall, I think they're a great place to source those kind of one of a kind Primo objects that you need to balance out some of the more mainstream stuff that you probably have in your home, which is also perfectly fine. So that's it for me for today, you guys. I'm gonna link here to my top five retailers that I never shop at, sort of the counter to this video. And you can check that out and see where I do not shop at. Yes, indeed, RH did make that list. Yeah, go check that video out. See y'all there. Thanks, bye.