Home: Design on a Dime

Haute Couch

Who doesn’t love fabulous furniture at a discounted price? Especially when it’s from the grand dame of Twin Cities’ furniture stores. At Gabberts Odds & Ends outlet find designer floor samples, clearance, overstock, and discontinued items at up to 70 percent off. The store restocks twice a week, so shop often for the best deals. Galleria, Edina, 952-920-0284

Designer Discount
Located just blocks from International Market Square, Designer Marketplace is filled with IMS show room samples, furniture from Parade Homes, and discontinued items from local retailers and interior designers. All at prices lower than traditional stores. 160 Glenwood Ave. N., Mpls., 612-381-8508

Friday’s Finds
Formerly Scratch n’ Dent, Odds n’ Ends (not to be confused with the Gabberts outlet store) offers contemporary furnishings and home accents at pretty decent prices. Owner Nancy Newcomb has deep connections with many of the better furniture manufacturers, which send her slightly damaged, closeout, and discontinued styles. Most of the merchandise is new, if not perfect. Friday is generally the best day to shop. 3740 Louisiana Ave. S., St. Louis Park, 952-924-1061

Weekend Deals
Prepare to camp out because crowds gather every Saturday and Sunday morning long before the Room & Board Outlet opens. Find slightly imperfect, discontinued, or custom-order returned dining sets, accent tables, bed frames, leather couches, plush chairs, and storage units—all of which are marked down 30 to 75 percent. But be warned, the outlet store is not for browsers. Savvy shoppers are in a hurry and most of the good stuff is snapped up within minutes. Sa 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Su 12 p.m.–4 p.m. 4680 Olson Memorial Hwy., Golden Valley, 763-529-6089

Frugal Fabrics
You might not be impressed when you first walk into SR Harris. In fact, you’ll probably be completely overwhelmed by what seem like thousands of bolts of fabric. But if you take the time and have the patience to browse, you’ll be rewarded with first-rate fabrics at bargain-basement prices, including drapery and upholstery fabrics by Ralph Lauren, Waverly, and Robert Allen, as well as velvets, silks, and trims. 8865 Zealand Ave. N., Brooklyn Park, 763-424-3500

Midcentury Mod
From Sputnik lamps to Bertoia chairs, retro art glass to Danish Modern furnishings, St. Paul Retro Loop’s consortium of stores is the place to go for (relatively) cheap, pre-owned, midcentury modern furniture—perfect for those spunky ramblers or downtown lofts. This shopping district in St. Paul’s Mac–Groveland neighborhood has four stores specializing in furniture from the fifties through the eighties. Find great housewares, LPs, and decorative art at Succotash; twentieth-century decorative arts and design at Classic Retro @ Pete’s; Danish modern furniture, lighting, and décor at Swank Interiors; and vintage furniture, clothing, accessories, art, LPs, and ceramics at Up Six.

Down for the Hunt
If you love to shop for antiques, check out Hunt & Gather, south Minneapolis’s two-story antique shop packed with all the good stuff—and pretty darn good prices. The furniture and accessories cover a range of styles—shabby chic, nineteenth-century French, early twentieth-century Italian, midcentury modern, Art Deco. Plus, there are great garden accessories that would, with a coat of super-lacquer paint, look ultra chic indoors or out. 4944 Xerxes Ave. S., Mpls., 612-455-0250

Get Floored
There are plenty of deals to be had at Hom Furniture, but our top pick is the World Rugs Superstore for its vast selection of high-quality rugs at low prices. More than 3,000 rugs are on display at the Plymouth retail space (7,000 more are housed in an attached warehouse). 4150 Berkshire Ln. N., Plymouth, 763-634-8303

Liquid Savings
For liquidated and factory-damaged appliances, Appliance Smart is king. All the appliances from manufacturers, including Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Frigidaire, and more, have either minor imperfections or are manufacturer closeouts or factory overruns. Appliances are purchased by the truckload directly from manufacturers—so savings are big. Five metro locations, including 7350 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park, 952-930-1740

Cheap and Chic
We know, we know, Ikea has cheap furniture. Some of the cheapest around. But while we love the Scandinavian–modern aesthetic, the sleek kitchen designs are our new favorites and seen more and more on the pages of national magazines. Many fancy brands demand tens of thousands of dollars for cabinetry alone, so an entire kitchen for around $2,000 is beyond a deal. It’s practically free! All you need is patience, a screwdriver, and a long weekend. 8000 Ikea Way, Bloomington, 952-858-8088