HeeHee! There's only one place I can think of and that's the internet. I shop Ebay and do Google searches for the items I want. I found my great bar stools by googling what I wanted. Same with my new kitchen sink, faucets, hardware and fireback for our kitchen reno. I bought them all online, new from online stores . . . and for very competative prices, too. Just the other day I found the perfect Retro Forties/Fifties clock and vintage clothespin bag for my laundry room redo online. As for decorators to help you, well, you've got a slew of them right here on GW . . . and they're FREE, too!

HOME GOODS!!!

Home Expo is pretty good

Saturday flea market, for sure! It's never the same and I can always dicker.

I love Iron Accents, heard about them on this forum.

I ordered a very lovely Gracious Goods bathroom set from them (soap dispenser, toothbrush holder, cup) and the iron tray to hold it...it wasn't cheap but it arrived on time and not broken. Within a couple of weeks the soap pump began to leak. I called them and they were very eager to help and sent out a replacement pump. Then THAT one began to leak as well!

I was somewhat discouraged with the product and called back for help. By this time I had figured out that the pumps were not the problem but the design of the lip that pump screws on to was uneven and allowing soap to drip. I asked if they could replace the entire soap dispenser, including the ceramic bottle. They said they could but since the dye lots might not match my other 2 pieces, they would need to replace the entire unit. They shipped one to me and had me send the defective one back (all postage paid) and I am very pleased with the result...my soap dispenser works properly and everything matches (they were correct about the dye lot issue, it was a very subtle difference but I would have noticed).

BTW, I do not work for them. But I am just tickled with the customer service I received. And I do plan on using them again soon. : )
Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Iron Accents

We get our accessories when we travel as we're always keeping our eyes open for the one-offs. We check out different places and if we see something we like, it comes home with us. We've always found this to be a great form of souvenirs.

I guess I don't want to see my accessories in the home down the block...thus no chain store purchases.

Kim's thinking is sort of like ours.

I wish I could have accessories, they always look so cute! But, our youngest is severely autistic and when agitated likes to clear any available horizontal surface, usually pretty violently. Once, he got grumpy during Grandma's 4th of July cookout. He jumped on the table and did a very good snow angel move. You should have seen my MIL's face as burgers/hotdogs/veggie trays went flying, ROFL. Ah well, at least it's easy to dust my tables :).

Veronica

LMAO Veronica that picture just kills me (and my son has some challenges too so I understand how you feel).

We're getting past his clearing stage but he's currently into a reaching phase...where he blindly reaches onto counters higher than his head and tries to pull down whatever he can...it's fun near the knife box :oP

I had a lovely bowl of gold pears and apples on the table for our March Christmas (we were in the hospital so we had a late holiday). They're currently lined up like soldiers marching across the kitchen and dining room floor...

I'm an eBayer too, with the occasional venture into an antique shop. I do most of my shopping online in general because I can do it at 3am in my jammies. LOL There is a ~40 mile stretch of road here in eastern NH called "Antiques Alley" with more than 500 dealers (Route 4 between Dover and Concord) that I like to visit, although it's a bit of a trek so I haven't gone out there often. I hope to in the spring if I can scrape up a little "mad money"... there are a couple of bee-yoo-tee-full marble-topped Eastlake end tables at one shop that had me chewing my tongue but I just didn't feel up to parting with $500! I don't really buy much decorative stuff from chain stores or stores like TJMaxx because I don't see anything that knocks my socks off very often, and I would prefer not to fill my house with "just stuff". I have not yet seen a flea market with interesting things, though - it's mostly "as seen on TV" and MLM items, bootlegged DVDs and CDs, and suchlike crap. There's a couple down in MA that I'd like to get to (Todd Farm @ Rowley, and my "antiquer's dream" is to be able to show up at Brimfield with a scooter, a couple of grand in my pocket, and a nice big truck!) but both of those are too far for me to go these days.

Oh, I would hate the thought of a Walmart-Home-Lowes kind of place where we all shop :( Any more, most housing development have only 2-3 exterior styles. Can you imagine then each having the same look inside? Yikes,
I could just hear my neighbor calling me now....
"Kats, I know your husband got lost last night so we fed him but I only bought 2 steaks for tonight so would you mind coming and getting him"?

We have a nice assortment of locally-owned decor shops in my area. I love shopping in those because they have unique things and usually helpful people who work there. In addition to accessories, they usually have some small furniture pieces as well and some offer services such as window treatments. Lots of fun!

johnmari,

Can you please help a geographically-challenged person here? How far is antiques alley from Portsmouth NH or Wolfeboro NH? (Portsmouth is about an hour north of Boston, and Wolfeboro is an hour north-west of Portsmouth.) We're going there this summer and maybe I can take a detour.

A lot of my accessories are from DH's Navy travels, old family heirlooms, or things that I get from HomeGoods!!

Hmm, that antique alley sounds intriguing....

I love to buy things when we travel -- not necessarily "souvenirs" (as in coaster that say "Florida" on them) but something that subtly reminds me of where we were. I also love the antique shops and consignment shops. And, Ebay and Etsy.com. I sometimes still get a great find at my local TJ Maxx or Homegoods. One of my favorite things in my house is a brass frog, about 8" tall, standing up with a crown on his head and holding a bouquet of flowers behind his back. He's solid brass and heavy and just different from anything I'd seen before. I got him for $20 at Marshalls. So, I don't totally rule out those stores.

All under one roof? How about ABC Carpet & Home in New York. It's the only place I can think of that has it all under one roof. But, bring a wheelbarrow full of cash! ;-)

I myself buy my accessories absolutely everywhere. I don't really think it's possible to do it all in one place...not if you want to do it well.

Do you have an "Old Towne" where you live? They seem to be everywhere these days, especially in smaller towns. There are lots of those kinds of places here in Northern VA where I live and you can find unique and wonderful places to shop for decorative arts/home accessories.

Meg, Antiques Alley is an easy trip from Portsmouth or Wolfeboro! I live more or less halfway between Portsmouth and Wolfeboro; Portsmouth has been a stomping ground of mine for close to 25 years. :-) Take Route 16 aka the Spaulding Turnpike north to Route 4, the Dover Point/Durham exit (exit 6W). Follow Route 4 west - the antique shops really start in west of the Lee traffic circle and right through pretty much to Concord. To get to Wolfeboro from the Concord area, go back east on Rt 4 to Chichester and pick up Rt 28 north. That'll take you right to Wolfeboro. Lots and lots of fun places. Technically it's an hour from Portsmouth to Concord, but it's taken me all day before just stopping at one shop after another (traffic does get a little boggy on summer weekends - if you can go midweek you will be MUCH better off!)

meg--

I'm not johnmari--but you'd be in the vicinity

Dover is *just* north of Portsmouth and rt 4 runs west--then you can head north up through Alton Bay to Wolfeboro--

I've actually never heard about the Rte 4 antiques, so must take a look and a new detour next time I head north!

crossposted, there! sorry

I'm always on the look out for interesting items when traveling - new or old. Love going to local antique stores. My area has two really good art shows once a year. I have small trinkets that belonged to my grandparents around the house.

Looking around, nothing from Home Good type stores, although I do have a couple of locally owned stories I like to visit but usually don't buy new items unless they look old.

polkadots, I want to go there!!! That's just what I want, a boutique of home accessories!

Will certainly have to check out antique alley next time I head north as well. Very cool!

I love the store Hemispheres! It is here in Texas, also in Oklahoma and I'm not sure where else. They are owned by the same people as Hobby Lobby but it is an upscale (but not too pricey) home decor store. LOVE IT!

I'm curious.... When I moved to my current home 6 years ago I found quite a few nice things (vases, decorative shelves, platters,an ottoman)at TJ Maxx/Marshall's.

There have been a number of posts on this forum alluding to the inferior quality of the merchandise at TJ's/Marshall's/HomeGoods. That's been my perception for the past few years, too.

I thought maybe I was just becoming a little more discerning, but I wonder if, in your opinion, they used to carry higher quality goods than they do now?

johnmari: "...I have not yet seen a flea market with interesting things, though - it's mostly "as seen on TV" and MLM items, bootlegged DVDs and CDs, and suchlike crap..."

I know what you mean, but that's the great thing about being in a small, isolated town in the Wild West--our flea market is really a place for all the locals and relative locals to offer all kinds of cool antique stuff they cleared out of great-great-grandma and great-great-grandpa's hacienda or ranch. Or something like that, as many of the families have been here since the place was run by Spain ; ) Sure, there's the new stuff from China, and garage sale type junk, but if you go early and have a good eye you can find some interesting things for a pittance.

Well, I haven't really started accesorizing yet - mostly because I have three kids under and they are into everything that they can get into. But I have had some luck at "Old Time Pottery". There is only one around here that I know of and it's about an hour or so away so I don't get there too often.

We live in the UNincorporated part of town.
We're treated worse than red-headed step children but that's another post all together.(My daughter and grand daughter are red-heads so I have nothing against Red-Headed children, it's just a saying I use --- just so you all know. *bg*)

But to get great bargains of ALL kinds, I troll the other end of town---- the half mil + dollar homes.

I find the folks who live on the other end of town change their decorating style and/or their minds a LOT! LOL

I go to their Yard Sales and seeing the wonderful things they have out for sale, you'd think you were in a high-end, 'appointment only' estate sale.

I have found wonderful things from little entry tables to gorgeous wall/iron/art pieces to very ornate Victorian floor standing candle sticks and later saw the same things in stores, on the internet or Ebay for 3, 4, 5 times and even more, the price that I paid for it at the "Yard Sale".

Yep, for me, when looking for new, old and the unusual accessory, it's Yard Sales.

I am a totally out of the box accessorizor (is that a word?)

I haunt thrift shops, yard sales, CL, antique malls and boutiques for one-of-a-kind goodies. I completely furnished and decorated our guest room using only second hand things! I was amazed to find so many things that fit together so beautifully.

Thanks for the info about antique alley. If I can drag DH there, it sounds like a wonderful place. Or maybe DD and I will stay on a day or two by ourselves to shop. I wonder what would be a good bribe for a twelve-year-old?

I have not bought anything recently--unless you count rugs. I'm not ready to buy accessories; I'm still working on the furniture!

Meg711,
This is really off-topic, but you're going to be so close to a few of my favorite places in NH, so I just had to write and tell you! Wolfeboro is on the southern end of Lake Winnepesaukee (a huge lake with 365 islands and a great boat tour!) Up in the vicinity of the northern part of the lake is a place called The Tamarack Drive-In, a true, authentic, old NH drive in which serves divine lobster rolls! In Center Harbor there is a place called Keepsake Quilting which is an amazing fabric shop if you are into that at all (100% cotton quilt type fabrics, not home dec). I could go on and on.... Have fun!
Lynn

Wow! that NH trip sounds wonderful!
Do you have a Kirkland's nearby? I love them.

Just a comment on my experience with "unique" vs. mass produced items, even though I'm ashamed to admit I was snookered. A few years back, when dh & I were having a custom home built, I went with him to Maine on a business trip. I was determined to bring back at least one nice piece for our new home and was delighted to find a little shop selling all sorts of hand crafted and one-of-a-kind decor items (or so it claimed.) I bought a vase and lugged it home in my carry-on bag to keep it safe. Less than three months later, I saw "my" vase...on Target's website. To add insult to injury, the price was about 1/2 what I'd paid.

Badin, you just hit on my major peeve. Antique stores that are selling things that are not antiques, not even vintage.

I went to one (horrible) "antique" store that sold more Hobby Lobby clearance items than anything else. Needless to say, they didn't get my business or respect.

Lynn,

Thanks so much for the info. This will be our fifth or sixth year going to Wolfeboro although we never really get to see Wolfeboro as we're there to visit our son on camp visiting day. But we did finally get to the drive-in movie up there. (I'm assuming it's the same one. Too bad I didn't know about the lobster rolls.) Do you ever go to the ice cream place in Wolfeboro? I have a special weakness for their hot fudge sundaes made with peppermint stick ice cream.

We were also there one year at the time of their big crafts fair. It was great--although DH never lets me forget that I wouldn't let him get a certain mirror he wanted.

Kim2007, aren't you one of the New Mexicans around here? Correct me if I'm misremembering... but if there's actually a good flea market around here, I would dearly love to know about it. I'm down in Las Cruces. Where are you?

I read through this entire thread and no one's said "Goodwill"?! I am a ceramics and glass JUNKIE but it takes a good eye...just got a porcelain bowl a couple of days ago that is absolutely precious...amysrq has seen it :)

While I was there one day, someone told me about finding two Baccarat crystal wine flutes there on the very day his wife had told him they'd be having a champagne toast that evening to celebrate something--so he went to Goodwill to get some average flutes--those were waiting for him.

The thrill of the hunt and imagining the back story are what I love. But then again I also love paint-by-number paintings from the 50s-80s...the heart and love and persistence in them are just such good energy :)

Fortunoff, Macy's, EBay, JCPenney, Wal-Mart (just bought red, brown adn beige runners for my office that look great and are machine washable and add some color my office needed and hopefully now my rugs will not keeping getting so dirty), Home Goods, and suggestions for others of things I fall in love with in their rooms...

I'm waiting to hear where Soonermagic finds her special things, as we're in her area several times a year visiting our son at grad school. I'm always on the lookout for one of a kind "treasures" and great shops.

Tuesday Morning is a great place. If there are several near you, call and see which store is the largest because they will have more of the selections. Where I live there are 3 and one gets more rugs, etc. than the others due to their size.

Sueb20. I smiled when you talked about your frog. I have the same one. While visiting my sister (who has completly different taste than I and lives in a different state) I saw that she had the frog as well! Gotta love TJMaxx

amylville... oh no! and here I thought I had found something "unique"! Oh well! He is adorable though, isn't he?

I have stuff from all over in my house.. and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't want someone coming into my house and seeing a layout from a catalog or a store window. I remember when and where I bought (or received) each thing. I have some splurge objects, some original art pieces and some cheap finds from TJMaxx, PB and Pier 1. If it works, it works.. and if I love it, I don't care where it came from.. but I have to say my style is pretty eclectic and not for everyone. A neighbor girl once told me "your house is so ALIVE. There's something interesting everywhere you look." I took it as a compliment but I am sure some people would find it too busy or quirky. For me, it is perfect :).

Meg711-
No, no, no, the Tamarack is a drive-in eating place, not a movie. You HAVE to go! (if you google it, it'll come up). And yes to the Wolfeboro ice-cream place. Excellent! We are in TX right now, and I keep wanting I ought to send my son to camp in the White Mtns., an area he just loves. But he keeps going to swim camp instead....
Lynn

Lynn

Lynn in NM - There's a fabulous store on Campus Corner called Antique Garden. They have the most adorable coaster sets with photos of Norman, the university and campus corner. I have every series (I think it's up to 5 now ... with four coasters in each series). The soonermagic sign above my kitchen window came from there. They have posters of old football programs that are nicely done. These are on hubby's wishlist for the gameroom. They have great custom upholstery ... I'll be getting the dining room end chairs there sometime soon. And, I've purchased a rug there. Walked to campus corner for lunch, and hubby had to walk the four blocks home with a sizeable rug thrown over his shoulder.

Most of our accessories, however, are picked up on our travels.

Lynn,

Thanks for the clarification. I'll have to check out the Tamarack. But the drive-in movie was a great thing, too. At least I thought it was great. DD didn't understand the thrill of it all. Guess it's a generational thing.

I'm still working on our visiting day plans. DH needs to be back in Seattle on Monday but we haven't figured out the logistics. Maybe I will drag DD to antique alley.

Thanks for the info!

No one has mentioned auctions. You get your best deals there and the most variety. I attended one last week as they were auctioning off some of my STUFF and I purchased a Bombe' chest for only 35.00. It's gorgeous plus I got a very nice clock for only 3.00 It was a very rainy night and they were practically giving it away to the small amount of people who were there. My luck!!!!