Best buys: Budget design in Ross, Kohl’s, JCPenney ...
JCPenney also has a playful new Royal Doulton collection that includes stainless steel serving bowls with pops of color inside. The 9-inch-diameter orange bowl shown here was $40. The same collection includes ceramic plates and bowls with punchy graphics, including the 4.25-inch-diameter “Every Dog Has Its Day” and “Right As Rain” candy bowls pictured here, $25 for a set of two. JCPenney also has a Museum of Modern Art mini shop, where we found an owl kitchen timer from hip housewares designer Kikkerland, $15, as well as an old-school fingerprint art set so we can channel Ed Emberley, $12. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
This week we asked the Million Dollar Decorators to identify the best buys at Kmart and Marshalls. Meanwhile, the L.A. at Home staff set out to find surprises elsewhere — buys that might raise even a design snob’s eyebrow — at half a dozen other budget-minded stores: JCPenney, Ross, Living Spaces, Wal-Mart, Kohl’s and Cost Plus World Market. Here’s what we found ...
At Cost Plus World Market, a 12-piece plate set with stand was just $24.99 -- an inexpensive and easy-to-store solution for holiday entertaining. The food-safe tree-slice serving piece, used here as a charger, was $19.99. Inexpensive tumblers did have visible seams common to inexpensive glassware, but the colors felt festive without screaming “Holiday!” Plus the price, $2.99 apiece, was hard to beat. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
These 18-inch boiled wool toss pillows with stitched detailing were just $24.99 each at Cost Plus World Market. Whereas a lot of budget throw pillows are sewn shut to save on construction cost, these had a zipper, giving the option of swapping out the thin polyester insert with a plumper down fill. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
For those who like holiday decor where the cute factor is kept in check, Kohl’s has this 19-inch-tall St. Nicholas Square deer, smartly dressed in a herringbone coat and coordinating scarf. Regular price: $19.99. We bought ours on sale for $13.49. Another surprise at Kohl’s: Elle Decor-branded decorative accessories that interpret trends for budget buyers. A set of three ceramic vases -- coordinated in color but contrasting in pattern -- are regularly priced at $29.99. We bought ours on sale for $11.69. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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Our pick at Kohl’s: small accent rugs, which frequently go on sale. This 24-by-40-inch jute and chenille accent rug with an exaggerated chevron pattern had a nice texture and a finished look. Regular price: $39.99. We bought ours for $15.99. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
The clearance inventory at Ross is ever changing, but baskets remain a consistent good buy. A 14-inch tall banana leaf basket good for trash or dog toys, perhaps, was $9.99. Coordinating nesting desk trays were just $4.99 and $6.99. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
We spent most of our time picking through the shelves of Wal-mart in Duarte but still came up with few things that reflected decorating trends. We ultimately settled on these microfiber kitchen towels with retro prints, $2.48 each, shown here with basic solid towels, just $1.48. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
