Interior Design on a Budget: The Best Cost-Friendly Furniture Brands

A house isn't a home until it's filled with personality and a few prized possessions. In fact, in December last year, U.S. furniture and home furnishing stores sales amounted to $11 billion - highlighting how important additional touches are when decorating your place. However, interior design doesn't have to be expensive, and redecorating your home or buying some new items can be done on a budget and still remain high quality.

Still, before getting to the checkout, finding the perfect pieces for comfort, aesthetic or practicality is never easy. Particularly with more companies going digital and people shopping online due to social distancing measures, it can be difficult to confidently make a purchase. Knowing what you're looking for can make browsing less overwhelming and can even save you money. With that in mind, here are the best furniture brands for interior designers on a budget:

Hem

Hailing from Stockholm, Hem means 'home' in Swedish and is classically Scandinavian - meaning effortlessly stylish while still being practical. The modern furniture is designed for easy construction, making it ideal for smaller homes that don't want to compromise on taste due to lack of space. For instance, Hem has modular sofas that have top-of-the-line wool upholstery, as well as flat-packed shelves for easy assembly.

📷 Hem

Even better, Hem regularly collaborates with exclusive designers like Max Lamb, Pauline Deltour, and GamFratesi, plus rotates its collection on a regular basis, so there's always something novel and exciting to bring into your home.

Hay

Another European brand on our list, Hay hails from Denmark and boasts contemporary furniture with longevity. The brand’s collection of chic items is best-suited to people who like interior design with a unique edge. From bold colors, geometric patterns, and a cool clash of earthiness with modernism, Hay furniture is sure to have guests impressed upon entering your home.

📷 Hay

Hay isn't just innovative in its looks either: The company is creating new products with cutting-edge technology, such as its outdoor line which was constructed using a metal-welding robot. And don't worry about expensive shipping costs - all furniture from Hay is delivered for only 10 percent of the order's total price.

Wayfair

📷 Sarah Vandy

You may already be familiar with Wayfair which is known for its low prices, seemingly endless sales, and streams of discount codes. Needless to say, this is the option for designers on a limited budget who are looking for anything from BBQ pits, to lighting, to holiday decorations.

While Wayfair is economical, it doesn't compromise on choice. The digital platform boasts over 14 million items from over 11,000 suppliers around the world, making it one of the biggest catalogs to choose from. It also has the competitive advantage of having great customer service and is so popular that it has a whole host of online reviews for shoppers to confirm textures, quality, and sizing before making a purchase.

Burrow

Based in New York City, Burrow is famous for its inventive style mostly centering around a clean, mid-century aesthetic. Many of its pieces use sustainably-sourced hardwood and have a human-focused twist that makes Burrow so appealing to modern-day homeowners. For example, its sofas have built-in charging strips to power smart devices, while its sleep kit transforms three-seater sofas into a comfortable guest bed in only 10 minutes.

📷 Ella Rindahl

Perhaps the best part of Burrow though, is that every item is modular and pre-packed in shipping boxes, and delivery is free.

The Inside

Co-founded by Wayfair's former Chief Creative Officer, The Inside is known for producing furniture that seamlessly marries function and fashion. Each item is American-made and shoppers can enjoy staple pieces that are completely customizable and built to order. The Inside also offers a fun range of accessories like peel-and-stick wallpaper, hassocks, loungers, and decorative screens for kids' interior design.

📷 Michelle

Similar to Hem, The Inside launches new designer collaborations every two or three months so has an ongoing rotation of furniture pairings and ideas. Not to mention, it has an extensive collection of incredible fabrics and patterns designed by professionals Scalamandré, Clare V, and Peter Som.

Although a core part of any home, furniture doesn't have to drain your entire budget. These brands are just a few examples of companies working to make sleek and comfortable living more accessible for all. Especially in the pandemic, where people are spending more time at home and are more conscious about money, savvy furniture savings matter.