When I started furnishing my apartment, some pretty pricey pieces caught my eye. After a little digging, I was able to find some good dupes for a few of the items I wanted. Below are six things that I fell for, then hunted (if excessive googling now counts as “hunting”) to find less expensive versions of.
1//2: Who doesn’t love burl? It’s warm, interesting and there’s a reason it shows up in beautiful spaces everywhere. My heart wanted a burl desk, but it wasn’t in the cards. I couldn’t let go of incorporating some burl wood though, and picture frames seemed like the most affordable option to showcase it. I thought of going with custom framing (Framebridge has a version!), but, since the pieces I wanted to frame were a standard size (11×14) off the shelf seemed like a better option. William Sonoma has a beautiful version, but luckily I stumbled upon the Craig Frames version and saved myself a few bucks.
3//4: Full disclosure: I didn’t end up getting either of these shelves for my apartment. I found a different bookshelf that felt better for my space. But, I initially really wanted the Stairway bookcase from CB2. As much as I love and support CB2 (I’ve seen their version in person, and it is definitely worth the price), it seemed like a common enough piece that a similar version could be found. I was debating if I should go with the cheaper option without seeing it when I pivoted away from this style.
5//6: I ended up spending more on a desk chair even with the bargain version than I had intended, but I don’t regret it. I saw the West Elm version and I knew I needed something similar. It has less of a utilitarian vibe than a lot of other desk chairs, and I liked that it was sleek enough to not take up too much visual space. The version I have does have stitching on the back, and I think the solid leather on the back of the high-end version is definitely more luxe, but I’m still really happy with the chair from Wayfair. My lower back also really appreciates that I invested in an actual office chair after months of sitting in a plastic folding chair while working from home.
7//8: If I could afford the beautiful Safavieh hand-knotted rug, I would get it in a heartbeat. I’m sure it’s worth the cost. I haven’t received the rug I ordered yet, but, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be pleased. It has a similar vibe and I can’t wait for it to arrive.
9//10: I wanted a skinny, pill shaped mirror for a blank wall right outside my bathroom. I love the Rejuvenation version (as I do most things made by Rejuvenation), but, I was thrilled to find the Scout & Nimble mirror at a fraction of the price. The frame of the mirror is beveled whereas the Rejuvenation one seems to be flat, but it gives me a very similar look.
11/12: I ordered two different sets of dining chairs and returned them both before ending up with the third set I purchased. I had almost given up and upped my budget for chairs when I decided to gamble on the ones I have despite the less than stellar photo online. So happy I did.
So there it is. This definitely took patience, both to find good alternative options, as well as waiting for delays in delivery times due to COVID. However, I’m really starting to get excited with how my apartment is shaping up. Since I spend almost all of my time within these walls, that’s a really satisfying feeling.