Bargain Bin Home

Unique Floor Lamps

home4less | February 27, 2009

Floor lamps seem to vary widely in price. On the lower spectrum, I have seen your basic college-dorm type lamp for as little as $10 and escalating to even hundreds of dollars or more for the ultra-contemporary variety.

I’ve found some fun and unique lamps that move away from the typical torchier style commonplace in many big retail and department stores. Throughout the years, I’ve purchased one too many of those starter lamps that seemed to always offer terrible light and looked equally as inadequate.

These lamps are all at least $100 and up, but I think they are worth the investment for offering a less generic and certainly more aesthetically pleasing floor-level lighting solution typically found in stores.

An interesting lamp for a bit of an Asian vibe:

Autumn Branch Square Tower Floor Lamp

This is easily one of the most gorgeous floor lamps I have ever seen. Everything from the base to the shade is wonderful. If you like the look of this lamp, but aren’t in need of floor-level lighting, this is available in a table lamp as well.

Kenroy Home Plateau Floor Lamp
Kenroy Home Plateau Table Lamp with 15 inch Gold Fabric shade

Here a simple, but elegant lamp with a crisp white drum shade and minimalist black base:

A floor lamp in a transitional styling with a warm, beige shade and base made of wood and metal accents:

Adesso Hudson Floor Lamp, Dark Maple

Here is a floor lamp with a glamorous side featuring a sophisticated black shade with chandelier-like beading:

Adesso Cabaret Floor Lamp, Chrome

A funky, adjustable, multi-light floor lamp:

Adesso Times Square Floor Lamp, Chrome

Great, adjustable light for reading:

Architect Floor Lamp

Elegant floor lamp with Japanese stylings:

Adesso Gyoza Floorchiere, Walnut

Sleek, contemporary floor lamp with an attractive base:

Klaussner Open Square Wood Floor Lamp

I like the look of this tall lamp shade:

Hepburn Floor Lamp
Adesso Hepburn Table Lamp, Chrome

For creating that tranquil, Zen-style setting:

Zen Floor Lamp

A very eye-catching lamp:

Linbrook Espresso Chrome Floor Lamp

A lamp with an ultra-modern all-steel look:

Charisma Polished Steel Finish Mesh-Laced Style Floor Lamp

Appropriately-titled “Bling” all-metal look floor lamp:

Adesso Bling Floor Lamp, Chrome

This lamp is a little bit pricier than the others, but it has a rather dramatic base:

Adesso Pearl Floor Lamp, Satin Steel

Category: Floor Lamps, Lighting | No Comments »
Tags: modern floor lamps

Bar Stool Finds: $150 and under

home4less | February 25, 2009

I like the diner-like style to these bar stools as well as the fact that they swivel and adjust in height to take the guessing game out of measuring for a counter or bar. These stools are sold in a set of 2 for under $220, so they are relatively affordable as well.

Modern Contemporary Adjustable Bar Stools by Baxton Furniture Studios (set of 2)
Adjustable Swivel Modern Contemporary Bar Stool by Baxton Furniture Studios (Set of 2) – White

Here are some backless stools with a leather-like black seat. These are bar stools measuring at a height of 30″.

Home Star Metro Stools 30-Inch Square Bar Stool
Home Star Metro Stools 30-Inch Round Bar Stool
Home Star Metro Stools 25-Inch Round Bar Stool

I like the simplicity to these stools; they would certainly be great for the minimalist look. They have a light look due to their slender steel legs which seem to be a decor trend at the moment and are upholstered in a black leather.

Baxton Furniture Studios Elana Leather Counter Stools, Black, Set of 2

Veronica Vinyl Swivel Bar Stool in Black
Veronica Vinyl Swivel Bar Stool in White

Here are some counter-height stools with a latticed back design. They come in a honey-wood finish as pictured or a dark mahogany finish with a black microfiber upholstered seat.

Lattice Back Mahogany Counter Stool

These stools are very similar to the lattice-style above, but have a more subtle back style and look a little less busy.

Cherry Film-back Microfiber Seat Counter Stool

Dark Mahogany Film Back Counter Stool

Jimbo Cream Stool

Parson Red Counter Height Stools (Set of 2)

Biedermier Black Seat Dark Mahogany Barstool

Natural Biedermier Black Microfiber Barstool

Biedermier Black Seat Medium Oak Barstool

These stools cost a bit over $150, but I thought they were gorgeous and very unique, so I included them anyway. It’s not common to find bar stools with this color of leather, so I thought it was a good find.

Casablanca Burnt Red Barstool

I liked these stools because they are upholstered in leather, have clean and non-fussy lines that would be great for a modern space, and come in three selection of colors including the lovely burnt red again, as pictured above. Although the price for the set (sold in pairs) is above $150, the cost of each stool is indeed less than that.

Kari Burnt Red Leather Barstools (Set of 2)
Kari Black Leather Barstools (Set of 2)

Andre Creme Leather Barstools (Set of 2)

These black leather stools are a little unique in that they feature a tufted design in the chair back.

Shino Brown Barstools (Set of 2)

Category: Bar Stools, Furniture | No Comments »
Tags: modern bar stools

Coat Trees/Racks

home4less | February 22, 2009

Coat storage is a must in the winter for any household as outerwear seems to land all over a living space. I like the idea of having some sort of rack or tree near the doorway so coats and other cold weather apparel can be easily removed when coming home and put on when leaving.

I like this rather simple tree as it has a low price (under $25 excluding s/h) and is a little less traditional in appearance when compared to its wood counterparts.

Coat Rack/Stand in Satin Black Metal Spider Style

This coat rack would be suitable for the more traditional-minded home and has a similar tree in a darker cherry finish as well as the oak pictured.

Oak Finish Wood Hall Tree Style Coat Hat Rack Stand
Twist Style Cherry Finish Wood Coat Rack Stand
Twist Style Oak Finish Wood Swivel Coat Rack Stand / Hall Tree

Modern Style Black Finish Metal Eight Hook Coat Hat Rack

I’m not a huge fan of this sort of metal work, but this tree does combine the functionality of storing coats and umbrellas.

Black Metal Coat & Hat Rack With Umbrella Holder

Here is a coat rack for kids with 8 pegs in a fun, primary colors. The rack seems to be designed in a lower height to accomodate younger users and seems to offer a lot of storage.

Ore International Kids’ Primary-Color 8-Peg Coat Rack

I like this rack as it is a combined coat and umbrella tree stand. Also, the silver metal finish looks truly modern as opposed to a traditional or transitional style like the others.

Adesso Quatro Umbrella Stand /Coat Rack, Champagne Steel

Here is another combined umbrella and coat rack in an espresso wood finish for those wanting a darker finish with a slightly more modern edge.

Espresso Finish Coat Rack with Umbrella Stand

I like the unique look to this rack. Even when empty of coats or umbrellas, it almost stands out as a decorative piece even.

Brahms Coat Rack

Here is wall-mounted solution with an attractive cherry finish and four satin nickel double hooks for those tight on floor space for a large rack piece.

Wood Rack with 4 Double Hooks

Here is another fun and colorful coat rack for the kids.

Kid’s Coat Rack

Adesso Contour Coat Rack, Black
Adesso Contour Coat Rack, Natural

This rack seems a lot pricier than the others, but this is perfect for those wanting more fanciful coat storage that looks a bit more substantial. The base of the piece is not only weighty, but features intricate wood carvings.

Powell Woodbury Mahogany Coat Rack

I thought this was a great mission-styled piece that offers a unique take on the coat tree idea. For versatility, it comes in four finishes – chesnut, honey, black, and a light cherry.

Mission-style Coat Tree

Coat Rack with 4 pegs (Espresso/Stainless Steel)

This is probably one of my favorite coat racks in that it looks modern, elegant, and quite attractive. It looks a bit more substantial in comparison to the some of the other pieces in that it easily could act as a stand-alone furniture piece when not in use.

Moderna Coat Tree/Umbrella Stand

Timbro Expanding Rack

Here is an coat rack for the adults with some fun colors in the hanging pegs. It is a simpler rack that seems to only hold four coats.

Adesso Marbles Coat Rack, Steel

Since most of the coat racks are of metal are a darker wood finish, I thought this white coat rack was a great find for lighter, more casual decor scheme.

Color Story Pure White Coat Rack

Also available in other colors: Color Story Crimson Red Coat Rack
Color Story Butter Yellow Coat Rack
Color Story Sage Green Coat Rack

Home Star Manhattan Collection Coat Rack

Here are some girly-minded coat rack finds available in two shades of pinks.

Clothes Pole in Petal Pink by KidKraft
Clothes Pole in Pink by KidKraft

Easton 3-drawer Coat Rack
Easton 4-drawer Coat Rack
Easton 5-drawer Coat Rack

Category: Storage and Organization | No Comments »
Tags: coat and umbrella storage

Products for the Coffee and Tea Enthusiasts

home4less | February 19, 2009

I really like this container for keeping coffee fresh and airtight. The scoop alone is the perfect measurement for a single cup of coffee and to make more servings merely requires extra scoops per additional cup. To reload, you simply cut the tops of the new bag of coffee and stick it inside the container. It is simple to scoop the coffee out as the flip-top lid opens to allow for easy access. Coffee grains do tend to spill out from the sides over time and settle at the bottom of the container a bit, but it’s not a major issue.

Bag-In Gourmet Coffee Dispenser (Cear Container with Black Lid)

To go along with this coffee dispenser, I have a rather large sugar dispenser that although functional, isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing item.

Sugar Dispenser

It not only serves to dispense sugar for coffee and tea drinking, but for any other cooking/baking tasks requiring sugar as well. It’s rather large, so I don’t really keep it out in plain view which can prove to be a bit of a hassle to remove in and out of the cabinet when using it daily for beverages.

I found this product intriguing as it would be perfect for dispensing sugar for beverages in precise measurements without always having to manually measure with a spoon. Additionally, it’s a lot smaller than the storage dispenser above and looks attractive enough to keep out next to the coffee maker.

Zevro Indispensable Sugar ‘N More Dispenser

Here is a similar item that sort of resembles a salt or pepper shaker and dispenses sugar through pumps of a button in 1/2 teaspoon quantities. This seems much smaller in capacity than Zevro’s dispenser, but this item would probably be more suitable on a tabletop surface as it is smaller in size. I’m not sure how this would hold up for daily use as I can imagine it would need to be refilled often.

Prodyne Sugar Please Sugar Dispenser

Canister sets seem to be another alternative option as they provide the functionality of clutter-free storage and at the same time, provide decorative accents to a kitchen space.

I like the vibrant red of this steel canister set and of course, the labels that eliminate any confusion over their contents.

Typhoon Tea, Coffee, and Sugar Canisters, Red

These Sango Nova sets offer a more neutral approach to canisters and look superb with their high gloss finish. I’m a fan of this brown set, but they do come in black as well.

Sango Nova Brown 4-piece Kitchen Canister Set

Sango Nova Black 4-piece Kitchen Canister Set

Here a two sets in a copper finish which seems to be a popular finish in many kitchens today. I’m partial to the hammered copper set, but I do like the blend of copper and chrome in the Gemini set also.

Gemini Satin Finish Canisters (Set of 4)

Hammered Copper 4-piece Canister Set

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These canister sets are bit more subtle in color and have a nice earthy feel to them. This Siena set in particular is very neutral in appearance while not being bland. I think this set would fit well in most kitchens. It is also available in two other color schemes.

Sango Gold Dust Sienna 4-piece Canister Set
Sango Gold Dust Black 4-piece Canister Set
Sango Gold Dust Green 4-piece Canister Set

Here is a pewter canister set with some ornate metal embossing and would be perfect for a more traditional-minded kitchen space.

Pewter-plated 3-piece Embossed Steel Canister Set

Category: Kitchen Spaces, Storage and Organization | No Comments »
Tags: coffee and tea storage, kitchen storage, sugar dispensers

Coffee Tables: $250 and under

home4less | February 18, 2009

I think this coffee table is attractive and versatile for offering clutter-free storage below. I currently have a large, one surface top coffee table that offers no storage and the clutter that gathers underneath is unbelievable. This table not only features two pull-out drawers, but cubbies as well for magazines and the like. The price is quite a bargain as well.

Linon Sutton Black Coffee Table

Matching End Table Available:
Linon Sutton Black End Table

This table is very similar to Linon’s and offers similar storage, but unlike the above table is in a true black finish whereas Linon’s according to the reviewers, is actually a dark espresso.

Winsome Wood Coffee Table with Dual Drawers and Shelf, Black

Matching End Table Available: Winsome Wood End Table with Drawer and Shelf, Black

Pinzon Dark Wedge Coffee Table

Pinzon Java Coffee Table

I really liked the look of this coffee table. It offers lower shelf storage in such a unique fashion with the circular cut-outs and subtle carvings.

Classic 47-inch Wood Coffee Table

Contemporary 48-inch Wood Coffee Table

Classic 45-inch 2-drawer Coffee Table

Category: Coffee Tables, Furniture | No Comments »
Tags: modern coffee tables

Kitchen Wrap Organization

home4less | February 17, 2009

I realized that the staple wrapping products (e.g. foil, parchment paper, etc.) found commonly in kitchens are currently taking up an entire drawer in my kitchen. Although I’ve been lucky to have a lot more drawer and cupboard space than I did say five years ago, the extra space has motivated me to become a more active cook. Unfortunately, with the growing interest in cooking so does grow the quantity of tools, small appliances and other necessities. So, space has already become limited and on top of that, the drawers aren’t very organized.

So, I really like the idea of creating new storage capacity behind cabinet doors – something that has already been very effective in other spaces like baths that feature cabinets.

Here are some mountable wire wrap storage solutions to tackle this problem:

Wire Wrap Organizer