This Houzz Pro Learn guide provides an overview of the interior design procurement process, including detailed price requests to suppliers and the importance of specifying and pricing each detail of an item. Interior designers often source their best items from cities like New York, Chicago, and Nashville, and it is common for clients to ask about where they shop UK.
Designers typically use a flat fee, hourly rate, cost-plus (product markup), or a hybrid model when purchasing furniture and decor through a design business. It is important to decide which strategy is most suitable for your project. Interior decorators typically do not purchase furniture with their own money but use their client’s budgets to purchase items.
In some cases, interior design firms may order building supplies on your behalf, while others offer a “design only” service or source primarily to-the-trade and custom products for full-service projects. Designers have exclusive access to quality goods that are not available to the general public, and some clients may not realize that all items are ordered by an interior designer who has the skills and knowledge to accurately price them.
A percentage is added to the actual cost of the item by interior designers, which varies between businesses and vendors. It is essential to avoid asking about the percentage and ensure that the designer is knowledgeable about the process.
📹 The Secret That Furniture Retailers Don’t Want You To Know 🤫
In this video, I will go over some secrets of the furniture industry! A lot of people don’t know that a lot of the furniture that you see on …
How do interior designers source products?
Interior designers often obtain samples of products and materials from various sources, such as product showrooms and design centers. Product sourcing is a crucial aspect of interior design, as it can significantly impact the success of a project. Finding the right products to complement a space can enhance its functionality, style, and overall appeal. This article provides an ultimate guide to interior design product sourcing, covering everything from defining the client’s style to negotiating vendor prices.
Interior designers and decorators rely on product sourcing to ensure their design concept is realized, resulting in a visually appealing, functional, and visually appealing interior design that fits the client’s needs.
What I wish I knew before becoming an interior designer?
Interior designers must possess a comprehensive understanding of design history, structural integrity, local codes, regulations, anthropometry, ergonomics, spatial concepts, psychology, computer-aided drawing (CAD), and ethics. They must also possess interpersonal skills to interact with various stakeholders, including homeowners, builders, architects, and government agents. Design is subjective, and it is not reasonable to expect clients to have the same taste.
Interior designers may work for years without designing a home that suits their taste, but it is important to resonating with and implementing their vision. If a client insists on bright green walls and red furniture, they can implement it, but if their decisions could compromise user safety, they can put their foot down.
How do I brand myself as an interior designer?
This article provides strategies for building a personal brand as an interior designer, focusing on defining your niche and message, designing your portfolio and online presence, networking and collaboration, showcasing your expertise and value, and being authentic and consistent. The author specializes in creating immersive and functional interior spaces through 3D visualization techniques, targeting clients who value innovation and attention to detail.
Their unique selling proposition lies in blending artistic creativity with technical precision, ensuring every project tells a compelling story. The goal is to be perceived as a reliable expert, dedicated to bringing imaginative designs to life, and to stand out and draw opportunities aligned with their passion and expertise. By focusing on these strategies, the author aims to attract ideal clients and reflect their values and goals in the interior design industry.
Do interior designers work alone or with others?
Interior design requires coordination with architects, engineers, and contractors, and is constantly evolving due to design trends and software. To succeed in this field, designers must stay updated with the latest trends and software. This guide provides a comprehensive understanding of what it means to be an interior designer, outlining key requirements and starting points for those unsure of where to start. By staying updated, designers can create successful spaces that are both functional and visually appealing.
What is everything an interior designer does?
Interior designers are responsible for the creation of functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing indoor environments. This is achieved through the determination of space requirements, the selection of essential items such as colors, lighting, and materials, and the utilisation of blueprints for design purposes.
What are 3 things interior designers do?
Interior designers are professionals who create spaces that enhance the functionality and functionality of their surroundings. They focus on understanding how a space impacts its inhabitants, which in turn affects our well-being, particularly in areas where we spend most of our time, such as offices and homes. The profession can be pursued through various paths, with many starting their careers in different jobs before settling on the creative path.
However, there are certain foundational steps that make an expert’s work well-informed. Firstly, interior design work is shaped by understanding communities and their needs. There are various types of licensure and protections in place to ensure design work is safe, inclusive, and accessible. If you are a creative and empathetic mind, you may be interested in this career path.
Is interior design a stable job?
The demand for interior designers in residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors is increasing in response to the growing demand for personalized and functional spaces.
Is it fun to be an interior designer?
Interior design is a rewarding profession that allows designers to express their creativity and improve style by incorporating clients’ ideas and learning from them. Interior designers often influence a space’s mood and functionality, creating beautiful and functional environments using colors, textures, and layouts. The job can change a client’s lifestyle and improve their life, increasing the value of their home.
High-end projects and a robust portfolio can lead to lucrative contracts and commissions, making it a highly rewarding career. The financial rewards in interior design can be substantial, especially for those who establish a strong reputation and client base.
Do interior designers build things?
Interior designers should not be asked to build or renovate houses, hire their own tradesmen (unless licensed or insured), or sign-off builders and tradesmen’s work. The complexity of interior design and the numerous off-shoots, niches, and specialists in the industry can make it difficult for potential clients to understand their roles. Interior designers should avoid tasks that are slightly outside their scope of work or experience, such as hiring tradesmen or signing off builders’ work. Instead, they should focus on creating a cohesive and cohesive design that reflects their unique skills and experiences.
How do you know if you’re good at interior design?
Interior designers are crucial in the design industry, as they must be attentive to various aspects such as texture, color, lighting, materials, and spatial relations. They must understand how color combinations affect emotions and use them as expressive tools. They must also understand the scope of a project and transform it through the design process using drawings and plans. They must stay updated on the latest trends and products. Interior designers must have innate people skills to effectively communicate and collaborate with clients, vendors, architects, contractors, and other suppliers.
They must also be detail-oriented, organized, and have problem-solving skills to address challenges such as delivery and construction delays. They must be prepared to deal with unexpected demands and work with a level head to ensure the project runs smoothly.
📹 Are Interior Designers Snobs? | Items They Hate But I Love
In this video, I chat about why Interior Designers get the reputation of being snobs. I also discuss some of the items they wouldn’t …
As a guy that owns a furniture store, in a very far away country i have to say that Nick has a very strong point, modern retailers do not want to invest in a huge warehouse full of furniture, because even if they do, can not cover all the designs out there. So distributors were created and retailers buy from them plus their exclusive imports. And for Nick’s Subscribers, a small advice. There are only 3 pieces of furniture thats worth spending on 1. Mattress 2. Your main sofa 3. The dining chairs that you use every day. All the rest are there just to fill the space.
Nick, I think one of the most outrageous cases of white labeling was the Pottery Barn’s “Bamboo Wall Art” incident from a few years back. Pottery Barn released this “Hand Crafted Bamboo Wall Art Plate” that they sold at retail for $299, guess what… That “Plate” actually came from the Philippines and is what we call a “Bilao” (Bee-Lah-Oh) we literally use it to put a large amount of food meant to be shared in town fiestas. It can be any food for sharing: Noodles, fruits, rice cakes, heck even Western foods like chicken wings, roasted pork, etc. They literally sell that on the roadside here for…. $0.70 – $1.50! It was so ridiculous it actually managed to make the papers when the incident came out😂😂😂
Content like this is why i’m subscribed. I jokingly refer to “inferior desecrators” — those people who dictate how your home should look, and spend far too much money giving you the same look everyone else has. There are plenty of YT websites like this, with articles like “Amazon items you **Must** buy” or “West Elm’s Best Pieces for You”. Nick is the exact opposite. He does have style opinions, clearly stated as personal opinions. And he’s willing to offer design principles for those who like styles he does not. (How to do Farmhouse.) He does not push product … and with this article, he does the exact opposite. I bet a lot of furniture retailers are not happy right now. I have my own style. As a web designer, I know the principles of design; Nick translates those to home interiors. And now, he’s helping me find pieces that work with my style without paying extra.
Love this one, Nick! You are so right, we deal with this as interior designers and in my case Film design all the time. The biggest thing we deal with that I think you didn’t mention (maybe I missed it) is that some sites have a lower cost but charge a high shipping rate. Others offer free or low cost shipping, and this can make the total cost very similar… not always, but still important to note. Love that you mentioned and reminded us all to buy as well based on not just cost but also return-ability/reputation for service, etc. Super important to be able to support the retailers who also meet personal ethical standards and those things can play into that. Love your website!
I discovered this practice by scouring the internet for everything I order online, but I didn’t know the name. Thank you for this post! The first time I realized this was going on was when I ordered a console table from Perigold for nearly 1k and then found the exact same piece on another sight for half price, even the reviews were the same! I called Perigold to cancel my order but they ended up giving it to me for half price because the other retailer (I think it was All Modern) was part of the same company but Perigold is marketed for a higher end customer. So it pays to shop around. As Nick said, look for specs, country of origin, and I would add reviews before making a purchase. Thanks Nick, this kind of content makes you stand out above the rest.
It’s also helpful when you have been eyeing a piece at one retailer for awhile and they choose not to carry it anymore. I was looking at a specific iron side table at Crate and Barrel for awhile and wouldn’t you know it when I was finally ready to purchase it they no longer carried it. I happened to do some digging and found the exact same table at Burke Decor and wouldn’t you know it.. it was around $150 cheaper (and more with a coupon code)
Yes, it’s always good to keep in mind when shopping for furniture that very little of what you find online is “exclusive” to any particular retailer. It’s always worth checking to see if there is a better price elsewhere, especially it the item seems overpriced for what it is. I’ve saved a lot of money doing this.
The only caution I would add is to include shipping costs in comparisons. They can even out some differences. I’ve seen sellers have “specials” with free shipping, only to realize they’ve added the shipping costs to the special price! It is the same overall cost as the day before the sale! Creative accounting!
Loved this show! It’s so useful when you’re buying the big, important articles of furniture (think appliances?). One important thing to remember is to include the cost of extras – what do they charge, if anything, for shipping and set-up? What’s their return policy? What do they do if the furniture cracks or tears or something like that (a warranty, really) and for how long? All of that costs and it’s all local costs. And remember that there may be a reason why you want to buy from a retailers, like Restoration Hardware, who design and manufacture their own furniture. Keep up the good work.
I find this to be true with a lot of coffee tables and lamps. I was eyeing the Stephe Glass table lamp from PB but I didn’t want to spend $180 for a lamp when I need 2. I found the exact same lamp at Target for $120 (it’s the Marina Tall table lamp). All Modern is also notorious for this. I find a lot of their coffee/side tables on Lowes or Home Depot which is much more accessible for returns.
I just bought my son chairs from Amazon for 69 bucks a chair and found them on another site for 69 for set of two for a client for staging. They came in and were in the same exact box, same manufacture. They are the same exact chairs. So when I shopped for the breakfast table I did a lot of research and found the table for 250 instead of 600+ on other sites. It came in and it was the exact table! It pays to shop around if you have the time. I just did this for bathroom fixtures Delta. The same exact faucett was priced from 69-359 each and shower/tub set was 119-529. It is so crazy to me and the worst part is when you do buy and then you get ads (from cookies) telling you that you could have bought it for less.
When I took interior design classes in college, one of our assignments was to go to different stores and find exact same products and compare prices. Wow was I shocked at that time. But it makes sense. In a free market, anyone can charge whatever they want as long as they have buyers that will pay the price. We buyers just have to know that and do our due diligence. 💕
So true. I was at a retailer last week and took a photo of the tag with the information on it for the side table that was just under $800.00. After checking this out, I found the identical one online for just under $500.00. I was disappointed that the store I was at were charging that much of an increase. Now you have given me the understanding. Also, this high end retailer a couple of years ago had a Christmas ornament for $10.00 each. The identical, and I mean identical ones I had then came across a couple of days later at the Dollar store were for $1.25 each. I bought it to compare. It’s buyer beware! Thanks for your great articles! 💯
My favorite article of yours so far! Please make more like this! Does white labelling happen for art? silverware? Most wild examples of white labelling you’ve ever come across? I just wish on Four Hands you could buy from them or find an exact product of theirs in store somewhere (as opposed to finding a table you like from them and then “find a store” only leads you to places near you that carry Four Hands products but not the one you want).
I’ve not used Spoken, but I think the Pinterest shopping feature does something similar. I’ve picked up some home decor pieces for about 30-50% less than I would have if I’d gone with the option at a more well known store – same initials as “peanut butter”.😉 If in doubt about whether an item is or is not a white-label piece, most retailers will note an in-house design as “exclusive” to them. It may still be made by the same factory that does the white-label goods, but some detail will be unique to that retailer – color, fabric, leg style, etc.
This stuff always frustrates me to no end, mostly because one of peoples favourite things to say about capitalism is that it fosters creativity and the free market creates competition which creates better products, when really most companies get their products from the same factory, add a whole bunch of middle-men, mark up the price, and make it so that the actual workers who made th product get paid next to nothing for their hard labour. Great article, its good that people continue to expose this stuff
I remember the first time I learned about this by accident shopping for a couch. We went into a place that sold mid grade furniture to browse and found one we liked and then for fun went into a high end store, WAY out of our budget but just for fun, walked back to the couches and found the EXACT same couch for almost double the price. I was floored.
I recently purchased the Pottery Barn Dolores console and desk from Burke Decor for a fraction of the price. White glove delivery, perfect condition, arrived quickly and they have a nice rewards program. So not only did I save money on the furniture, I was able to turn around and get a couple hundred bucks off a new area rug for my master bedroom. I highly recommend them!
So true! A few weeks ago we saw a marble top console at Homesense that I fell in love with but walked away from. That night I looked online to see if I could find something similar at and saw the exact same console at one retailer for over $2,000 more and at another retailer for $700 more. The descriptions and dimensions matched exactly. The next morning we went back to Homesense and bought the console because in comparison to other places it was an absolute steal.
I noticed this too with a counter stool I bought. Found at three places: Urban Barn – Emmory Counter Stool $449CAD Pottery Barn – Perkins Counter Stool $858CAD McGee & Co – Moore Stool $700USD So strange! I’m so glad I bought them at Urban Barn before the price hike at $399CAD lol My wife and I started noticing this with a lot of products, thanks for explaining a lot of this Nick!
My new dining room table was a white label product. I’d initially found it listed (but out of stock) on Lowe’s. Since I liked it so much I started looking around for it from other retailers to see if they had it in stock. It took a while because of the pandemic and shipping, but Lowes eventually brought it back in stock for $200 more than originally listed, and then I found it on Wayfaire for less than either of the Lowe’s listings I’d seen before. Needless to day I bought it from Wayfaire and it’s still just as beautiful and well made as if I’d bought it from anywhere else.
in Denver we used to have a warehouse furniture outlet that sold name brand modern furniture, great pieces when MCM was making it’s 21st Century Return, Miller, Knoll, etc. I don’t know what happened, maybe it was the factory making the ‘name brand’ items that went under or maybe they got busted for copyright. anyway, it was good while it lasted, my partner and I furnished a living room and main bedroom for under $1000. It’s all excellent quality 22 years later we still have the pieces.
Other industries do this too. In the beauty industry, its called “private labeling”. Crown manufacturers is one of the biggest factories for it. There was a huge scandal some years back when people realized Morphe products and Crown products were all identical but Morphe cost more. At least with OTC medications, buying the store brand means you’re buying one formulary older than buying name brand. This doesn’t particularly matter for items that the formulary doesn’t change like single ingredient medications… but for things with multiple active ingredients, it can make a difference. It also happens in the clothing industry with mass market labels. You can find the same clothing from different online retailers for radically different prices sometimes. I think Amazon is a really great place to see this in action. I recently found the same collapsible toy tote (for a baby shower gift) in the same print and dimensions and fabric and country of origin from about a dozen store fronts. Because its Amazon, they’re all within the same price range or they couldn’t compete with each other… but I imagine the same item could be at Target for a similar price but some bougie baby boutique for double or triple the price.
Grocery store chains do this as well. There are obvious things like Zehrs vs No Frills (same parent company), but also within the same store brand. So you will see a Zehrs in one city charging more than another city for the same items, or even within a city, depending on the area. Shop smart! Don’t fall for their shenanigans!
It pays to go thrifting. 100% of my mid century furniture came from thrift stores around my area here in Oregon. For example yesterday I found a Lane 8 drawer dresser in great condition for $29.99 at Goodwill. Do I need another dresser…no but I will use it as a credenza in my living room for storage ( utensils, towels, plates etc.). I found the SAME dresser on Ebay and Facebook market going for $1,200. I just hope and pray my second hand items are not haunted. Another great article Nick, well done.
Hi Nick, I love your website, and I often ask myself, “what would Nick do?” Now maybe I can return your many favors… I also search Amazon for furniture I’ve located elsewhere. Many times, I have avoided paying shipping and return charges because I am a Prime member. There is however a time limit on the return window. Peace and love, Peebo
I’m not surprised about this because back in the 1990s, I took a marketing course by a woman who had worked for L’Oréal. (Not an interior design example, but business is business and corporations all work the same way). L’Oreal owned Lancome, a pricier brand. The cosmetics all came out of the exact same vat . . . some were marketed as a drug store brand, L’Oréal, and others as the fancy brand Lancôme. Exact same product.
I used to work for two different furniture stores and both sold “Four Hands” pieces and I know that we sold the same pieces at both stores at different price points. Now some of that may have been that the wholesale price went up. On a different note, I have a friend who used to work for a very large necktie manufacturer and they would do similar things. Making ties that could be bought by different retailers who would put their own labels on them. So it was completely possible that the Saks 5th Ave tie that you paid $100 could also be sold at Kohls for $20. The funniest part was they cost about $2 to $5 a piece to make.
This article got me subscribing and now I’m addicted! I thought it was to design articles, but I quickly became upset when I started branching out to other creators. Perhaps they are good at what they do, but Nick’s approach informs me without trying to make me change anything in my house (except the boob lamps. They bothered me before but I ignored it. Now they drive me nuts and I’ll replace them!) I really appreciate the approach and find the articles kind, fun, and relaxing as well as informative!
Yes! I find out about this now that I’m furnishing my first own apartment. We got our dining chairs and bar chairs from Amazon for half the price of what we were finding in local, physical retailers (here in the UK). Even on Amazon itself, the same chairs were coming in different prices. It was such an eye-opening experience.
Hi Nick, I never see anyone talk about Urban Barn. I buy a lot from there, many locations in Toronto. What are your thoughts on this retailer? For awhile they were so heavy into the grey and rustic that I stopped going there and became interested in Structube . Urban Barn has finally picked up their game again. Great article as usual Nick, I always look forward to them. By the way Brooklinen is not shipping to Canada in the next while
I knew about a lot of privately labeling going on in the beauty industry, especially with hair tools, but I didn’t realize this was so heavily done with furniture and decor. I know that a lot of times Amazon will see an item selling and make their own version of it, but I didn’t think much beyond thau.
I have so much respect for you in this article. Having been a former RH designer for 7 years, I can confirm that there is a lot of work by in house design teams who research and build the brand. I had the pleasure of meeting Timothy Oulton and listen to him talk about the Cloud Sofa concept that a lot of other vendors have duped. I’ve been working as a commercial and educational interior designer for the past 7 years so I’ve seen a lot of sides of the industry as a result. I think it’s an interesting topic you’ve highlighted and it really gives the average consumer a way to navigate their purchases – especially furniture and decor where the market is just dodgy in my opinion. It pays off to do the research when you’re making the investment pieces (I liked one of the comments by Stathis talking about top 3 items to invest – 100%!). We’ve grown so much as a global market that it’s sometimes overwhelming to weed through all the brands but again, your content helps shine a light for a lot of people.
I am not surprised that there is such a difference in furniture prices that are the same thing. I know that this is true for large appliances, small countertop appliances and even computer equipment. Return policies, after purchase upkeep and delivery prices do factor in a lot for purchasing at one site or another. But it does pay to do one’s research when investing in an item of home goods as you can find a good price for something that you may be keeping and using for years.
This makes perfect sense. We downsized so I am done with furniture shopping for a while. But the concept is similar to other items, power tools as an example. Same manufacturer, different labels, different color, different prices yet the exact same equipment. It definitely pays to do some research and shop around.
I started to notice this years ago when I was buying a lot of furniture for my house and I had no idea that this was the name for it. I noticed that the ones that I have purchased that are this type have not lasted and so we’ve transitioned to buying from furniture companies who we know are not doing this. There is one location in particular in the state I live in Virginia and it is called Greenfront Furniture. We got a Paul Robert sofa and a Sam Moore chair and both are Furniture companies who produce in the US. We also have Bernhardt furniture now and we got our kitchen table and chairs from an Amish furniture store which was fun because we got to custom make it. Also antiques are very prevalent in the house and so we have found really great ways to stop buying white labeled furniture
I work in marketing and there are several explantations about diferent prices for the same product: 1- Asociated costs in the retailer. If the retailer runs an expensive ad campain, their stores are located in the best part of town, etc it can increse prices. 2- Margins. how much the retailer gain in each piece? 20-40-60%? 3- What’s the real price of the product? this is a tricky one. I live in Argentina, 67% inflation this year (yeah, is hard, don’t complain about your economy american/canadian friend 😀 ) so for us is hard to know how much things really cost. Inflation is, in part, an emotional effect. Retailers try to guess a price today that can have their company buying more inventory in the future. That sofá you see in a store as a new arrival today, was purchased 8 months ago in China. There is other effect in prices not related to inflation. Is, in fact almost the opposite: prices are below the market. Imagine a retailer is closing his store forever and it needs to get rid of their products so it lists them 20-40-60% off. When you go to Amazon you see only the price, not the story behind it. Other situations may be the need for quick cash, so the company runs an agressive sale; or the need for the space for New arrivals. 4- Price point is a way to chose your target. Yes, that piece is the same in store A and store B, but store B carries an exclusive vibe and store A is more casual. I have a client who owns several bars in my city, one of them is located in the most expensive area and the clients ask for highier prices in order to keep the area just affordable for the locals.
Wayfair… definitely doesn’t “take back” everything. They may refund or reship but I ended up with three huge 50lb boxes with a partial bed frame inside it because they kept just shipping out replacements and told me to donate the “partial” frame, which ended up costing me to pay someone to transport and dump
Those high end retailers that have designers etc have no sale clause with manufacturers of extra stock in their country. I used to work for the store that is known by two initials. Extra unsold stock items would sell to TJMaxx for Export. So, I would see the same chairs/lamps, decor etc here in Canada at Homesense: Same manufacturer, same materials, same everything. My kitchen light was cheaper there than my staff discount at the store! Post COVID- not seeing the same.
Yes!!!! My husband wonders what I do on line all day when I’m getting ready to make a purchase. My armchairs, lamps and bakers rack were wildly different prices for the same thing. I did my due diligence and combed the descriptions because sometimes I was amazed that with the price difference it could be the same product but it was. When I saw the title of the article I KNEW this was what you were going to talk about. So glad you brought it into the light. Although to someone like me for whom shopping is an art form, I caught on a while ago. Good to be affirmed!
I think this article was record speed talk Nick. Just saying, lol, but this comment notwithstanding, wow and a big huge thank you for this reveal in information sharing. Wow wow wow….this truth smacked me gob really hard and l will forever utilize this in the approach of decorating my home. Thank you thank you thank you!💖😃
This happened to me… bought a bed frame off wayfair and when I received it it was labeled differently/ in a different box. When I googled, I found it on Amazon for nearly $100 less. I was a little annoyed because I understand paying more for customer service or in-store experience but I’m not really sure what the big difference between Amazon and Wayfair is. If anything, I would have gotten it faster with Amazon… in any case, I’m definitely doing my due diligence now when furnishing the rest of my home.
It’s crazy to see you mentioned a piece of furniture that I owned – the benches you mentioned at Joss and Main at minute 06:35. And I got it brand new at the local furniture store ( the Living Space) for literally 600 bucks in early 2022 for my new place. To see they’re selling for over 1400 bucks is quite shocking.
Vancouver doesn’t have expensive real estate compared to other “expensive cities.” Their citizens just don’t make enough money to pay for the real estate that is actually offered. So comparing it to NY and SF makes no sense because in those cities, the people get paid quadruple what people get paid in Vancouver and only then can actually afford it. Vancouver’s affordability problem goes much deeper than “expensive real estate.”
A HUGE thank you for this article! I have been trying to find a way to explain this to my elderly mom who shops excessively for home decor and furniture. She always spends more than she should. Also, she likes YouTube articles and anything interior design. Now I can send her this article link. You have just made my life easier and gained a new follower because I’m sure she will love you. Thanks again!
It’s been over 40 years ago but I remember my parents worked with a decorator when they had our new house built. He wound up taking them into the city to the showrooms for the living & dining room pieces. After picking out the fabric they were sent out to be made. It took forever but that stuff lasted. One of those homes that basically only used those rooms on holidays
As consumers, we have to know that we pay extra out of our pockets for a retailer’s differentiated branding. Businesses focus on branding a lot because it benefits them, not us. They know they can manipulate us to pay more for the same thing. Prices can also be higher due to value add. But if the “value add” is the photography or the distribution website to get the chair to me .. naaahhhhhh … let me save my money, invest it, and retire earlier. I’m tired of being mined of all my money by MBAs.
That happens so often. The exact same item, not dupes, just with different names and brands, and with different prices. That is why it is always good to search around for the best price and use general terms to describe the item or use Google lens to search, not using any retail store name. And I laugh because I had found the same item at a retailer for a lot more and then find it AT WALMART for way cheaper, to give an example, more times than not.
Wow! I mean I sort of knew about this, but not at all to the extent you just shared. I thought Lulu and Georgia was designing and manufacturing all of their own stuff. They’re just really freaking good at marketing. But to their credit, they can style and photograph pieces in a way that makes me want to buy them, whereas I wouldn’t necessarily pay a passing glance from somewhere else that just has it photographed on a boring white background. So, there is value in that which is what you were saying.
Down here in Australia, I found this to be 100% correct. Over the past 18 months I have been curating, purchasing and storing almost a whole house of furniture for our new build (it’s almost ready!). I have done most of it online – I found Google images to be a great tool for this! Once I found the piece I wanted, I searched for it on Google Images & Google Lens (sometimes they don’t change the name or images at all) which brought up all the retailers that sold the same piece at very different prices. I did this for sideboards, console tables, mirrors, dining chairs, dining table, entertainment unit, homewares & decor items. I will say the NEXT step was to check the SHIPPING costs. Some would be cheaper by $$$ but then their shipping charges were $$ more than a competitor. So, I did lots of homework before I hit purchase. Online stores that had ‘white labeled furn’ I ordered from T&W, Lux Street, Shine Mirrors, Brosa, Attica House, Notbrand, LivingStyles & Calibre Furniture so they either were cheaper in general or had the cheaper shipping charges so were cheaper overall for that specific item. The pieces I bought from West Elm & Freedom (sofa, armchairs, wall unit, consoles, area rug, bookshelf) were exclusive to them as Nick said. Thank you for another excellent article!
Excellent article and such helpful information for consumers. Buyer beware also of the main title descriptions versus the detail descriptions. I contacted one large online retailer directly to inquire if a chair really was genuine leather (as in the main description) or polyurethane vinyl (as in the detail description) and they insisted the item was genuine leather even though their own detail description did not agree. Two months later, they have still not corrected the discrepancy, but the price is consistent with vinyl.
One reason for some of the price differences can come down to a company’s purchasing power. If you want to buy 10,000 units, you can often negotiate a much better price than a boutique chain that wants to only buy 10. The next factor is were are the stores located? How much do they pay for rent? What are their other operating expenses like? What type of theft or fraud do they have to contend with? How much do they pay their employees? How many employees do they need? For all we know, it’s possible that the more expensive chair could be set at lower profit margin.
I just found a modular sofa I wanted 5 different prices, and names. Two of them were on Wayfair with 2 different names and prices. I got it on Amazon $1,600. Wayfair wants 3,800 on sale from 5g. I found it even on home depot for effs sake who wants 4g, and another site wants TEN G!! I was getting paranoid thinking I was going to get a cheap knockoff, I’m glad I found your article lol I had been going back and forth on refusing delivery when it comes before this article.
Wow Nick. I just found your website recently. This particular article is unbelievably eye opening and incredibly valuable to me! As a small luxury hotel owner with also a portfolio of luxe STR’s in Aruba, I am personally curating all the design components from floor to ceiling. I have struggled with worrying about finding a piece that I love at a higher end furnishing company (Front Gate, Ballard Designs), and then seeing it at Wayfair let’s say. I hesitate because the quality question of the cheaper one that’s identical always worries me. Thank you so much for this! I am in the process of looking right now for all of furnishings for my latest acquisition coming in September! I try to keep to my budget but always go over. Perhaps I won’t for once 🎉🎉🤞🤞!
I think many of these stores, are from the same owner.. or… they “play hand clap” as we say in Holland. Which means that the chair (for instance) is really worth 40 dollars.. then one store asks an outrageous price for it like 1500 dollar. But they made a deal with another store to ask 800 dollar for it. And when you of cause buy the 800 dollar chair thinking you have found a bargain. They split the difference = 380 dollars each. But as i mentioned.. may well be there’s only 1 owner, just different store/brand names, and then it’s 760dollars profit .
Restoration Hardware does it but it’s often their lighting and accessories rather then their furniture. You can sometimes tell which manufacturers MAY be doing it based off those where it’s very difficult (if not impossible) to pin their website pics from a google/chrome browser. The retailers know that you can right click on their website and reverse image search or “look for similar” using a google/chrome browser so they have made it incredibly hard to use this feature. RH is one of the. I am currently OBSESSED with the Kelley Wearstler lighting, I went down a week long rabbit hole (I wish I were kidding…I am not..😬) and eventually kept finding references to RH lighting “dupes” of her designs…upon investigation, they are absolutely identical and often have the same product name, for example the “Melange”, “Melange Pill” and “Halcyon” sconces are identical and identically named and RH doesn’t credit the designer or manufacturer as being anything other than RH. Which is fine, but just to say that if you like RH lighting, it may be worth looking for “Dupes” and then checking for white label. Also, I just found your website, I love it, I love you, keep doing what you’re doing!!
Very interesting article. Do the suppliers that interior designers use also have white label furniture? We are working with a designer right now on a major remodel that is also going to include some furniture and decor. I think the sectional she has in mind for our family room will be custom (and undoubtedly very expensive), but I’m pretty sure she’ll be sourcing the rest of the furniture from a design center. How do we make sure we aren’t overpaying for the furniture we buy through her?
Recently I was on a website and found a console… LOVED it. 659.00 ( not bad) Kept scrolling and found it for 557.00 ( same website) another 429.00 and then 309.00!!! Again SAME website! and the same pics used for each one. I then hit chat and wanted to know if there was anything different. I was assured they were all the same and they told me they source from all over and depends on the supplier. ( this was on overstock btw) I decided to purchase the 309.00
THANK YOU FOR THIS article! With little effort, I found identical box planters at Wayfair that were, on average, 30% of Pottery barn prices—specifically, the difference was $124 (small), $215 (medium); $337 (large). I checked every detail, material, capacity, dimensions, and the photos were the same. I’m purchasing 4 of these, so am saving from $860 (medium) – $1,348 (large). (Big fan of your show.)
Here’s another secret: furniture companies are offloading quality control to the customer. I just received a table from a company we shall call, oh, I don’t know, East Oak. The holes in the base were offset so that the table was impossible to assemble. Guess what East Oak is requiring of me, the customer? If you guessed repackaging a very heavy chunk of stone in many layers of cardboard and plastic and hauling to the UPS store to send back, BINGO! You are correct. No amount of hassle is too much for the modern consumer. I suggested they just look at the picture, but the customer service rep reminded me that they already have my money and if I want it back, I’ll comply with their demands. 🤯
Um. Setting aside the matter of price, why would you buy that Claudia/Gia chair at 3:19? It’s too low to the ground, folds you up like a jack-knife, and is hard to get out of. Then picture a small child in shorts or a little dress scraping tender legs on that scratchy-looking bark. I suspect that no matter how low the price, you are wasting money.
I’d love for you to talk about the molding on your walls: my eye is always drawn to the molding on your walls and I always wonder, “how would that work in my space?”–mid-century, nondescript, condo conversion. Like, how much is enough? how much is too much? Esp when you have an open floor plan typical of this era of building.
@ 6:47 he is racking his brain to come up with reasons why ppl would use plastic utensils, dishes, glasses, etc. Forgetting KIDS!!! We eat off almost 100-year-old plates I inherited from my grandmother because I believe in just using things rather than keeping them behind glass, off limits. I enjoy them but I am sick of cleaning up broken glass, so we have plastic drinking cups. They are the nice ones that are not cheap and do not get “foggy” when you put them in the dishwasher but yeah, plastic “glasses” are what we are using prob until our kids are in their late teens
This article confirmed what I had heard rumors of before. Thanks for all the info and clarity. Also, I have accent chairs from Four Hands! I love them! I actually got them at Costco about 6 years ago (on clearance for a steal) and then a couple years later I saw the exact same ones online somewhere else for over double the price. They’re some of my favorite pieces in my home.
Do you ever consult with design assistance? I just bought a larger than average home and own almost nothing. Need some help with large spaces (especially larger rugs) and already have it laid out in a 3D model for visualization. Just need some basic help with sticking points and guidance. Are you available for some basic consulting?
This is the secret that every retailer and most manufacturers of everything don’t want you to know: things cost very little to make. Once you cut out the profits, the massive salaries and overheads, materials and manufacturing costs are generally low. Skechers level shoes cost under $10 to make, with box. Steel and glass furniture rarely goes above $100. Sofas cost a couple hundred bucks for the best grades of leather, they are mostly shipping.
One other advice when comparing whether it’s the same item at different retailers.Educate yourself on other names used for the same material. Example viscose (worst material ever imo) can be listed as bamboo silk, (I’ve Even seen just “silk”),rayon etc. yet it’s the exact same material just using different words
A lot of designers do this as well. I bought a wallet from Danier leather (around $80), HERMES lol sold the exact same one for like $3000 or some ridiculous amount, only difference the buckle had either Danier or Hermes stamped into it. So you will find designers will do this with accessories sunglasses, scarves, wallets, gloves, hats etc. Not saying ALL but a lot of designers.
Nick thank you for sharing this information. I’ve never heard of “White Labeling” as a thing, but your point, that is to shop around for the same exact item is certainly true! It’s a habit I’ve developed over the years and it truly pays off. Just today I found about $130.00 worth of Christmas gifts, shopped around and found everything for less at two stores. So I split up my order and paid $71.00 instead of $130, for the same exact thing! Yes, there was free shipping too! It really pays to become a savvy shopper! Love your article’s, keep them coming!
These companies ruin pricing for small businesses so badly. People see how they are scammed re pricing – even on an hourly basis at times – by big companies and expect the same from e.g. their local architects, interior designers, cleaners etc. These people, however, have to live of their business locally and don’t exploit enslaved people overseas if they can avoid it. Always check your sources, too. I still grew up at a time in which prices didn’t constantly drop and you weren’t driven crazy by constant deals. The best you can do is avoid buying stuff and save your money for – maybe used – high quality items that last.
Like your website and what you are saying CAN be true but…. I live and have sourced furniture in Indonesia for many moons. Your first example – “Kursi Santai” = “Calm Chair” is produced by thousands of suppliers from tiny home industry shops to huge mechanized factories. There is a huge variation in quality. All the chairs from all suppliers are the same dimensions. If you need a container full of the things get you one out in 10 days 😄
Wayfair does this on this own website! You have to do sooo careful when considering a purchase. I’ve found the same media console under 3-4 different brand names at vastly different prices – on Wayfair’s website. I haven’t found a way to get the filter features to show similar items. It’s definitely buyer beware on Wayfair. It’s turned me off of purchasing from them.
Oh I attests with the White Labelling. We’re changing our tv stand since we’ve had it since 2015. My wife keep on browsing then she came into this modern tv stand on Wayfair that when I google it on my phone I found that same thing (materials,dimensions & weight) on Target & Home depot. We bought it on Home Depot since it is much cheaper even with Target & Wayfair’s “Sale price.”
I’ve experienced this, but with sunglasses! Ordered some aawesome sunglasses from China, and when they arrived they were a bit sqewed in the middle, nothing huge, just twisted them into place, and no problem! Then i went out to a danish chainstore, where they had the excact same glasses, all with the twisted middle.. like mine… saved more than 25$
When I’m at a physical store, I try to find the manufacturers label and take a photo of it (e.g. found under the chair). Then I know google search keywords and find this chair in many other storesWhen I’m at a physical store, I try to find the manufacturers label and take a photo of it (e.g. found under the chair). Then I know google search keywords and find this chair in many other stores
I recently bought four upholstered dining room chairs. They are vinyl covered comfortable and have armrests and swivel. The strange thing is the white vinyl has started to show a very slight pink tint on every single chair and I’m beginning to wonder if the vinyl was originally red and someone painted over it with white paint and now it’s showing it’s originalcolor? I’m gonna definitely have to call Wayfair since it was in the past few months that I bought them.
I can’t believe the prices of the Indonesian banana bark woven chair. I been to Indonesia a half a dozen times, and furniture is incredibly cheap. Many Australians get it shipped back home, including myself. I also worked for a cane furniture importer who brought container loads of rattan from the Philippines as well as other countries. Prices can vary immensely on the quantity purchased. Naturally retailers that can fill containers will get better prices. You’re absolutely right in advising people to shop around. Thanks Nick for your fabulous peak behind the curtain.
Idk how it’s in the US, but in the Netherlands (and I think a lot of places in Europe), they do this with everything. Especially food. Notice a lot of foodbrands use the same exact packaging, sizes, etc but the only difference is the print/branding on the packaging? That’s also just the same product but it went to a different assembly line in the factory to get the other packaging. Even happens with cars. Quite a few of brands have the exact same model but theres a different brandname on it.
Before I buy anything from a store I’ve never heard of, I google the reviews. Often times I find that the reviews are really bad. I might actually spend slightly more to order from target or cb2 because I know if something goes wrong I won’t be totally screwed over. I’ve also reverse searched images before only to find someone bought a $50 lamp on Amazon and is re selling it for 300 on eBay, Etsy, etc.
I knew it I tell my husband they the same. They change the brand name similar to kitchen appliances kitchen aid and cuisinart the accessories work on both most actually manufactured in same place. Some look the same others will change it a little. The internet version of window shopping of the 90s 🤣. Thanks for link to the site you used. Been needing a coffee table with storage
If you’re using chrome and you right click on a picture click on “search image with google lens” click google lens in the top right hand corner (box with an arrow next to it). It will show you anyone who sells that item and often similar looking items as well. As long as you check the details you can tell if it’s a knockoff or white label. Just in case you didn’t know.
Interesting advice, but overgeneralized. I have been working in asian factories for decades now, and although the products may in fact be coming from the same factory, that does not mean that different purchasers dont spec different materials for these products. So yes, its likely that some smaller furniture shops are buying straight from a catalog from these factories, but the larger brands are likely to have some unique material grade specs since they can order higher volumes than the smaller buyers, and these uniquenesses can be substantial in total value for the product. What would be a more thorough experiment is to actually buy a few of these pieces and tear them down and evaluate the differences.
This is really important info for consumers that want to be informed, but I would like to also comment that different factories also make the same product designs but they are NOT all the same quality. They will often have slightly different materials or general build quality. And then also on top of all this there are online marketplaces that sell items like Amazon that are adding in another layer of differences for customer service. Some of the items are being fulfilled by the marketplace vendor and some are only using the marketplace to advertise and do the sales transaction.
Interesting 🤔. I think similar issues happen with clothes/bags etc. I wanted a good quality tote for work. I wanted one that would last for years. I researched and found one. It was around $220. By accident one day I found the bag for half price at another retailers! I did exactly as you said looked at manufacturer, material and all the details. Exact same bag. 👜
as a fashion design major we also have white label stuff… and one VERY big reason for the difference in price is … target market. the person who shops at “upscale” would be deeply suspicious of a too inexpensive price on that blouse, where the person who shops at “savings galore” WANTS to see a mark down. so the same people buy the same EXACT blouse, and one store sells it at a price point that is consistent with their “brand identity”- say 50 bucks… and the other will label it at 50, put a slash through it and re price it at 20… oddly enough the upscale store could NOT sell it at 20 dollars without running the risk of damaging their upscale rep. meanwhile in a different region a store- lets call it “mid market pros” will mark the same blouse at, say thirty… because thats what their customer expects.
Nick, this was extremely informative article. I used to work for a design house and yes we sell at huge markups almost 3 1/2 times more than what we originally buy for. And I myself will never buy at those huge mark ups. I prefer gently used second hand antiques or vintage furniture and If i do buy a new piece i shop around a lot and do my due diligence before i pay for something ludicrous. I enjoy your articles so much!
nick, could you probably make a article comparing interior design brands, that have pricey products just bc you pay for the brand name and image vs. brands that are actually high price bc their material is sustainable and they pay fair wages to their workers etc. Basically which brands are worth their price, since it comes from good quality?
very similar used to go on with cosmetics – when I was a kid (back in the 80’s) I had a part time evening shift job in a makeup factory and the same product would come down the line but go into various shops packaging to be sold at vastly differing prices. It just goes to show as consumers it pays to shop around and do your research before parting with hard earned money
I figured this out a few years ago. Sometimes you can search by skulking and find items at different sites. I’ve found the lowest prices on the things I wanted at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Target and I can easily return to the brick and mortar near me. And don’t forget to use Rakuten or whatever similar site works for you!