The Price Maker presents: viral TikTok tips to buy furniture much cheaper!
A house’s furnishing can be an expensive, and often overwhelming, task, but you can’t avoid it. Turning an empty space into a comfortable, stylish home is a fundamental part of nesting. There are plenty of ways to immediately reduce the cost of this process, such as diligent thrift store shopping or receiving well-loved hand-me-downs from your friends or family. However, while these are excellent budget-friendly options, there’s a unique satisfaction in investing in brand-new items that you can call your own, pieces that perfectly match your vision and will last for years to come. Unfortunately, this dream is not going to be cheap.
If this is your first time purchasing furniture for a new apartment or a first home, you might be shocked by the high prices for essential items like couches, a new dining table, or some sturdy cabinets. The initial excitement can quickly turn to “sticker shock” as you realize your budget might only cover one or two key pieces. But you don’t have to accept anything at face value—in fact, you absolutely shouldn’t, and that’s why we’re here to pull back the curtain on the retail furniture industry.
Thankfully, we live in an age of shared information, and TikTok users who are thrifty and resourceful have been posting some amazing advice on how to buy furniture much cheaper without sacrificing quality or style. These pointers, which range from the industry secret of evaluating white-label choices to the simple but powerful technique of comparing merchants, can save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars on your next big purchase. It’s all about shopping smarter, not harder.
If you need a few powerful tips on how to buy furniture much cheaper and furnish your home like an interior design pro on a rookie’s budget, keep reading, because here are some of the best and most effective tips from viral TikTok users that the big-box stores hope you never discover!
1. White label furniture
Have you ever wondered what’s behind all of those amazing hacks for getting designer-looking furniture at a much more reasonable price? The number one secret is a concept called white labeling. In conformity with plenty of savvy TikTok users, white labeling is a secret furniture stores don’t want customers to know, but understanding it could help them save a significant amount of money on their favorite items. It’s the key to unlocking massive savings on the exact same products.
While it might sound confusing, white-label furniture is simply furniture that is produced by a single manufacturer and then wholesaled to multiple different merchants. These retailers then rebrand the item and sell it at various rates by each of them, often with wildly different price tags. Think of it like store-brand cereal; often, the same factory produces the budget-friendly version and the big-name brand, with the only real difference being the packaging and the price.
This means that whether you buy your pieces from a high-end retailer like Pottery Barn or a budget-friendly option like Wayfair, Target, or another retailer, the core furniture pieces won’t be exactly the same, except for the potential price differences. The beautiful boucle armchair you’re eyeing on a luxury site could be available elsewhere for 40% less under a different product name, despite coming from the very same factory.
So, how do you uncover these hidden deals? If you want to check whether a piece is a white label, TikTok users recommend a simple but effective trick: copy and paste the most detailed parts of the item’s description into Google. Don’t just copy the product name, as that is often unique to the retailer. Instead, grab the specific dimensions, materials (e.g., “solid acacia wood frame,” “performance velvet upholstery”), and unique features. Then, simply search and see if other retailers will come up in the results selling an identical-looking product.
McGee and Co., Pottery Barn, Lulu and Georgia, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Serena and Lily, Houzz, Restoration Hardware, West Elm, Perigold, Home Depot, Perigold, Walmart, and Overstock are some of the retailers that are known to use white label furniture. You’d be amazed how often a chic side table from a high-end store appears on a mass-market site for a fraction of the cost.
However, another thing you need to consider when you want to buy furniture much cheaper is knowing the difference between white-label furniture and brand-exclusive furniture. This will save you from wasting time searching for a deal that doesn’t exist. Many brands invest in unique designs to stand out and justify their premium prices.
For instance, on Crate and Barrel’s website, the phrase “Crate & Barrel Exclusive” will often appear directly under the product name. This is a clear signal that you won’t find this exact item anywhere else. Brand collaborations with well-known designers are another clear sign that those items are brand-exclusive and special to a business. If a piece is advertised as the “Jake Arnold for Crate & Barrel Collection,” your search for a cheaper version will likely come up empty.
That being said, knowing the distinction between brand-exclusive and white-label furniture is equally crucial, as it will help you expedite your study and focus your efforts on items where savings are possible. For instance, if the furniture is brand-exclusive, the phrase “Crate & Barrel Exclusive” will appear under the product name on the Crate & Barrel website. Working together with designers is another indication that something is special to a business and proprietary. Pay attention to these cues before you start your deep-dive search.
Here’s how to buy furniture much cheaper!
2. Price comparison websites
If you don’t want to follow the tip previously mentioned, the one with manually copying and pasting the product description for every item you like, there are plenty of other tips to help you buy furniture much cheaper. Technology can automate this entire process for you, saving you both time and money with just a few clicks.
A popular TikTok user shared with her community a game-changing website called spoken.io, which will help you compare the prices of white-label furniture across plenty of different retailers automatically. This platform does the heavy lifting for you, acting as a dedicated search engine for identical furniture pieces sold under different names and prices across the web.
In the video, the user shared many jaw-dropping examples, including a stylish dresser sold at Walmart for less than $300 that is also sold at Urban Outfitters for more than $450—the exact same item, just with a different retailer’s markup. The other example the user gave is even crazier, with a gorgeous coffee table featuring a distinctive fluted base sold for around $600 at Joss and Main and over $1,000 at Overstock. This demonstrates a potential saving of over $400 for a few minutes of research.
You can use spoken.io as a website or, even more conveniently, download it as a Chrome extension to immediately compare prices when trying to buy furniture much cheaper from online retailers. With the extension installed, a small pop-up will appear as you browse, alerting you if the same item is available for less money elsewhere. It’s like having a personal shopping assistant dedicated to finding you the best deal.
Speaking of a dresser, if you want one that is gorgeous, goes with the majority of home decor styles, and has a timeless vintage look to it, I strongly recommend you check this one out from Amazon because it looks terrific! Its classic design and solid construction make it a versatile piece that could work in a bedroom, hallway, or even as a media console, and at its price point, it’s a fantastic value.
Do you want to buy furniture much cheaper? Then keep reading, because you’ll love the next tip which is another simple but incredibly effective search method!
3. Google image search
You can also use Google Image search, also known as a reverse image search, to check if particular items are white label, and maybe buy furniture much cheaper thanks to this tip. Some TikTok users demonstrated this with a stunning cloud-style sectional couch listed for $2,800 on Wayfair. This method is especially powerful for visually distinct items.
They simply right-clicked on the main product image on the retailer’s website, selected the “Search Google for Image” option from the dropdown menu, and then scrolled through all those different visual results of retailers that sell that specific product. Google’s powerful AI analyzes the photo for key features—shape, color, texture—and finds matches across the internet, even if the product names and descriptions vary.
What’s interesting is that thanks to this method, they were able to find a not-so-popular retailer that was selling the same gorgeous couch, but for more than $1,000 less. That’s a massive saving achieved in under a minute of work. Imagine applying this trick to every piece of furniture you plan to buy. If you want to discover other tips on how to buy furniture much cheaper, keep reading!
4. Additional discount
I think you already know why it’s so important to compare prices and to do your research before buying something. The price you see is rarely the only price available. You can never know if your favorite item, or something incredibly similar, is sold by another retailer for a much better price. A few minutes of investigation can literally keep thousands of dollars in your pocket.
But these amazing tips on how to buy furniture much cheaper don’t stop here; we have a few things left to talk about for those looking for even deeper savings. A popular TikTok user described their membership-based shopping service, which helps customers with price comparison tools and, crucially, provides access to extra trade discounts from interior designers.
A “trade discount” is a special price that manufacturers and retailers offer to industry professionals like designers and architects. It’s a professional courtesy that isn’t available to the general public. Besides finding the absolute lowest price across several retailers for a white-label item, that impressive service can then apply an additional trade discount on top of the best price, which can help you save hundreds of more dollars from the overall price.
The service mentioned was shared by TikTok user @designbroker, and while it’s not free, it costs around $39 monthly with a three-month minimum subscription or the high price of $129 for a one-month membership. This might seem steep, but it might be worth it in case you have a few big projects that require you to buy furniture much cheaper. If you’re furnishing an entire house and spending over $10,000, a service that can save you 20-30% could easily save you thousands, making the membership fee a very smart investment.
What do you think about these viral TikTok tips to buy furniture much cheaper?
5. Buy from the manufacturer
Another smart way to buy furniture much cheaper is to do your shopping straight from the manufacturer whenever possible. Cutting out the middleman—the retailer—can lead to significant savings. Going straight to the source can help you save money, have faster shipping since the item doesn’t need to go to a retail warehouse first, have better customer service, and you can also communicate directly with the manufacturer and give them feedback or ask highly specific questions about the product.
Finding the manufacturer can sometimes be tricky. You might need to do some detective work. Look for small labels on the furniture itself (often on the back or underside), check the original packaging if possible, or search for the manufacturer’s name in the fine print of the product specifications online. Sometimes, a reverse image search will lead you not just to other retailers, but to the original manufacturer’s B2B (business-to-business) website, which may also have a direct-to-consumer section.
Keep reading to discover other amazing tips on how to buy furniture much cheaper!
6. Upcycling option
If you don’t necessarily want to invest in new-brand furniture, or if you have a creative streak, you can always go for the upcycling option to buy furniture much cheaper. This will help you save a tremendous amount of money, and it will also help you have a sustainable approach to our planet because you’ll contribute to a lower carbon footprint by reducing waste and the demand for new manufacturing. It’s a win for your wallet and a win for the environment.
You can always do a little DIY project to give some new life to your old or thrifted objects, so they can become real treasures. Look for pieces with “good bones”—solid wood construction and a classic shape—even if the finish is dated. Add a fresh coat of paint, replace the old-fashioned hardware with modern knobs or pulls, draw something nice on them with stencils, or refinish them to reveal the beautiful wood underneath. You’ll have a spectacular, one-of-a-kind object that carries a wonderful story and perfectly reflects your personal style.
7. Buy secondhand
This tip is similar to the previous one, but if you want to buy furniture much cheaper, getting your much-needed objects secondhand is going to be a huge save, especially if you have multiple areas to furnish all at once. The secondhand market is vast and filled with high-quality pieces at rock-bottom prices, if you know where to look.
For starters, you could start your search on online platforms like Craiglist and Facebook Marketplace to get some amazing deals. Be specific with your search terms (e.g., “mid-century teak sideboard,” “solid oak dining table”) to find exactly what you want. Plenty of people move or simply don’t need their stuff anymore, so they end up selling it for a very low price just to get it out of their house quickly. Don’t be afraid to negotiate politely!
Speaking of low prices and Facebook, there are plenty of local groups where people simply donate things they don’t need anymore, often called “Buy Nothing” groups. They take pictures, give a couple of details about the item they no longer want, and will generally tell you the neighborhood where you can go and pick it up if you want. Look for these groups in your city or neighborhood, because there are some real treasures there, and the sense of community is a wonderful bonus. It’s a great way to furnish a home for free.
Other than that, don’t overestimate the power of a garage sale, antique store, flea market, or thrift shop because they carry bargains that have a story behind them and that look gorgeous, so these are great options to go to if you want to buy furniture much cheaper. At thrift stores, visit on weekdays when new donations are often put out. At flea markets, arrive early for the best selection or late in the day to negotiate better prices with vendors who want to pack up less stuff.
If you have any other tips on how to buy furniture much cheaper, such as timing your purchases around holiday sales or using cashback apps, feel free to share them with us in the comments! If you liked reading this article and you want to check out another article from The Price Makers on smart shopping, here’s my recommendation: Save $1000 by Purchasing These 8 Off-Brand Items
