Cool Hunting ala Moving

This is a Cool Hunting post I've been meaning to get to for some time, so finally, here we go and it is my 100th post!

So, as many know I recently moved. Not only was this a big move because it was from Boston to New York and it meant finally moving in with Matt after 6.5 years of living in separate cities (besides an 8 month stint in adjacent cities, Cambridge and Somerville), it was also the first time I would get to decorate with all my own stuff, which really meant a lot of shopping. mmm, shopping. I thought it would be fun to highlight the places and things I'm most proud of just in case you need some new furniture, you feel like redecorating, or your bored at work and want to internet window shop.

1. Ikea
Duh! This is where many many 20-somethings go to purchase items for a new apartment. I <3 Billy Bookshelves- They were easy to put together, sturdy and look really sharp
Hemnes Bed Side Tables- I'll admit, one has a drawer that doesn't sit right on the rollers, but overall, they're sleek, stylish and have tons of storage. I've always wanted matching bedside tables!
365+ Dinner Ware- I love clean white dishes with no frills, but I didn't want to be totally boring and get the typical circle dishes, or go too retro and get square dishes so this style was perfect. They were cheap enough that I stocked up for those long periods between running the dishwasher and the typical "oops I broke a plate" moments.
Poang Arm Chair- This was probably our biggest splurge at Ikea since we don't sit in it, but Matt was really gung-ho about it and I didn't want to pollute his small bit of Ikea love so we got it. It is really comfy, and totally completes our living room, and right now it's a great storage place.

2. Crate & Barrel-
I really really love C & B. I think they're products are classic with a great contemporary feel and they have a great outlet and often the prices aren't that ridiculous. I really see myself buying more and more C & B products as I move in to bigger places. We got a lot of little things there since I used my Amex points to get gift cards, but the most favorite was-
Leaning Bookshelf & Leaning Desk: I don't know what it was about these, but years ago I saw them and immediately wanted them for my NYC apartment. Luckily with skillful designing and great space management I got to purchase both of them. I honestly really think they make the room. I have a lot of "things" (not quite chotskeys) that I needed a place to put and the leaning bookshelf was a perfect solution for that. The desk has worked out really well, and is a great space solution since it has two bookshelves on it to keep other "things" (really they're not chotskeys).

3. Pottery Barn-
Pottery Barn is a bit of a guilty pleausre for me. Most of their home goods are a bit too expensive for my budget, but I often find myself browsing their sale pages online, hoping for a great deal. Its what I found when I came upon the following-
Office Organization Daily System: I immediately knew that the letter bin and office organizer would be perfect for our short on space, big on height apartment. Not only a place to put our keys and other various items we need to grab quickly on our way in and out of the apartment, but somewhere to put take out menus, magazines and have some space for a decroative box or two also! They're still on sale and have a lot more pieces than just the two I got. If you need to decorate or are in the process of putting together a home office, kitchen, entryway or even a bedroom these are great pieces to have. Bonus, they were really easy to put up too.

4. Totally Furniture: Our kitchen, while being big for standard and having all the appliances we need, only has room for you to stand in it. I quickly came up with the idea of getting a breakfast bar table that would fit along the wall next to the kitchen and not only be a table when we needed it, but also extra storage. Online searches took me to one I loved on Amazon.com, but it the shipping was ridiculously expensive. I searched more, hardly ever coming up with what I wanted, most tables only came with two stools and I wanted four, most were light wood and we were going for dark. Then, I found this site and the shipping was dirt cheap.
The Winsome Breakfast Bar Table- was exactly the same as the amazon.com one and the shipping was $60 less. It has been great. Not only do we have a table when we want to use it, but a lot of extra surface space to put mail, etc. I love this table. If you are short on space, or are truly looking for a breakfast bar table, this one is great. The stools, I heard, were pretty difficult to assemble, but that's the only complaint! If you are also looking for furniture to order online and overstock.com doesn't have it with $2.95 shipping then come here next, its worth it.

So those are the finds, deals and favorites from the move. Some places that provided many shopping opportunities and deserve honorable mention were Target (of course), Bed Bath and Beyond (can never go wrong there), and Marshalls/TJ Maxx/HomeGoods (I miss being able to hop in my car and drive to one or all of them when the shopping bug got me).
Enjoy the internet shopping fun and let me know if you end up buying anything suggested and how it works out for you!