So many people have told me about the miracle that is Garden Ridge, but I’d never been to one. Until yesterday. Yes, one finally came back to Richmond (we heard a lot about the one that used to be out by the airport but it was gone by the time we moved here 4+ years ago). Anyway, here’s what I found on my maiden voyage to the big Costco-ish warehouse full o’ house, garden, and other random stuff.
My first reaction was “man this place is huge” followed by “Teresa Guidice would like it here” (NJ Housewives reference anyone?) since there are oversized urns and stone columns a plenty. Klassy. Let’s just say it’s one of those places that you have to dig through to find the goodies (hidden among many insane and unnecessary things).
But there were definitely a few diamonds in the rough. If by diamonds you mean metal herons that I fell in love with. I know my animal obsession is weird, but these guys actually seemed kind of sophisticated – if they were used for good instead of evil (read: located among a pretty backyard garden instead of among plastic gnomes and flamingos in the front).
And John did his best knight impression while saying that he can’t wait to get one of ’em for the new house. Just kidding. File this under “who the heck buys this stuff?”
Then I fell in love with this rug and those crazy knights were forgiven. It was natural fiber (jute I think) and incredibly inexpensive (I don’t remember the exact price but it was around $30 for a huge 5 x 7′ version). Uh, yes please. I especially loved how modern many of their rug options were since many other discount rugs are only available with traditional and ornate floral designs.
Oh and I liked this queen sized bedding (priced at just $39) that looked especially high end to me- kind of like something out of the Garnet Hill catalog.
And two yards of this pre-cut fabric (priced at just $5.99) seemed like a great deal, considering it looks a lot like some $35 a yard stuff that we’ve seen around.
$1.99 ceramic bird. No further explanation necessary.
Oh and they had tons of pillows. This is just the brown and blue aisle. Yeah, we’re talking tons.
But every “wow” moment I had was tempered with a “really?” moment which followed soon after. But that’s the fun of shopping at hit or miss places like this. Besides, it’s not every day that you lay eyes on a toilet paper stand like this. And yes, that’s a plunger on his head.
Oh and some of the art had potential, especially if it was hung in the right space. For example, we thought this cheerful cherry print would look sweet in a charming white cottage-esque kitchen with red accessories (like a red teapot and red apples in a bowl).
We even thought this crazy textile-ish painting could look Domino-magazine-chic if it was hung in the right room (maybe as a headboard in a soft aqua kids room with a bold orange comforter).
And check out this $24 mirror. Not bad right? Especially if you painted it a color for added pop (daffodil yellow or smoky gray would be cool).
And here we have a $79 bar stool that would look great in a kitchen with a gorgeous bar-height island. Especially if you reupholstered those seats with something a bit more “custom” looking, which would really elevate the classic x-back design.
And here’s the cutest thing in the store: our offspring! Just kidding. This is a picture of the square tray that John’s holding (Clara’s cute face is just an added bonus). We actually ended up buying that sleek branchy tray for just $12 because I love square trays (we have a green one that I move all over the house, so I love the fact that I now have a second one to put to work around here).
And so ends our window shopping spree at Garden Ridge. Do you guys have them in your neck of the woods? Do you know who’s buying those knights in shining armor? Anyone else have an obsession with the ever-elusive square tray? Or a penchant for metal waterbirds? Let’s talk.
Meredith says
I have to confess I have that piece of art you showed, with the yellow and blue and reds. I bought it right after I moved into my apt last December. I kind of regret it now since I don’t even like those colors that much, but I really liked that painting at the time and wanted to get some art up on the wall.
My bf and I just bought a house and we’re on the same timeline as you guys! We’ll probably move in the middle of December. I don’t know if there’s a place for that painting though. If anyone on here wants it I’ll consider getting rid of it. I’m in the Baltimore area btw.
Kate says
I just had to say that Clara is getting SOOOO cute! Not that she wasn’t before, but she just looks so big and so animated. You guys did good.
Chelsea says
HILARIOUS. My husband took a nearly identical picture next to those metal “knights” on our trip to Garden Ridge last night!!
leslie says
de-lurking to say that both sets of grandparents have something from your list. one set has a beautiful pair of herons that have always welcomed visitors by their front door. the other set has a knight in their backyard. i don’t know how long it’s been there (long before me) or where it came from but his name is jose and there is something interesting about having a random knight in the garden out back. seeing a whole set at garden ridge though is kind of weird. the GR here in little rock is strange. the last time i stopped in they had table after table of t-shirts and scrubs. it seemed random in a home decor depot.
Jenne says
huh – apparently there is one in Schaumburg (Chicago, IL) right near the only IKEA for a billion miles (OK, there are actually 3 IKEAs in Chicagoland now, but you know what I mean). Who knew? I’m sensing a double-duty trip coming on!
And LOVE the pic of Clara! What an expressive cutie she is becoming :)
Lauren B. says
Believe it or not, in high school, our mascot was the Knight. So, we had several of these giant Knights all over campus. They were old and rusty and got dressed up for holidays. Seeing the picture of John with the knights got me a little nostalgic! See, it was sort of tradition to get your piture with one of the knights! Awwwww! tear! :) just kidding!
Stefanie says
So super jealous we don’t have a Garden Ridge in California! I think the pillow aisles and rugs alone make it worth it…not to mention I LOVE your ceramic animal collection – couldn’t hurt to start one of my own…right?
Julie at www.downtimeweblog.com says
I’ve never heard of Garden Ridge before, but it looks like a great place to get lost in. I have a slight obsession with throw pillows so this absolutely looks like the place for me. And I have to admit, I know those suits of armor are cheesy, but I actually do think that they’re kind of cool. Definitely, definitely a conversation piece!
KNatGU says
One of the previous renters next totally had a life size knight in shinning armour. The best was when hubby was grilling one day turned around could see into their living room and calming said wife-y come see who is visiting the neighborhoods. I laughed all day long.
bailey says
We live about 15 min away from the original Garden Ridge which happens to be in Garden Ridge TX. I only go about once a year. You have to sift through a lot of bad to get to the good, and I feel as though the prices aren’t really that much better than say TJ Maxx Home Goods. However they have great Christmas decorations, and the one here has a fantastic sale on Thanksgiving. Might be worth a trip.
Kelly @ diy my home says
We were almost those crazy knight purchaser type…when we spotted that Knight at HomeGoods it almost made it home with us (so glad it didn’t fit into our SUV). My husband and I have compromised and we actually plan on building a castle (but I insist on funky/comfy modern decor AND plumbing, of course)…like these ones we visited out in Idaho: http://www.castlemagic.com/
My hubby LOVES medieval stuff. I told him his swords etc can have their own room in our basement…then bought a house w/o a basement, Victory (for now)!
Bridgette says
I do agree Clara was one of the cutest things in there. But when I went to Garden Ridge in San Antonio, we had no turns and pillars and Knights like that. Maybe it changes with the location? The front of your VA one looks waaaay nicer though. You have to make sure you go there for Christmas, in a few weeks they should be getting all that stuff out.=) Then the clearance afterwards…best.
CarrieK says
Never heard of Garden Ridge before. Went on their website and whaddya know, there are two in the Detroit area. I’ll just have to pay them a visit!
Beeya says
Hey J&S,
yesterday I scored a drum pendant from only 10 bucks yesss!!
But it is HUGE and I feel that it may be too big for my small house. Can you provide some designer input?
YoungHouseLove says
We love huge drum shades in small spaces. And all the fancy designers are doing it! Just err on the side of large with the furnishings so things don’t feel top heavy (don’t hang it above a small and delicate coffee table, put it over a chunky dining table or large scale sofa). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Melissa says
I’m so happy you did a post on garden ridge, love it!! I hope to see more in the future! Clara is sooo cute!
Catharine says
I actually moved right next to the original Garden Ridge 2 years ago, but have never been in. I used to always go to one in the Dallas area with my mom after Christmas because you could get zillions of ornaments for like 80% off, but it was kind of overwhelming fighting over broken ornaments with crazed post Christmas shoppers haha :)
Amy says
The Garden Ridge I frequent disappointed me last visit, since there were tables full of scrubs, books, and random clothing items. Maybe I need to make another trip there to see if the offering has improved. . .
Carole says
we have those stools in our house–we purchased them from the previous owners, but wanted one more…luckily the tag was still on the bottom so we went to this mysterious ‘garden ridge’ place, and could *not* believe how huge it was!
We’ve also purchased artwork for our bar there:
http://buckcanuck.blogspot.com/2010/05/right-between-dining-area-and-living.html
Carrie says
I have never heard of this Garden Ridge place but checked it out online and there is one fairly close to me! You are right, it looks like a lot of random stuff but if you find some good finds for cheap then it is a bonus in addition to the good laughs. Thanks for the post…. I just love your ideas!! :0)
Andrea says
I too fell in love with the ceramic bird… and I bought it!
Ro says
MAAAAAAAAAAAAN… I was all – OOOOOOOO then I went to look if they had one nearbye- no- booooooooooooo Im dis-ca-pointed ( Like Popeye)! Looks like funises… spraypainting fun!
Melissa says
That place looks incredible! I am so jealous!
How would you rate the quality of the cheap rugs? Did they seem like they’d shed all over the place?
We need one desperately, but I’m not able to shell out $500 for an area rug! We’ll be passing through Richmond over Thanksgiving, and may have to stop by if the rugs are the right price and decent quality!
YoungHouseLove says
We’re definitely not rug quality experts, but the jute ones looked as well made as any we’d seen. Some of the full sized indoor rugs were made from synthetics (which isn’t our preference, we like natural materials like wool) but they seemed to feel and look pretty good, albeit on the thin side. We’d describe them as a good value for the price, but you probably won’t get a five hundred dollar quality when you spend $99 for a rug there. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
busybodyk says
I LOVE GR! I always make sure I have eaten, gone to the bathroom and am wearing a comfy pair of shoes before I go. LOL
joy says
You totally hit it on the head when you said there are diamonds in the rough at GR. We have GR here in Charlotte, NC. It is the place to go if you are looking for items to decorate your home on a budget. And they do have some things worth purchasing. But, yeah, for every ohhhhhh there’s a what the heck (head scratching). We saw those knights there the last time I went, and sadly, my husband thought they were cool because he used to study medieval history. Fortunately, we didn’t buy it. They do have some nice picture frames, and I think I would have bought wedding supplies there if I had thought about it when I got married. You can find some unusual things too. But you gotta look! :)
Kate says
LOVE Garden Ridge. Instead of renting dishes for our wedding, we bought them from GR at $1 apiece. Then we resold them afterwards at cost!
Paige says
What! Sherry, I can’t believe you don’t want a suit of armor in your house! I think it would be creepy/awesome in a foyer. Or maybe standing by a piano. Think of the fun seasonal decorations you could make it hold! You could always paint it white and think of it as another ceramic animal. :-)
I’ve never heard of Garden Ridge before, but I clearly need to get my butt over to one.
Lindsey says
I have one in our area.. and I LOVE it. You should go around Christmas time as well (not sure the timing of this trip). I just dropped about $300 there for Christmas decor.
We also bought one of those butlers (not the toilet one). We bought the one that had a chalkboard. We were decorating our kitchen area like a cafe.. and the butler with “menu” chalkboard was perfect!!
http://www.portugalponderings.blogspot.com
Krystle says
Ha! I just checked their website and I’m excited that there’s one in Memphis!! Usually cool stores like this are in Nashville (a 3 hr. drive) but not this time!! Will definitely be making trips out there to see what they’ve got in store!
Lindsey P. says
I doubt that they actually bought it (more likely that it was donated at some point) but the children’s room of the library where I used to work had one of those knights standing in the doorway. We dressed him up for all the holidays. :)
Shannon says
I wish I lived near you just to venture along on a shopping outing like this. I feel like you find the gems that I would just walk by…
Tiffany says
The Garden Ridge by our house used to have a large clearence section-think 1/3 of the store sectioned off and opened only on the weekends. They sold all the scratch and dent items there for 75% off. For instance-that groovy barstool for $80 would be yours for only $20 thanks to a small scratch on the leg or a rip in the faux leather. Leather sofas for $40, leather upholstered dining room chairs for $5, it was grand. Unfortunately I think they realized that selling a barstool for 75% off thanks to a small nick or scratch wasn’t the best for business and the clearance center is no more…but it was good while it lasted.
Ali says
This post cracked me up! A plunger on his head?? Makes sense.. :S
But seriously, wow. This Garden Ridge place looks incredible!!
Cari Burnett says
Yes, we have a Garden Ridge and I LOVE it! I love to go at Christmas time because all of their decor is organized by color! My husband is obsessed with those knights and keeps telling me that when we have our dream house….ha! That he wants one to go in “the library”! They do have great rug prices and ours also sells luggage at very discounted prices. I often forget to go in there when I’m looking for stuff but every time I go, I find “something” I think I need. I guess it’s just that kinda store!
Emy says
I loved everything you guys picked out but the very best is the picture of Clara and John! how sweet shopping with her daddy “)
anna see says
Okay, I want to go! Thanks for showing us the roses amidst the thorns (toilet paper guy??)!
Angie says
In the background of the last picture I spotted some amazing treasure chests. Got the most awesome use for it: a time capsule for Clara’s first birthday. We did this for our daughter and we love it. Everyone who came to the party wrote out a wish for her on acid free paper using an archieval pen. We included a party favor, some napkins with the theme, a CD of music she danced to, an invitation, a newspaper, pics of the day, her first Converse and a letter each of us wrote to her. She can open the time capsule on her 18th birthday. Ours is sitting on a top shelf in her bedroom on display. My daughter is now 4 and I can’t wait to open the time capsule. You see, my Dad wrote her a wish and he passed away earlier this year. I want to see what he wrote for her, but that would be cheating.
Amanda Z. says
I used to love Garden Ridge, and that’s where we purchased the candle holders and vases for our wedding (6 years ago). But on our last visit there was just So Much Nasty, and the plain staple items were lacking.
And yup, my sister-in-law has that knight in her living room, or, as she calls it, “the tin man!”
Julie says
I just saw that cherry piece of artwork in the Ballard designs catalogue for $249…. I’m guessing it wasn’t that much at Garden Ridge!
http://www.ballarddesigns.com/seek-happiness-print/10474
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Julie,
Nope, it was much cheaper. Definitely in the double digits and probably under $75!
xo,
s
Donna says
I’m so happy to know that Garden Ridge is back. One of my favorite purchases there was a black damask table runner for $1. I used it as a valance in my brighter-than-apple-green, black and white bathroom. I screwed three green crystal knobs (from a huge stash I got at Richmond Habitat Restore) above the window, and hung the runner from them (I added thread loops for that purpose.) It drapes perfectly and has tassels on each the end. I think of Garden Ridge almost every time I look at it.
Meagan says
That’s a nice looking Garden Ridge, the old ones here in Texas are kinda scary sometimes. I rarely go in there, save for our annual trip during the 72-hour Shop-A-Thon Thanksgiving weekend, good thing its coming up :-D
Jeannine @ Small & Chic says
I remember when the store by the airport closed…I never managed to make it there. I put it in the same category as Hobby Lobby, Christmas Tree Shop, and Walmart.
They’re the fast food restaurants of the design world. The masses visit them and consume the poor quality product while some choose to spend a little more money and get product that originates a little closer to home. And some of us try not to support those stores, but we crack every now and then and indulge. :)
I love the tray!
Jeannine @ Small & Chic says
By the way, those metal herons and things like them are all over the gated community at the beach where my boyfriend’s mother lives.
I think you can spot a couple dressed up for Christmas on this old post I wrote: http://www.smallchichome.com/2009/12/eye-candy-from-our-time-at-grannys.html
Rose says
I had to LOL when I saw the cherry print and your placement suggestion. I just saw that exact print 2 nights ago at a local restaurant here in WA. It’s not a cottage-y restaurant either, but a neon-sign, “catchy” slogans all over, loud, fun kind of place.
Angie says
Thanks for the nice preview!! I agree they have some of the same items that other “higher” end stores have, i.e. cherry print mentioned above that is at Ballard for much, much more)
Also, I like the width of the isles so much better than Home Goods, TJ’s, etc. Those places aggrevate me because I always feel crowded.
I love your commentary as always! I can’t wait to get over there and look our newest Midlothian addition :)
Angela Bittle says
I LOVE LOVE LOVE when you let us tag along on your adventures. These posts are my FAVORITE posts! They’re so much fun! :)
Kellie says
I know the knight’s are crazy, but we actually have SEVERAL around the elementary school I work at since they are our mascot!! We’ll pretend that Garden Ridge only keeps them in stock for school mascots and not as home decor:)
Gina at Temporary Nest says
why on earth dont they have one of these in the North East!?!?! I’m thinking roadtrip!!
carolinaheartstrings says
OMG. I want one. Cannot believe the Raleigh area does not have one of these yet. However, Richmond is not that far away. I so need to go there!
jodi says
First of all, that cherry print IS in the ballard catalog!!
Second…we. own. a. knight.
Marcia V. of Precious Style says
I had never heard of this store until reading your post, then I search the site and found a location very close to me. I’m so on the way there soon.