I’m an interior designer who loves HomeGoods, but there are 7 things I never buy there

HomeGoods can be a great place to buy a stool or a small side table, but I wouldn’t buy larger furniture pieces here.

For example, many of the sofas and big chairs I’ve seen in the store look amazing from afar, but the quality hasn’t impressed me much.

Plus, at HomeGoods, you typically buy floor models. Your couch could be on the sales floor for weeks, with hundreds of strangers sitting on it or carts bumping into it at every turn.

There may be some hidden gems at a reasonable price, but when it comes to large pieces that will get lots of use, I’m not willing to gamble on quality. I’d rather shop at dedicated furniture stores, like a CB2 or West Elm, or seek out made-to-order options.

The candle aisle at HomeGoods is my favorite part of the whole store. But as fun as the section is to peruse, the wide variety of brands, shapes, and scents can be a mixed bag.

I’ve found that many of the candles I’ve bought at the chain either don’t burn very well or lose their scent pretty quickly, even though they look great and smelled amazing in the store.

A lot of these candles are just fine in a pinch — and you might get lucky with a great one — but I’d rather spend more to buy something I’m confident is higher quality from an actual candle store.

In the age of the mirror selfie, I completely understand the desire to add the perfect floor-length mirror to a space. After all, they’re essential for good outfit-of-the-day posts.

That said, the large mirrors I’ve seen at HomeGoods haven’t impressed me yet.

Mirrors can be massive statement pieces, so I suggest taking the time to look for high-quality options.

One way I like to test the quality of mirrors in a store is by standing far away from them to see whether my reflection gets distorted. If I start to look funky, I’ll pass on the mirror.

Many of HomeGoods’ pots and pans look amazing — again, brands and quality vary — but I buy mine elsewhere.

Although you might get lucky and find name-brand items in the store’s aisles, I’ve bought many random pots and pans from here that looked nice but haven’t held up well.

Getting a full, matching set of cookware from HomeGoods is also tricky since not all stores carry the same pieces or multiples of a design.

If I’m supplying a kitchen from scratch or hoping to build a collection, I’d rather invest in a matching set from a trustworthy cookware brand.

Choosing the perfect finishing touches for a space can be one of the trickiest tasks. However, I’ll never waste money on hanging letters or signs with quotes. Quotes are meant for journals, not walls.

I’ve seen a lot of signs at HomeGoods with overused phrases and cringeworthy quotes. Some pieces with basic labels like “coffee” and “tea” even feel like they’re paying homage to farmhouse design in an untasteful way.

I suggest choosing text-free art pieces and decor items instead for a classier look. (Luckily, HomeGoods has a lot of aisles filled with these, too.)

HomeGoods has an impressive array of decor for every holiday and season I can think of — and it’s often on shelves long before whatever it’s celebrating begins.

However, as a frequent HomeGoods shopper, I’ve learned that if you wait until one day after the holiday, you can sometimes get up to 50% off on some seasonal items.

It can be risky, since the pieces you love may go out of stock before then, and sales aren’t guaranteed. However, the deals can be great and, as a planner, I actually prefer preparing for a holiday almost a year before it returns.

HomeGoods is generally a great place to find one-off special items, but not so much coordinated or matching sets.

I like matching sets too much to consider buying desk decor or office supplies here, from letter organizers to pencil cups.

I’d shop elsewhere for finishing touches for my home office — maybe Target or even Ikea.

This story was originally published on December 21, 2023, and most recently updated on July 7, 2026.