Top 3 Stores for Home Decor on the Southside of Indianapolis
Shopping for home decor is a lot like shopping for accessories or footwear to go with your new outfit or dress. For your shoes, it may be the Nine West boutique in the mall or the half yearly sale at Nordstrom’s, but for me, when it comes to shopping for home decor on the Southside of Indianapolis, there are three places that I can always count on.
1. Old Time Pottery
Don’t let the name fool you. I was in the dark for three years before realizing that this store was more than just pottery. What Home Depot and Lowe’s are to home improvement is what Old Time Pottery is to home decor. I don’t know the exact square footage of the store, but the website for Old Time Pottery states that the size of each of its stores is 2 acres or more.
No doubt you will be in awe on your first visit. In fact, you may be a little overwhelmed. There is so much stuff. You will find thousands of manufacturer closeouts, overruns, discontinued items and overstock merchandise. On my mom’s first excursion to Old Time Pottery, with a wide-eyed look of wonder, she said, “I’m in heaven.” I witnessed another customer’s first time reaction when I overheard her making a phone call to her daughter. She said, “I’m at Old Time Pottery. It’s great. They have everything. I mean everything!”
Everything is right. It’s like Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Linens N Things, Pier One, and Kirkland’s wrapped into one gargantuan, brilliant store. They have thousands of decorating items such as houseware, linens, rugs, glassware, dinnerware, seasonal decorations, framed art, mirrors, lamps, candles, silk flowers and trees, shelves, baskets and much, much more. Inventory arrives weekly so there is bound to be something new each time you visit.
When you come here, be in the mood to shop. There are hundreds of shelves and aisles for your home decor viewing pleasure. If you think that one of the best parts of shopping is the thrill of the hunt, you will love this place. You can find some wonderful items here for a great price.
Old Time Pottery
8811 Hardegan Street
Indianapolis, IN 46227
317-888-1810
http://www.oldtimepottery.com
2. Tuesday Morning
Tuesday Morning is another favorite store of mine for home decor on the Southside of Indianapolis. Although Tuesday Morning does not carry near as many items as Old Time Pottery, they carry a different selection of home decor products that makes your separate trip worth it.
While Old Time Pottery sells a lot of moderately priced items at a discounted cost, Tuesday Morning sells upscale close out merchandise (Limoges, Murano, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton) at 50% to 80% off regular retail prices.
One of my favorite experiences at Tuesday Morning centers on my beloved Avalon Oneida stainless steel silverware set. When I had originally purchased the 20-piece set at a local retailer, I had debated whether or not to buy a second set. I decided to wait since I did not see an immediate need for four more place settings. About six months later, I decided to buy another 20-piece set, but at this time, the flatware set was no longer being sold from the store where I had bought it.
I was annoyed. I called Oneida to see if I could buy it directly from them. They explained to me that that the Avalon set had been especially made for the store where I had originally purchased it, and if the store no longer carried it or sold out of these items, I was out of luck.
I decided to be proactive and make a trip to Tuesday Morning. I was determined to find it. I knew the odds were against me, and the worse that could happen would be the frustration, despair and agony of not finding it (really, it didn’t mean much to me at all). That’s how I ended up sitting on the floor of the dusty houseware aisle pulling out Reed and Barton and Gorham flatware sets one by one. After pulling out at least 35 different flatware sets, lo and behold, I found it. There was only one set of its kind. I was ecstatic. It made my day. Moral of this story: go to Tuesday Morning. You may find exactly what you are looking for!
There is one caveat to this story. The label on my box of flatware was marked as half off its regularly sold retail price. Because I had bought the original set at retail, I knew that it was being sold at Tuesday Morning for exactly the same price that I had bought it. However, this did not bother me since I had been prepared to pay retail cost for it from its original store anyway.
If you go to Tuesday Morning’s website and sign up for eTreasures, you will be sent e-mail notifications about their monthly events, special offers, weekly ads, newest arrivals, and get early notice of all markdowns, too.
Tuesday Morning
8051 Madison Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46227-6001
317-885-7781
http://www.tuesdaymorning.com
3. TJ Maxx
Of the three stores mentioned, TJ Maxx on the Southside of Indianapolis has the smallest selection of product for your home decorating needs. However, that is the precise reason why I list it as one of my favorites. I don’t know about you, but I hate owning things that everyone else has. As a kid in art class, I used to hate it when people copied what I drew. The TJ Maxx on the Southside of Indianapolis helps to reinforce my sense of uniqueness by having one or only a few of each item for sale. It makes it highly unlikely that ten other people have just bought the same item as you. I have bought some really pretty pieces in this store for about 40% to 50% off its original price.
Another reason why TJ Maxx is such a great place to shop for home decor is its fabulous customer service. In the past when I have wanted to know if they had more of a particular item, the employees would have no problem calling other TJ Maxx stores in the greater Indianapolis area to find out for me. I have called TJ Maxx myself and had a manager keep me on the line and chat as she/he walked through the houseware aisle looking for my item in question. My experience with TJ Maxx has made me feel like a valued customer.
Moreover, like Old Time Pottery and Tuesday Morning, TJ Maxx has a return policy so you never have to worry about being stuck with something that doesn’t match once you bring it home.
TJ Maxx
8800 Us 31 South
Indianapolis, IN 46227
Phone: 317-881-3957
http://www.tjmaxx.com
There you have it. You are now armed with all the information necessary for your home decor shopping needs. Come visit the Southside of Indianapolis, and get ready, set and shop!
