8 of the Most Underrated Items at Home Depot, According to Long-Time Renters

Think Home Depot is just for suburbanites working on DIY projects or shopping for a washer/dryer? Ask long-time urbanites-who-rent and they’ll tell you that there are so many gems in this big-box store. In fact, many of the things you’d order from Amazon or pick up at Target for your place can be found at Home Depot — and with a better selection (and sometimes better prices).

Here are nine surprising things my seasoned renter-friends and I recommend buying at Home Depot.

While Amazon carries 10 bar carts under $100 and Target carries only five (at time of writing), Home Depot has a whopping 24 ready to ship. This $98 slim cutie (pictured above) is just perfect for sliding into the corner of a small apartment.

Area rugs are the answer to ugly pressboard flooring or, dare we even say, linoleum. Enter Home Depot’s brand the Home Decorators Collection, which stocks the huge area rugs you need at the prices you want. Jordan Bishop, a lifelong renter and the editor of How I Travel, found this rug and says it reminds him of a year living in Istanbul. “It feels great on my feet and is actually really really big,” says Bishop, who says he has at least 50 Home Depot items in his apartment. “It gives my place so much character — I absolutely adore it.” (His rug is discontinued, but here’s one with a similar motif.)

Vintage cabinet pulls in your rental kitchen can look downright sad and can be so easily replaced with the wide selection at the retailer. I particularly love these bubble glass numbers — though if you don’t, HD has literally thousands of other options. (Just be sure to keep the “originals: or you’ll be charged for them when you move out.)

When you think modern furniture, you probably don’t think of the same place your parents go to buy paint. But again, the Home Decorators Collection delivers in droves (as well as other brands featured in store and online). They have a few eye catching, lightweight pieces (like this chair pictured above) that won’t create problem for renters who live on the top floors.

Again, the Home Depot isn’t just lumber and screws. They also offer a wide selection of unique and stylish decor accents, like decorative pillows and blankets, to fit many different tastes. They also carry the Company Store linens (and often at a discount.)

When it comes to DIY projects, Home Depot is the place, says long-time renter Lucinda Cross. “I completely redid my kitchen flooring with materials I got at Home Depot,” she says. “Everything I get there keeps my house looking luxurious.”

Dabney Frake, our projects editor, also frequently heads to HD for flooring — check out her utility flooring bathroom redo and luxury vinyl plank kitchen reno for some great inspo.

Sure, most homeowners turn to Home Depot when they’re looking to replace or upgrade major appliances, often putting it on the store credit card to spread out the cost with no-interest payments. But renters, too, can use this strategy to make expensive high-end countertop appliances budget-friendly. Even Bishop bought his copper KitchenAid mixer (to match his marble countertops) at Home Depot.

Should you want to emulate some of our DIYers and start a project, take note: The retailer offers a toolr ental service (featuring the things you don’t really need to own as renters, but want access to — like drills and other power tools) as well as a truck rental service. Perfect for any urbanite living in or moving to a small space!

This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: 9 of the Most Underrated Items at Home Depot, According to Long-Time Renters