Labor Day Weekend Sale - Top Picks from Cost Plus World Market

For most of us, Labor Day weekend signals the unofficial end of Summer and the beginning of Fall, it's also a great time to take a look at your space and to freshen things up. We'd like to share our top picks from one of our favorite stores, Cost Plus World Market, and bonus, they are all on sale. There is also coupon code worth an Extra 10% Off Entire Purchase + Free Shipping on orders of $150 or more.

1. Bistro Counter Stool

2. Large Capiz Lotus Pendant Shade

3. Faceted Glass Paxton Pendant

4. Round Wood Keaton Dining Table

5. Blue Ginko Velvet Lumbar Pillow

6. Langley Storage Cabinet

Have a great long weekend, and happy shopping!

- The Gray Oak Studio Team

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Gray Oak Studio Visits Home Sense - A New Home Concept Store

Home Sense is a new off-price home concept store from TJX, and like its sister store, HomeGoods, you'll not only find yourself roaming aisles and aisles of goodies for your home, but find a much larger selection of oversized furniture pieces, lighting options, and rugs. The UK and Canada have been enjoying Home Sense for years now, and the first US store opened in Framingham, MA last week.

This gorgeous mercury glass pendant is only $199 and is the perfect combination of rustic with a touch of glam to update any space!

When you enter the Home Sense store you will find an expensive lighting collection, including lamps, pendants, and sconces to your right. The lamps are smartly displayed on large tables and in sleek wall cubbies. The pendants and chandeliers are wired up to electricity and can be lowered for you to take home that day! Bonus, we noticed these handy signs located around the store, which mean that gone are the days of running around the store to hunt down an associate to help you secure your latest find, like at Homegoods.

We loved the large selection of table and floor lamps!

Directly adjacent to the lighting section is a large furniture selection, including sofas, tables, nightstands and an array of chairs and stools. Although the large furniture selection is a hit or miss, if you know exactly what you are looking for, you just might find a great bargain.  The real appeal here is that you find a great piece, you can take it home that very day, no waiting weeks for the arrival!

Genius idea -a help button to call for an associate to help you in the lighting department.

There is a great selection of dining chairs and stools, many stlyes with 5 or more of the same chair.

At Home Sense things are also organized by color, which is a designers dream! The rows of pillows are artfully displayed by color as are the shelves of coffee table books. 

Although we found the store a bit overcrowded with other eager shoppers, we were not disappointed with the selection. If you are in the market for a rug runner, a love seat or just some new lighting to update your home, be sure to check out Home Sense where if you are lucky you can find some great deals on designer pieces.

A few of our favorite finds....

Great Stool!

Rustic Farmhouse

Neutral Pouf

Oversized Artwork

Geometric Pillow

Our Favorite Design Blogs

When we're not working on our own design projects, we're reading about other people's design projects...or obsessively pinning...but mostly parusing other design blogs. We each have our favorites and today we're sharing them. You can certainly read more about our individual style on our profile page, but we think revealing our influencers is quite telling in and of itself.  

I'll go first.

I started reading Young House Love in 2011 when bloggers Sherry and John had moved into their second house (they're now living in their third and renovating a beach house). Young House Love was more of a low key DIY blog when I started reading -  how to create homemade art for a gallery wall and paint furniture. Over time the DIY projects got bigger and more intense - how to install tile and construct a built-in desk - and more big-picture design focused. I learned so much from these two as my love for home design and my ambition for renovation evolved through the years. Sherry's quirky sense of humor and John's down-to-earth sensibility are an entertaining combo. Nowadays, Young House Love has cut back, significantly, on the blogging (they altogether stopped for about a year in 2015) and have a weekly podcast (Young House Love Has A Podcast). I can't recommend this blog enough for those who want to tackle just about any home project.

My Other Favs: Chris Loves Julia (there's also a corresponding podcast), Bower Power, Copy Cat Chic, Little Green Notebook, Dina Holland Interiors

Michele's favorite blog is Dear Lillie. 

Michele has been reading Dear Lillie (now Dear Lillie Studio) from when she first moved into her current home, about 4 years ago. Michele instantly loved Jenni's style (Jenni is the founder of Dear Lillie). Recently, Dear Lillie expanded from a blog to a full service interior design studio with its own shop of gorgeous, farmhouse-ish decor. Over the years, Dear Lillie inspired Michele to try paint colors and decor in her own home and she loved the results every time. Basically, Michele feels like Jenni is her home design soul sister. Sonia and I have accepted this and try not to get jealous.

Michele's other favorites: Liz Marie Blog, Cotton Stem, Driven By Decor, Randi Garrett Design, Z Design at Home, French Country Cottage

Sonia loves Style by Emily Henderson.

Emily Henderson is the mom of two young children, runs an LA based design studio and is the former winner of HGTV's Design Star competition. Sonia loves her unique and eclectic style - it's the perfect mix of the laid back California thing, vintage pieces, mid-century mod and a little boho. Emily is also Target Homes official spokesperson, the true sign that her style is attainable for all budgets. Sonia likes how Emily often centers her rooms around one big impact piece or ‘wow’ factor. Be sure to peruse the whole Style by Emily website and in particular check out the blog. Emily is at times laugh out loud funny, always self depreciating and a truly genuine soul. The blog has lots of great round ups for things like mirrors and dining tables, a good amount of heart felt and personal posts, and helpful "how to" posts, like how to decorate your outdoor space. 

Sonia's other favorites: Chris Loves Julia, Studio McGee

Hope today is the start of a great week for you and don't forget to put on your eclipse sunglass before taking a peak outside this afternoon!

- Leah