# Searching for Chic, Modern Decor? Go Beyond CB2 with These 7 Alternatives - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/stores-like-cb2/ - Published: 2024-09-03 - Author: Terry Williams - Categories: [Consumer](https://33rdsquare.com/category/consumer/) --- As a serial renovator who has decorated 5 homes in 10 years, I live for discovering stylish, contemporary furniture on a budget. Naturally, stores like CB2 with their modern aesthetic and reasonable prices attracted me early on. Over time though, I realized quality and durability issues with some CB2 furniture through my own trial and error. This sent me on a mission to uncover viable alternatives that could deliver style and substance over the long haul. Through extensive personal testing and research, I’m sharing my deep knowledge gained from outfitting home after home. Consider this your playbook when deciding between CB2 and 7 excellent competitors I highly recommend as smarter alternatives. ## An Introduction to CB2 Founded in 2000 as a sister brand to luxury furniture retailer Crate & Barrel, CB2 quickly carved out a niche focusing on contemporary urban style at affordable price points. Shoppers flock to their stores across the U.S. and website to outfit city apartments and first homes with CB2’s signature sleek and minimalist aesthetic. The brand targets younger, design-focused buyers looking for sophistication on a budget. To appeal to smaller living spaces and wallets, CB2 emphasizes easily customizable modular furniture alongside curated accents rather than expansive collections. Price points cater squarely to young professionals stretching their dollars to construct Instagram-worthy interiors. Strategic use of cost-saving materials like particle board, laminates, and lower-grade textiles allow CB2 to dialogue high style while keeping prices 20-40% under premium retailers. As someone who has outfitted entire homes with CB2 furniture over the past decade, I can vouch for their decorative appeal. However, after contending with quality issues over repeat moves, I’ve become well-versed in when it pays to look beyond CB2. ## #1: West Elm – Global Style with Customization West Elm shares CB2’s contemporary-meets-Mid Century aesthetic but infused with far more variety spanning organic modern, retro chic, and global handcrafts. As your style evolves, West Elm grows alongside you with an eclectic blend of airy silhouettes juxtaposed against groovy retro textures and handmade artisan wares. Founded in Brooklyn in 2002, West Elm curates design-forward collections from both established and emerging designers. With 100+ stores nationwide and robust e-commerce capabilities, they maintain accessibility alongside far wider breadth of inventory than CB2 stores. Alongside extended style possibilities, West Elm wins hands-down for customization flexibility especially with upholstered furniture. Want that 84” mid-back sofa resized as a 96” sectional with boucle ivory fabric? West Elm’s specialty team happily obliges special orders that deviate from floor samples to match your space. CB2 forces adherence to pre-set sizing and fabrics limiting possibilities. How does West Elm provide this degree of personalization while rivaling CB2 prices? Strategic material substitution similar to CB2 helps contain costs – particle board foundations masked by chic upholsteries along with lower-grade slipcovered textiles that pill over time. For the style-focused buyer willing to refresh slipcovers occasionally, West Elm delivers exceptional aesthetic range, customization and value relative to CB2. ## #2: Lulu and Georgia – Bold Style with Staying Power Launched in 2014, Lulu and Georgia quickly captured designer love by resurrecting trends from decades past but with renewed chic by incorporating natural, artisan materials. Think CB2’s standard aesthetic amplified into signature pieces embracing richer textures, dynamic patterns and handcrafted details. Rather than disposable fast furniture, Lulu and Georgia promises heirloom appeal designed to live beautifully in your home for over 10 years. Strategic construction techniques like durable double doweled joinery in dining tables, mortise and tenon joinery in console tables, or reinforced corner blocks in sofas support structural integrity over the long term. Yes, the emphasis on quality craftsmanship translates to premium pricing with most items ranging 20-60% above CB2. However discerning buyers recognize enduring life cycle value over outlet-bound tables with bulletproof design. For buyers prioritizing bold style melded with artistry and resilience, Lulu and Georgia delivers stunning breadth guaranteed to turn heads for years rather than seasons. ## #3 Crate and Barrel – Reliable Classics from the CB2 Founders Way back in 1962, interior design enthusiasts Carole Segal and Gordon Segal opened a small Chicago shop called Crate & Barrel brimming with eclectic European housewares. As demand grew for their distinctly clean-lined, contemporary furniture pieces, the fledgling company rapidly expanded across the U.S. Flash forward to 2000 when CB2 emerges as an offshoot targeting young, urban budgets. Since then, Crate and Barrel maintains pole position as the originator with proven classics like the clean-lined Margot 83" Sofa or beautifully executed Ox Bow Rectangular Dining Table. Yes, expect Crate and Barrel pricing to exceed CB2 across similar items from 20-60%. However, timeless construction and resilient materials like kiln-dried hardwood frames, double dowel construction and 8-way hand tied coil springs translate into 20+ years of uninterrupted nights curled up watching movies. For buyers less swayed by trends who prefer enduring classics over disposable statement pieces, Crate and Barrel promises reliability and quality worth the reasonable splurge over CB2. --- Source: [Searching for Chic, Modern Decor? Go Beyond CB2 with These 7 Alternatives](https://33rdsquare.com/stores-like-cb2/)