APARTMENT GUIDE
5
STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
PAY LESS FURNITURE OUTLET 2800 Iowa St.
- The ultimate student furniture one-stop shop: offers low-cost beds, couches, futons, bedside tables, coffee tables, dining room sets and lamps.
- Offers simple, largely no-frills pieces at reduced cost
- Full beds start at $169; five-piece dinning sets at $99; and complete sofa sets at $699.
BLUE HERON HOME FURNISHINGS
921 Massachusetts St.
- On the pricier side, but Kathleen Hoff, a member of the store's sales team, said Blue Heron held summer sales and stocked cheaper merchandise in late June. They also offer layaway and credit to appeal to students.
- Offers trendy, "conversation" pieces with a particular target for the decorator with style
URBAN OUTFITTERS
1013 Massachusetts St.
- Offering new, trendy, "cutesy" decor and some functional pieces
- Canvas prints run $14 to $40; pillows $24 to $36; rugs $12 to $68; lamps less than $40; quilts $68 to $200
WAL-MART
3300 Iowa St.
- The authority in mega-retailing offers a great
deal in the way of one-stop shopping for all your apartment-outfitting needs - from bedding to kitchen items to basic décor.
- Desks start at about $35; bookshelves at $19 for three shelves or $30 for five shelves; higher-quality desks run about $150; and metal desks at $70. Other products offered for sale include dining sets, bedroom and bedding sets, recliners and functional bathroom products like waste baskets and toothbrush holders.
- Wal-Mart also offers a "Site to Store" service, which ships merchandise from one store to the Lawrence store for free, should you see something on the Web site that you like, but cannot find locally.
TARGET
3201 Iowa St.
- Target offers discount merchandise and one-stop convenience, plus a slightly stronger emphasis on fashionable design (which may equate to higher prices).
- Target's Web site, target.com, offers a wide range of merchandise specifically aimed at college students, which is searchable by type of product (bedding, kitchen, storage, etc.) or by price.
- Simple bookcases start at about $25; desks at $60; large chairs/couches at $100.
- Target offers a similar range of types of merchandise to Wal-Mart, from bedding to beds to couches to bathroom items to kitchenware.
INTRIGUE HOME FURNISHINGS
- Boutique' store offering semi-unique pieces
- Features exotic imports, including a signature all-natural plant fiber lamp series that runs from $20 for a small desktop lamp to $200 for a floor lamp
933 Massachusetts St.
- "Boutique" store offering semi-uniq
WORLD MARKET
3106 Iowa St.
- World Market's large, bowl-like chairs known as papasan chairs are popular with students, store manager Tanner Sneed says. These run from $50 for the structure and from $49 to $59 for the cushion.
- Desks, dining sets and other accent chairs are also on offer, ranging from $79 to $169
RENT-TO-OWN CENTER
2204 Haskell Ave.
- Rent-to-Own offers varying-length lease agreements on new and used furniture, from beds to dining room sets to TVs. Living room packages start at $74/month and dining room sets at $24/month. Basic student-targeted bedroom sets run from $79/month to $99/month, and TVs run from $49/month to $79/month.
- Shawn Henderson, sales associate at the store, said that used furniture ran on shorter-term leases (as short as four months) and renters always had the option to buy.
2329 Iowa St.
- Jim Jameson, manager of Bed Mart, described this store as "crazy come August." Bed Mart offers lower-priced mattress and box-spring sets, headboards and footboards, futons and some bedding.
- Mattress sets (including box springs and frame) run from $169 to $499. Jameson said this typically also included free delivery.
BED MART
THOMAS-CRAWLEY FURNITURE 601 South Kasold Dr.
- Thomas-Crawley offers a large variety of furniture items including dining sets, bedroom sets, appliances and electronics. The store's non-appliance and non-electronic merchandise comes from either the Ashley or American brand.
- Sofas start about $400.
PIER 1 IMPORTS
3211 Iowa St.
- Pier 1 Imports offers a huge variety of items, both in terms of type of item and the size, color, pattern and even texture of each item. The store sells glassware, dinnerware, dining accessories (including flatware), rugs and décor and functional furniture.
- All that choice comes with a price, however.
Dining chairs start at $99 and small tables at $69. The store also carries a sofa-sleeper for $699.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
APRIL 3,2008