Consider this our ode to the humble hardware store, the affordable emporium of just about anything you need (and several things you didn’t know you needed).
(We’re advocates of the local mom-and-pop hardware store—I’ve made regular runs to Garber Hardware in New York, across the street from my new apartment, for everything from drop cloths to advice on paint colors over the past few weeks—but if shopping online is easier, national stores do the trick, too.).
Silver-tipped lightbulbs look more expensive than they are and add a touch of glamour to even a bare lightbulb.
1. Silver-Tipped Lightbulbs
Think of the simple s-hook as the tiny, unsung hero of organization: it can hang towels from a towel bar in the bath, soap-on-a-rope in the shower, and keep any number of essentials—from dish brushes to pans—off of the counter in the kitchen.
2. S-Hooks
Old-fashioned wood clothespins aren’t just for the laundry line: these well-made wooden tools can clip a bag of chips shut, corral mail in the entryway or office, and even keep chargers corralled.
3. Classic Clothespins
Similarly, the hardware store roll of twine can be used for wrapping leftovers, as ad-hoc hanger for small wall hangings or curtains, or, our favorite, in lieu of ribbon when wrapping gifts.
4. Twine
The simple porcelain light socket is a favorite on the Remodelista editorial team (so much so that wrote an earlier ode to it; see Object Lessons: The Hardware Store Porcelain Light Socket). Case in point: this Leviton Porcelain Keyless Lampholder is $1.82 from Home Depot.
5. Porcelain Light Sockets
6. Candles
Hardware stores are a surprisingly good source for basic candles of all sorts. Look also for plumbers candles and packs of tea lights, well-priced and as suited for the dinner table as for emergencies.
7. Clamp Lights
Justine, Alexa, and Meredith have all, with the help of spray paint, transformed the utilitarian hardware store clamp light into attractive task lights for their bedrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms, respectively.
In our quest to eliminate as much plastic from our lives as possible, we use glass jars all over the house, for decanting grains and dry goods in the pantry to storing cotton balls, as Kristina did in her apartment bath, and detergent.
8. Ball Jars
Scour the hardware store for simple cotton kitchen towels like these Cotton Flour Sack Towels from Amazon, good-looking for the kitchen (and not so precious that you need to worry about stains).
9. Flour Sack Towels
Cruise the hardware store aisle for hardworking pot brushes and copper scrubbers, good-looking once removed from their packaging.
10. Copper Scrubbers
The ubiquitous hardware store terra cotta pot is a classic in the garden—or inside, for houseplants or storage.
11. Terra Cotta Pots
Rather than their intended use, we use clothespin bags over the arm of the sofa to keep the remote handy; we could also see using them at the bedside for books and reading glasses.
12. Clothespin Bags
13. Retractable Clotheslines
A small-space essential: a Retractable Clothesline, for hanging laundry, or added storage in the kitchen.
Sturdy, good-looking metal pails in all shapes and sizes can be used to tote cleaning supplies or as a simple bath waste basket. A Behrens 10-Quart Galvanized Pail is $9.97 from Home Depot.
14. Galvanized Pails
A welcome hardware store regular: the indestructible cast iron pan. The Lodge 10.25-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet is $14.90 from Amazon, but the brand is also available in many hardware stores, including Ace, for just about the same price.
15. Cast-Iron Pans
Use a simple tension rod as a no-screw curtain rod, or mount one inside a kitchen cabinet as an instant paper towel dispenser.
16. Tension Rods
17. Wooden Clothes Hangers
We like wooden clothes hangers for their durability, uniformity, and ability to hold clothes in place; luckily, they’re readily available at most hardware stores. A 30-Pack of Natural Wooden Hangers is $29.23 from Home Depot.
Cotton drop cloths are our secret design weapon: Among us, we’ve been known to use them as no-sew slipcovers, fuss-free tablecloths, simple curtains, even in lieu of a lightweight summer coverlet.
18. Drop Cloths
19. Plumbing Pipes and Fittings
Above:We also look to the plumbing aisle for DIY inspiration on a budget. In recent years, a slew of projects have cropped up using copper pipes and flashing, from DIY faucets and curtain rods to shower rods and backsplashes.
Shop the hardware store for practical wood-handled brushes of all sorts; this 12-Inch Metal Dust Pan with Wood-Handled Broom is $30.61 at Home Depot.
20. Dustpans and Brushes
21. Multi-Use Brown Paper
Rolls of brown paper can be used for lining shelves, wrapping gifts, covering the table, or creating a drawing wall for the kids.
22. Workhorse Fan
Another dependable hardware store find: the hardworking metal fan.
23. Brooms
Well-made brooms need not be expensive; look at your local hardware store for a classic model with a wood handle and tightly-bound fibers.
Hardware stores tend to carry our favorite laundry workhorse: the collapsible wood drying rack.
24. Folding Clothes Racks
25. Peg Boards
Pegboard can be used as good-looking wall storage all over the house, from the office to the kitchen (just think Julie Child’s pegboard pot rack), and it’s available on a dime at most hardware stores.