Local Reviews

Below is an ever increasing list of reviews I am compiling for various Home and Garden stores around Orlando.  The process involves documenting my opinions regarding the price ranges, goods, services, and quality at each store.  The hope is that this will give you a feel for what different places are selling, enabling you to narrow  your options and decrease the “hunt/research” time for various items of interest.  I also want to uncover some great local shoppes around Orlando that I don’t even know about yet.  Your suggestions are welcome.

You can browse reviews by location:

Downtown/East Orlando/WinterParkCasselberry/Longwood/Altamonte Springs

Downtown/East Orlando/Winter Park

Habitat for Humanity
ReStore
(1st location)

2105 N. Orange Blossom Trail

Orlando, FL 32804

Phone: 407-426-7192

Store Hours: Tues.- Sat. 9:00 AM – 4:45 PM

KEY FINDS: Salvaged Items, Surplus Hardware, Thrift

One word…..amazing.  It really is a cool place to check out if you like salvaged building materials, thrift items, and surplus home items and hardware.  Keep in mind that when you drive up to it, it is like an old warehouse and you are not sure if you want to go in, but it is definitely worth it! Upon entering, I got a little giddy inside because it I could see variety (ahh, the spice of life).  They have salvaged lumber, doors, windows, hardware, etc.  The prices vary, but I think they seem quite fare even though some things I would have liked to see a lower price tag on….like the white french doors that I really desired.  I am pretty sure they do allow negotiating (because I heard a guy in the store haggling with an employee).  The people there are very friendly and they will work with you if you let them.  When I asked for help the gentleman who helped me realized through our conversation that I wasn’t sure about the product I was buying, but I wanted to try it out….so he slashed the price in half for me!!  So I will definitely be going there more often and it is actually right outside of downtown Orlando, which is closer than I thought to my house.

Wonder Products Paint

2709 E South St
Orlando, FL 32803
407-898-9237

KEY FINDS: Mis-tinted Paint for $9, Hardware

(Updated 4/5/13)
This is a great recent find that everyone should know about.  Wonder Products Paint is not only a paint store, they also sell things that you would find in a regular hardware store also.  The key to this place is that they sell “mis-tinted” paint, it’s like the “oops” paint at Home Depot.  So all of the gallon cans are $7, which is great because they have such a huge selection, you are bound to find something.  Plus, don’t forget that you can always mix paints together and then have even more–they will even do that for you;)  They have flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, gloss, interior and exterior paints and they are all separated by those categories within the store.  Not quite sure how much their 5 gallon containers are, but they do have those also.  Their mis-tinted paint comes from paint stores from all over the country.  So, if you are low on cash or just want a good deal and don’t mind looking through a bunch of paint colors, then give this store a visit.  Don’t forget to bring a swatch if you are trying to match a color!

ReStore (Habitat for Humanity) -the newest location

4835 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

Store Hours: Tues.- Sat. 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Phone: 407-480-2493

KEY FINDS: Surplus Hardware, Salvaged Items, Thrift

Not only can you find good quality used furniture at this store, but they have a lot of surplus items that have been donated to the Habitat for Humanity.  I went in there and they had a whole area with surplus home repair items (from caulk to exterior light bulbs, black lawn fabric to vent covers).  They also had reclaimed doors and windows, they had big pieces of artwork (they looked like they were from hotels or restaurants) many had great price tags for the size and quality.  And this is there second location that just opened up, so they still have a lot of space to fill!  The lady volunteering there said that the first store is jam packed with a ton of stuff, so I will be making my way over to that side of town soon!

Casselberry/Longwood/Altamonte Springs:

Better Than New: Home & Garden Resale

458 State Road 434

Longwood, FL 32750

www.BetterThanNew.com

Key Finds: Accessories and Interesting Furniture

(Reviewed 2/10/2010)An Easy to spot shop right off of 434, near the South Seminole Hospital, this resale/consignment shop has a nice price range.   Walking throughout the store it was very neat and orderly and you could tell that they take pride with all the items .  As I was inspecting one item of interest, I smelled wood cleaner (I was very close to it), which really surprised and delighted me!!  The prices were fair, nice items were more expensive, but not overpriced.  There were some deals and steals as well, which is always great.  The particular day I went the store was having a sale, but they did say that negotiating can happen, it just depends on the piece (whether or not it is consigned and if the consignor has a selling range).  The lady and gentleman working there were very friendly and you could tell they really stood behind the quality of the store, which is pleasant.  The style of the furniture varied from modern to traditional, with various international styles sprinkled throughout the mix.  If you are ever in or around the area and you have a missing piece of the puzzle, stop in and it check out :)

Old Time Pottery

204 State Road 436
Casselberry, FL 32707
(407) 644-1460

Key Finds:  Wide Range of Accessories

(Reviewed 3/14/10)When you first enter this store, the sheer size can be a bit overwhelming.  However, they do have great prices…… and they can have great prices because they stock their store with discontinued items, overstock merchandise, manufacturers closeouts, and overruns.  This store has kitchen wares, decorative accents, bath items, outdoor decor, wall accents, bedding, rugs and random furniture pieces.  You won’t find any decor that is “ultra-modern,” most of the style there seems to be more traditional and “old world.”  But if you have time and can carefully meander throughout the store, you can find some classic elements to add dimension and or fill in missing decorative items.  Really, the only things I stay away from in that store are the fake plants and the patio furniture.  The cool thing that I never realized was that they also have a small selection of interior decor fabrics, some at really amazing prices.