Mi Design Group: Have you heard of Etsy?

I thought Etsy was a household name until I asked a friend if she checked Etsy for some cute pillows and she looked at me with a blank stare.

For those of you who don’t know about Etsy, it is an online marketplace where people set up shops to sell physical goods that they have made by hand. Knitters, graphic designers, jewelry makers and many other artists use Etsy like millions of other people use eBay.

Etsy is not limited to the United States. Check out this pillow that I found that I can’t wait to buy for my house and it will ship all the way from India!

The Home Centric

Half of Etsy's website traffic comes from outside the US. So, where do all these people live? The company's survey of almost 1600 international sellers showed that these members come predominantly from the UK and Europe, with healthy chunks from Canada and Australia. At least you know that the items around your house aren’t the same ones that people have seen so many times in so many other homes since it came from the same catalogs that grace every mailbox in the country!

So just how do Etsy sellers promote their shops and get their goods sold? Their personal blogs are the number one way. Bloggers are taking over the retail industry! How cool is that?

One of my favorite things to do is surf Etsy for the coolest accessories I can find – it is just so much fun to see what new items show up every day! There are so many categories with so many beautiful and unique items; things that will make you want to buy, buy, buy!

There are definitely some Etsy finds that may be a little over the top or even tacky, but if you work it into an otherwise tasteful decor, it works and can even add that little bit of wow factor that we all strive for! It can add a punch of personality and interest that sets your room apart from even the most well designed spaces.

Wouldn't he be cute painted a high gloss white?

More importantly though, a good find can make you happy! I just purchased a fun art print for my office from an online blogger, madebygirl. I just received it and I can’t wait to get it framed and hung!

I cannot believe some of the treasures I’ve found and they’re very reasonably priced. I decided to do some digging on Etsy to show you just what you can find that I think is cool and splurge-worthy!

Pillows by Couple

Cool Wall Vinyls by Simple Shapes