Retail Therapy: Focus on your nest in the new year

Our “new year, new nest” focus on home furnishings continues this week, with the best places to find designer and discounted furniture, accessories and more — including one exciting new outlet.

Penney for your thoughts: JC Penney has moved its furniture outlet from Rancho Cucamonga to 6141 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park. Enjoy savings of up to 70% at this huge outlet warehouse, which features overstock, returns and scratch-and-dent furnishings, accessories, mattresses and more from JC Penney’s stores and website. Information: (714) 739-0104.

Final stop: If you’re on an extreme budget but don’t want to venture into a thrift store, try the CORT Furniture Clearance Center, 16575 Magnolia St., Westminster, where this furniture rental company’s offerings go to pasture after being rented. Information: (714) 841-4063.

Model idea: Ever wonder what happens to the designer furnishings used in model homes? Many of them end up at Just Like The Model, 17391 Murphy Ave., Irvine, where they are sold at drastic discounts. You’ll also be able to purchase everything else used in the model, from bedding to artwork to those clothes you see hanging in the model home closets. This showroom is a regular haunt for interior decorators and receives new stock daily. Information: justlikethemodel.com.

Best-kept secret: If you have a bit more to spend but don’t want to pay the markup that comes with Pottery Barn style and quality, check out Comforts of Home, 15791 Rockfield Blvd., Suite D, Irvine. It has been a popular place for more than a decade for ordering new and custom furnishings that evoke popular mall brands for a much lower price. The site has been a word-of-mouth phenomenon for years until it began appearing on “The Real Housewives of Orange County” and Yelp. Information: (949) 770-8888.

Do a good turn: Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, 1400 Village Way, Santa Ana, is an excellent option if you’re seeking Home Depot-style fixtures or new or gently used kitchen and bathroom cabinets and furnishings. Items are donated by local renovators as well as product manufacturers and retailers. Stop by frequently, since stock changes rapidly and the store never knows what it’s going to receive. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity. Information: habitatoc.org/ShopReStore.

Have a hot sale tip, or know about a new local business that you think deserves a little attention? Contact CANDICE BAKER at [email protected].