This Unexpected Source for Stylish Home Decor Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight

Published on August 25, 2025

If you know of Harbor Freight, you might think it's the domain of construction workers and gearheads, and you'd be right. This super-sized hardware store with more than 1,500 locations in the U.S. is a tool haven. But believe it or not, hidden among the air compressors and socket sets are some gems with major decorative, homekeeping, and organizing potential. And if you don't know Harbor Freight, you're in for the nice surprise of a new place to source some good-looking household basics.

Here are five affordable, super useful, and unexpectedly cool-looking home items you can buy at your local Harbor Freight store. Who knew?

1. Utility Carts

A sturdy storage cart is useful in so many ways. But a storage cart in a fun color makes a design statement. Harbor Freight sells 30-inch powder-coated utility carts in eight colors (five brights, plus more understated options like gray, black, and white) for just $130. That’s far less than your average metro cart from The Container Store. It even has a lined drawer that locks. You can also get matching $8 magnetic hooks capable of holding 25 pounds, so you can hang even heavy items from the side of the cart. Here are a few ways to use these carts at home:

• In a kids' room or playroom to hold toys and art supplies
• On a patio or deck as an outdoor bar cart
• In a home office to hold a printer and supplies
• As a mobile crafting or hobby station 
• In a large pantry to hold small appliances, such as a stand mixer, so heavy items can be wheeled out when needed

2. Canvas Tote

Harbor Freight’s $14 round canvas bag (it's really more of a soft-sided bucket) has eye-catching design details. Think of it as the rustic cousin of the famous L.L. Bean Boat and Tote. The braided rope handle and suede bottom give it extra organic style and durability. Functionality-wise, it collapses when not in use. At 15 inches high and with four pockets on the interior, this bag is good for toting beauty supplies and hair tools, gardening gear, or art supplies. Or put it next to your reading chair to hold books and magazines. It also makes a sturdy reusable bag for grocery store or farmer’s market shopping.

3. Cleaning Tools

Cleaning tools that look nice enough to leave out in the open can be surprisingly expensive, but Harbor Freight has three refined yet budget-friendly entries in this category. Their $2.50 bench brush, with a wooden handle and brown bristles, works well for clearing crumbs off the kitchen counter. Their $16 push broom has a nice wooden handle and broom head, plus stainless-steel supports. Pair it with their $10 oversize stainless-steel dust pan, which features a curved handle and crimped edges.

4. Quiet Luxury Garden Hose

Forget the typical bright green garden hose and black plastic nozzle. You and your garden deserve something a little snazzier. Harbor Freight’s $22 contractor garden hose comes in a tasteful shade of beige. Pair it with a $5 brass nozzle that looks like it came from a luxury garden tool company, but at a fraction of the cost. Why pay more if you don’t have to?

5. Workbench

Want a unique idea for a kitchen island? How about Harbor Freight’s $180 wooden workbench? It features three felt-lined drawers for utensils and a shelf below for pots and pans. Or us it behind a sofa to hold a lamp or on a covered porch as a potting bench. At 60 inches long and only 20 inches wide, it’s spacious but versatile. We love the blond wood and industrial-style details.