Yesterday was a frenzy-filled day for home decor lovers in the Boston area. If you haven’t already heard, Homesense has opened its first store in the U.S.. It’s right in my very backyard (not actually, I wish.) and I went to their big opening day yesterday. Now, I’ll admit, I wasn’t too familiar with the brand until just recently. So, let me give a little overview for those who may be asking what the heck this place is. Homesense is a home decor wonderland. Actually, a WONDERLAND! It’s a Canadian based store owned by TJX (they own Marshalls, Homegoods, TJMaxx) that is 110% focused on home furnishings. To sum that up, my first reaction when I walked into the store was “this is basically Homegoods on steroids!”. And it really is.

After having visited the Homesense store in Framingham, MA on their opening day, I thought I would share my experience with you. Now, don’t judge my pictures on this one. It was a home decor madhouse there. So many people and workers were enthusiastically ripping down lights and pushing couches around. It was a little insane. Also, I apologize to the few people who made it into my photos. But, I did capture a happy moment for you all. Needless to say, these were snapped on my iPhone while I was bumped around a little (all friendly bumps, of course)! So, for those curious as to what Homesense is all about, here’s what I’ve got to say:

Homesense is Big. Really Big.

Yes, at least for this first store, the actual space is huge. Maybe no larger than a normal Homegoods but they make amazing use of the vertical space in the store. The furniture and home decor is literally crawling up the twenty foot ceilings. Because of this, they can definitely pack more goods into one store. Another bonus for us shoppers is that it makes viewing the furniture a much easier task.

It’s Merchandized Incredibly Well

Again, opening day at a shiny new store but the layout and placement of all of the home decor is done exceptionally well. They have styled zones like “global decor” and “traditional decor” that give a ton of wild inspiration for how you can pull a space together. In some ways, it was reminiscent of the way Ikea is merchandized. You could view the look and then behind that look was the actual goods you’d need to make that look come true. It was super easy to see a vignette and shop it which I loved.

It’s Totally Lit

The lighting section at Homesense is AMAZING! An entire corner of the store is dedicated solely to lighting. On the back wall are floor-to-ceiling shelves that house table lamps and, to add to the sparkle, chandeliers and pendants hang from the ceiling in front of them. Can you say beacon of lighting love? Also, if you are looking for two table lamps that match, they’ve got multiples of the same lamps! Glorious!

You’ve Got Furniture Options

In a typical Homegoods, you might see one, maybe two, large couches or furniture items. I got to Homesense later in the afternoon and they still had twenty or so different large sofas and tons of large accent chairs. I though this was one of the biggest value adds of this store.I’ve found that I typically use Homegoods for final touches in our home but this allows you to furnish an entire space. Oh and for dining chairs? They have sets! Like, sets of eight of the same chair, making it more likely for you to buy a single set of chairs for your dining room.

Nothing to Rug At

So, I am kicking myself because I didn’t snap a picture of their rug section. But, oh my gosh, their rug section is cuckoo bananas! They had at least a hundred large area rugs hanging from the ceiling ranging in size from sizes 4’x6′ to 10’x14′. That and, not to mention, the hundreds and hundreds of smaller rugs folded neatly on the shelves below. We are probably going to be getting a new area rug in the next year and I’ve added Homesense on my list of first places to shop.

Priced to Please

Lastly, it won’t come as a surprise but, it’s worth mentioning, that the prices are great! I would say exactly on point with what you would expect from a Homegoods.

Did I cover it all? Probably not! You really need to go and visit one of these stores for yourself if you are ever in Canada or near one of their U.S. stores! So, what did I walk away with? Well, if you follow my insta, you may have already seen the amazing chandelier that I bought for our bedroom. Yes, I installed it the same day (see the pic above!)! I had been looking for one like it for awhile to no avail. Well, it dazzled me in the lighting section and I just had to have it. For $200 it was a definite steal. Overall, Homesense is a place worth spending some time in. Is the merchandise really all that different from a Homegoods? No. But, there’s more of it and more sets of things which is a huge bonus to the store. Plus, the merchandising is done oh so well. There are a few more popping up in the U.S. this year check them out here.