Gothic Cabinet Craft

When shoddy particleboard and flimsy plastic won't do, this 38-year-old chain, which dots NYC with 26 locations, is a go-to spot for cut-rate traditional styles of bookshelves (from $49), platform beds (from $99) and TV carts (from $99) hewn from pine, birch and oak. DIYers will save even more cash by opting for unfinished works (staining will set you back a whopping $45–$80 on a small bookshelf). For custom pieces, expect to pay 30 percent to modify the size of a standard item, and $500 and up for a true made-to-measure job—not dirt-cheap, but worthwhile for dwellers of 400-square-foot studio apartments in need of built-in should hit the two Queens clearance centers, both of which abound with overstock and floor models slashed by up to 70 percent.