So where do you go to get reasonably priced furniture?

[XemaSab]

I want a sofa and loveseat, but I don't want to pay a thousand dollars.

Any suggestions? :shrug:

Thanks in advance.

[StellaBlue]

1. I only buy antiques, here's why:

1) Made of real wood

2) Made of real wood

3) Related to #1 - longer lasting thatn cheap, modern crap

4) Timeless, but adaptable to any design scheme depending on what time period antiques you buy

5) Increases in value, rather than decreasing like faddy, crap modern furniture

6) Sets you apart from your IKEA-happy friends

7) A sense of history is present in old items where you can see some wear and life on their surface

8) Edited to add: Reasonably priced if you buy it at a garage sales, estate sales, and auctions. Easier in the UK than the US, but still doable. Still a great deal compared to massively (shockingly, in my experience) overpriced MDF shite.

9) Made of real wood

$0.02

I think 99% of modern furniture is the worst of sins: tacky.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

8. Overstock.com

They send it for three bucks. Easier than getting it from a big box store.

[Ariana Celeste]

13. I love antique furniture

I love the way the wood smells on the unfinished areas. That sound weird? Lol. I also love the smell of stain when you refinish the wood. My dad is an antique furniture refinisher (he will do newer furniture, too) and he's had some interesting pieces come into his shop. I used to love it when he would bring me along to the upper middle class homes to pick up furniture. I went through a phase where, when a customer didn't know what color they wanted, or my dad was refinishing something for us, I always wanted it done in mahogany.

[Ramsey]

36. "Distressed"

I just bought a house twice the size of my former house and have to buy some new furniture. I am furnishing my husband's home office at the moment, desk, book shelves, computer station and chair.

We want something nice and classic looking, but large antiques pieces like this are usually pretty expensive, and I don't really have time to troll auctions and estate sales. So I am working with a designer and using her catalogs. It turns out that virtually ALL new wood furniture these days is "distressed". That means the manufacturer intentionally introduces fakey-looking imperfections into the finish. It seems to me like an excuse to use cheaper wood. I went to look at the office suite we picked out yesterday because it was described as "heavily distressed". I actually thought it was fairly subtle. A piece next to it though looked like it had been through Hurricane Katrina! :wtf: ??

[Xipe Totec]

2. How far is Santa Barbara from the Mexican Border?

Don't, know about the california side, but on the Texas side, you can get old furniture reupholstered or even custom built for a song.

[XemaSab]

7. It's not particularly close

Maybe 3.5 hours? :shrug:

[Xipe Totec]

15. I forget just how long CA is. Sorry!

Anyway, the idea might still work, if you can find some upholsterers locally...

That is, before the INS ships them back... :evilgrin:

There's also furniture in the raw, where you buy the unfinished furniture and finish it yourself, but that does not work as well for upholstered furniture.

:shrug:

[XemaSab]

17. Well yeah

Earlier today I stained a bench.

It's espresso now.

[brook]

3. Try

craigslist. Also estate (and some garage sales} often yield great buys. Consignment shops are another source.

Here you go.

edited to add link.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

4. Ikea.

[pitohui]

5. i'm really cheap

most of my furniture came off the side of the road and was re-done by me but i have a tiny knack for it

you can also post what you're seeking on freecycle, if you have one in your area, and see if anyone has a sofa and/or loveseat that needs to be hauled off because they're moving or have a new one

[LeftyMom]

6. Craigslist!

I got my kid's Captain's Bed for $40. A similar peice made of particle board and bailing wire is about $200 at Ikea. People give away perfectly good stuff for free, too. I got a brand new still in the plastic (though mismatched) king mattress set for myself that way.

[MissB]

12. Yep.

Either I buy Craigslist or I have a piece made. Since I'm not exactly swimming in cash right now, I find Craigslist to be very useful.

[sendero]

14. Particle board and bailing wire..

... and what's wrong with that? :)

[Ellen Forradalom]

37. I second that

I got my bedroom set on from Santa Barbara CL for $300.

[bridgit]

9. IKEA...

[Whoa_Nelly]

24. Is IKEA furniture any good?

Have looked at their online catalog many times, and like some of the styles, especially the occasional chairs like this one:



Would love to know what you think of IKEA's quality :hi:

[taterguy]

31. We love it

We rented a van and drove 300 miles to fill it. Didn't buy much furniture, mostly new kitchen cabinets. However, we're very pleased with them along with the dining room chairs we bought

[bridgit]

35. there you go, taterguy, we live close but either way very much worth...

the investment time & money-wise imo :-)

[bridgit]

34. we just picked up a 6' couch, coffee table & entertainment ctr...

hubby is highly mechanically oriented, but mentioned the pieces went together very easily due to design considerations with no screws & stuff...the 'mystery' of IKEA certainly seems to be that you have to put all your own stuff together, so that if you have no inclination you'll need to find or hire someone to do it, and they have contractors at the ready...of course...

we picked up the couch in like a forest greens, it's very sturdy, comfy, and cost - $460, coffee table sturdy as well, glass top - $75 i think it was, and entertain ctr - $150, also plenty sturdy

we're liking it very much :hi:

[Whoa_Nelly]

48. Thanks! Good to know!

There are quite a few furniture pieces that I like...and will be needing some furniture pieces in the near future :hi:

[LSK]

51. i have a bunch of bookshelves from them and a Poang

The chair has held up for a year so far.

It also helps that Ikea is about 10 minutes from me.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

54. I've had some of my IKEA furniture for awhile.

It actually holds up pretty well and it's been through a few moves. If you're crafty, you can turn it into some pretty funky stuff. If there's one close by, it's also worth going there for household stuff. Nice potholder for $1. Wineglasses 8/$4 etc. Basically, if you don't want to spend much, you can buy little things that look really nice cheap. I even bought a set of three particle-board pictures (photos mounted onto particleboard) for $15. They're really pretty and look like they cost more than $15.

[radwriter0555]

10. You must go to Friedmans in Santa Monica. I've been buying from them

for years because their stuff is the hands down cheapest and best quality AND CUSTOM.

They make ANYTHING you want, ANY size, any fabric at a fraction of the cost of any other place. In addition to carrying all the current and contemporary lines, they will work from any picture you bring them and copy it.

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/157633/

Locally owned, grandpa is still perched in one of the chairs, TONS of showroom samples. They do it all and they're really really nice.

It's cash, no financing, takes about 2 weeks, I LOVE THEM. They're one of the LA furniture market's best known secrets.

[GOPisEvil]

11. Resale shops.

You can get some nice stuff, if you're willing to look through a lot of crapola.

[hyphenate]

16. A thrift store?

And reupholster it yourself?

Sorry--I've been watching way too many episodes of Trading Spaces!

[XemaSab]

18. Even the shit in the thrift stores here is like 600 dollar crap

[pitohui]

63. WOW! that is scary

$600 from a thrift store? i'm afraid i'd just throw a $16 kmart air mattress on the floor until i got something from the psychic shopping network (curbside) but that's kinda what i do anyway

[XemaSab]

65. Yeah

I was sorta thinking about getting an air mattress from Target. :P

[norml]

19. You really don't have any idea how poorer people live, do you?

In descending order of cost, try consignment stores that handle used furniture, ads in the used furniture section of the newspaper, thrift stores, yard sales, and finally free stuff left on the curb.

[conflictgirl]

23. Don't forget hand-me-downs from friends and family

I've gotten some decent couches from family members who like to redecorate every couple years.

[XemaSab]

30. My friends and family are all poor

and they all live on the other side of the state. Any furniture would cost as much to bring here as the actual value of the furniture.

[XemaSab]

29. What the fuck are you talking about?

:shrug:

(FWIW, I have tried all these options, and everything I have found is either a 20 dollar piece of crap, or a 2000 dollar piece of crap. I can afford something slightly nicer than the 20 dollars, but not as nice as the 2000 dollars. I really am not sure why you're pegging me as out of touch with the common man. And furthermore, right now my apartment has a table (150 unfinished), 2 chairs (40 each), a bench (100 unfinished), 3 small bookcases (found on the sidewalk), a lamp (found on sidewalk), a nice mirror (found on sidewalk), a cushiony chair (freebie from neighbor), and a desk (freebie from mom). And a thermarest in the corner that I sleep on. Yes folks, I have been sleeping on the floor for 6 weeks.)

[norml]

45. I suppose it was an earlier thread on how you couldn't see getting...

together with someone poorer, plus this, that I was reacting to.

I'd always thought you were a nice person.

I suppose I could've complimented you on your honesty.

I've been feeling some desperation and resentment lately.

I've always been poor, but I've never worked so hard (two jobs), yet fallen so far behind, as I have lately.

I've had injuries that make it difficult to do what I have to do.

I'm in pain all the time.

I don't even know exactly what's wrong, since I've no health insurance.

I've dental insurance, where they pay half, but since I owe about $700 now, I've had to let another tooth that's crumbled go for a few months, though I plan to fix it as soon as I can.

It hurts, and it hurts to eat.

Oh, and because it's been so hot, my 1988 Olds has been getting the vapor lock (or something) which adds another aggravation to driving delivery.

I need to replace my delivery job with something physically easier, but the few jobs I see in the paper, either I couldn't do, or they pay less.

I'd like to get into doing something professional.

I've had some education.

I have skills.

But until I can afford to invest in setting myself up to do something professional (for me that would be a better computer, software, and digital equipment)I'll just have to work whatever job I can.

I did give you some good advice on where to find furniture bargains.

Good luck with that.

:)

[XemaSab]

46. That really sucks

I'm sorry to hear that. :(

I guess the motivation behind that thread is that I've only ever dated losers, and I'm thinking it would be nice to be able to spot losers in some way BEFORE you go out with them. I seriously believe that my friend's BF is a loser, and the job thing is really only a part of the whole, but the rest of it is something I can't really articulate, so I guess I locked on to the job thing as something solid I could really name.

:shrug:

Sorry if I came off as a bitch. :(

[NoSheep]

39. What brought THAT on?

:freak:

[Broken_Hero]

20. usually

import warehouses...or yard/garage sales...the only NEW piece of furniture my wife and I have is our queen bed...can't go cheap on the bed, my wife's back is sorta fubar...

[Robeson]

21. Antique malls, or consignment stores.....

...you may not find what you want the first time, but keep checking them out. All it takes is that one time, to see something you like.

[Zookeeper]

22. Lots of good suggestions on this thread already....

You might want to check out the warehouse or clearance centers of large or chain furniture stores. I found a very good quality sofa (we call it, "The Sofa That Eats People") at the warehouse of a higher-end furniture store. It was there because it had a slight mark on the back, which I was able to remove. It was roughly 1/2 off, which was still expensive, but despite the very heavy wear it gets in a house full of kids and pets, it has held up very, very well. If we had gone to Ikea or Wickes, it would have collapsed by now.

I find a lot of non-upholstered pieces at thrift stores, garage sales and sitting on the curb. I either restore them or do something funky like painting or collage. And I design and build wood furniture myself.

Good luck, XemaSab!

[Nicole]

25. Excellent idea

I love the seconds room of the large furniture store here. Most of it is floor models that are discontinued or damaged. Some of it is repossessions.

I bought a $1500 couch for $500. The only thing wrong with it was one of the seat cushion zippers was coming apart from the seam. I spent 10 minutes & .5¢ worth of thread sewing it back together.

[Zookeeper]

26. I've also noticed that visiting the seconds room....

of some of the lower to mid-priced furniture stores can give you a good idea of how poorly their wood veneer/particle board case goods stand up to use.

Good for you, Nicole, for your resourcefulness. I wonder how many people rejected that couch because of a split seam that was easily repairable?

[Nicole]

28. You are so right

I have seen so many bookcases & entertainment centers that were crap in the seconds room. Especially when a corner is knocked off. Wood ones can be glued & nailed. Nothing to help that cheap stuff except maybe wood colored contact paper.


I think a lot of people passed by that couch as most stuff is 50% off. After it's been there too long it goes down some more. I can't remember the percent off now, 60 something. My daughter was well pleased with her new couch that mama fixed.

[politicat]

27. Flea market or www.homereserve.com or Lowe's.

How are you at putting things together? Do you want to have it forever? Do you plan to ever move again?

If you're any good at putting stuff together, we've got a loveseat from these folks www.homereserve.com that is just excellent. Like took my nephew's abuse with no problems.

Here's my theory on furniture: I'm either going to have it until my dying day (like the grandfather clock and my antique bedframes that I've inherited) or it is disposable and intended to go away after a certain amount of years (usually price divided by 50, so I expect to keep a 200 dollar sofa for 4 years.)

I got my sofa at the local indoor flea market - it is a rattan frame with cushions, and it was about 100 and came with a coffee table. It's black, but was probably another color originally, and I recovered the cushions in silvery grey. My loveseat is in the exercise room (where the TV is because normally we only use the TV when we're working out), and it is the home reserve Park in Cricket berry (we have a second cover in fairview ebony.)

The home reserve stuff goes together really easily and it comes apart for moving. Rattan is light and little me (5'2") can move the sofa all by myself AND in the back of my little Hyundai. As far as I'm concerned, furniture should fit in my hatch back (the only things we own that do not fit in my car is the king-sized bed, the treadmill and my husband's armoire; the treadmill fits, but it would screw up the suspension.)

Also, look at patio furniture. A lot of it is on clearance right now, and if you like the way it looks, it will be fine in your house. (And when you get tired of it inside, it can go outside, too.)

[NewWaveChick1981]

32. High Point, NC

Furniture Capital of the World. There are two International Home Furnishings markets here every year, and after the markets (which aren't open to the general public---have to be a company buyer or seller) end, floor samples are farmed out to local furniture retailers. You can get floor samples, which have not been used other than in showrooms for about ten days, for dirt cheap. You can also shop at local furniture retailers (there are two big "furniture malls" and lots of other smaller retailers) year-round. Prices are better than just about anywhere else, and they can ship your furniture to you.

:) :hi:

[calico1]

33. I would check out local tag sales and also

check the paper for estate sales. I have friends who furnished most of their home this way for not much money compared to buying new. And this furniture was all good, solid wood. Very sturdy. Its worth taking a look if its something you have time to do and have a way to pick up the pieces you buy.

[AngryAmish]

38. Wait until a neighbor goes on vacation...

[liontamer]

50. that just happened to me

somebody stole my bed so now i have to go buy a new one :(

[dysfunctional press]

40. Ebay, without a doubt.

i just picked up a sofa and chair for $99 that was less than one year old, and cost over $3000 new.
a couple months back, i picked up a like new chair& ottoman for my parents for $50- my buddy had just bought the same set new for over $800.

[greendog]

41. Here you go...

Sofa:

Love seat:


Start with these, save your money, and when you see something you like and can afford, buy it.

Quit whining. You don't have to start out with a fully furnished and decorated apartment.

[Thtwudbeme]

42. How was the poster whining?

The guy is trying to find reasonably furniture. Is that whining?

[Midlodemocrat]

43. Didn't sound like whining to me.

Sounded like she was asking for opinions on a message board. :shrug:

[XemaSab]

47. LOL

The chair I am sitting is is a SLIGHT upgrade from those.

[LanternWaste]

44. Outlet stores...

Furniture outlet stores are a pretty good option. I'm shopping around for a new bedroom set and have seen some that really caught my eye priced at $750 (I'm thinking that a 7-piece bedroom set and a sofa-loveseat combo are app. the same in cost-- at least that's been my experience)

I recently bought a sofa-loveseat set at Ashley's that was priced at $1200, minus $250 because there was a scratch on one of the stubby legs (the legs can't be seen, let alone the scratch) and minus another $150 because I bought it cash-- no financing or any of that stuff.

[LSK]

49. IKEA and used stuff

www.ikea.com

Or find used furniture. I got a leather couch and a huge entertainment center from a co-worker for $250. They are not in bad condition. They are black and his wife didnt like them.

I got my dining room table from a friend who was moving and didnt want to take it to his new home. - $50

I got my end tables from a garage sale. - $25

I got a coffee table from a former boss for free who purchased a newer one. - Free

[XemaSab]

52. I think garage sales and craigslist

are the best strategies.

I also think I should wait until after my trip to Arizona, and I should not try to date my co-workers.

[LSK]

53. why would you date your co-workers??

(am I missing another thread?)

:popcorn:

[XemaSab]

55. I dunno

Cause a lot of them are hot and there's no one else I am interested in locally?

[LSK]

56. but do your co-workers have jobs?

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[XemaSab]

57. No, they're all unemployed wastrels

:popcorn:

[LSK]

58. why the hell would your company employ unemployed people??

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[XemaSab]

59. Because employed people don't have time for that crap

:popcorn:

[LSK]

60. now it makes sense!!!!

:think:

:popcorn:

[XemaSab]

61. What about your office?

Do they employ employed people, or do they employ unemployed people?

[LSK]

62. they are all employed, at least some of them

I wish the upper management was mostly unemployed, then we could employ some other unemployed and help the economy. Ya know how it is!

:crazy:

:popcorn:

[dysfunctional press]

64. ebay has 247 listings for "sofa" within 150 miles of santa barbara

http://search.ebay.com/sofa_W0QQcatrefZC5QQfclZ3QQflocZ1QQfposZ93101QQfromZR14QQfrppZ100QQfsclZ1QQfsclZ1QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQfsptZ1QQfssZ0QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQsaaffZafdefaultQQsacatZQ2d1QQsacurZ0QQsadisZ150QQsaslcZ0QQsaslopZ1QQsorefinesearchZ1QQssPageNameZWLRS

for starters.