How do you buy furniture?

[smallcoffee]

This is a question that's been on my mind for awhile so I'm hoping I can get some great responses from the community here .

So, as a potential purchaser of furniture I want to buy something that lasts and I'm willing to pay for the value. I've look at regular furniture stores, but for the money it just seems like cheap particleboard crap from China. I look at Restoration Hardware and I'm skeptical again that their furniture is worth anything near the cost - but they get the designs right, mostly.

So usually that leaves me at Ikea. I know what I'm getting from Ikea and I'm ok with that - but now I want to buy really nice furniture that will last.

How do you go about buying furniture? Any tips? I hear a lot about "Amish furniture" and if it's good stuff I'm willing to pay. But where can I find a real oak desk or table? I have no clue.

Any help?

 

[Gutwrench]

Which state are you in and what type of furniture are you in market for?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

This is a question that's been on my mind for awhile so I'm hoping I can get some great responses from the community here .

So, as a potential purchaser of furniture I want to buy something that lasts and I'm willing to pay for the value. I've look at regular furniture stores, but for the money it just seems like cheap particleboard crap from China. I look at Restoration Hardware and I'm skeptical again that their furniture is worth anything near the cost - but they get the designs right, mostly.

So usually that leaves me at Ikea. I know what I'm getting from Ikea and I'm ok with that - but now I want to buy really nice furniture that will last.

How do you go about buying furniture? Any tips? I hear a lot about "Amish furniture" and if it's good stuff I'm willing to pay. But where can I find a real oak desk or table? I have no clue.

Any help?

What about small local family owned stores? They tend to have a preference for stocking and selling quality products.

Also, why not try shopping in small furniture stores in a "good" area of town? Good areas - while invariably more expensive - usually tend to stock higher quality goods.

Personally, as I like good stuff, I shop around. Are there any small 'antiques' stores around? You might be able to lay hands on older, (not centuries older, maybe a few decades old) but well made and well crafted furniture.

And, my uncle used to be able to buy some good stuff at auctions.

 

[smallcoffee]

What about small local family owned stores? They tend to have a preference for stocking and selling quality products.

Also, why not try shopping in small furniture stores in a "good" area of town? Good areas - while invariably more expensive - usually tend to stock higher quality goods.

Personally, as I like good stuff, I shop around. Are there any small 'antiques' stores around? You might be able to lay hands on older, (not centuries older, maybe a few decades old) but well made and well crafted furniture.

And, my uncle used to be able to buy some good stuff at auctions.

I live in a large city in the US Midwest and what amounts to the nicest area, but the furniture shops are places like Restoration Hardware, which I don’t really trust to be worth the money.

There are definitely antique stores and family-owned stores but I’m of the opinion it’s marked up stuff that’s, again, not really worth the money. Maybe I’ll have to take another look.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I live in a large city in the US Midwest and what amounts to the nicest area, but the furniture shops are places like Restoration Hardware, which I don’t really trust to be worth the money.

There are definitely antique stores and family-owned stores but I’m of the opinion it’s marked up stuff that’s, again, not really worth the money. Maybe I’ll have to take another look.

Well, I cannot speak for the US, but, if you want quality, you will have to be prepared to pay for it. Small businesses will "mark up" stuff, but, if it is good quality, well made, well crafted, sturdy and attractive, (and you like it), then it is worth the money.

There will always be a trade-off between price and equality - and your ultimate selection will probably come down to where you find yourself on that particular spectrum.

Alternatively, do you know any good carpenters who would be prepared to make any pieces for you?

 

[smallcoffee]

Well, I cannot speak for the US, but, if you want quality, you will have to be prepared to pay for it. Small businesses will "mark up" stuff, but, if it is good quality, well made, well crafted, sturdy and attractive, (and you like it), then it is worth the money.

There will always be a trade-off between price and equality - and your ultimate selection will probably come down to where you find yourself on that particular spectrum.

Alternatively, do you know any good carpenters who would be prepared to make any pieces for you?

Oh no doubt. Money is no issue it is just an inability to determine what is quality. I know what I’m getting when/if I buy something from Ikea. I don’t know what I’m getting from somewhere else. Was the piece handcrafted? What kind of wood? Is this high-quality wood? What is a normal price for something like this? How much is the markup? Etc.

I know the cost of most things relative to value. I know how much extra it costs me to buy a bottle of wine at a restaurant, for example, or what the premium is for hardware components for a Mac, or paying for location in real estate but I just can’t figure out the furniture industry!

 

[ejb190]

Depending on what it is, I will go for antiques (it is rare when a seller doesn't know what they have, but it happens), build it myself, or buy it. There is a overstock/discount store not too far away that usually has really good deals, but you have to be prepared to walk away or settle if they don't have exactly what you are looking for.

Markups on furniture, depending on who you read, can be 80% all the way to 400%.

I have found that quality is a combination of good construction and understanding what it was designed for. I have a friend who bought a leather sofa, then complained when their dogs tore it up with their toenails when they jumped on it. There was nothing wrong with the couch. It was just a poor choice for their lifestyle.

 

[Tomorrow]

I used to work in furniture (both in a retail store and in a manufacturing factory) and I learned a LOT of the ins and outs of furniture.

A lot of what you see in stores, and in people's homes, is relatively low-quality stuff, meaning it's largely machine-made with particle board, fiber board, or whatever, with a thin sheet of veneer or even stained paper to make it look like "wood."

There's a bit of a misconception that real wood = high quality; that's true to a point, but there are some caveats to that. For a table top, you would probably want something hard like oak or mahogany, since if you're writing, dropping silverware, etc. onto a pine tabletop it's going to get dinged up REALLY quickly. But if you're buying something like bedroom furniture, living room tables, etc., pine is absolutely fine, it's lighter weight and much less expensive than oak, and it's actually more sturdy than people often give it credit for.

Most upholstered furniture (including leather) is framed with pine or worse; the idea is to get something lightweight that doesn't necessarily look beautiful, since you're not going to see it anyway. Generally, one wood is as good as any other in this application, and particle/fiber board wouldn't work, anyway since there's no real structural integrity to it (in the sizes and shapes it would be cut for framing, anyway).

Unfortunately, what the other posters have said here is true - there IS quality furniture out there, and you WILL pay for it, and pay handsomely. Don't be fooled by name brands - even mid-tier brands like Broyhill, La-Z-Boy, Bassett, and others, make both good quality "real wood" furniture and cheap laminate crap, so buyer beware.

 

[cdcastillo]

I see how my furniture buying options will not apply to you, with me living in México city and all, but the general concepts might as well apply. On the last 7 years I have bought furniture from 3 sources:

1. The department store. My couches, tv furniture and some lawn chairs come from department stores, ranging from the equivalent of Bloomingdales and Macy's to Sears.
2. The local artisanal furniture market. Near my house, there is a market where dozens of artisanal furniture builders sell their wares. My bedroom and dining room furniture comes from this place. Do not be fooled (as I was) on thinking all of these things are rustic/rough looking/vintage, there is a great variety of styles.
3. Custom built by a carpenter. The closet in the second bedroom was built to order and almost on site. This was by far the most expensive of all my furniture, but it is beatiful and just what I wanted/needed.

 

[smallcoffee]

I used to work in furniture (both in a retail store and in a manufacturing factory) and I learned a LOT of the ins and outs of furniture.

A lot of what you see in stores, and in people's homes, is relatively low-quality stuff, meaning it's largely machine-made with particle board, fiber board, or whatever, with a thin sheet of veneer or even stained paper to make it look like "wood."

There's a bit of a misconception that real wood = high quality; that's true to a point, but there are some caveats to that. For a table top, you would probably want something hard like oak or mahogany, since if you're writing, dropping silverware, etc. onto a pine tabletop it's going to get dinged up REALLY quickly. But if you're buying something like bedroom furniture, living room tables, etc., pine is absolutely fine, it's lighter weight and much less expensive than oak, and it's actually more sturdy than people often give it credit for.

Most upholstered furniture (including leather) is framed with pine or worse; the idea is to get something lightweight that doesn't necessarily look beautiful, since you're not going to see it anyway. Generally, one wood is as good as any other in this application, and particle/fiber board wouldn't work, anyway since there's no real structural integrity to it (in the sizes and shapes it would be cut for framing, anyway).

Unfortunately, what the other posters have said here is true - there IS quality furniture out there, and you WILL pay for it, and pay handsomely. Don't be fooled by name brands - even mid-tier brands like Broyhill, La-Z-Boy, Bassett, and others, make both good quality "real wood" furniture and cheap laminate crap, so buyer beware.

Thanks. I know better than to trust name brand furniture, which is part of what makes this hard. If a furniture store says a desk is actually oak, how can I verify the quality of that oak? Should I care?

Going back to Ikea - I know I’m buying particle board stuff from there but the key is that I KNOW what I’m getting versus a surprise from somewhere like La-Z-Boy.

Do you have any additional tips? I want to buy furniture that will last a long, long time (at least tables and such).
[doublepost=1534521078][/doublepost]As an example, here is a “solid oak dining table” : https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/august-grove-golden-oaks-dining-table-wp2650.html

I just Google searches to see what comes up. I don’t trust that this is a solid oak table made from quality wood. How can I tell?

-EDIT-
Apologies. Even though that’s called Golden Oak it’s a like table per the description. Even there they try and trick you!

 

[NorCalLights]

For years and years, most of the American-made, quality furniture was made in North Carolina. There are still a few companies that are building great furniture. Find a dealer for Century Furniture, for example, and they'll probably have a showroom that's full of quality stuff. http://www.centuryfurniture.com/dealer-locator.aspx

The staff at a furniture store like that will also be able to tell you what other quality lines they cary.

 

[smallcoffee]

Also should I trust Amish furniture? From what I understand it’s actual wood and it’s wood grown in the region where it is made (very cool). Any thoughts?

Like this looked like an alright table (as an example).

 

[MBAir2010]

go to madison Wisconsin yesterday were the college kids hafta leave their apartment
there are a lot of selections and style of colors, shapes and contours to fulfill all your living arrangements needs.
Th basset and broom area near doty st has a 3 section full leather love seat; 2 foldingchairs, cleaning supplies to last a lifetime and moped that runs!
all this can be yours if the curb alert is right!

 

[NorCalLights]

Again, a local furniture dealer will cary lines of furniture that are made by Amish craftspeople. They are generally of very high quality. However, I would not trust buying something labeled "Amish" over the internet.

 

[smallcoffee]

Again, a local furniture dealer will cary lines of furniture that are made by Amish craftspeople. They are generally of very high quality. However, I would not trust buying something labeled "Amish" over the internet.

Right - I live close enough that I could go to showrooms (I’m in the Midwest) and the like - I just like to get as much info as possible beforehand.
[doublepost=1534522424][/doublepost]

go to madison Wisconsin yesterday were the college kids hafta leave their apartment
there are a lot of selections and style of colors, shapes and contours to fulfill all your living arrangements needs.
Th basset and broom area near doty st has a 3 section full either love seat; 2 foldingchairs, cleaning supplies to last a lifetime and moped that runs!
all this can be yours if the curb alert is right!

Ha. Right? When I went to college I took old hand-me-down furniture and donated it when I graduated.

 

[MBAir2010]

Right - I live close enough that I could go to showrooms (I’m in the Midwest) and the like - I just like to get as much info as possible beforehand.
[doublepost=1534522424][/doublepost]

Ha. Right? When I went to college I took old hand-me-down furniture and donated it when I graduated.

not anymore, with student loans and "I'm better than you" 19 year olds chicagoans who pay 2 grand a month for rent: buy buy buy , then toss toss toss!

 

[Tomorrow]

Also should I trust Amish furniture? From what I understand it’s actual wood and it’s wood grown in the region where it is made (very cool). Any thoughts?

Like this looked like an alright table (as an example).

That table looks well-made - it will probably last beyond your lifetime.

My personal take on it? It's VERY expensive for the design. It looks like something a high school woodshop student would make. Nothing wrong with that, but for a designer price, I would expect designer furniture. Just my opinion.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Right - I live close enough that I could go to showrooms (I’m in the Midwest) and the like - I just like to get as much info as possible beforehand.
[doublepost=1534522424][/doublepost]

Ha. Right? When I went to college I took old hand-me-down furniture and donated it when I graduated.

You also have to factor in what your own personal preferences in terms of what you like in furniture may be.

Personally, for example, while I like antiques, and love well made hand-crafted pieces, my personal preferences are much more for something plain and understated rather than something too ornate.

In your shoes, I would do some research on where (genuine) Amish furniture - if you like that look - may be acquired or bought in the area where you live.

 

[Lioness~]

I go to any respected furniture chain that is not IKEA when I want quality wood furniture, and compare them with each other.
Even in 'IKEA-land'we have plenty of others where I occasionally buy stuff in designed wood.

 

[ejb190]

Apologies. Even though that’s called Golden Oak it’s a like table per the description. Even there they try and trick you!

Golden Oak is the name of the stain, not the wood it was made of. See that all the time (Cherry, Walnut, etc).

Also should I trust Amish furniture? From what I understand it’s actual wood and it’s wood grown in the region where it is made (very cool). Any thoughts?

Oh, I could write a book on this one. The Amish are just like anyone else.

My mom bought kitchen cabinets from an Amish gentleman. When he finished installing them he told my mom, "You bought those cabinets, but they are still mine. If anything goes wrong or you need anything changed, you don't call anyone but me!"

On the other hand, my church hired an Amish man to rebuild after a fire. We ended up suing to recover $250k in stolen funds. (We had his wife on check fraud.) And we came to find out this wasn't the first time he did this.

Most Amish shops use all the modern tools. They might be harvesting and sawing local lumber, but I bet they are buying it from a lumber mill that is kiln drying, just like everyone else is. There are very few people out there that can demand the prices needed to build furniture out of hand selected wood with hand tools.

All this to say there are a lot of good, hardworking Amish, but there are a few that cruse by on the reputation.

 

[smallcoffee]

That table looks well-made - it will probably last beyond your lifetime.

My personal take on it? It's VERY expensive for the design. It looks like something a high school woodshop student would make. Nothing wrong with that, but for a designer price, I would expect designer furniture. Just my opinion.

Well, please correct me if I’m wrong but where do you find designer solid wood tables for that price?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well, please correct me if I’m wrong but where do you find designer solid wood tables for that price?

@smallcoffee: You keep mentioning price.

Not once have you mentioned who you like in terms of aesthetics and style (modern, Art Deco, Amish, antique), what actual wood you like (I love walnut, for example, and quite like oak, and adore teak) and what sort of finishes you like.

Personally, I would do research on that: Pieces that you like online, and in shops, - ask about them, ask about who made them, where you can find something similar - in terms of quality.

Then, look at affordability: It is better to find out what you like, - and can live with - and then try to come up with a way to find an affordable version.

 

[smallcoffee]

@smallcoffee: You keep mentioning price.

Not once have you mentioned who you like in terms of aesthetics and style (modern, Art Deco, Amish, antique), what actual wood you like (I love walnut, for example, and quite like oak, and adore teak) and what sort of finishes you like.

Personally, I would do research on that: Pieces that you like online, and in shops, - ask about them, ask about who made them, where you can find something similar - in terms of quality.

Then, look at affordability: It is better to find out what you like, - and can live with - and then try to come up with a way to find an affordable version.

I’m not worried about affordability so much. I’m not about to drop $30k on a table, but 5-6k is ok. The reason I keep mentioning price is because I want to understand the price relative to the quality - and I’m looking for a more general answer not necessarily limited by design.

If an Amish table is solid oak wood for $1500 and has an alright design (whatever we want to determine that to be) how can I tell that it is better or worse in terms of quality for the price than a similar, maybe better designed oak table from somewhere like Restoration Hardware that costs $3200? Is it just markup? Is the actual wood itself better and worth the money? How do these two tables compare to a table from a generic big-box furniture store? I know if I go to Ikea for $200 I’m getting a particleboard table but I know what I’m buying. I don’t know what I’m buying from other places.

Largely I do research to understand price points relative to quality. Like I could explain why a $700 jacket from Arcteryx is better than a $200 one from North Face or the German Jack Wolfskin equivalent and I can also compare that to a $60 jacket from Wal-Mart. Then once you know what you’re buying at different prices you can better understand what you actually should by.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I’m not worried about affordability so much. I’m not about to drop $30k on a table, but 5-6k is ok. The reason I keep mentioning price is because I want to understand the price relative to the quality - and I’m looking for a more general answer not necessarily limited by design.

If an Amish table is solid oak wood for $1500 and has an alright design (whatever we want to determine that to be) how can I tell that it is better or worse in terms of quality for the price than a similar, maybe better designed oak table from somewhere like Restoration Hardware that costs $3200? Is it just markup? Is the actual wood itself better and worth the money? How do these two tables compare to a table from a generic big-box furniture store? I know if I go to Ikea for $200 I’m getting a particleboard table but I know what I’m buying. I don’t know what I’m buying from other places.

Largely I do research to understand price points relative to quality. Like I could explain why a $700 jacket from Arcteryx is better than a $200 one from North Face or the German Jack Wolfskin equivalent and I can also compare that to a $60 jacket from Wal-Mart. Then once you know what you’re buying at different prices you can better understand what you actually should by.

And I am saying that if you like an item, - like the wood, quality, style, appearance, can live with it - what an equivalent may cost elsewhere is an irrelevance unless you have already decided to buy that precise table or its sibling.

How you find this out is by visiting a number of stores, and seeing stuff for yourself, and asking about it. The old "what makes this good?" "Why is this one more expensive than that one - craftsmanship, brand name...?" "Can you recommend something equally good in term son quality, perhaps less well known, but less expensive?" and so on.

Visit a number of stores, and see what you like; then, ask about the quality, the wood, the style, who made it and under what circumstances.

 

[smallcoffee]

And I am saying that if you like an item, - like the wood, quality, style, appearance, can live with it - what an equivalent may cost elsewhere is an irrelevance unless you have already decided to buy that precise table or its sibling.

How you find this out is by visiting a number of stores, and seeing stuff for yourself, and asking about it. The old "what makes this good?" "Why is this one more expensive than that one - craftsmanship, brand name...?" "Can you recommend something equally good in term son quality, perhaps less well known, but less expensive?" and so on.

Visit a number of stores, and see what you like; then, ask about the quality, the wood, the style, who made it and under what circumstances.

Well sure, but even if I like the design of a $4,000 table from RH - if it’s $3,000 marked up I’m not going to buy it. And yes you’re right about visiting places - I hope to arm myself with a reasonable amount of knowledge beforehand.

I appreciate your comments and suggestions!