How do you buy furniture?

[smallcoffee]

My wife and I have always seen eye to eye on furniture and the value of quality, often expensive furniture. We bought our canopy bed for about $4800 about 25 years ago and that was on sale at 50% off. (I’m not saying you have to spend that much to get quality furniture.) Our preference is Queen Anne and Chippendale style furniture. In contrast we have friends who buy junk and they seem to be constantly cycling through new junk furniture. We’ve had most of our significant pieces for 20-25 years and they look as good as the day we bought them. I don’t insist that you choose the same styles, but they have always appealed to us.

Also, I’ll acknowledge that furniture tastes with the younger generation are changing, and we could be hard pressed to ever sell our massive dining room china cabinet, second image. I’m I right that today many young people don’t want big furniture?

View attachment 776609

View attachment 776610​

Oak vs other woods: when I was young I loved oak furniture, but as my tastes changed with experience, aging, I now lean towards less grainy woods, but this is personal taste. Cherry, mahogany, ebony and rose woods result in the most refined appearing furniture and we avoid contemporary styles, but real ebony and rosewood maybe on the endangered list. We prefer deep, rich red stains, never brown. To repeat, personal taste, but dark reds and mahogany’s beat brown any day.

For quality, and wood furniture, avoid discount stores, no particle board allowed. Construction must be hard woods and furniture quality veneers/plywood. Typically drawers will have tongue and groove joints, not nailed or screwed. I really don’t have a good sense of how much you should be paying for quality these days, but check out an Ethan Allen if there are any still around for calibration.

Thanks! I like the second china cabinet - I think for those it's a matter of practicality/use. I think it looks beautiful but.... I don't have anything to put in it. I'm excited to see some of these pieces in person at some of the regional stores.

 

[Huntn]

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.

We lived in the Twin Citues for 3 decades, Gabbert’s, Schneiderman’s, and Ethan Allen were our first stops for quality furniture. We love Henredon brand furniture (our bed).
[doublepost=1534601583][/doublepost]

Thanks! I like the second china cabinet - I think for those it's a matter of practicality/use. I think it looks beautiful but.... I don't have anything to put in it. I'm excited to see some of these pieces in person at some of the regional stores.

On a cultural note, sales of things like ...China and Silver place settings have plummeted. It’s bad to generalize, but is it safe to say the younger generations are just not interested? We spent much of our young adult lives (80-90s) combing through antique stores looking for old depression glass and crystal patterns.

 

[smallcoffee]

On a cultural note, sales of things like ...China and Silver place settings have plummeted. It’s bad to generalize, but is it safe to say the younger generations are just not interested? We spent much of our young adult lives combing through antique stores looking for old depression glass and crystal patterns.

I can't speak for everybody, but I think it comes down to a few factors (I like silver myself but never really liked "China"):

1. Cost - even if you have extra income you're going to spend that on something else - travel - beer - idk
2. Utilization - unfortunately people don't have friends over for dinner anymore. We do, but we're rare in this. I absolutely love to cook.
3. Where to put it? With home prices skyrocketing and square footage dropping - there just isn't room. Even if you live in a city in the Midwest - home prices have gone through the roof. 3br 2ba with good/ok schools? $230,000 for something low-end without great finishes ~ 1500sqft. There isn't enough housing inventory anywhere - and developers keep building suburbs (nobody wants) with overpriced homes while they're also building apartments and condos with $500/month HOA fees for stuff nobody uses.

 

[Huntn]

I can't speak for everybody, but I think it comes down to a few factors (I like silver myself but never really liked "China"):

1. Cost - even if you have extra income you're going to spend that on something else - travel - beer - idk
2. Utilization - unfortunately people don't have friends over for dinner anymore. We do, but we're rare in this. I absolutely love to cook.
3. Where to put it? With home prices skyrocketing and square footage dropping - there just isn't room. Even if you live in a city in the Midwest - home prices have gone through the roof. 3br 2ba with good/ok schools? $230,000 for something low-end without great finishes ~ 1500sqft. There isn't enough housing inventory anywhere - and developers keep building suburbs (nobody wants) with overpriced homes while they're also building apartments and condos with $500/month HOA fees for stuff nobody uses.

I agree with all your points, especially housing costs. We bought a 3000sf house in the Minneapolis suburbs in 1994 for $210k which is now worth $500k.

I was born in 1953, during the post WWII economic bubble, when “things were good”. My impression is that some of these cultural aspects are partially based on the existence of the largest, robust middle class the country has ever seen, when average people could afford such decorations. I think we are looking in the rear view mirror on those days.

 

[smallcoffee]

I agree with all your points, especially housing costs. We bought a 3000sf house in the Minneapolis suburbs in 1994 for $210k which is now worth $500k.

I was born in 1953, during the post WWII economic bubble, when “things were good”. My impression is that some of these cultural aspects are partially based on the existence of the largest, robust middle class the country has ever seen, when average people could afford such decorations. I think we are looking in the rear view mirror on those days.

I agree, and it comes down to two main factors in my opinion:

1. Too many people
2. Transition from a manufacturing economy to a service economy.

 

[MBAir2010]

cana 3d printer make a sophisticated quality luxury bedroom sets with padded bedding that is manufactured and imported from Spain Built-in LED lights on the sides of headboard Upholstered bed with soft touch Bed is covered in water repellent leather Soft and easy cleaning upholstery Grey and brown finish Sleek no hardware design Accented real wood case goods Optional storage powered by powerful gas lift pistons?

can it?

 

[D.T.]

Also, I’ll acknowledge that furniture tastes with the younger generation are changing, and we could be hard pressed to ever sell our massive dining room china cabinet, second image. Am I right that today many young people don’t want big furniture?

​

​

I'm not young[er] and I find that design/style and/or "big furniture" awful (the wife too)

 

[Huntn]

I'm not young[er] and I find that design/style and/or "big furniture" awful (the wife too)

You don’t like design, style and/or big furniture?

 

[D.T.]

You don’t like design, style and/or big furniture?

I don't like that style or some big furniture (particularly in that style). I think some of the old school things like china cabinets and huge entertainment centers, for example, are just not our thing (again, I'm not all that young. We prefer a little more modern, streamlined, functional for our lifestyle.

I love good design, I've been involved with great designs

 

[Huntn]

I don't like that style or some big furniture (particularly in that style). I think some of the old school things like china cabinets and huge entertainment centers, for example, are just not our thing (again, I'm not all that young. We prefer a little more modern, streamlined, functional for our lifestyle.

I love good design, I've been involved with great designs

That China hutch in my picture, the wife wants to get rid of the top part and keep the bottom. It’s not the only storage we have for glassware. We have a much smaller oriental cabinet. She gave away our crystal to a friend, she is clearing out other glass type stuff. The hutch is beautiful, but we may have to give it away or actually have it junked to remove it.

In the following pictures, this is during my bathroom remodel so we have stuff and boxes piled around the house.

Not a good picture or oriental cabinet, but much more reasonable size
than the hutch. It’s content is normally stored in bathroom cabinets.


Also in dining room.
Most of it’s content is usually in the large hutch.


One of my favorite pieces, an antique
Chinese kitchen cabinet and chicken coop
(On the bottom).​

 

[Gutwrench]

​

I'm not young[er] and I find that design/style and/or "big furniture" awful (the wife too)

I’ve never been crazy about hutches or big knobby pieces, but it is/was pretty popular in the American Midwest.

I prefer more clean open minimalist room and furniture designs and like mahogany and granite very much. The last Minnesota house was trimmed in warm mahogany. I much rather have built in cabinetry rather than furniture against the walls, if possible.

 

[D.T.]

View attachment 776639
Not a good picture or oriental cabinet, but much more reasonable size
than the hutch. It’s content is normally stored in bathroom cabinets.

View attachment 776638
Also in dining room.
Most of it’s content is usually in the large hutch.

View attachment 776640
One of my favorite pieces, an antique
Chinese kitchen cabinet and chicken coop
(On the bottom).​

Now the style of those I dig on, I've got a bit of a thing for Asian design, that last one with the chicken coop is fantastic, though just in general we don't do those kind of larger pieces. Heck, we've got some beautiful, classic, Heywood Wakefield items we have to find a home for, though it might mostly work itself out with the next iteration of the bedrooms (still one table in storage, no place for it ...)
[doublepost=1534610581][/doublepost]

I’ve never been crazy about hutches or big knobby pieces, but it is/was pretty popular in the American Midwest.

I prefer more clean open minimalist room and furniture designs and like mahogany and granite very much. The last Minnesota house was trimmed in warm mahogany. I much rather have built in cabinetry rather than furniture against the walls, if possible.

View attachment 776641

Nice.

 

[Clix Pix]

I tend to like a mixture of styles as opposed to everything being one particular style, so in my small condo apartment I have an antique golden oak (the real thing) sideboard and on another wall, three very modern tall glass-front cabinets with glass side and glass shelving with a minimum of wood (again, oak). In the kitchen an antique golden oak Hoosier "Sellers" cabinet holds pride of place and is very functional as well as being interesting looking.

The computer area is along one wall, too, consisting of two fairly large glass computer workstations with glass pull-out keyboard trays; just adjacent is a third, smaller glass workstation which holds the printer and supplies.

Through the years the way I've chosen furniture has been usually to have a particular need in mind and to go looking, but there have been times when I've bought something the minute I saw it because I instantly realized it would work perfectly with my lifestyle and needs. Sometimes you see something and you just know.....

The dining table is a smallish round solid oak table which fits nicely in the limited space available. One of my favorite pieces of furniture is the large solid wood armoire, which currently houses photography gear and computer gear (cameras, accessories, external drives, etc.). I think it is pine, beautifully finished, and the doors are painted with subtle images of fruit. The interior is roomy with four shelves and then there are two drawers in the bottom for additional storage. It's a wonderful and versatile piece of furniture that I have had for over twenty years. That was one of those purchases which was a case of instant love and I didn't hesitate to purchase it right then and there. It has moved with me from townhouse to condo apartment and when/if I move again, it will be going with me.

As Skepticalscribe mentioned, with furniture, the adage "form follows function" really is key, and most people do purchase furniture with the idea that it will serve a particular purpose in their home. Since it is something we use and live with every day, it is also helpful to really like the looks of the furniture that fills our rooms and surrounds us, providing comfort, providing functionality, providing storage.

 

[jeyf]

we recently down sized and the remaining furniture is eclectic and has memories for us. The less treasured stuff was let go. So we are particular what we buy for the new house.
there is 3 of us; we also have an age old 80lb Irish Setter.
4example:
got a 1930's 3/4 size claw foot tub from a plumbing supply house in the old Baker District here
we bought some big wall mirrors off of craigsList and they are super nice
from Tribble Stone, selling recycle flooring, their show room, (2) steam punk black leather chairs

from the ARC thrift store an unsigned 3x4' oil painting, its back frame has a signature