Things Fall Apart.
No, I'm not referring to the highly acclaimed novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe - though I would recommend the book! I'm talking about the general decay of cheap household furniture. Two years ago, we furnished our then new apartment with tables and a desk from Target. Well, now this stuff is starting to fall apart.
Here are just a few examples:
Our $60 dollar coffee table leg has fallen off. Its currently delicately positioned in hopes of making it until we can take the time for a replacement.
Our $30 dollar desk chair (which was never really one to begin with) has its naugahyde covering starting to deteriorate, the legs are loose and the frame can be felt through the cushioning.
The joints on our fiberboard desk are coming apart - the desk is now held together by its own weight and fact that we've got stuff set up around it.
Why is our furniture falling apart? The reason is that we initially made a decision to focus on price. So, we bought cheap furniture. Our thought was that we wouldn't necessarily be in DC for the long term so we'd be better off getting something that was relatively disposable. Disposable it is.
So, we're planning on changing our strategy. Given that the economy is the pits, to replace our stuff we are planning on buying quality. At the moment, we are still focusing on getting a down payment together for a place in Portland, but when we do start shopping, we'll be looking for durability and quality, rather than low price. As regular readers would guess, we don't tend to be the type to run out and buy the latest fashion, so getting classic and durable items will probably do the trick quite well.
Best,
Miel
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12 comments
Don't forget to check resale store such as Goodwill or Salvation Army, as you can sometimes find quality pieces that only need refinishing or maybe a coat of paint. Check the drawers esp, and if the corners are dovetailed you are looking a higher quality furniture, then if it was nailed.
Brian - Great idea. We've been discussing where we might want to go for shopping. Resale stores are great but DC is not the place for them. There are no discount places such as Goodwill, and the typical resale places are trendy and expensive.
We were thinking that we might get a zipcar (since we don't have a car) and head to the burbs for some shopping. All furniture places in the district are high end and mostly modern. Likely anywhere we'd be looking would need delivery.
We will likely also keep an eye on Craigslist to see if there are any good items that someone else hasn't used too harshly. This city tends to get get people in and out of it and many do buy good quality for short periods of time. Hopefully we'll get lucky.
Miel
Amen. Stuff like that is fine to set up a first apartment quickly, but it really doesn't hold up well past a couple years.
I would also add that 'real' furniture can be refinished, by yourself or a professional. Sometimes you can get a deal on a good piece with superficial damage, repair it, and come out ahead.
One silver lining to the current economic mess is that it's a buyer's market for high-end durables like these.
Indeed. Don't scrimp on furniture. Better: don't scrimp on anything you expect to last you 5 - 10 years.
I have bought quite a few older items on craigslist, I figure if they still look that good after 30 years, they're going to last.
I don't mind spending a decent amount of money on furniture because furniture in our house lasts forever. We don't eat on upholstered furniture other than the dining room chairs, we always remove shoes when entering the house so the rugs stay nice.
Some people probably think we are a little overprotective of our stuff, but hey, I worked hard to have the $$ to buy it and I want it to look good.
Yeah, we'd agree with buying things that last overall. For us it was mostly difficult in knowing that we wouldn't likely have the furniture for 5-10 years. But at the same time I think we will be better off replacing with durable items and then reselling on Craigslist if need be.
As for treating your things well, I think that is great. We've tended to have the opposite affect, as you are less concerned with damage if the item was not seen as valuable in the first place. I'm looking forward to having some good pieces and taking care of them.
Cheers,
Miel
It seems you have an amvets somewhere in the DC area. My sister frequents one in San Diego and has had excellent luck between her local store and Craigslist.
This will make me sound like a hippy but I wish more people could buy things that last: it'll mean fewer landfills.
Fewer landfills = reduced taxes [citation needed] and a cleaner environment.
Ishtar - I agree with your hippy sensibilities. We would have never considered buying cheaply had we anticipated to be here longer, but in the end I think everyone wins when buying quality.
Best,
Miel
furniture is definitely something you get what you pay for, this is the reason we only buy solid hardwood furniture. They last, they are constructed to last, they are easier to repair, and they can take dings and scrapes along the way. We look for solid hardwood with traditional joints and real finishes (no veneers).
We've been in the furniture buying mode as well and we are in McLean. We bought several items from Crate & Barrel on sale or close out, because the price was right and the wood stuff met my requirements. However, we are still looking for bedroom and dining room stuff.
There isn't much in the burbs of DC it seems, especially at a discount. I would recommend looking at Amish furniture makers in PA, WV and VA, because they still use traditional joints and solid woods. Arhaus in Tysons Mall has great pieces, but they won't discount unless there are closeouts. With that said, Arhaus has some great furniture and if you can get them on closeout, they are a fantastic deal. I almost bought a solid cherry dining room table and buffet from them, but they wouldn't discount anymore saying they don't discount (which was a bit surprising since they continued to reduce the price on closeouts).
You could also make a trip down to High Point, NC, where just about every furniture manufacturer has warehouse showrooms, which makes it a convenient one stop shop place. You can get anything you want at much cheaper costs, order it, have it made (takes about 4 months, and have it shipped.
I'm not discounting that there aren't deals you can find at estate sales or craigslist, but it is difficult to find stuff that match, etc.
Take a look at renewable woods like Mango, Bamboo, rubberwood, etc furniture, too. They tend to be cheaper, but just as durable if not more than other woods. Again, though, look for quality construction like real joints.
Furniture is some of the most heavily marked up goods out there, so you should be able to bargain furniture down at least 50% if not more. That is buying new.
If buying used, I am always leery of people titling anything and everything old as antique, because you pay a premium for the word antique, and you really need to know furniture to buy antiques.
I'm trying to remember, but there is also a consignment furniture place in the DC area we went to, but most of the stuff looked trashed out. I guess you have to routinely go there to find anything decent, which from what I'm told you can find if you are lucky.
Tim - Thanks for the great info. Glad to hear that you are in the area. Shopping for furniture is also made harder for us with out a car. I imagine we'll find something that works for us though.
Cheers,
Miel
I remembered the consignment place, it is called Upscale Resale located in Falls Church
http://upscaleresale.com/
Like I said, people say you can find some great deals and finds there, although we didn't see anything for us the one time we went.
most of the furniture stores around will deliver for a flat fee for as many pieces as in your order since they normally are delivered from a centralized shipping warehouse. For floor models you will normally need your own transport.
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