Do you buy furniture to last decades?

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SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Do you buy furniture to last decades?

Post by SandiSAHM »

Dgflorida wrote: Mon Aug 12, 2019 2:14 pm Have you considered buying a used couch from a store like Goodwill or Salvation Army? Sometimes they have some great stuff. I got a great couch and chair set from one of those places. Lasted about 10 years and stayed nice. I gave it to a friend to sell at a yard sale she was having to save her house(she lost her job and behind on her mortgage) We pretty much gave up upholstered furniture when we moved to the deep South. The cloth material was hard to keep nice just like you said. Our 3 sons went through a period of moving out and moving back in. Got furniture that way and about a dozen toilet brushes. Never could figure out the toilet brushes. So now our furniture is our son's used lazy boy and misc. tables. My old wooden finished table and a set of chairs and a TV stand given to me. I agree with icfrugal. The lazyboy is the only thing we will replace when it wears out. They are very nice. Are lazyboys an option for you?
I've had zero luck with used things that have any sort of textile - once a HOUSE - DH tore all the carpeting out within 6 hours of our living there because as it turns out I'm waaay more allergic to cats than I'd thought, and the previous owner had cats. He scrubbed the slab with Atmosklere a few times, I stayed at a friend's until walking in didn't make everything light up. Took a week for the hives to fully settle. After a few weeks we had a wood floor installed. Looked good. I don't regret that house.

We got a recliner from my parents ('we' were ex-h and me)... but my Dad was a smoker and it wound up in the backyard inside of an hour because the smell triggered my asthma.

Now WOOD furniture, sure. My 'office' armoire is a $100 thing we bought from one of DH's coworkers, after cleaning, reinforcing the construction, adding some trim work and painting then antiquing the whole thing, it looks awesome. If something wooden has the right bones I can fix and/or refinish it and have no issue bringing it home if it's something I have a use for. I just can't take the risk with anything that absorbs odors.

I'm not much of a recliner person overall. I don't know why.
BevMoore
Posts: 1012
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 11:04 pm

Re: Do you buy furniture to last decades?

Post by BevMoore »

I have a small sectional that I need to get reupholstered because I would like to keep it. Problem is re-upholsterers are hard to find here. So many people are opting for IKEA type furniture so there does not seem to be a demand for reupholstery services.

Bev
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Do you buy furniture to last decades?

Post by SandiSAHM »

colonialgirl wrote: Mon Aug 12, 2019 3:00 pm I am out of style and I very seldom if ever tire of things.

I care a great deal about decor and quality furniture - not so much about being in the current style. I would never pay $11k for a sofa- but I would look for that same brand and style of sofa used, if I liked it, and have it reupholstered. The frames are kiln dried hardware, they have 8 way hand tied springs - all of the finishing on the fabric is well done. They almost always in better shape (except for the fabric of course) than the junky workmanship that is being produced today.

I know the 20 somethings who are starting out today - look on furniture as more of a disposable item - Buy something and when it is soiled or wobbly or scratched, replace it because it didn't cost much. So antithetical to my entire philosophy on buying for value not price. You can buy beautiful well made used furniture in quality woods like cherry or mahogany or walnut for practically nothing. It is kind of sad - but good for me as over the years, I have been able to pick up things I wanted but could never afford.
I am out of style but still tire of a look, or parts of an overall look, in around 10ish years.

When I was really young I loved contemporary and over time I've moved to a more cozy traditional with a hint of contemporary and sort of lingered here, but from time to time the colors have to change or I get bored. I think it's because I moved so much as a kid and used to get the urge to move every few years but many times settled for just redecorating where I already was. I'm fine for a while then the 'need' for change sets in.

I think if I had a 1950s style flat-bricked big-windowed house with mid-century modern furniture, I could be happy in one style for... 15ish years. It's the only thing that has always drawn me in, but that's probably just because I haven't lived in it yet.

I think today's 20-somethings are getting ripped off :lol: because if they're shopping in a modern furniture store there appear to be 2 classes of stuff - heirloom quality if-you-think-your-school-debt-payment-is-high-wait-til-you-see-this! and laminate / particle board junk. I've fixed, sanded and repainted that stuff and it is NOT fun, and no matter what you do for it, eventually you're going to have to toss it.

Decently built middle of the road $$ is hard to find. Which is why my bedroom furniture is about to get a 2nd life, there's no ROI in replacing it.
Grannysewstoys
Posts: 4156
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:37 pm

Re: Do you buy furniture to last decades?

Post by Grannysewstoys »

I needed to replace my living room furniture after my late husband died his dog had destroyed everything.

On the advice of a friend who was a decorator. I went to the store she recommended I had been to several other stores just looking. I found just what I wanted. I still have my wing chair and sofa. Because of her decorator discount I paid about the same as some of the mid price stores.

They are worth having them reupholstered. Both needed springs redone. I ended up asking my daughter's boyfriend to cut a piece of wood to fit each of them. I am in my late 70s I didn't have the money to redo them.

They are comfortable and the price was right. I paid for one sheet of plywood.

On the other hand I have had to replace my dining table many times. Mostly because I need a very tiny one in my very small one bedroom apartment.

Penny
Quilter51
Posts: 2815
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 6:04 pm

Re: Do you buy furniture to last decades?

Post by Quilter51 »

I tire of style as well. Plus which of course I have always had the same house. Since germany I 2007 I've had two or sets and I'm looking towards a third. So not even ten years.
Quilter51
Posts: 2815
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 6:04 pm

Re: Do you buy furniture to last decades?

Post by Quilter51 »

Always not had the same house.
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