Furniture Shopping Secrets: How to Tell Superior from Shoddy
Published on - September 26th, 2009 (by J.D. Roth) This is a guest post from Karawynn Long, who writes about personal finance at Pocketmint. Karawynn is a semi-regular contributor for Get Rich Slowly. She has been blogging since before “blogging” was a word.
Here at the Koke-Long house we’re in the market for some furniture. Our living room is currently semi-furnished with a comfortable but deteriorating Ikea couch and some leftover dining chairs; we’d like a nice armchair or two and some tables.
I’ve mostly gone for Ikea ‘cheap and new’ furniture in the past, but I’ve been disappointed by its (understatement alert!) lack of durability. This time I’d like to try buying used but higher-quality. As I began to look around, though, I realized that I knew very little about what makes for a strong, long-lasting piece of furniture.
Anyone can identify a rip, scratch, or stain, or decide whether they like a certain color, without special knowledge. But judging whether a piece is likely to last two years or twenty — just by looking at it — is harder stuff. Time to research! Here’s an overview of what I learned, with a checklist at the end.
Wood furniture — composition
I used to think hardwoods were hard and softwoods were soft. Silly me! Actually, hardwood just means ‘from a deciduous tree’ and softwood means ‘from a coniferous tree’, and some hardwoods (like aspen) are softer than some softwoods. What you want on exposed surfaces is a wood that’s reasonably scratch-resistant. You can test this easily enough by attempting to draw a thin line with your fingernail across the wood; if it makes a visible dent (use a flashlight here if necessary) you know it won’t stand up to much use.
Structurally, any kind of solid wood or sturdy plywood will do the trick. If plywood, look for at least nine layers. Check the wood for knots, even on unexposed pieces; all knots are susceptible to cracks. Some woods, like pine, are ‘knottier’ than others, and therefore less desirable. Avoid particleboard, pressed wood, or fiberboard.
Veneers — a thin piece of premium wood covering a lower-quality piece of wood — are often used even in very high-quality furniture. As long as the base piece is solid wood or plywood, the only drawback to veneer is that it limits the number of times an item can be refinished.
Wood furniture — construction
Joint construction is the main determinant of quality furniture. Anything held together with staples or nails is shoddy construction. Ditto if it’s glued and you can see the glue. Dowels (wooden pegs slotted into two opposing holes) are good, as are screws. 
The best joints are either dovetail (interlocking squarish ‘teeth’ — see photo) or mortise-and-tenon (narrowed end of one piece inserted into a hole in the other). Corners should have a reinforcing block attached at an angle.
Look for thin sheets of wood between drawers in a chest of drawers or desk. While not necessary, these ‘dust panels’ improve structural strength as well as protect drawer contents. Drawers should run smoothly on glides and have stops to prevent accidentally pulling them all the way out. The best drawers have bottoms that are not affixed to the sides but ‘float’ in a groove, allowing for minor expansion and contraction caused by changes in humidity and providing extra strength.
Lift the piece at one corner — it should not twist or squeak. Check that all legs are touching the floor. Press on various corners to see if the piece rocks or wobbles.
Upholstered furniture — composition
For a sofa or chair with removable cushions, unzip a seat cover and have a look inside. You should see a block of foam wrapped with dacron, cotton, or (for very high-end cushions) down, preferably with a protective inner cover (usually muslin). Foam-only cushions are both less durable and less comfortable. If you’re buying new furniture, inquire after the density rating of the seat foam: you’re looking for 1.8 pounds or higher.
Removable back cushions may have foam as well but are more often loose fill. In the latter case, multiple internal compartments are preferred as they prevent the fill from settling.
If there’s a tag or label, look for a cleaning code: ‘W’ means water-based cleaners, ‘S’ means solvent-based cleaners (‘dry cleaning’), ‘X’ means no liquid (vacuum only).
Upholstered furniture — construction
According to Consumer Reports, the oft-touted “eight-way hand-tied coil springs” don’t have a corner on comfort; coil, cone, sinuous, and grid springs can all work well. Best just to test the feel of the specific piece by sitting in various spots to see whether you tip or sink. If the cushions are removable, lift and press down on the deck underneath: you should feel even spacing and resistance to pressure.
Squeeze the arms and back: ideally you should not be able to feel the frame through the padding. Lined skirts and ones with weights will hold their shape better over the long run.
Are the cushions reversible? You’ll get twice the wear if they are. Flip them around and make sure any upholstery patterns match up both ways.
Quick Furniture Checklist
That’s a lot of information. If you’re like me, you might find it difficult to remember all of these factors while you’re actually shopping at the furniture store. To make things easier, I’ve created a basic furniture shopping checklist. You may download the 35kb PDF or simply print the list below:
Wood
- good: solid wood or 9+ layer plywood
- bad: thin plywood, particleboard, pressboard, fiberboard
- bad: knots, cracks
- bad: soft, easily scratched surfaces
Joints
- great: dovetail, mortise & tenon
- good: reinforcing corner blocks
- good: dowels, screws
- bad: staples, nails, visible glue
Drawers
- great: dust panels, floating bottoms
- good: metal glide rails, stops
- bad: wood-on-wood sliding
Frame
- good: even, level with floor
- bad: twists, creaks, wobbles
Springs
- great: hand-tied coil springs
- good: close together, even resistance
- bad: any springs more than a few inches apart
Cushions
- good: firm foam wrapped in padding
- good: protective inner cover
- good: reversible cushions
- bad: bare foam
- bad: loose fill without internal sectioning
Upholstery
- good: aligned patterns
- good: skirts with lining or weights
- bad: skimpy padding along arms and back
Armed with this information, I feel much more confident about approaching future furniture purchases, both new and used. I hope you find it helpful too. Happy hunting!
IKEA photo by OiMax.
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That’s a pretty handy little guide. Now you just have to figure out how to navigate the daunting furniture stores and salesmen.
I’ve noticed, though, that when you’re dealing with really high end and used furniture, the vibe of stores and salesmen is not nearly as sleazy.
I prefer to buy most of the stuff I need from a local furniture builder. There are a few of them around me and they are so much easier to work with than a big-box showroom salesman.
You know you’re getting quality because they love their craft and their furniture is a direct reflection on them. They can’t and don’t want to get away with selling sub-par products.
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Wow, that’s a pretty good summary. I can’t get my head around paying lots of money for furniture but if I ever do – then I’ll use this post.
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Very nice piece! As a hobbyist builder for 25 years I can tell you, you nearly nailed it. Your summary is perfect as a checklist but I would add a “great” under “wood”. For great you would have solid wood, for good you would have plywood. However plywood also comes is a range of qualities, birch will often have more layers that are thinner in a 3/4″ panel. If you are looking at a panel that is only 1/4″ you’ll probably never see 9 layers.
For great furniture focus on the joints listed and look for them in the case and in the drawers. Also if the piece has doors look for raised panels. These are made of a frame of wood surrounding a free floating panel in the center.
Avoid veneer if possible!
A great piece of furniture should last through your life and your kids. You spend a lot up front but you will get your money’s worth in the long run.
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Well, I don’t believe in spending a lot of money for furniture.
My mother’s house is full of fine, expensive, incredibly-heavy furniture from the 50s and 60s and I don’t want any of it. Solid rosewood stuff from Hong Kong and Japan, probably worth a lot, but when she passes on I’m probably going to have to auction it off.
I’m an IKEA-kind of guy and if my $300 “Klippan” sofa that’s about four years old ever falls apart, it’s not too hard to buy a new one, and it’s still in fine shape, plus I can buy new covers for it for like $20 if the cat barfs on it too many times.
In 1989 when I was young and stupid I bought a fancy designer sofa for $2500. Various cats ripped it up and roommates spilled stuff on it. In 1997 I had to pay someone $50 to haul it to the dump when I moved to a tiny garret for grad school. Painful lesson there…
But what do I know… I’m still using the unfinished pine dresser my parents bought me when I was 10
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I think David brings up a good point: how the furniture will be used and the amount of damage it’s likely to sustain. I’m all for buying high quality when appropriate. My husband and I bought (used) a pristine set of midcentury dressers that is solid wood, weighs approximately 1 ton, and will definitely be usable well into the next century since we take good care of them. On the other hand, we also have a beautifully made Eames coffee table (also bought used in great condition) that I am now regarding with a somewhat jaundiced eye as we think about starting a family. I don’t want to be the mom shooing my kids away from the “good furniture”, so that one may go back to Craigslist to be replaced by something that I can stand to have children colliding with occasionally.
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IMHO in furniture you get what you pay for. We stupidly bought futon sofas for the family room that lasted 4 years–never again. So we followed the advice of an upholsterer friend and purchased a quality name brand sofa this time around. I also would buy American manufactured furniture.
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Liz- don’t get rid of the good furniture. Don’t shoo your kids away either. Treat it with care- and they will do the same.
David- we have that beautiful table. If you find someone who wants your mom’s – let us know. Neither of our kids want it and we are tired of it!
Bought a new couch today. Hopefully, everything else will be made by my hubby!
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This is so true. Except you could skip the long list of things to look for—all you need to do is just look at the price tag! With furniture you definitely get what you pay for (unless you’re buying vintage and stumble across fine old furniture from seller who doesn’t know what it’s worth).
Another thing to consider: certain pieces need to be high quality and others don’t. For example, go ahead and buy end tables from Target if you like the style–they’re not going to fall apart unless you do the unusual and sit & climb on them. But you have to buy quality on items that get a lot of hard use such as sofas, straight chairs, and bedroom dressers (lots of opening and closing of drawers, and all drawers usually loaded to the max).
The exception seems to be bookshelves. I’ve purchased many cheap office-style, veneer-over-particle-board, put-them-together-yourself bookshelves from Target/Menards over the years, and loaded them with hardcover books two deep. Amazingly, I never had to deal with even a sagging shelf! That 3/4″ wide particle board is like iron.
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A few other things, re kids (I have 2–now teenagers. Also appropriate even if you’re human and tend to throw parties and spill red wine on things):
- buy upholstered furniture that comes with washable slipcovers or leather that is “supposed” to look semi-distressed. Otherwise all it takes is one kid eating cheetos on your couch, or a bored toddler scratching patterns into the leather at naptime, to pretty much ruin it. I have a pottery barn sectional with textured white cotton slipcovers that still looks great after 12 yrs of kids–I just throw the slips in the washer & dryer whenever they need it. The cushions aren’t even smashed down and we’ve used it very heavily–maybe because I went for the “down-wrapped” option? I don’t know, but I am amazed at the quality of that thing.
- And go for wood tables that also have that distressed, rustic look to start–so you won’t notice the damage done by your children, My oak dining room table (farmhouse style) was made from old barn boards with lots of distress deliberately left showing, and though the children have added significantly to the damage on the top & elsewhere it still looks pretty cool–even more like an antique. I did replace the rush seated chairs with ultra modern because the kids trashed the rush & I got so tired of the country look–still looks great.
- Oriental-style carpets with lots of pattern and dark colors are wonderful for hiding any and all stains. (Although they do make it hard to find stray legos…)
Enjoy your kids–live in your home.
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i have always thought that that most expensive pieces were the best of quality. this post has shown me the flaw in that reasoning. its a nice set of points when hunting for furniture. thanks. i will keep this in mind when stocking up my lair
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Hardwood is used to make paper products (like facial and bathroom tissues) soft, and softwood is what makes those things strong!
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For incredibly nice upholstered furniture at a killer price, look at http://www.homereserve.com. You assemble it yourself; covers are cheap and easily replaced; and many of my friends have bought from them on my recommendation and are delighted.
It comes in UPS boxes, and can later be disassembled for moving if necessary. Really an incredible bargain and much better made than the majority of the more inexpensive pieces around.
I’d have it myself, but I live in Europe where it is impractical to ship…if and when I move back to the States, you can bet that’s where I’ll go for furnishing my home.
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That is some great info. However, when buying furniture, I usually go with the old standby–”You get what you pay for.”
I never try to go with the cheapest and the high end stuff is a little too high end for me.
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Couches/sofas are what challenge me. An expensive price tag doesn’t always equate to long term quality and durability.
Here’s a very low-tech test you can conduct, although not always possible – when no one’s watching, especially the sales staff, get a running start and cannonball into the cushions. This little “stress test” should provide some immediate and fairly accurate feedback about the furniture’s long term prospects.
Also, a second tip – NEVER buy the floor model.
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You sure have the knowledge to shop. Here’s another tip. I have some old pieces – like a wing back from a roommate in college days that belonged to her aunt. It was really beat up and upon graduating, she was going to toss it out our 4th floor walkup. I assured her that I’d take it off her hands.
Fast forward – the chair and a few other pieces I’ve collected along the way, were beat up but fantastic finds. The wing back chair was reupholstered to only find out it was a true treasure. Try checking out Estate Sales. With your knowledge – you can come up with a ‘find’ that won’t break the bank
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This was a very helpful article to me. I have read the “Millionaire Next Door” and it talks about millionaires buying quality furniture that lasts forever. The only problem, is it never talks about how to judge what “quality” means or where to shop for things like that. (I’m thinking Art Van isn’t exactly quality, but I never knew what to look for.) So, thanks!
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i think you have to separate upholstered furniture with non-upholstered. for non-upholstered furniture, solid wood is easier to repair, will take more abuse, and will last longer than mdf, veneer, particle board, plywood, etc. for upholstered furniture, get upholstery that can withstand spills etc. with that said, the frame and cushioning material are important if you want it to last a long time. i prefer my upholstered furniture like couches and chairs to have regular shaped cushions so you can flip them over to rotate their use.
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You’ve had bad luck with Ikea? I’ve had fantastic luck. I’ve got a couch (4 years old) two bookcases (6 years old) and some assorted other stuff that’s all first class. I take good care of my stuff, but it’s doing great.
Do the rest of you guys find it’s not high quality?
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i would always go for old/ recycled wood products and then refinish them, over buying new ikea products… usually even w/ the ‘sweat-equity’ and the varnishes, etc, the price was cheaper… i remember buying an olive green channel back sofa and chair for $500 total – both were in great condition. after using them (lightly) for four years, I ended up being able to sell them for the same price… so essentially i had free furniture for the time i was using it. the set was made in the 50′s, weighed a lot, but was pure mahogany… so would stand the test of time.
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My frugal mother was also big on the idea that you bought non-upholstered furniture with the idea of buying the best quality you could afford because it was likely to last, but that you were eventually going to kill the cushions on upholstered furniture with regular use no matter what you did.
Our couches and living room chairs came from one of those big furniture warehouse sorts of places that sells off overstocked and misordered decent quality pieces. You don’t always get exactly what you want, but we have managed to score the $2000 retail Ekornes chair and ottoman for $500 from one of those sales.
For the woods, we’re in love with http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/ They’re a little more expensive than Crate & Barrel but overall, a well-made solid cherry, maple, or walnut dining table made in the United States for less than $2,000 is good value at that price point.
Plus, they’re consistent on pricing- only have one smallish annual clearance sale and don’t play games about ‘retail price is- our price is-’ that many other stores do. I really hate playing that sale price game at furniture stores because you just can’t figure out what the game is. It’s worse than buying a used car, where at least you can research on Edmunds and the like to give yourself a fighting chance in the bargaining process.
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That was a useful furniture article. I hope I never have that crap they staple together from paper-like particle board again.
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On a visit to a furniture store in Canada last year, I was amazed that the prices relative to quality. Furniture seems to be twice the price and half the quality of Japan.
Maybe it is shipping costs, it definitely is cheaper for Asian manufacturers to ship to Japan, but the difference was astounding.
The workmanship and quality of materials even in a higher end furniture store were so lousy.
I have heard of tours to Indonesia primarily for the purpose of buying handmade furniture made of real wood, after my experience last year I understand why.
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@ Andrew #18… I don’t think IKEA is necessarily a bad buy, but I wouldn’t call it sure to stand the test of time. I’ve bought a whole bunch of IKEA furniture, mostly used, and it doesn’t seem to hold together well, but it works. For example I have a large bookshelf and a chest of drawers in their cheapest style, I bought both used from college students who had broken them already with light use. Basically they are held together by duct tape in the back, but you can’t see the duct tape, and I’ve had each piece for a year with no trouble. If you actually looked at the pieces, it’s garbage and it’s falling apart, but it’s furniture that looks just fine and works for $10 each, and will last til I want to upgrade or til it collapses.
I bought new a bed frame of the fake cast iron type and my mom has two of the particle board type that are low on the floor, and those have all held up perfectly.
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Interesting post, I agree with your points.
Personally, I do not buy a lot of furnature, and usually go the cheaper route. However, when I have wanted something nicer, I have also bought antiques and fixed them up. The quality seems to be good and I think the furnature has some character and value to it.
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thanks for this post – I don’t know nearly enough about furniture. Now I feel better about knowing what to look for
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This is awesome!
What would be really great is the same thing for clothes – spotting long-term quality in clothing is so tough, since most brand-name stuff is as schlocky and useless as what you get at target. I need a way to identify clothing like my old burberry trenchcoat, which appears to be literally indestructible, lasting as it has for probably two decades now.
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My better half and I are big believers in not buying “disposable” (inexpensive when new) furniture. When we buy a piece, we plan to keep it for many years.
Our house is full of a mix of high-end furniture from Stickley and Room and Board, and used pieces from estate sales that I refurbish myself. I agree completely with the author–that’s exactly what I look for when I’m shopping for used. We like classic pieces with simple lines that won’t go out of style, artisan-made pieces (which can be bought at flea markets and festivals for prices below furniture-store sales), and midcentury modern. I try to buy American whenever possible (Room & Board sells many US-made pieces, and Stickley manufactures in the US).
When buying, I always ask for a discount…nicely. The key lines are: “This is a really pretty piece. It would look great in (location). Can you do better on the price?” I may not get the rock-bottom deal I’d get with a lowball offer, but it usually nets me something, even at a high-end furniture store.
I might add too, that a lot of things can be overlooked if you know a few simple tricks. I take care of most scratches with a high-end furniture wax from Restoration Hardware and Amazon (about $15/bottle). I learned how to reupholster small dining/occasional chairs with a single seat cushion (very easy!). I can rewire garage-sale lamps with a kit from Home Depot (and found a good lighting store that helps me find new lampshades). And I can sand, touch up the stain, and poly wood pieces that need it.
When evaluating pieces, I try to look at the lines (shape) and construction of the item. I ignore the things I know I can fix. I also tend to buy wood pieces made from only solid cherry or maple (no veneers), because they often are of higher quality, and because buying only these woods gives a consistent look to my house.
I prefer to buy upholstered furniture new but look for floor samples at the Room & Board near my office. I just bought one floor sample there, a leather chair for our TV room, for a few hundred dollars. New on the company’s web site, it retails for about $1000. My husband, much to my annoyance, keeps referring to it as the “thousand-dollar chair.” But it is very comfortable…
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Kids can be taught not to eat on the couch or put their shoes on it (if their parents don’t). I would go fairly inexpensive on the dining-room chairs, because they are good for making forts and rocket ships out of, but my parents have a couch that’s older than I am. It was upholstered in Naugahyde for a few critical years.
An advantage to buying used, as far as quality, is that if it were going to break easily it probably already would have.
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Interesting topic and very good info, thanks for sharing.
My favorite piece of furniture is still the little bookshelf I bought in college and refinished myself. It was painted lime green when I bought it for $15. I’m going to try to build a side table for our foyer since I can’t seem to find any I like.
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Very interesting. Thanks a lot for the tips.
I inherited my parents’ old living room couch five years ago. They bought it in the early 1970s and went with a good quality, name brand piece, albeit in gold and white velour.
As an adult, I lived with this extremely comfortable (and extremely ugly) couch for about five years. Just a couple of months ago, we got an estimate on having it reupholstered. The upholsterer said it was in great shape, and would respond well to being refinished. We had it done in a sturdy fabric and a solid color, so it will last even longer.
We paid about the same price as we’d budgeted for a new couch, but we’ve kept a fine piece of furniture out of the waste stream. I expect this couch will be good for another 30 years or so.
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When my boyfriend and I can afford nice new furniture, we’ve decided we’ll buy antiques. There’s a reason it’s lasted that long to begin with, and it’s the only type of furniture you can buy that has the potential to appreciate in value, if you treat it right.
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Buy antiques or second-hand pieces. If a piece has survived a hundred years, it is going to likely last another hundred years (as long as you take reasonable care of them).
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While I can’t vouch for upholstery purchased from ikea, I have a number of shelving units/book cases, kitchen islands and dressers. I have had them a long time. I have put them together AND taken them apart every time I have moved during school and after. I have no complaints. They are as solid (or more solid) than much more expensive units. And I can move them! By my self!
I think a lot of it has to do with how well you, the consumer, can put your ikea stuff together. If you are a little handy and have the right set of tools (which they will sell you for ten bucks) their stuff will last forever.
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We have quite a few of the Ikea Billy bookshelves (as does almost everyone else I know). The sides and shelves have held up pretty well, but the backs are terrible — super-thin pressboard laminate that detaches, warps and peels. With tables, we’ve had a lot of problems with peeling veneer. And no, it’s not because we’ve put things together badly; it’s that the design focus was on the ability to take apart and flat-pack, rather than sturdy usefulness.
But the biggest disappointment has been the Ikea couch. On the up side, it’s super-comfortable, and has supported many a happy overnight guest. But visually and structurally it’s been terrible. The design is flawed in ways that would take too long to explain, but the result is that if you actually sit on it, it looks like crap. And the main frame actually broke — the wood split starting from a pine knot — after just a couple of years. Jak patched it by nailing an extra piece of 2×4 across, but I doubt it will survive a move.
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Don’t remember where I read it, but a tip that’s always stayed with me when looking for a good couch is this:
Lean down and lift a front corner of the couch one inch off the floor. Now look at the other end; the opposite front corner should also be one inch off the floor. If not… keep shopping.
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The points about kids, roommates, and pets are all well-taken, especially with regard to upholstered furniture. One of the reasons it makes sense for us to find something of better quality now is that our dog is past the puppy-chewing stage, our cat has never scratched on upholstery, and our youngest kid, while not of careful temperament, is at least old enough that I can hope for minimal damage.
Gail (27), I’d love to know what furniture wax you use?
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I agree with the comments about IKEA, for me it hasnt really held up over the long term and in my opinion a bargain, isnt really a bargain if it I have to replace every five years or so. My husband and I are slowly starting to replace our hand me down pieces with a more matching set but its really a slow process. I am not saying that furniture has to be expensive though, we found an amazing china hutch through craiglist for $200 and a few other pieces at local thrift stores for less than $100.
Does anyone have reccomendations for good online websites for solid wood items, specificaly maple? I love the look but I am struggling to find local sources for furniture.
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Karawynn -
Good article. Since I am in the industry, on the manufacturing side, I thought that I would chime in on a couple of points.
Prior to my entry into the Furniture industry, I didn’t know a thing about quality and did most of my furniture shopping at places like Lowe’s (kitchen table and TV stand). Since coming into the business, I’ve seen both the good and bad. Things aren’t as clear cut when it comes to furniture as it is with other goods or services (i.e. Consumer reports ratings on refrigerators and the like). However, quality can be discerned by most of the things you mentioned – dovetailed drawers, dust covers, etc. One of my pet peeves, and thankfully, one of the attributes of the pieces that we produce are side hung drawers. I’ve yet to pull open a drawer that is center hung and found it to be sturdy, and this is usually without anything in the drawer either.
Anyway, the impetus for my deciding to chime in after reading the article and the other user’s comments was to encourage folks not to be intimidated when buying furniture and to encourage them, especially if they are in the market for pieces that are at a higher price point, to patronize their local retailer. Unlike electronics and other goods, quality furniture is still sold through a lot of “Mom and Pop” type outfits. Most all of the folks that run these businesses are passionate about what they do and enjoy educating patrons about the furniture that they carry. Also, because they also own the business they are much more flexible when it comes to offering greater discounts than bigger box stores where margins are held fast by computer software somewhere. Gail’s comment (# 27) is dead on – ask for the discount. The worst they can say is no, and in most instances independent retailers have already factored this into the listed price; so, if you don’t ask for it, you’re just leaving money on the table. Incidentally, these types of retailers are where American manufactures and artisans can be found more so than the bigger players.
In closing, please don’t take what I’ve said as negative towards the IKEA’s and Lowe’s of the world and the furniture they sell (I still have the kitchen table, but the TV stand fell apart many moons ago). Those folks serve a market too. I just wanted to encourage those that want to investigate furniture further not to dismiss their local “high priced” retailer off hand, as they might be surprised by the value they can find at some of those places if they took the time to investigate it.
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Very informative. I would add: if you are not sure you are in your “forever” home, and/or if you are not sure you are settled with a mate, and/or if you are not sure what style you want to live with, thrift stores are not a bad way to go. You can find a wide variety of pieces, typically lightly-used, at charity stores. You often won’t know what you’re going to love until you live with it for a while.
I really have never seen the point of buying high-end furniture at full price. Almost all of our stuff was either vintage/antique or imported, and the new imports were heavily discounted. For example,a carved glass-fronted bookcase in rosewood (yes, it’s heavy but we love the look and feel of it): four shelves, two drawers, and a base cabinet, $700. Will last much longer than I will. And with no frickin’ dust on my books.
We got great deals by finding a local vendor we liked and establishing a relationship over several years of small purchases. Then when the time came to furnish for real, he made the prices work for us.
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I would like to cast one more vote in favor of buying furniture used. We have had considerable success at antique stores, estate sales, garage sales and through the classifieds (or Craigslist, today). The standards for building furniture have fallen considerably over the years. My Dad still has furniture he bought new 40-50 years ago. It is difficult to find furniture built to those standards today, and you will pay dearly for it when you find it. On the other hand, there are deals to be found in used or antique furniture which was built when quality hardwood furniture was much more common.
Don’t think for a moment that all antique stores resemble Christy’s or Southeby’s in price. Most antiques are quite accessible. For every signed Gustav Stickley there are hundreds or thousands of generic pieces from the same period. These may not have quite the polished style or resale value of the high end pieces, but they have lasted many decades, and will probably stand up to your kids better than anything you find at Target. Antiquing takes time, and it’s not a way to find something you need by tomorrow, but you will find bargains which will keep you coming back. One of our best finds was an arts and crafts style piano discovered in someone’s garage for $300.
While developing a good relationship with retailers is helpful, it is even more valuable to establish a good relationship with a good furniture restorer. These guys are worth their weight in gold. Recognizing a well constructed piece of furniture which is capable of being cleaned up and restored is one way to find a real bargain. My wife found a Royal Morris Chair in New Hampshire which looked as if it belonged in a dump. She got it fixed up and fitted with new cushions, at it is my favorite chair now.
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This is all excellent information for buyers. I am a furniture designer and have designed one off custom pieces all the way to mass produced in china.
As you might have guessed, if you buy the cheapest thing out there, you shouldn’t expect it to last, but it’s possible to spend only slightly more and get something comfortable and durable. You have to look at the design and materials used. Buying a leather sofa at ikea for $400, it won’t last very long. Why? because that sofa cost about $150 to make, and most of that went on the leather, leaving very little for a decent sub frame and cushioning. I myself purchased an ikea sofa, many years ago, for about $850 and it’s still in good condition today. as for sofas, it is pretty hard to see if you’re getting a cheap one versus one that will last, but as for case goods (dressers, cabinets, storage units and the like), always try to look at the construction. Using ikea as an example again, they sell open shelving called Expedit. Now, since there is no back panel, this makes this piece much more unstable and prone to twisting (try getting a cardboard box and cutting all the flaps off each end, then trying to make it stand up square, it always falls flat). The shelves are important too. if you look at them, the construction is made up of long shelves that run from one side to another and then short shelves that go between the long shelves to make up the grid pattern. if you buy this, make sure you use it with the full length shelves running horizontally, and the smalle pieces vertical. Otherwise if you store heavy objects on it, like my friend who used it as record shelves for his music collection, the short pieces (only being held there by small dowels will fail quickly.
I have also seen chest of drawers in ikea that wouldn’t last a few months of use, but there are other styles that are designed so much better and will last years, they are almost the same price. We all know ikea is cheap and cheerful but if you play around with the floor models a bit before you buy something, you’ll have a much better idea of whether it’s worth buying it. I would always say, never buy the cheapest (even in ikea), there’s a reason it’s the cheapest, spend the extra 10%, it’s worth it.
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STOP – please do not
1. assume a veneer is cheap. Actually they originated with the highest of quality, to create beautiful, varied wood designs. I would take an inlayed mahogany veneered piece any day. It is the low quality pieces that will cause problems in seperation.
2. Buy new, upholstered furniture without checking the care/keeping/fiber content/wearability rating of the fabric on the piece. I’ve seen many a sofa or chair go bad because of light wear fabrics, long before the cushions or frames give up.
3. Buy upholstered furniture that has a one-piece, rounded top and front cover on the seat cushion unless you have checked the cushioning inside. Usually the “boxed” cushion will hold it’s shape for a much longer time. I have two Ethan Allen Sofas that are pushing 40 years. I purchased simple, classic styles in strong, cleanable fabrics and with boxed cushions. One is a solid color, the other a small, geometic print in an easy to live with color. Both of these pieces are still in excellent condition – and they have cost me about $40/year for both. If I purchased a new, trendy, moderately priced sofa every 4 years, the cost would be about $150-200 year for each! That’s about $12,000 in savings.
For you that think this is boring – trust me, I have changed and updated the rooms these sofa’s are in with contempory accents and new accessories many times and with every move. No one would suspect the age of these pieces in style or appearance.
4. Buy a sofa or upholstered chair that does not have one piece back legs. Screw on legs are a sign of lower quality and are sure to break when the piece is moved.
4. Do not confuse Cherry finish with Cherry wood (or any other “finish”). Especially if the piece is on the pricey side. Sometimes a “finish” will be represented as a solid wood so it can be sold for a higher price.
5. And do not hesitate to buy used. You can often get better quality at a lower price. If the fabric and cushions have held up enough for the piece to be sold as used, you should get great results.
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These are all great things to keep in mind. Quality furniture will last–but, know thyself. If your style/mood/decor changes every few years, pick really simple, basic pieces that transition well between styles.
I worked at Resto for a while, so a few more tips:
- At stores like Resto and PB, there’s usually a “Friends & Family” promotion around the holidays. Ask for a coupon–many of us didn’t use our full allotment of coupons and would happily give one to a customer.
- Look over the floor samples, usually there’s nothing too wrong with them, but we moved ours around a lot–many pieces were moved for every floor set. Lots of moves can cause bumps, etc.
- Not sure if any are still hiring (or if the employee discount is the same), but Resto had a fantastic employee discount–40% when I worked there–I was able to get a few really nice pieces brand new for a great price. Obviously, it’s not an option for everyone, but if you have your eye on a few special pieces, it could work out.
- Many furniture stores have ‘nick and dent’ sales. If you go this route, make sure the nick/dent is in a spot you can live with if you move or rearrange furniture. Just because the armchair is up against a wall in one house doesn’t mean you’ll have the same flexibility in the next place.
- People’s styles change all the time. Consignment stores and Craigs List are good places to find high quality Ethan Allen/PB/Resto furniture that people have just tired of (or don’t have room for in their new place, etc.)
After having owned good furniture and cheap stuff, I will never go back to the particle board junk. It’s all about priorities I suppose–I like having solid furniture that doesn’t wobble, squeak, or fall apart when you look at it…
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Some comments:
1) Try to buy loose-cushion styles over upholstered. Usually these styles have a solid wood frame, and the cushions are easily replaced or recovered. You can find nice, snuggly sofas in daybed or bench styles with either wood or brass frames.
You can get almost every style from historical/shaker to modern/shaker (notice that shaker goes with everything!)
Which leads to:
2) Explore garden furniture. Teak and oak garden furniture is virtually indestructible. Although it’s usually left to weather outdoors, you can varnish it and it stays a rich brown color.
“Flimsy” pine garden benches are usually sturdier than much indoor furniture.
Again, you have your choice of traditional European looks, Oriental, or modern.
3) Particleboard and fiberboard are not all bad. closets and other items don’t necessarily come in for much wear, or bear much weight. Even “good” wood furniture often has veneer or laminate finishes – no one will know what the underlying material is.
4) Shopping used? Fixer upper?
Learn how to do gesso and lacquer.
A layer of gesso fills dents and scratches, and masks pedestrian workmanship. A few coats of tinted, semitransparent lacquer over gesso give even castoff pieces the richness and presence of older, better stuff.
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Here’s a trick we used when we needed furniture in Germany. Look on ebay. Most people don’t want to ship, and most locals don’t think to use ebay. We bought a 1920′s dining set for $200 because nobody wanted to drive out to pick it up. We had to rent a station wagon for a day, but still saved over 50% of the crap that was selling for new, and someday when we need a bigger table we’ll likely get what we paid of more for it.
I’m in the same position as many folks here. I have some IKEA furniture, but am phasing it out in favor of used, high quality pieces. Our couches and chairs are now new, good quality but inexpensive pieces. But we are looking for nice vintage pieces to refinish. In time when I have a bit more saved up we might actually buy new wood furniture, but I doubt it. I’m too frugal.
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I found a mortgage calculator that takes inflation into account. Good to know that my payments are $1160 now but I’ll be paying the equivalent of only $500 by year 30.
http://ostermiller.org/calc/mortgage.html
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“Brad (14): curious why you say never to buy the floor model?”
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Karawynn -
I was being a bit facetious since I was also advocating cannonballing into the floor models. You wouldn’t want to buy something someone like me previously “stress tested.”
My apologies for not contributing much to the conversation . . .
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In light of all this great advise, does anyone have any suggestions as to where to look for some good sectional furniture; ideally, one with a bed? I see the great advice, but it’s not always easy to narrow down the marketplace when it comes to this stuff.
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I have been disappointed by furniture before.
It looks great for a year and then starts breaking down.
I have had my best luck with refinished antiques.
If a piece can last 20 yrs.and still look good then
I have more faith for the next 20.
It is hard to find craftsman in the U.S. that still
make quality furniture but I am always looking.
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I liken IKEA to what I refer to as disposable furnishings. Honestly, most is not built to last. On the other hand, go to your local estate sales and fine quality pieces with dovetail joints and solid craftsman construction can be purchased for less than a trip to Swedish common sense. It will probably last a lifetime but you’ll likely change it out. And when you do you, you can easily get back what you paid for it because of it’s quality holds its own.
TIP: Apply a good coat of Old English scratch cover and you’ll have a beautiful piece that sells in Antique or consignment stores, but at a fraction of the cost… Remember, estate sales are where store owners shop for there merchandise.
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