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There's a million great resources for figuring out what A/V equipment, electronics, cars, appliances, etc are actually good and which are overpriced pieces of poo poo. This kind of thing doesn't seem to exist for furniture, and in fact, furniture seems like the biggest scam on the planet. I've lived my entire life so far with basically Craiglist hand-me-downs and IKEA-like pre-fab stuff, but now I would like to invest in something that will last, look great, and actually feels like a quality product. This is harder than it seems. It seems like nobody makes quality furniture anymore. I've seen the stuff that places like Ashley sell, and I guess if you snag it on a mega sale, it's OK, but sometimes it looks like crap even in the store. Built by slaves, terrible quality control, and terrible reputation. Disposable products that look nice for a year then fall apart. Are there any companies that still make "heirloom" quality furniture? As in, hand made, with quality materials, and functional-but-attractive styling? Like Alden is for shoes, I want the "Alden" of furniture. The key there is I don't want to spend $15,000 for a couch. Good value is still important. Does such a thing exist? Or should I just suck it up and put together even more DIY, cheap, lovely furniture that falls apart in 5 years?
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Jan 9, 2016 04:35
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Lot of smaller custom furniture makers around where I'm at that make amazing stuff. Thousands of dollars for a dining table instead of hundreds, but cheap at the price and it'll be beautiful and solid and last forever. Example: http://www.custommade.com/by/aedanworks/
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Jan 9, 2016 07:18
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There are often one-shot furniture stores in upscale downtown areas that have the proper stuff. Old family businesses that do things the old way and rely on a clientele of people who are decently well-off (and skew older).
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Jan 9, 2016 07:20
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learn how to make it yourself, woodwork isn't that hard, so long as you have the space - and you can do a lot with basic tools. building your own tables, shelves and eventually cabinets like wardrobes is something pretty much anyone can do. also you have the ability to then make the pieces exactly how you want, to the right size and with the type of wood that fits the style of you home. take a class, see if you have an aptitude for it.
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Jan 9, 2016 08:27
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slap me silly posted:Lot of smaller custom furniture makers around where I'm at that make amazing stuff. Thousands of dollars for a dining table instead of hundreds, but cheap at the price and it'll be beautiful and solid and last forever. Example: http://www.custommade.com/by/aedanworks/ I mean, holy poo poo, their work is beautiful, and exactly what I asked for. JFairfax posted:learn how to make it yourself, woodwork isn't that hard, so long as you have the space - and you can do a lot with basic tools. This sounds really attractive to me. On one hand, looking above, for buying things like a desk w/hutch and credenza, an armoire, a vanity w/mirror (what I'm specifically looking for), it's looking like it's going to be like $30k. Which could easily buy a whole suite of power tools, classes, and materials to last a lifetime. On the other hand, I'm a "measure once, cut twice" kind of guy and I don't have great fortune when it comes to almost anything I've attempted DIY. I like the idea of taking some classes, I'll look into that for sure. This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1pvUlQgYtk Get me to full mast, however. Pick posted:There are often one-shot furniture stores in upscale downtown areas that have the proper stuff. Old family businesses that do things the old way and rely on a clientele of people who are decently well-off (and skew older). I live in Seattle. I'm sure I could do some searching, but does anyone in the PNW have a recommendation to check out? Thanks for the input so far! forbidden dialectics fucked around with this message at 10:42 on Jan 9, 2016 |
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Jan 9, 2016 10:33
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You could buy it in an antiques store? Could at least be worth looking into.
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Jan 9, 2016 13:38
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There's a fancy store somewhere near you that sells antique or repurposed pieces and high end bullshit for to waste money on.
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Jan 9, 2016 14:39
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What kind of style are you looking for and what is your budget? I'm a big fan of furniture, it's history, and it's design. I don't necessarily know everything there is to know about the industry, but I know enough to get by alright. First off, know that furniture is expensive. Good, mid range furniture, a sofa for instance, will probably run you around 1,500~5,000, depending on style, materials, designer. Transitional pieces will run a little less, modernist or mid-century (especially right now) will run you more. Refinishers/resellers can be a really good resource, but watch out for cheap replicas, even in antiques. I know less about the traditional antique world, but it can be a good place to start as others have said. I'm just less of a fan of most revival styles  Take some time first and really think about what kind of style you want, too. If you're looking for furniture to have for the next couple decades, it should reflect what you like. This doesn't mean you have to buy everything in one style (like those ultra clinical minimalist rooms you see on interior design media sometimes) or go all out with one brand or designer (though I'd love to have all of Hans Wegner's work). Most interior design combines a variety of furniture styles. it's like using different textures for interest. The Eames' case study house #8 is a good example of that. Much of the interior is modern/mid-century, but the duo included touches of other styles during their time living there. Interior design post 1920sish, especially during the Deco Era is mostly described as eclectic. Now you'll see rooms with say, modernist lamps, transitional sofas, traditional side chairs, contemporary tables, and accent pieces with wider influences, like Moroccan poufs or maybe an antique chinoiserie sideboard. Anyways, seriously, think about what you want to reflect first. Do some reading on furniture, history and styles, maybe even a little on basics of interior design. If you know what you're buying and why, it might make more sense why people drop so much money on furniture If you want more information on a particular style or is history or brands to shoot for (if you're looking for new pieces), please ask. I love furniture, and while I may have to research it, I enjoy doing it! good luck ~
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Jan 9, 2016 16:18
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Nostrum posted:This sounds really attractive to me. On one hand, looking above, for buying things like a desk w/hutch and credenza, an armoire, a vanity w/mirror (what I'm specifically looking for), it's looking like it's going to be like $30k. Which could easily buy a whole suite of power tools, classes, and materials to last a lifetime. Woodworking is fun and awesome but definitely don't take it up just because you want a nice end product. Like any other art form, it takes years of rear end-busting to get to where you can make really great things. Your first dozen pieces are gonna suck poo poo. If your aesthetic standards are low, you'll be happy to use your first bookshelf for years and years but if not...
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Jan 9, 2016 17:51
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Gnossiennes posted:What kind of style are you looking for and what is your budget? This is really good information, thanks. I'm probably most interested in traditional style furniture, my budget is pretty flexible (under $5k would be nice!), so any brand ideas would be highly appreciated!
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Jan 10, 2016 08:14
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Ethan Allen makes some nice sturdy expensive-rear end furniture if you're looking for a store to check out. Also check out secondhand furniture consignment shops (NOT thrift stores and the like), those have some nice furniture pieces fairly often. Design Within Reach has some nice-rear end furniture but it's expensive as all hell. I'm not sure who they're catering to with the "within reach" part of their name but if I ever have enough money to furnish a house with nice real furniture DWR is where I'm looking first. Places like Ashley and Haverty's are designed for the type of people who like to re-decorate every few years so it's only intended to last for a few years.
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Jan 12, 2016 02:49
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If you can find an Amish furniture store you might want to check it out. I have no idea if that's a thing in Seattle (I'm in the midwest) but holy poo poo the one near me does some amazing things.
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Jan 12, 2016 04:41
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Nostrum posted:This is really good information, thanks. I'm probably most interested in traditional style furniture, my budget is pretty flexible (under $5k would be nice!), so any brand ideas would be highly appreciated! Alright, for traditional styles, are you looking more for ornate pieces (e.g. rococo revival), or more classic lines (e.g greene and greene or neoclassical)? Living in Seattle, you should be able to find Greene & Greene stuff pretty quick. Anyways, some brand recommendations: Layla Grace: http://www.laylagrayce.com/b/Eloquence-Dressers-Chests-Cabinets.aspx Gabby: http://gabbyhome.com/product/category/transitional-storage/ (decent quality, but I dislike some of the distressing they're fond of. You might check out their sister companies, Summer Classics and Parker James). Currey & Co: http://www.curreycodealers.com/c-168-cabinet.aspx (more contemporary here, but some interesting mixes of traditional too). Phillips Scott: http://www.phillipsscott.com/Chests-Cupboards_c_8.html Henredon: http://www.henredon.com/Furniture/Cabinets-Desks-Consoles-Game-Tables.aspx Bernhardt: http://bernhardt.com/products/dining-room/chinas-curios Some of these sell to trade only, so you may have to look for dealers that resell. But, you'll get an idea of what you like, at least. I definitely recommend viewing things in person, feeling them (obvi), sitting on them if they're like you know, sitting furniture. And TAKE MEASUREMENTS of where you want to put it.
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Jan 12, 2016 08:24
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Pottery Barn and West Elm exist in every large city and do a nice job at fulfilling the quality upscale furniture niche that is a step below paying $10k for your own personal handcrafted desk by an independent carpenter. http://www.westelm.com/shop/furniture/?cm_type=gnav http://www.potterybarn.com/shop/furniture-upholstery/
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Jan 13, 2016 05:26
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Planeshifter2 posted:Pottery Barn and West Elm exist in every large city and do a nice job at fulfilling the quality upscale furniture niche that is a step below paying $10k for your own personal handcrafted desk by an independent carpenter. Uh, no. They are exactly what the OP is trying to avoid: horrendously marked up particle board and engineered wood.
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Jan 13, 2016 06:11
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Yeah, with those you're paying for design and not build quality.
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Jan 13, 2016 08:23
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i like nice words
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My grandfather swears by the Amish furniture people. Idk if you have Amish in the pnw
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Jan 13, 2016 09:26
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Anne Whateley posted:Yeah, with those you're paying for design and not build quality. Most of the time, yeah, but I got a coffee table from West Elm that is the single sturdiest piece of furniture I've ever owned. Maybe it's the exception proving the rule, but at least worth checking 
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Jan 13, 2016 19:14
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West Elm definitely does have some nice stuff. We have really nice dressers from them, all solid wood. That seems to be the key, as long as its solid wood it should be pretty decent.
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Jan 13, 2016 20:11
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The West Elm / Pottery Barn stuff hit a decent mix of well styled / not outrageously expensive / solid wood furniture. People think of Ikea as lovely furniture because their best known item is a $29 bookshelf that is a piece of poo poo. In fact, if you go to the store you will see the $29 bookshelf front and center of the bookshelf department with huge signs pointing toward it. But if you look deeper in that department, even Ikea has bookshelves (for example) in the $200 range that would easily last a lifetime. It's just that they probably sell 50 of those $29 bookshelves for every one of the nice bookshelves, so that's what they're known for.
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Jan 13, 2016 20:37
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photomikey posted:t, even Ikea has bookshelves (for example) in the $200 range that would easily last a lifetime I have some of the ikea $200 bookshelves that are solid wood. Lifetime is stretching it a bit but they're all right. They've stood up ok so far to my 2 and 3 year olds but, the really destructive years are ahead of them. I expect that they will look like poo poo in another 3 or 4 years, with scratches, dings and other tragedies as the result of climbing experiments even though they are mounted to the wall. Really good furniture lasts generations and that means even with raising children around the stuff. But, hey, $200.
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Jan 13, 2016 21:03
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Just as a random aside, Ikea does do the best kitchens you can buy. So if you are redoing yours and have the money that's where to go.
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Jan 13, 2016 21:17
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sbaldrick posted:Just as a random aside, This is another case where some of it is good, some is crap. They have a cabinet I love the look of, but it's awful laminated particle board. The pattern is gorgeous but it feels horrible. Their butcher block however is solid maple and super low cost. I bought a large piece and put it in my beer/coffee bar after a bunch of sanding and urethane. Their ease of customization on their cabinetry is pretty hard to beat though.
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Jan 14, 2016 02:01
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OP have you ever gone to estate sales? Check your local newspaper or websites and visit some in the nicer neighborhoods in your area. You can find some older, very quality pieces; though prices will vary you can find good deals, especially if you're willing to haggle.
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Jan 14, 2016 03:26
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You get what you pay for so just look for things that are solid wood or sturdy. If its heavy it probably isn't poo poo, though this is not without exceptions. Plywood can look and last great if built properly.
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Jan 16, 2016 21:59
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http://www.sjobergs.se/en/products/hobby/239.php
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Jan 16, 2016 22:14
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Oh, hey, you're in Seattle? Check out Don Willis Furniture: http://donwillisfurniture.com They make their own wooden furniture and also carry a nice line of Amish stuff from Indiana--plus apparently they do locally-made couches now, huh, I did not know that. Cool.
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Jan 17, 2016 08:51
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JFairfax posted:learn how to make it yourself, woodwork isn't that hard, so long as you have the space - and you can do a lot with basic tools. That would be my suggestion also, even if you buy poo poo and restore it yourself, you can do wonders for kind-of-lovely-but-solid furniture with a belt sander and some woodstain/varnish. Doesn't have to be high art, but it'll get you something usable that lasts and you can get it in whatever finish you can make. I bought an old austrian army surplus ammo crate off ebay for £20 and once I finish getting the fence paint off it and stain it up it'll fit on top of my sideboard nicely. Gonna staple some old belts from the charity shop to it to make it like an old chest. But for stuff like shelves and maybe wardrobes you can probably get a solid pine one somewhere, and as long as you like the general shape, you can sand it off and repaint/finish it how you want, as well as add perhaps some new moulded bits to it if you want. OwlFancier fucked around with this message at 18:15 on Jan 20, 2016 |
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Jan 20, 2016 18:12
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Sharkie posted:OP have you ever gone to estate sales? Check your local newspaper or websites and visit some in the nicer neighborhoods in your area. You can find some older, very quality pieces; though prices will vary you can find good deals, especially if you're willing to haggle.
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Jan 21, 2016 20:19
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ChrisHansen posted:My grandfather swears by the Amish furniture people. Idk if you have Amish in the pnw Same. I had local amish make the cabinets in my house as well as the dining room table. But as with "the English" , there are some more skilled than others, as well as those that will basically rip you off. Make sure you talk to several and ask to see some of their work, you will probably end up with a new friend
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Jan 22, 2016 03:51
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My family has had good luck with EA Clore, though unfortunately they're in Virginia. I'll say particularly that the dining chairs are more comfortable than they look and are practically indestructible.
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Jan 25, 2016 18:41
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I've had good luck at estate sales. Most of my furniture is older than me and in some cases my parents, but solid as poo poo and didn't cost too much.
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Jan 26, 2016 01:00
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