Buy-it-for-life furniture

[Villanelle]

After 18 years of marriage and 5 international moves, most of the hand me downs and Ikea pieces we own are deade.  (Like, really dead.  Smashed drawers on the dresser making them unusable, coffee table held together with duct tape (which occasionally lets go, causing it it to collapse until we retape), etc.  We ditched much of it when we left Japan to move to the US, so I'm in the market to buy a lot of furniture.

Im somewhat unmustachian about this in that I do care about the style.  I definitely plan on scouting thrift and consignment stores.  But I want nice stuff that will last for decades, that can be repaired, that is solid wood so if it gets dinged in future moves some stain will help because it's not MDF.  Actual wood made into actual furniture shapes. 

Of course I know that will be pricier than a $29.99 Ikea coffee table.  But I'd like to of course not spend more than necessary.  Recommendations for places (online, I suppose, unless you know of stores in the greater DC area) to buy good quality solid wood furniture?

[lizzzi]

Take a look at Room and Board furniture online. Mostly made in America, contemporary and mid-century modern feel. When I had to furnish a whole apartment from scratch I got my basics delivered from Room and Board. So far (three years) things have held up fine, and I like the way it looks. (One adult, one dog.)

[Budgie]

I think it depends on what styles you are looking for, and what kinds of pieces, and what you consider to be an okay price range.

I have found nothing in my price range that matches the quality of wood pieces I have from the 1920's thru 1940's. If I had $800 to spend on a dresser I want to last for the rest of my life, I'd be better off to spend it on a dresser from 1935 that sat in someone's guest room or otherwise had low levels of wear, than to buy an $800 dresser made today. I like West Elm style, but I personally can't pay $800 for wood veneer over manufactured wood. Personal quirk, maybe.

Where I live, you can find a beautiful solid wood dresser in very good condition from the 1940's or earlier for under $500 and sometimes much lower. I recently saw a gorgeous oak dresser for $200 with a marble top (no drink rings, win!) and would have snatched it up if I had anywhere at all to put it.  DC area may be much higher for such beauties, IDK.

We have a solid wood dining table from IKEA. It was one a mid-range (for IKEA) table when we got it 20 years ago and I am sure it will outlast us, though it's not a style I would want or need after kids are grown. I think there are individual solid wood pieces you can get at IKEA or Crate and Barrel or wherever that will outlast you/can be refinished as needed, and that are affordable, but you really need to look at the individual piece rather than the store/brand.

For things that are not wood, I think you can buy "forever" quality from Pottery Barn, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, level of stores. My metal bed is from West Elm and it will be here after the apocalypse. Likewise my Pottery Barn coffee table--I guess the glass could break,but the metal is for life.

I've always been a furniture snob with regard to real wood/quality but have kept total expenses low by shopping thrift stores, craigslist, antique auctions/estate sales and the curb and only going to the above sources when I couldn't find what I liked any other way. I doubt that I've spent $8K on furniture (outside of mattresses) in the 30 years I've been out of my parents' house. That said, it's an eclectic look and not the only way to go.

[Cassie]

I bought a antique dining room table and chairs 40 years ago and they are still going strong. 25 years ago I paid 8k for a solid wood bedroom set that is still perfect. My coffee and end tables came from a consignment shop and they are from the 50’s. The key is to only buy solid wood

[YttriumNitrate]

As long as you aren't looking for the latest trends (midcentury modern) you'll likely find oodles of high quality furniture on free-cycle/nextdoor. There are a bunch of retiring/downsizing baby boomers looking to get rid of their houses full of well made wood furniture.

[Just Joe]

Watch for local sales: estate sales, Craiglists perhaps, and any local online bulletin board. Watch the newspaper. There are people out there that don't know how to use a computer to sell something so they use the tried and true classified ads.

Also watch for auction companies disposing of estates. We have a couple of companies here with good websites that give buyers a peek at what will be auctioned off. Sometimes the auctions are done on their website too.

I agree - some of the antiques are alot better than the modern pressboard equivalents. I've suffered through ruined veneers though but what's under the veneer has been pretty good too a few times.

[sol]

Watch for local sales: estate sales, Craiglists perhaps, and any local online bulletin board.

I agree that the best deals are on second hand items of good quality that have already lasted decades, the hard part is learning enough about furniture making to identify them.  Furniture made with veneered plywood isn't necessarily low quality, and furniture made with all solid wood isn't necessarily high quality.  How the frame is joined and braced makes all the difference in long term durability, especially for items that get moved often.  Solid wood drawer slides are not better than good quality modern metal/plastic ones.  Sometimes a really horrible looking $100 dresser needs $30 and an hour of staining to be an $800 dresser.

In our case, we basically don't buy nice things while we have kids at home.   Even good quality sofas and tables will be disposable items while raising kids.  For items like bookcases, I find that the CNCed Ikea particle board versions are fantastic quality for the price, if you just bolt them to the wall. 

We do have a couple of really nice handmade solid wood pieces made by my FIL, like a sturdy Morris chair that I love.  They will all need work after my kids are grown.

[Cassie]

We bought good quality furniture when our kids were little and the kids are long grown and the stuff is still perfect. We had rules such as the only place you eat is at the kitchen table, no banging your toys on the coffee table etc.   Kids are smart and catch on fast if you are consistent.

[thurston howell iv]

Check out this place:  https://communityforklift.org/

It's in northeast DC. They have a large warehouse. Like a Re-Store on steroids. Lots of stuff. Prices are somewhat reasonable.
Of course this is DC so take it for what it's worth. At least there's some options.

I've looked around at some of the Re-stores around the area. Most are almost retail in their prices.  The one in woodbridge has some decent stuff. Prices are ok.

[Fomerly known as something]

Clearance section or tent sale of area high end furniture stores.  Buy the table the consumer sucker returned because the "stain was too dark."

Estate Sales, buy a good looking piece that is already 40 years old.

[TomTX]

IKEA quality is variable. We have some Tunhem bookcases. Other than the paperboard back, they are absolutely fabulous and should last indefinitely (they are 13-20 years old, couldn't tell which ones are older)

Our Klippan couch is used all the time, it's also ~20 years old. Seat sags a bit now though.

[marble_faun]

I've had great success with Craigslist.  Boomers are downsizing, unloading incredible antiques for next to nothing.  I've picked up handmade, wooden furniture from the 1830s-50s. It has an elegant simplicity and will last forever.  In the 80s this stuff was worth a lot more, but now no one seems to want it and you can pick it up cheap! 

It's insane to me that beautiful items handcrafted by skilled artisans are going for much less than mass-produced fake wood objects from Ikea/West Elm.  But that's how things seem to be right now.

[PhrugalPhan]

As a DC burbs person, I agree with the estate sales, yard sales, craigslist, free cycle, etc... mentions.  And yeah, the older pieces are often (though not always) better.  Keep an eye out for throw-aways in better neighborhoods that can be repaired.  I found my bedroom dresser sitting on a curb and looked horrendous.   When I checked it out it had a very solid build but would need major repairs.  Took me some evenings of sanding, staining, and varnish and its been my No.1 piece for over a decade now.   It is better than anything I have seen in a mainline furniture store and it was out for trash.

There used to be solid wood furniture stores in the area 15 years ago, but I think they all died out.  I used to go there and check out the scratch and dent section for pieces I could repair for cheap.  If there are any of that type of store in your travels see if they have a section like that.

[doggyfizzle]

If you’re looking to buy new, I’d suggest LL Bean or Ethan Allen (spendypants though).  I definitely recommend LL Bean outdoor furniture; they make awesome HDPE weatherproof furniture that is fadeproof and weatherproof, and can often times be had on sale and then an additional 15-25% off if you get a mailing list coupon.  We have a leather couch from Ethan Allen we got on sale a coupe years ago that has survived a dog and now 3-year old boy and still looks brand new.  Also check and see if you have a local store that sells Amish furniture:  we have one that sells both finished and unfinished Amish furniture made in Ohio that looks to be of exemplary quality.  Used: garage sales like others have said.

[big_owl]

restoration hardware, room and board, Arhaus….those are some companies we've had good luck with. 

[Just Joe]

In our case, we basically don't buy nice things while we have kids at home.

Absolutely! Our extended family had several homes with the seldom used off-limits living room. Our house has no such room. Our family room furniture has a few scars and that is okay. Better to teach than emotionally scar the kids over accidents that mark a piece of furniture with no real resale value.

One of these days our eldest will leave the nest and some of our furniture will go with them. An opportunity to replace what survived their childhoods and honestly still looks okay. There are some moisture rings on the end tables that could be refinished away.

[Dogastrophe]

Im somewhat unmustachian about this in that I do care about the style.  I definitely plan on scouting thrift and consignment stores.  But I want nice stuff that will last for decades, that can be repaired, that is solid wood so if it gets dinged in future moves some stain will help because it's not MDF.  Actual wood made into actual furniture shapes. 

Don't be afraid of quality veneer products.  Many of the high end mid-century tables, hutches, sideboards, etc from this period were made with teak, walnut, and rosewood veneers. 

[MMM98]

Amish.  I am already starting to gift my first Amish pieces to my kids after twenty years of use.  No veneer.  If you are not in the Midwest you can buy from on line sources.  I have had their furniture delivered from a Minnesota dealer to Alabama. 

I drove an Amish construction crew back and forth to a jobsite in Michigan for a while, it gave me a great deal of insight to how they think.  If you have any questions ask away.

[MDfive21]

I've had great success with Craigslist.  Boomers are downsizing, unloading incredible antiques for next to nothing.  I've picked up handmade, wooden furniture from the 1830s-50s. It has an elegant simplicity and will last forever.  In the 80s this stuff was worth a lot more, but now no one seems to want it and you can pick it up cheap! 

It's insane to me that beautiful items handcrafted by skilled artisans are going for much less than mass-produced fake wood objects from Ikea/West Elm.  But that's how things seem to be right now.

exactly this.  if you live in a decent sized city you should be able to furnish a home using nothing  but CL and FB Marketplace. 

[partgypsy]

Good luck. I totally agree for some things like dining table sets wood pieces that used is the way to go. What gets hard is that a lot of older furniture made and available, is simply not in the style you may be looking for. I have a smaller house and I wanted wood furniture that was painted or had light wood (not heavy stained wood). In part because the furnishing of our house were literally handmade (think crates and wood boards) or the heavily dark varnished wood look from hand me down pieces. I was tired how hodge podge things look, especially the dark furniture.

so I think people need to do what works for them. It's not a motivation or dream for me to have furniture for life that I hand down to my kids, since who knows what their lives will be like and will they even want it? I ended up buying a dining table for $200 on wayfair (the kind you put together yourself). It is not as nice of a piece of furniture as an antique table, but it's solid, in a whitewash, fits the decor and is in the dimensions I was looking for.
https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/andover-mills-oneill-dining-table-andv1086.html?piid=25180757

[o2bfree]

I agree about Amish furniture. Not only does it have superior craftsmanship, but many of the styles are timeless.

If you get any upholstered items, be sure to keep the sun off them. We bought a solid wood, mission-style couch and love seat 20+ years ago, and they're holding up great except that the back of the love seat was exposed to sunlight for several years, and the fabric got really faded. I hide the faded part behind a wall of houseplants, but wish I didn't have to.

[couponvan]

You'd have to say what your style was/what color furniture you like for us to do a better job telling you where you might find it.

I'm still in love with my arts and crafts style Bob Timberlake solid cherry furniture I got 20 years ago.  It's weathered 3 kids (who did bang all over the coffee table with their Thomas the Tank Engine trains), and about 7 moves.  Not a single piece is ruined.  You can find it used on Craigslist these days in the DC area as people relocate to FL to retire for less than new Costco type dining room furniture.  However it's not the trendy darker walnut look that so many people like these days. I bought a Costco counter height table about 9 months ago, and I don't think it's going to fit in our new house.  Oops.  So I'm looking to Craigslist to find more of my old standby - and I'm probably going to paint it (gasp). But the pieces just last and last and last.  The IKEA stuff is only good for 2, maybe 3 moves before it rips itself apart.

[Fishindude]

Ethan Allen stuff will last as long as you want to keep it.   We've got some 30-40 year old stuff.

[accolay]

+1 on good used vintage/antique furniture, even if you have to refinish or reupholster. That stuff was made out of real, solid old growth wood. Ikea has nothing on a solid couch from 40+ years ago.

[Villanelle]

You'd have to say what your style was/what color furniture you like for us to do a better job telling you where you might find it.

I'm still in love with my arts and crafts style Bob Timberlake solid cherry furniture I got 20 years ago.  It's weathered 3 kids (who did bang all over the coffee table with their Thomas the Tank Engine trains), and about 7 moves.  Not a single piece is ruined.  You can find it used on Craigslist these days in the DC area as people relocate to FL to retire for less than new Costco type dining room furniture.  However it's not the trendy darker walnut look that so many people like these days. I bought a Costco counter height table about 9 months ago, and I don't think it's going to fit in our new house.  Oops.  So I'm looking to Craigslist to find more of my old standby - and I'm probably going to paint it (gasp). But the pieces just last and last and last.  The IKEA stuff is only good for 2, maybe 3 moves before it rips itself apart.

I tend to like fairly simple stuff.  Arts and crafts or mid-century.

And the main reason I'd prefer solid wood is because when the movers inevitably ding it, it can be stained and that ding becomes far less visible, when compared to most newer laminate pieces, that have pale MDF underneath. 

I can definitely continue to scan Craiglist, Facebook, etc., and hopefully that will bear fruit, but I'm also moderately picky about style, so I'm hoping to find some stores (online or otherwise) that sell quality items. 

Movers have destroyed (like splintered wood, so not repairable) basically our entire bedroom set (which was handed down to use but solid oak and very well constructed), our coffee table (Ikea piece held together with duct tape and trashed when we moved), and several other items.  So I need a lot of things, and I'm willing to be moderately patient about them. 

[pbkmaine]

Look for August Brandt Ranch Oak. Mid-Century Rustic. Indestructible.

[Cassie]

We make sure the movers shrink wrapped everything and then used packing blankets.

[Threshkin]

One problem with buy it for life is that life changes.  What you want/need today is likely to be completely different than 20 years from now.

That said, I am also a big fan of secondhand.  Craigslist or its equivalent, garage sales, thrift shops, your friends and relatives network are great sources for furniture at low or no cost.  Looking around my living room I see nothing that was purchased new and quite a few items that were outright free.

[couponvan]

I’m all for purchasing hard items used, but things with cushions agent “quarantined” before going in the house. I haven’t gotten a used couch or mattress in a LONG time. Bed bug issues are more prevalent nowadays it seems. Hard furniture gets a thorough cleaning before it comes in the house, just to be safe. I am on the lookout for a new bedroom set-our 20 year old one is at our lake house. We are currently using a hodgepodge of dresser/filing drawers for night stands. We have too much furniture....but not for the right rooms!

ETA used -not free...although free is better!

[chasesfish]

Costco

[Cranky]

I have bought some great furniture second hand, but it does depend on where you live - I am shocked at the prices for mid century modern on the coasts, for things that would be $50 at my local thrift.

Otherwise, Amish. I’m going to replace my thrift store dining table with one from the Amish mall, because they will make it to order. My dh is tired at looking at dr tables, so I’ve promised to do this by summer!

[StarBright]

There are great furniture auctions in western Maryland. We got our bedroom set at one. As folks have said upthread, you can get great deals if you buy a time period that isn't super popular. We got a dresser/chest of drawers set from the 1940s for 30 bucks. We did have to refinish them, but they were an awesome deal and look great.

Another lifetime buy, but a style not necessarily for everyone: we like Emeco chairs for our desks and dining tables. They are handmade in PA and some of them actually have like a 75 year warranty.  The company is also trying to do a lot with sustainability and recycled materials and are worth supporting if you like their styles.

[Cassie]

I wouldn’t buy used upholstery furniture or mattresses. Hard wood is different.

[BlueHouse]

I've had great success with Craigslist.  Boomers are downsizing, unloading incredible antiques for next to nothing.  I've picked up handmade, wooden furniture from the 1830s-50s. It has an elegant simplicity and will last forever.  In the 80s this stuff was worth a lot more, but now no one seems to want it and you can pick it up cheap! 

It's insane to me that beautiful items handcrafted by skilled artisans are going for much less than mass-produced fake wood objects from Ikea/West Elm.  But that's how things seem to be right now.

Yes!  And moving sales.  When I moved, I sold off all of my quality vintage and antique solid maple, solid cherry, mahogany, and solid walnut pieces.  NO ONE WANTED THEM.  I practically had to give them away -- so I gave them to anyone in the family who would take them, and sold the rest for $20-$100 each.  No one wants anything that isn't Mid-century-modern. 

 

[Pigeon]

Another vote for used, but if you like mid-century, that's very trendy and commands much higher prices.  If you have a Habitat for Humanity Restore, they can be a good source for used wooden furniture.

[Metalcat]

Can you just hire better movers???

I've literally never had anything damaged by movers and I've moved a few dozen times, but I pay extra to have movers who wrap everything in blankets.

It's a lot cheaper than buying all brand new hard wood furniture.

[Cassie]

So I love antiques but had to look up mid century furniture and realized it’s what I grew up with so I hate it:))

[HP]

Wheeeeeeere do you all live that no one wants antique/vintage furniture?? That's my aesthetic but it is $$$$ anywhere I have seen it.

Like right now I'm holding off because my kids are young and destructive, but in about 5-6 years, I'm going to be all over that.

[BruceWayne]

Ekornes Stressless for recliners.

[Cassie]

We live on the West coast and it took me to sell a beautiful Eastlake walnut full bed in perfect condition and only got 250 for it.

[partgypsy]

So I love antiques but had to look up mid century furniture and realized it’s what I grew up with so I hate it:))

My grandparents had their house decorated in this fashion and I have so many good memories of times there I think that's why I like mid century modern. And my parents decorated their den in danish modern, which I also like.

[Cassie]

I don’t like danish modern either. But the stuff I have and like is what my parents grew up with and they were sick of it:))

[Villanelle]

Can you just hire better movers???

I've literally never had anything damaged by movers and I've moved a few dozen times, but I pay extra to have movers who wrap everything in blankets.

It's a lot cheaper than buying all brand new hard wood furniture.

Well, they are military movers, so we get zero say in who shows up.  But we've also done 5 moves that were international (on one end or the other, or both), so it's a bit more complicated, items are loaded into crates, put on ships, unloaded unto a truck, then into storage, then back onto a truck, then finally delivered and unloaded.

[Metalcat]

Can you just hire better movers???

I've literally never had anything damaged by movers and I've moved a few dozen times, but I pay extra to have movers who wrap everything in blankets.

It's a lot cheaper than buying all brand new hard wood furniture.

Well, they are military movers, so we get zero say in who shows up.  But we've also done 5 moves that were international (on one end or the other, or both), so it's a bit more complicated, items are loaded into crates, put on ships, unloaded unto a truck, then into storage, then back onto a truck, then finally delivered and unloaded.

In that case, I would probably go the opposite route and buy mostly disposable used furniture and wouldn't bother moving it overseas. I think you already said that your solid wood bedroom set was destroyed by moving, so if you've already lost something well made, then it sounds like the process has potential to destroy anything.

If you are expecting more moves in the future, I would just stick with furniture you don't mind destroying.

[partgypsy]

Can you just hire better movers???

I've literally never had anything damaged by movers and I've moved a few dozen times, but I pay extra to have movers who wrap everything in blankets.

It's a lot cheaper than buying all brand new hard wood furniture.

Well, they are military movers, so we get zero say in who shows up.  But we've also done 5 moves that were international (on one end or the other, or both), so it's a bit more complicated, items are loaded into crates, put on ships, unloaded unto a truck, then into storage, then back onto a truck, then finally delivered and unloaded.

In that case, I would probably go the opposite route and buy mostly disposable used furniture and wouldn't bother moving it overseas. I think you already said that your solid wood bedroom set was destroyed by moving, so if you've already lost something well made, then it sounds like the process has potential to destroy anything.

If you are expecting more moves in the future, I would just stick with furniture you don't mind destroying.

how long are you planning to live in your current location? If you move again will you again have to use military movers, or can use private movers?

[Pigeon]

So I love antiques but had to look up mid century furniture and realized it’s what I grew up with so I hate it:))

Haha, me too.  It amazes me people will pay extra for this.

[MrsDinero]

We have a mix of everything the other posters have talked about.

We have several desks and dressers that were family hand-me-downs.  The oldest piece is 100+ years old, the newest is 40 years old.

When we got married we purchased a brand new, matching bed room set.  We found it at a furniture store, but the set is handmade out of oak in Maine.  It was pricey, but we know it will last longer than us.

Other things we pick up from thrift stores (dining table/china cabinet), Home Goods/TJMax (decorative stuff)., etc.   Some things are better made than others, but the Home Goods/TJMaxx stuff seems pretty durable. 

right now I am looking at replacing our falling apart IKEA bookshelves with solid wood.  I'm scouring the thrift stores and craigslist, but then go fast.  I might end up building my own.  Not sure.

[Just Joe]

Right now I am looking at replacing our falling apart IKEA bookshelves with solid wood.  I'm scouring the thrift stores and craigslist, but then go fast.  I might end up building my own.  Not sure.

Someone shared this website here on MMM:

http://www.ana-white.com/category/plans/project-type/bookshelves

[Villanelle]

Can you just hire better movers???

I've literally never had anything damaged by movers and I've moved a few dozen times, but I pay extra to have movers who wrap everything in blankets.

It's a lot cheaper than buying all brand new hard wood furniture.

 
Well, they are military movers, so we get zero say in who shows up.  But we've also done 5 moves that were international (on one end or the other, or both), so it's a bit more complicated, items are loaded into crates, put on ships, unloaded unto a truck, then into storage, then back onto a truck, then finally delivered and unloaded.

In that case, I would probably go the opposite route and buy mostly disposable used furniture and wouldn't bother moving it overseas. I think you already said that your solid wood bedroom set was destroyed by moving, so if you've already lost something well made, then it sounds like the process has potential to destroy anything.

If you are expecting more moves in the future, I would just stick with furniture you don't mind destroying.

In part it's because I'm just sick of have cheap, ugly stuff.

The broken dresser and armoire probably would have been fixable (rebuilding drawers), but as it was hand-me-down and we never cared for it beyond recognizing its quality, we didn't try. 

[Genry]

I can only share my personal experience. My wife and I moved to a new house 5 months ago. He got us at a discount because there was almost no furniture inside (only the bathroom and the most necessary things in the bedroom were furnished). On this with furniture, I learned firsthand. At first we took the most necessary things in IKEA. The first thing we decided to furnish is the living room. Two leather chairs and a table we took here https://housera.co.uk/ . They have enough refined furniture and often there are discounts. In the future, we want to buy a large desktop and make an office for my wife (she’s my designer). By this, by the way, if you know a good carpenter, be sure to share!