Most of my furniture was gradually acquired by people getting rid of theirs. It was all in great condition when I got it, but it's mostly Ikea stuff so it hasn't weathered the years very well. It still functions, so I've had no incentive to get anything new, but it's starting to cause me some embarrassment when I have company over and they comment on it. For example, I don't understand why headboards even exist, but I get a hard time for not having one for my bed, like it makes me a slob. Another example, I still use a couple milk crates for storage/shelving.
I'm 34 and part of me feels embarrassed that I still furnish my place like a college kid, but the other part of me wants to say, "who fucking cares, I don't want to spend money on pointless bullshit when the stuff I have works fine." The latter attitude can be isolating, though: I'll let you guess what most women think when they see a bedroom with milk crates, a basic mattress/box spring/wheels, an old Ikea desk with a scuffed up top, etc.
And it's not like I love my furnishings and wouldn't change a thing; I would like better stuff, but in my mind they're nice-to-haves. I don't want to buy more particle board mail order garbage, I don't want to spend a fortune on high quality furniture, and I don't have a vehicle to go pick up stuff at the thrift store. Do I accept that most people will judge me (and sometimes even be disgusted with me)? Do I learn how to build my own furniture? What would you guys do?