Is All New Furniture Junk Anymore ?

[xfactor9]

Furniture goes through trends, like fashion, so some people don't feel it's worth it to spend $10k on a dining room set that will go out of style in several years.

This is why used furniture in excellent condition still depreciates rapidly. Trendy things don't hold their value

Look at furniture from 20 years ago. It looks dated in today's interior

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
COO < price for 99% of people.

The problem is that quality stuff now has a luxury price tag. If US made stuff is 2-3x the price you can't expect people to buy it based on quality alone.

My mom did the same thing about 8 years ago, replaced a locally made couch that needed new cushions with a piece of bonded leather Chinese junk that was worn within a year. Some people just don't care and new and shiny is all that is important.


This.

My wife "wants new furniture" because she wants a new look. She couldn't care how long it last and she doesn't want old looks.

So no matter I spend $10k or $2k, when time is up they had to go. Now I ask her to pay for them and set a reasonable time she cannot change them. Currently it is every 10 years minimum, no exception (I'll repair or put a cover on it if they wear out).

Vietnamese made, American solid wood (PNW) according to the warranty guy on the installation issues. The brand is Aspen Home, I think.

I was debating between American kitchen cabinets or Chinese, and end up buying Ikea (made in USA, CARB2 foil MDF), because I couldn't stand my wife wanting to throw them away after 10 years because of the look, and it is not worth divorcing a wife over some kitchen cabinets.

 

[JustinH]

We end up moving every five years anyways, and just throw everything out.

Last house was Ikea, that stuff is not even worth moving. We craigslisted all of it, and threw out the really ratty stuff.

Our finest piece of furniture is a table we picked up in Waco, that was made from a 1920's wood floor. Pretty neat, and weighs a ton.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted by Throckmorton
Even high quality brands like Henredon, Ethan Allen, Pennsylvania House, and Stickley commonly use veneers of expensive wood laid over a cheaper substrate of "solid hardwoods." Almost no one makes furniture of solid walnut, ash, maple, or even oak any longer.


I've seen some mattress startup uses "butcher block" method to put solid walnut together and sell a bed for a great price of $1k.

Most people would just get a veneer instead.

 

[S_Pullman]

If you are only worried about fashion, then you can rely on foreign design solutions and visit online exhibitions in order to be in fashion in six months. Old furniture can be made new or restored. Massive cabinets of an unnatural dark brown color visually poison the interior, eating up almost half of the valuable space. Today the world is striving for minimalism https://nyfurnitureoutlets.com/dini...e/bar-stools-and-counter-stools/filter-yellow. Modern experts no longer recommend overloading the space with drywall compositions that have no function. A large or small pattern on the wallpaper, with which the entire room is pasted over, visually overloads the interior, creating visual noise. This is especially unattractive if the ornament is contrasting. Wallpaper on the entire wall area automatically makes the decor look old-fashioned. Another anti-trend in the interior is curtains and tulle with a huge number of folds, ruffles and ornaments.

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

You can still buy quality furniture that will last a lifetime, but its going to cost you.

 

[Astro14]

Or, you can take up woodworking as a hobby, acquire it for much less, have the satisfaction if making it yourself, and learn some new skills and buy some really neat tools along the way...

 

[Kira]

I forgot to mention Hunt's Country Furniture. It's either in extreme western Connecticut or extreme eastern New York. They make very good furniture.
We got a kitchen table with chairs there. They have a broad selection.
They used to make all of Cracker Barrel's (restaurant chain) furniture before they began sourcing in China.

 

[ET16]

Sad thing, too, is that you often can't even donate furniture made of particle board. My local Restore won't take it.

On another note, there is a lot of good used furniture around.

 

[Fattylocks]

My recent Flexsteel branded couches seem well made.

 

[GoldDot40]

Definitely had our share of poorly made furniture. The last living room set I bought, I decided to go with a recliner, couch, and love seat that reclined on both ends. There is more steel in the framing for the reclining mechanisms and seems to add more durability to the frame. Going on 4 years and this set has held up better than the previous set. They are all very comfortable to boot.

 

[PandaBear]

Don't forget we have been chopping down old growth wood without replacing them fast enough. We are now paying way more than in the past for these wood, so we have to cut some corner or pay way more. Typically customers prefer to pay less for lesser quality.

Instead of maple we are now using birch, or if you want better, rubber wood.

 

[Inked]

My recent Flexsteel branded couches seem well made.

We just bought Flexsteel living room furniture and I would agree that it seems to be a degree above most of the other crap out there.

 

[Astro14]

This is why I make my own...

 

[philipp10]

It's not just about where it's made, it's how it's made. Learn to spot veneered particle board. That is the stuff that never lasts. We just bought a platform bed out of mostly solid wood. It cost big time and we could of spent even more but had to draw the line somewhere.

 

[mightymousetech]

It’s only junk if you buy junk. Most of our furniture is from Herman Miller. It will last generations.

 

[Inked]

This is why I make my own...

But do you install any of these onto any you make?

 

[Gimpy1]

When I was working in Mexico City, I worked at my Dad's company that imported and installed office systems. We would also make custom kitchenetts, bathrooms closets etc. We only used solid wood no mdf or particleboard. Some client would balk at our price and go with another contractor, then we would geta call 6 months later when all their stuff disintergrated because it was made using cheap materials. I had all my furniture made at out factory, all hand made my our carpenters. Waited 6 or 7 months but it was well made, sowell madeI brought it with me to dallas. Ikeahas great designs, but use super junk materials

 

[Trav]

I bought an oxblood colored leather sofa 15 years ago, full dyed hides not bonded leather, oak frame. I forget who made it but was made in the USA and was $5500 back then.

 

[Rmay635703]

You can still buy quality furniture that will last a lifetime, but its going to cost you.

I find that price doesn’t relate to
“how long it lasts” you can buy very expensive decorative poofy stuff that is garbage in 5 years and cheap uncomfortable stuff that lasts forever.

Some of the craft bought stuff is cheap (lots of Amish/Mennonites/wood workers local) and will last forever but is usually not a comfortable lounger but probably OK if your looking for indoor or outdoor wooden furniture. Trying to get a good cushion for that stuff can be a pain if you want to make it into a lounger but then expect the cushions to wear out often.