Is All New Furniture Junk Anymore ?

[ecotourist]

You can get good furniture if you're willing to pay for it.

A few suggestions: Stickley (case goods), Barrymore (upholstered goods - excellent, but recently closed), Herman Miller (home office furniture), and Stressless (leather furniture).

Mid century modern and selected antique pieces will last for centuries.

Our kitchen and bathroom cabinets were custom made by a small local company - with 3/4" plywood boxes, solid wood fronts and trim, and veneered ends. All superb quality and not that much more expensive than the usual junk.

At the lower end, Ikea isn't too bad either. You have to be selective but they do sell quite good stuff at reasonable prices. We have a wall of Ikea bookcases, and their Poem (or Poang) chairs are quite good. We've had a pair for at least 40 years.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Mid century modern and selected antique pieces will last for centuries.

^^This.

 

[aquariuscsm]

https://www.galleryfurniture.com/ga...vHPRo-c_89WEQSLCa3D5oZKlOv003AyBoChvsQAvD_BwE

This place advertises on Houston talk radio as being American made solid wood furniture.

 

[KenshinHimura]

I ended up buying a couch and recliner back in December and the Couch was made in TN by a company called England Furniture and the recliner was made in Houlka MS. they both are holding up well and are quite comfortable. hopefully i can get a few decades of use out of them

 

[Fitter30]

27 years ago purchased a high end bedroom set for 4k two dressers and a bed fancy headboard with two built in night tables. Thought it was solid wood found out it was particle board and paper thin wood covering it and the details. Had chair recovered talk with the upholster showed my a couch that was down to the frame all plastic supports stapled on.

 

[RhondaHonda]

Hancock and Moore makes quality furniture but it’s expensive compared to the national retail chains that sell junk. Sometimes that cheap furniture is not a bad buy if you grow tired of the style quickly as you didn’t lay out much for it in the first place.

 

[gregk24]

We have had good luck with La-Z-Boy.

 

[TMoto]

Early last year we were in the market for new couches and ended up buying Flexsteel after some research. They seemed to be the best bang for the buck for our needs. There are some very high quality furniture manufacturers but most are over our budget. We wanted leather sofas and as others stated, most of the mainstream furniture store offerings are of low-quality non-hardwood frames and bonded leather. They may look nice in the showroom but I didn't want to have to replace them in a couple years as so many reviews were indicating. Rather than 8-way hand-tied, Flexsteel uses their Blue Steel Spring along with the balance of construction seemed to be a quality product. I did have to raise my budget some, but they were on sale and I feel like we made a good decision. So far we're very happy.

 

[UncleDave]

All, no..lots- yes.

I settled on a mix of stuff.You can find high end used stuff pretty cheap.

Older pieces are usually built better.

The couch is a big one - you have to spend some money here, or pick up high end used Just recovering a big couch can be 3-4K

You can find Danish Skovby products used and they make awesome tables and dining chairs, that cleverly expand

I have stainless steel cabinets, and a credenza in my bedroom from Quovis. Its a different look that everyone seems to like.

 

[PandaBear]

Most of my friends like Scandinavian Design, not the cheapest but good enough and newer than the mid century stuff that many of my generation think is too old school. (Looks like Mid Century Modern is in now, and Industrial Modern is out). Agree that Ikea if purchased correctly is not bad. They do have a lot of solid wood stuff and their MDF stuff actually are strong (but thicker to sustain the load) and as a result not the prettiest.

One thing about Ikea stuff is they are popular in the used market, you can always sell it within a week on craigslist or facebook. Younger people who went to college will definitely buy them and young family / couples would buy them before they empty their nests and buy something after their kids grow up.

Personally, I think spending thousands on wood furniture when metal + glass can do just as well is a waste. My cheap metal + glass dining set at my parents' place is still doing well when my own rubber wood butcher block dining table is scratched up because of kids + wife being careless.

 

[Astro14]

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

View attachment 62725

Totally OT, but…

Such a familiar space! I still dream of that jet, the controls, the feel. When I see the cockpit today, everything is instantly recognizable. A few years back, my youngest daughter and I visited the Naval Aviation museum in Pensacola and there was an F-14 cockpit you could sit in. I could’ve spent hours just sitting there. Not sure she understood everything I showed her, but I think she understood how significant that opportunity was for me.

 

[Trav]

When I think about it, the change from those planes to what you fly today must suck in a way, F1 driver now driving a school bus.

 

[1978elcamino]

I purchased a used Havertys bedroom set on craigslist a couple months ago. Its very nice looking and was a great deal since it was in perfect shape. All the pieces together would have cost me 2800 new but I paid 450. I always though Havertys was one of the better quality retailers but after unloading it and inspecting it the tags, bar codes, labels on the back and bottom were EXACTLY the same as an old junk rooms to go set it replaced. Im not upset because I paid so little and its going in a spare room but I would be mad if I bought this new for basically rooms to go stuff. So yes, "most" new furniture is JUNK unless you pay through the nose for something made in this country.

 

[skyactiv]

Art Van is no longer in business.

 

[mightymousetech]

Almost all our furniture came from Herman Miller.

Not junk.

Buy it once, buy it for life.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Anyone know of any new furniture that still have "dog pawl" legs?

Also any advice on shopping for furniture, it's like what is on the floor or in the catalog is it. Living hell just trying to find that one piece. I wish there was like a nationwide locator like we have for auto parts, but for furniture. Like I need a night stand, and I want "this" style, and it needs to fit in "these" dimensions.....

 

[Fitter30]

30 years ago purchased a bedroom set from a high end furniture store 4k for bed and two dressers and headoard with built in tables. Found out shortly after it was particle board and wall paper thick wood. Amazed me how they could mould it in over any shape. Talking with a upholster that has done four pieces of mid century modern. Plastic brackets stapled not screwed are normal for the frame connectors. I've worked with people that change family room furniture every few years after it falls apart think nothing of it.

 

[Leo99]

The huge TV stand I bought from Amazon needed a truck with two guys to deliver to my house and took a little while for me to assemble. Looks a lot better than the stuff I saw in the furniture stores.

Good wood is very expensive these days. Even if you have the skill and tools and a shop, it's still expensive to make your own furniture.

A new couch is in our future. Will definitely get recliners.

 

[Fitter30]

There is a store in Houston called Gallery furniture that has solid wood. The man that runs it (Jim McIngvale) is a local hero of Houston. He opened his store to the victims of Hurricane Harvey when many people were flooded. Then he gave them the furniture they used while the waters receded.

He advertises REAL solid hardwood furniture and shows cut cross sections.

Now for the kicker. I looked at a real leather sofa, love and recliner there. Beautiful set but it was $10K with a 10 year warranty. Next to it was a "some other" set that was $1999 for the same pieces.

I didn't buy either and wound up going in the middle with a Costco Abbyson Living set for $3500. It's ok. Top grain leather. Power recline. No mechanical issues.

The only complaint I have is the size of the recliner is smaller than I expected. I'm 6' and the chair hits me right at the top of the neck. My wife and kids are much shorter so they love them.

The only other mild complaint is the color is starting the wear on the leather. needs to be restained but it's minor. This is NOT the peeling bonded leather stuff it is just the dark stain wearing off. on spots. The delivery guy told me this could happen eventually and which number to call to file a claim and get it restained.

My son in law worked for him in hi school and he was fair owner and what he has done for houston and all the disasters by opening up his showroom is commendable. Surprised other haven't stepped up. Like his gamble on his bets on baseball and other games for free furniture.

 

[vavavroom]

There is still good furniture being made. The Joinery out of Portland comes to mind. May as well go with a custom job, though. Nothing wrong with used furniture.