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I bought my daughter a bedroom set from Rooms To Go in 2006 when she was 3 years old, and it is still going strong - we've had no issues whatsoever. It came with a large dresser and mirror, a side table with two drawers, and a headboard/footboard.
I bought it in white so that it would go with any changes she wanted on the walls or windows. I also bought a very classic, simple design so that it would never date itself since the plan is for her to take this with her when she eventually moves out.
I know RTG gets a bad rap, but in our case it has worked out well so far. It's a ten-year-old set and still looks brand new.
(no, I'm not a shill for RTG - it's the only furniture I have from there, the rest of my house is filled with antiques or solid wood furniture - but I was about to spend that kind of $$ on a bedroom suit for a (at the time) 3-year-old!)
New or used, look for quality in the construction. Look for real hardwoods avoid Pine, and the non-woods I would not even consider. Pressboard, OSB, mdf, masonite, any form of sawdust held together with adhesive. . . No no no. If you are uncertain what real wood looks like, look it up on the internet. This is not a snarky comment, many people think pressboard, sawdust with glue etc are real wood, because it has a sort of wood like appearance. One fairly simple test - wood has grain. No grain - not wood. It is not just the surface that is a concern, it is how it will hold together. Do you have a material that will hold screws od where the joints will hold together under stress? I have seen high end (or high priced anyway) melamine furniture sets where the melamine is molded over some crummy wood-like substance that will never hold the screws long term.
Look for mitered corners and at least doweled or biscuit joinery. Better yet look for fully dovetailed joints on drawers. If anything is stapled, leave and look elsewhere. Same with glued. Glued with dowels is marginally acceptable, but good furniture should hold tightly together without any glue. Glue can be used as a back up but it should not be integral to the structure of the furniture.
How do the drawers ride? Do they just slide wood on wood? Do they use grooved tracks that will wear out? In modern furniture you are looking for wheeled sliders or ball bearings. How do you remove drawers for cleaning and reinstall them? It it something that will last.
Look at the legs if it has legs. Are they built into the structure of the furniture itself, or just tacked on or screwed in? Will they break off if the furniture is tipped up on one side?
If it has screws, are they hefty screws or little skinny things that will pull out of the wood or break under pressure.
Unless it is a little end table or something, climb on top of the furniture and wiggle around. Well made furniture should be able to easily support your weight. The reality is, you will probably stand on it one day.
Lift it up. It should feel heavy and solid. That does not guarantee it is good furniture, but if it is super light - it is almost definitely not.
Small items can indicate quality at times, or help indicate it anyway. Beveled mirrors. quality hardware, little or no plastic (unless the whole thing is plastic).
Now if you are looking at something other than wood - there are a whole new set of things to look for. Metal - Nothing should be bendable. Welds should be clean solid and nicely ground. Parts should be one piece wherever possible rather than bolted or welded together.
Concrete or plastic furniture can also be quality, but it get complicated to discern. There is a lot of junk. Pricing and brands are really irrelevant.
I often find good quality new furniture from Quaker distributors or retailers. Not 100% guaranteed to be quality, but increases your odds.
Be aware, you pay for quality. Are you prepared to pay $1200 or $2000 for a dresser when you can get a junky one for $160 at Target or some mass production distributor? You can buy, break and replace 10 of the junky ones before you reach the price of a quality dresser that will last. Sometimes the junky ones will last for quite a while before they become unusable. In part, you are paying for the sheer luxury of quality, paying just for longevity may not be a financial winner.
Also, do you like to replace your furniture often? There is no point in springing for heirloom furniture that will last 50 - 200 years if you are going to get rid of it in five years because you like change. Just get junky stuff and throw it out when you want something new.
Finally, price tells you nothing. Many people will pick what they consider mid level furniture as a compromise. What you get is junky stuff with lipstick. Sort of well made, does not cut it. it is either well made or it is not. There really is no middle. There is all kinds of high priced furniture that is not quality. You are paying for design, flash, advertising, fancy showrooms. Ignore all that. Pull out a drawer and look at how it is held together. Learn to identify pine. It is too soft (in general, I have a pine table from 1760 that is still in fine shape, but that is pretty unusual). Some pines are actually hardwoods (e.g. old growth Yellow Pine). Some fancy woods are too soft. Cedar makes a nice liner, but I woudl not want anything build out of cedar unless it is extremely thick.
Older furniture is often better made. There are two reasons for this. It was made before we came to think of everything as disposable, and if it survived to today, it is probably not the crappy stuff. They made low end junky furniture in the old days, but very little of it survived to be available today. Thus, you have a better chance of finding something well made and will save a lot of moeny, if you shop for vintage/antique furniture. Just be wary of paying a premium for "antique" Also be aware the reupholster can be very expensive (like $3000 or more to reupholster a tufted couch with brass tacks). So when someone shows you a beautiful sturdy piece of furniture that just needs re-upholstery, or a replacement cane seat, be aware, the furniture has almost no value, because it will likely cost more to fix it than it is actually worth. Unless you DIY, you are likely to get a big surprise. Craftsmanship is expensive.
One thing that is not a measure of quality, but a consideration look at the trim. It looks nice today, but will it collect dust/grime and look terrible in three years? Are you honestly they type of person who will dust nice trim weekly?
Last edited by Coldjensens; 11-28-2016 at 04:28 PM..
New or used, look for quality in the construction. Look for real hardwoods avoid Pine, and the non-woods I would not even consider. Pressboard, OSB, mdf, masonite, any form of sawdust held together with adhesive. . . No no no. If you are uncertain what real wood looks like, look it up on the internet. This is not a snarky comment, many people think pressboard, sawdust with glue etc are real wood, because it has a sort of wood like appearance. One fairly simple test - wood has grain. No grain - not wood. It is not just the surface that is a concern, it is how it will hold together. Do you have a material that will hold screws od where the joints will hold together under stress? I have seen high end (or high priced anyway) melamine furniture sets where the melamine is molded over some crummy wood-like substance that will never hold the screws long term. . . .
I purchased a beautiful set of American Black Cherry bedroom furniture at a big box type store....but it was made at a small business in Mass. and the salesperson had literature on the company which we researched before purchasing. They also had pieces on display in the store and I loved the style and color of the wood. Beautiful grain, heavy as hell, and it's darkened to perfection as it's aged.
The pulls are walnut.
Cost me a fortune but I'd do it again. I still love it to this day.
Try a consignment store. Also, don't do what I did. Buy a whole matching set. I bought it when I first got married, still have it though. I think I would have been better off and happier with well chosen individual pieces. They really don't have to all match.
"Wtf is a consumer to do." If you want Chinese/Indonesian crap furniture...buy new. If you want quality, buy antique furniture....it was made in the USA, by craftsmen. Antiques today are a more economical purchase than new products...I am buying things cheaper today than I did in the 70's.
"Wtf is a consumer to do." If you want Chinese/Indonesian crap furniture...buy new. If you want quality, buy antique furniture....it was made in the USA, by craftsmen. Antiques today are a more economical purchase than new products...I am buying things cheaper today than I did in the 70's.
Plus, if you can buy antiques at local auctions, you'll make out like a bandit. My entire home is furnished with antiques I've purchased over the last 20 years from 2 local auctions, one of which doesn't charge a buyer's premium. Since I have a cargo van, I can bring my treasures home in any kind of weather. I have beautiful Victorian beds for my bedrooms and vintage kitchen tables and cabinets for the 1959 kitchen to coordinate with my restored 1953 stove. No one wants Victorian furniture anymore; it goes for bupkus.
I would try Furnitureland South out of High Point. They sell good furniture for decent prices.
Been there lately? Decent prices are a thing of the past, I'm very sorry to say. We bought 50% of the furniture for our new home with them in 2013. Returned a couple of months ago and even the clearance center was OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive stuff.
I think it's a nice looking set, but I'm sorry to say, you won't be buying it. Per the website, it's unavailable. Just like most furniture these days.
I've been looking for an accent chair for MONTHS. Nothing particularly unique or special, but used leather or upholstered chairs are usually in bad shape, and the cost of re-upholstering doesn't make sense for our needs.
I've been looking for a few modern-ish, lighter colored Bedroom pieces, used and new (not into antiques, four poster beds, Olde American styling, etc). Used is mostly old styles or dark colors. New trends towards grey or crappy versions of a weathered look (read: it looks damaged).
I think it's a nice looking set, but I'm sorry to say, you won't be buying it. Per the website, it's unavailable. Just like most furniture these days.
I've been looking for an accent chair for MONTHS. Nothing particularly unique or special, but used leather or upholstered chairs are usually in bad shape, and the cost of re-upholstering doesn't make sense for our needs.
I've been looking for a few modern-ish, lighter colored Bedroom pieces, used and new (not into antiques, four poster beds, Olde American styling, etc). Used is mostly old styles or dark colors. New trends towards grey or crappy versions of a weathered look (read: it looks damaged).
That post is from 2016, which is why it isn't available anymore.
Honestly, I bought a couch from a "better" furniture store and I am not thrilled with it. So, I'm kind of over furniture.
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