To really want some furniture that doesnt fall apart?

[thefirstMrsDeVere]

I KNOW it annoys people that AIBU is being taken over by general threads but allow me this one.

I am going to be moving DS2 into his own room soon and I will need to fit it out to be safe for him. He has ASD and LDs and is pretty hard going on fixtures and fittings.
Not enough to need specialist equipment but ikea furniture just doesnt cut it.
Anything flat packed isnt strong enough even when I use wood glue.

I dont have much experience of higher quality stuff. All mine has come from Ikea or second hand (which I prefer but its harder to get and hard to plan for).

So I need a chest of drawers and a smalll wardrobe and shelving. Its a small room, just bigger than a box room really.

It needs to be clutter free, neat and STRONG.

I will be doing all the decorating but I am hoping (fingers crossed) for a grant to help fit it out. I dont want to waste the money on something easily broken but I dont want to overspend on something that I think is high quality just because it cost more IYSWIM.

So you lot - you are supposed to be middle class and affluent [wunk] can I have some recommendations for decent, strong, nice, bedroom furniture?

Thankyou.

Vintage. If you buy things that are pre-1950 they tend to be VERY well made with dovetail joints and no fally-offy bits.

I get mine from Ebay and local 2nd hand furniture warehouses. Google it locally. Mostly they're cheap and if you dont like dark wood, sand them back and paint them cream.

go to nearest auction house every 2-4 weeks they will have general sale you will get victorian mahogany chest of drawers for 80-100 maybe less wardrobe depends upto £200 but something called a compactum ( gentlemans wardrobe lesshanging space more shelves) will be less ok it may be big but is pretty indestructible as all put together with dovetial joints not glue or screwsmust be pre WWII as during and after utility furniture more flimsy as shortage of wood plywood backs and victorian/edwardian brown furniture is not really fashionable at present so though antique it is cheaper than it has been for years

What about Tough Furniture or is that the specialist stuff you don't want.

Whoops xposted with eggandcress

sorry re no grammar and typos

MrsD is the grant Family Fund by any chance? We have just had a Family Fund grant awarded for furniture, bed etc for ds (ASD, SLD) but they have changed how they award and it comes on an Argos / homebase voucher. I have the same issue as you with need for strength (he ate through his last solid pine bed!).

What I have done is order a bedbase from our local bed centre - it is a very strong ottaman base which for an extra £5 they will re-inforce (so storage and strength . We used the bed grant for a memory foam mattress as advised by his Sensory Specialist Nurse as they are supposed to help with sleep problems. We have also put a double duvet on his single bed so the covers actually stay on!

With the furniture element there is no point in buying standard Homebase products so we are going to get a carpenter to make (at our expense) but buy the wood etc from homebase. I called Family Fund and they are ok with this.

I have done the bed but am still planning the storage. In ds current wardrobe we have 1 low and 1 high hanging rail - on the low I put clothes appropriate to the season and he can now manage to chose his own outfit for the day, a huge achievement.

I am getting a bit excited now! I had a look on ebay and saw several things that would do and all nearby. This means that I would probably find things when I want to buy them (once room is done).

I have looked at Tough Furniture and I was tempted but I dont think I can justify the expense as DS's ASD isnt that severe. I think something mainstream but solid would do.

I think the best thing would to get an average selling price for a chest and a robe and put that down on my application. Get the room all measured up so I am ready to buy when something comes up.

We are lucky that we have a big car so dont have to worry about transport.

I am still really nervous about putting him on his own. My little boy

I will look at all the links provided. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it

Thanks for that tip tibni. Yes it is FF. If we can get the grant for the joiner and sparks and locks and blinds and stuff - we could get the furniture ourselves if its second hand.

At a pinch we could get the room safe and ready and move him in, leave his stuff in the other room and move it as and when we get the furniture sorted.

I have a bed in there already and I dont want to get rid of it. If he wrecks it we will replace it but its a nice day bed. Its metal so hopefully he wont destroy it like the wooden ones (my lovely white wooden bunk )

It does need a new mattress though as it has an ancient one that wont do.

Its nice to know that I am not alone with this problem although I sympathise with all who have bed eaters and wardrobe punchers

I need to make a proper plan. I love all the buying and decorating and designing but I need to be practical and do some proper measuring!

I dont suppose anyone knows of any chew proof duvet covers?
My dreams of retro cath Kidston have now left the building....

Is there something he is really into for duvet covers that he wont damage.

With my FF grant it came in the form of an Argos/ Homebase card so no good for paying tradesmen! I guess it is far easier to administer and keep a check on. I didn't get the impression that they provide funding in other ways. I sent the form and got a letter with the allocation then a few days later the card arrived - so very simple.

Fledglings is a good site to try for all sorts of SEN products because if they don't have it they will try and source for you. Duvet chewing isn't one of our specialities.

just seen this whilst looking for blinds.

Might be interesting to others

www.sunbusterblind.co.uk/

boarders he is into Dr Who in a way that I cannot adequately describe but he still chews the duvets.

Ok its just I know DS is obsessed with star-wars {think mural on wall hundreds of figures and pictures} and his duvet covers are now away as hes to old for them before he had them he used to chew and rip them.

DS's Dr Who toys are all headless and limbless as well. He sometimes breaks things in temper but I think its mainly down to his sensory seeking behaviour.

He 'tests' things a lot and throws things a lot. He likes the noise and chaos.

Bless him

ah in our house playmobil people are not allowed to have hair! I have no idea why.

We had a stage where "dvd broken, oh dear, in the bin" was the best joke ever! We are just coming out of that one. Luckily he is still into CBeebies / Fun Song Factory type things so they are not as expensive as current releases.