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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think 'nice' things doesn't have to mean new?

47 replies

StateofConfusion · 28/02/2012 18:13

Over the years we've slowly had to replace all the argos cheap furniture that just fell apart, moving house 3x contributed to that. But realised the pieces we've brought 2nd hand last and look better.

I was greeted by a rather envious, "you have really 'nice' things" from a friend recently and it made me realise, none of our furniture is new anymore, we scour gumtree/ebay/preloved/facebook pages/boot sales and charity shops and have managed to get some lovely proper pine furniture, ds bed frame was freecycle, and dds was mine as a child. Everything is 2nd hand now.

And were about to get a 2nd hand sofa as ours has given up after moving too often and general children usage. And I refuse to pay four figures for the same thing to happen again.

But I've realised after being a --total snob setting up home and pfb to boot-- it doesn't matter, I have a lovely home, I'm proud of, matching good quality furniture at a fraction of the price, whilst my friend who would never have anything but new, but buys cheap is forever replacing broken things.

So aibu to think a nice home doesn't have to be all new furnishings?

OP posts:

Dozer · 28/02/2012 19:45

Yabu for smugness and boasting!

Laquitar · 28/02/2012 19:59

It is fine to buy old if you like them and when there is a saving.

But the snobbery towards ikea, next, argos etc pisses me off tbh. If you need a small unit for the hallway for example or a bedside table it doesn't need to be that strong. Some people maybe don't have much money and no time to look around , or no transport to collect or time to rub and paint a tiny table when you can buy it ready for £10.

Matching everything from next is a bit 'naff' but equally it is 'naff' imo trying too hard to mismatch. And spend precious time and effort to desperate mismatch your house to prove that you have personality.

Now if you have something from grandad, like the poster above, that's unique.

AllPastYears · 28/02/2012 20:28

Totally agree. DH can't see why I prefer old (and he'd rather chew on rusty nails than rummage round antique shops) - he would rather just go to Ikea and get something ugly and soulless. I do like some Ikea things to be fair, but characterful it ain't. I've stayed in a house in France and one in Germany where they had the same Ikea shelving system as us .

SaharaMerchant · 28/02/2012 20:47

Definitely NBU. Why pay £££'s when you can get the same thing at a fraction of the price. I love a bargain, really makes my day .

Original poster

StateofConfusion · 28/02/2012 21:31

Laquitar.

If I had the money, I'd go mad in next, in fact, ds bedroom accessories are all next, we had money once upon a time. His nice blue chest of drawers and wooden bed were demolished during a move, I didn't feel so smug having to use freecycle for a bed.

This wasn't meant in a boasty way just a, "I felt shit and poor about this but I've realised its actually pretty good"

I've just remembered why I quit mumsnet for a while now.

OP posts:

Floggingmolly · 28/02/2012 21:45

What do you think antiques are?

AwkwardMary · 28/02/2012 21:52

I've always been obsessed with 2nd hand. I LOVE 2nd hand furniture. My table and chairs are beautiful oak pieces that I got at a local charrity shop...£20.00 for the table and a tenner for four chairs.

My coffee tables are 1950s beautys....paid around 3 pounds each...probably fetch 100 plus on Ebay.

I want more nice old things!

fedupofnamechanging · 28/02/2012 21:56

In the interest of balance, I'd just like to say that I love my Billy bookcases. They go from floor to ceiling, all across one wall and it is so nice to have enough shelving for my books.

Anyway, as you were

LottieJenkins · 28/02/2012 21:56

My coffee table was from a friend, also at christmas my mums next door neighbours gave me their habitat sofa which came with a "poofie" and a footstool!!

Portofino · 28/02/2012 21:59

Well I have been to Ruthchan's house and it is lovely, whereas everything in mine is from Ikea......

seeker · 28/02/2012 21:59

Somebody, I think it was Harold MacMillan, described someone who wasn't .....quite....quite...as "The sort of person who buys his own furniture"

Portofino · 28/02/2012 22:00

Hence samey - no real style....

Portofino · 28/02/2012 22:01

In my defence, we live 5 minutes from Ikea and often go there just for lunch....

flibbertywidget · 28/02/2012 22:09

I love a bargain, but I love both old and new stuff at the same time. I buy bits from Ikea, kids storage stuff is ace and has so far stood 5 years of wear and tear.

I bought my dining room table from eBay, it cost me £40.00. it is lovely, although I did repaint it white, possibly a mistake!

DH's parents are french and have some beautiful pieces of furniture, which I hope one day to steal inherit.

Laquitar · 28/02/2012 22:11

State ok i didn't know you had a next bedroom, i thought it is another one of those snob threads. There have been many lately 'oh i couldn't do ikea and soulless, it's about personality' yadda yadda...

And, please don't quite again, not because of me...Peace offering

Original poster

StateofConfusion · 28/02/2012 22:19

I've never been to ikea, I'm really missing out, aren't I?

Mil got dd a lovely play pots/pans and utensils set from ikea, she thinks they're fantastic as the match mine but are small.

Ds' room is the next little digger range, I will cry when he grows out of that. But it fetches a fair bit on eBay

Dps just delved into a new world as our tv blew up, tvs/laptops that are returned due to scratched casing.

I may be gone some time haha.

OP posts:

misslinnet · 28/02/2012 22:25

YANBU.

Most of our furniture is second hand, mostly from friends & relatives who were replacing old (but still good) furniture with new.

Although my sister did call us cheapskates for that. And then complained because we didn't want the sideboard from her living room....

Our bed, however, is from Ikea, and it's always seemed perfectly fine and robust to us.

Original poster

StateofConfusion · 28/02/2012 22:57

Ære ikea beds good then?

That's the one thing we've had new mattresses, and we chose a divan and its shite for what it cost. And our mattress well, its very comfy but sags and looks wrecked, the dcs otoh thanks to mil, have amazing mattresses.

OP posts:

Original poster

StateofConfusion · 28/02/2012 22:58

I mean Are, no idea what that was ^

OP posts:

theodorakis · 29/02/2012 08:17

I buy second hand shoes on ebay. That's why I am sitting here at work in £350 Gucci court shoes that cost me £25.

LaurieFairyCake · 29/02/2012 08:27

I buy everything second hand due to preference and not because I can't afford new - apart from my cheap ikea dining table as it was only £50 and at the time I couldn't find one that was solid and cheaper.

misslinnet · 29/02/2012 08:28

My Ikea bed is fine - only problems we had was that Ikea bed & mattress sizes are slightly different to standard UK sizes, which was a bit of a headache when we needed to replace our mattress - the Ikea home delivery service wasn't very user friendly as I recall. But that was a while ago so may have changed...

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