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Original poster

To spend £1,500 on a piece of furniture?

79 replies

raqp · 14/04/2025 22:10

Have seen a beautiful antique wardrobe for £1,500 at a local place. Has paperwork that shows it sold for over £10,000 in the late 1990s.

Would we be unreasonable to spend this much on one piece of furniture? It would be about 20% of our monthly pay!

OP posts:
Theoscargoesto · 14/04/2025 22:13

Do you love it? Will it make you feel happy every time you see it and use it? If you go back tomorrow and it has gone, will you kick yourself? If the answer to those things is yes, and you can afford it, get it. Life is short.

PermanentTemporary · 14/04/2025 22:16

I should name change for this but fuck it.

I've spent more than that on an antique rug for this house. It gives me unending pleasure every day.

I also spent too much on shitty built-in wardrobes that I hate and fantasise about ripping out and replacing with a beautiful antique. If you think you can afford it, and you love it, get it!

MaggieBsBoat · 14/04/2025 22:19

Get it and post a photo please!

FatherFrosty · 14/04/2025 22:19

I spent that on a bespoke piece of furniture for an awkward room as I needed the storage

got served notice a month later as the rental we were in was being sold

if you love it, and it will always work for you (for the foreseeable!) get it.

Penguinmouse · 14/04/2025 22:20

Obviously it’s a lot but if you think about how long you will use a wardrobe for, it will depreciate over time. We spent about a grand on our sofa but we’ve had it seven years now and use it every day. Same with our pushchair - it was about £1000 but I have used it almost every day for the last two and a half years. I think it’s better to invest in an item that will last and you will keep than cycle through cheap furniture.

SerenaSemolena · 14/04/2025 22:25

If your monthly pay is £7500, I don't know why you are even questioning it?

TheeNotoriousPIG · 14/04/2025 22:25

If you love it, it fits in the space that you have, and it is has a practical purpose, why not? If it's a wardrobe, then you'll use it every day, potentially for the rest of your life.

Life is too short to put up with cheap, nasty furniture that only ends up in landfill five years later!

Darkclothes · 14/04/2025 22:31

I agree with others, if its only 20% of your monthly earnings and presumably not tipping you over into some sort of massive debt- why even ask??? Yes, I'd buy it.

Toooldtopretend · 14/04/2025 22:33

TheeNotoriousPIG · 14/04/2025 22:25

If you love it, it fits in the space that you have, and it is has a practical purpose, why not? If it's a wardrobe, then you'll use it every day, potentially for the rest of your life.

Life is too short to put up with cheap, nasty furniture that only ends up in landfill five years later!

Net or gross?

MrsTigerface · 14/04/2025 22:43

Buy it! Ring them up first thing tomorrow and reserve it. You’ll have it, and love it, for the rest of your lives xxx

Funnywonder · 14/04/2025 22:48

We spent £2000 on a bookcase in 1993. It was significantly reduced in a bomb damage sale, but wasn’t actually damaged! We still have it 32 years later and would never part with it. We have never spent as much on any other piece of furniture. Not even close. Ours is a mixture of half decent stuff we’ve owned for years, hand-me-downs and IKEA’s finest. If you think you will love it forever and if you can afford it, then why not?😊

Didimum · 14/04/2025 22:50

I don’t think that’s that much, personally (though it’s all relative of course). I spent £1500 on an armchair 5yrs ago and it’s one of my favourite possessions. Last year’s splurge was £750 on wallpaper for one wall and I absolutely love it every single day.

Davros · 14/04/2025 22:51

Buy it! I love old/antique furniture compared to new, especially storage pieces such as wardrobes, chests of drawers, shelves etc. I hate the trend for “upcycling” and flipping old furniture, usually by using chalk paint to cover the lovely wood.

Nextdoortomeis · 14/04/2025 22:51

We bought cherry wood furniture in 1987.
Spent over £5k and we still love it.

If you like it then why not treat yourself

Redglitter · 14/04/2025 22:55

Go for it. I spent that a few years ago on bureau. I could have got one cheaper but I'd wanted one for years and fell in love with it. I ended up buying matching ( completely over priced) living room furniture and I've never regretted it for a minute.

If you love it, buy it

NomNomNominativeDeterminism · 14/04/2025 22:58

Well firstly is this not a classic theme of ghost stories? You recognise a quality piece at a fraction of its true value and get it home, only to suffer a period of mysterious knocking sounds, strange noises and increasing feelings of dread and terror, and the half-sighting of a malevolent figure from within it, until you have done with it and get it out of the house. The relief! But oh no! what’s this? There it stands back in its very place! How can this be? Eventually, sleep-deprived and haggard, you manage to sell it on to someone so pleased with his cunning in snapping up a bargain that he does not question why you are so desperate to sell.

Or a witch sits on you and you die. Or something.

Anyway OP if it’s not that, then enjoy your wardrobe!

If the 1990s sale price paperwork is an attraction, question why the sellers are not selling it for more now.

Nourishinghandcream · 14/04/2025 23:03

Not unreasonable at all, can't even see why you are questioning it.
If you like (love) it and can afford it, what is the issue?

I think some people have got used to the availability of cheap furniture otherwise I can't see why spending that on something like a wardrobe would be given a second thought.

PickAChew · 14/04/2025 23:05

You can pay more than that for new rubberwood and MDF crap. If it's decent quality, it would last longer, too.

80smonster · 14/04/2025 23:05

Do it. I’ve paid that for handbags I never use.

Movinghouseatlast · 14/04/2025 23:08

Of course it's absolutely fine to buy it.

Most of my furniture was bought 25 years ago and hopefully I'll still have in 25 years. Mostly antique or very good quality new stuff.

Maitri108 · 14/04/2025 23:14

YANBU

MJOverInvestor · 14/04/2025 23:19

NomNomNominativeDeterminism · 14/04/2025 22:58

Well firstly is this not a classic theme of ghost stories? You recognise a quality piece at a fraction of its true value and get it home, only to suffer a period of mysterious knocking sounds, strange noises and increasing feelings of dread and terror, and the half-sighting of a malevolent figure from within it, until you have done with it and get it out of the house. The relief! But oh no! what’s this? There it stands back in its very place! How can this be? Eventually, sleep-deprived and haggard, you manage to sell it on to someone so pleased with his cunning in snapping up a bargain that he does not question why you are so desperate to sell.

Or a witch sits on you and you die. Or something.

Anyway OP if it’s not that, then enjoy your wardrobe!

If the 1990s sale price paperwork is an attraction, question why the sellers are not selling it for more now.

Brown furniture - as it’s referred to - was very expensive in the 1990s but then plummeted in value. While it may not reach that heights again, it may increase in value whereas a new wardrobe is likely only to fall in value - in the same way new cars do.

RosesAndHellebores · 14/04/2025 23:20

Of course. Check for woodworm and clothes moth larvae though

BCSurvivor · 14/04/2025 23:22

I think if you're buying it because you love it, and not because you're caught up on the £10,000 price tag from the 90s, then I don't see what the issue is?
It's the same sort of price you'd pay for a sofa or bed.

LoudMoose · 14/04/2025 23:24

I wouldn’t think twice about spending that on a wardrobe… and we earn less than you.