Decent furniture where to buy?

[Gonnagetgoing]

Where’s the best place to get decent furniture these days? Don’t mind paying for it.

I’ve got older bedroom furniture (big but nice proper quality pine chest of drawers and double wardrobe with drawers at bottom), plus mirror with drawer at bottom and bed is a Next double sleigh bed.

Other bedroom is furniture I bought at a brocante in France, so French antiques from 1930s I think…combo of chest of drawers, bed, wardrobe and dressing table and they all match I think Art Deco walnut which I do like.

Anyway thinking about replacing some furniture items and maybe in living room but the quality of IKEA items is appalling and Next, M&S Home etc don’t seem much better. Haven’t seen a lot I like in places like Furniture Village etc either. Am I just really fussy or isn’t there much around these days?

There's a big thread just below this one that might be of interest, along very similar lines. Unfortunately for multiple reasons modern furniture is nowhere near as well made as vintage/antique, unless you're prepared to spend ££££££. Even then, you won't find it on the high street.

I'm having a bed made for DD from a small local furniture maker, solid wood, very simple, the ones they have on display are solid as a rock so I'm hopeful it will last her the 8-10 years until university. Otherwise 90% of our furniture is secondhand, it's cheaper, better quality and more environmentally friendly.

So if you can find a local place making solid furniture by hand you're in luck, otherwise it's MDF crap or ebay/ Facebook marketplace etc.

I've never been able to afford it, but a holiday let i manage has a lot of furniture from MADE.com and its fantastic quality!

I bought my furniture mostly from John Lewis and find their quality excellent. I also bought some stuff from Loft Living which I also find excellent!

Our bedroom furniture is from auction (beautiful solid antiques) and bed is from local independent shop. What style/stuff are you looking for? Could you get something made?

I’d be going to an antique warehouse. Or even try auctions. Most modern furniture is pretty crap. I have a lot of inherited furniture - mostly been in family use for around 200 years, and still going strong.

My only concession is a modern sofa.

Auctions!
We have new sofas, beds and electricals but most of our other furniture is from auctions or inherited.
We have Georgian - modern in the house and it works well for us. Friends love it when they come visit despite so many of them looking like they're living in Oak Furniture Land adverts!

Thanks for the replies all!

I think Made will be worth a look and John Lewis too.

With an ex I lived with we had lots of M&S home and a combo of Habitat and another brand as he didn’t like antique furniture and didn’t like pine either so put some of my bits in storage or had it in the spare room.

I’ll definitely look into going to auctions in the new year.

My main gripe was basically a couple of years ago an IKEA storage unit I bought years before I noticed the thin legs of it were almost breaking (not quite). Its a pity because I’ve got a great IKEA church bench from years ago which is very good quality!

@PooWillyNameChange

Our bedroom furniture is from auction (beautiful solid antiques) and bed is from local independent shop. What style/stuff are you looking for? Could you get something made?

@PooWillyNameChange - I’ve been toying with the idea of getting something made and I’m unsure now exactly which style it’d be not 1930s as I have that furniture.

I’m definitely looking into auctions and having a think to see if there are any independent furniture shops around, there was one around until recently but went out of business sadly now a Sainsbury’s local.

@Zinnia

There's a big thread just below this one that might be of interest, along very similar lines. Unfortunately for multiple reasons modern furniture is nowhere near as well made as vintage/antique, unless you're prepared to spend ££££££. Even then, you won't find it on the high street.

I'm having a bed made for DD from a small local furniture maker, solid wood, very simple, the ones they have on display are solid as a rock so I'm hopeful it will last her the 8-10 years until university. Otherwise 90% of our furniture is secondhand, it's cheaper, better quality and more environmentally friendly.

So if you can find a local place making solid furniture by hand you're in luck, otherwise it's MDF crap or ebay/ Facebook marketplace etc.

@Zinnia - thanks for this will check out the other thread.

I do know a furniture maker but he also works in TV/film and he’s got a drink problem so unsure how reliable he is. Can’t fault his furniture quality though which I’ve seen.

John Lewis
Zara home
West Elm
Way fair
Swoon
Made
Graham and Cox
Cox and Cox
Heals
Nest
Abigail Aherne
Oka
Loaf
Arlo & Jacob
Adventures in Furniture

Get a bit pricey half way through that list....

Agree that most modern furniture is crap.
I would go to Auction Houses, Furniture Village have a few nice pieces( bought a marble dining table from there) , Mondital has some beautiful classic pieces, but they only have one branch in East London

@Bouledeneige

John Lewis Zara home West Elm Way fair Swoon Made Graham and Cox Cox and Cox Heals Nest Abigail Aherne Oka Loaf Arlo & Jacob Adventures in Furniture

Get a bit pricey half way through that list....

@Bouledeneige - John Lewis, Zara Home and Wayfair I don’t generally see as that well made - for the prices.

The rest of the brands are nice but some of the styles I’m not keen on. My ex and I actually had a few items from some of those brands (Heals and Perch and Parrow but not on your list) but the sofas from the latter were far more his style than mine.

I’ve just realised there are two furniture shops locally to me (Mrs Robinson and another one I forget the name of) and they’re reasonable so I’ll check reviews online and see their stock in store. It just irritates me that most of the stock is very samey no matter how different they try to be.

@Lampzade

Agree that most modern furniture is crap. I would go to Auction Houses, Furniture Village have a few nice pieces( bought a marble dining table from there) , Mondital has some beautiful classic pieces, but they only have one branch in East London

@Lampzade - thanks re Mondital, my DB lives in Hackney so I’ll pop by next time I’m visiting him. You sound like you know what I like, which is beautiful classic pieces.