purchasing modern furniture

[raisinbran]

Help, after a full house renovation we will be scheduled to move into the new house from mid Sept.I feel as though i am suffering from decision paralysis.

Would you buy cheaper sofas, dining furniture etc knowing it will need to be replaced in 5 years or pay for more expensive items but be stuck with them for longer.......but will I regret the quality or is it just snob value of a particular name.

all opinions needed please!

I think certain things are worth spending the extra money on, like beds.. other stuff is fine if you get a cheaper version.

What do you need to buy?

Decisions have to be made soon on:-

The living room, corner sofa, chair, mirror, tv unit, tables lamps, rug etc, dining table and chairs ( for use in kitchen diner) Master bed room furniture but already have bed and small walk in wardrobe.All lighting through out and storage for 3x teen boys rooms.

I was set to buy a good priced skovby dining set then saw a different make £1.2k cheaper???? Sofa.com 2k cheaper than multi york/ collins and hayes. Dfs whole sofa for just over 1k!!!!!

Savings i make could be spent on the house exterior and garden.

John Lewis had a lovely corner sofa recently, its about £2k though. Def spend money on good lighting though

Hi,
So Finally where did you buy furniture from?? I have the same problem like yours..starting fresh and need almost all the furniture but doesnt want to compromise on quality.

I think you get what you pay for. I am sitting on a settee that is part of a set of two - a three seater and two seater settee. We paid about £1400 for the two of them 21 years ago and they are still going strong!

I don't buy cheap furniture as a rule, but I just bought two sofas from Kirkdale which were of comparable quality to the John Lewis ones I bought 12 years ago for £1000, only these sofas cost me £900 for the pair (and one is a sofa bed as well). They are better quality than IKEA, were delivered for that, and were made in Wales. Customer service was nothing short of fantastic.

Sainsbury also have some solid wood living room furniture from time to time that is excellent value and which will probably last the course. Less than IKEA prices if you keep looking for bargains on their website.

Dark brown (i.e. mahogany or oak) antique or reproduction furniture is fantastic value at the moment, and reupholstering antique chairs in a funky modern fabric is a great way of creating an individual look without spending a fortune, as it stripping it back and painting it off white in a Swedish style . But be careful with chairs and legs and make sure the joints are secure, and always scrutinise the thing from every angle when considering whether to buy it. For mirrors I would look on Notonthehighstreet or at an antiques market or auction. A tip - the bigger the antique item, the better value it often is as most people want modestly sized pieces for modern homes. However one large antique can make a room, for example a 1930s oak Globe Wernicke roll top desk for a study, or a pretty chiffonier on a landing or in a hallway, or a corner cabinet in a living room, for example.

Aspace have a sale on and have terrifically solid furniture for teens that I would strongly recommend. This will last until you have grandchildren, but the prices are equivalent to high end IKEA.

I would buy fairly cheap lamps and light fittings as you notice the furniture more than the lighting fixtures, although it is important to have mood lighting as well as task lighting.

I think if you are moving into a new house I would buy cheaper stuff and then replace it gradually as you come to know the house and how you live in it. It would be a shame if you spent a fortune on furniture to realise months down the line that it doesn't work in the house.