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Original poster

Where can I get cheap/reasonably priced decent quality furniture?

31 replies

Reastie · 09/12/2013 18:49

Am looking for either a slim wardrobe (which could be easily converted to have shelves in them and ideally with a drawer or two at the bottom) or a tall chest of drawers for the bedroom (after a previous thread I did on here a few days ago about built in furniture which we have decided against).

Have looked at homebase/ikea etc and they have stuff we could buy and afford, but I just sob a bit at the whole chipboard/rickety quality (went into homebase today and wasn't impressed). Maybe I'm pitching too high for our price tag Grin . Looked on gumtree and ebay but nothing suitable for the right size (has to be up to 87cm wide) near us. Have also looked on local facebook selling groups. I like antique stuff but don't want anything dark wood as the room is light wood otherwise .

So, does anyone have any ideas where to go? I don't really know about this stuff so have just been looking online at obvious places. I'd say as cheap as we can get for as good as we can get Grin . Maybe expecting to pay around £200 - £300 but could pay a bit more if it was especially nice. I realise this isn't a huge budget but am hoping we can get something decent with it. I'm imagining a beautiful French Armoire with glass on the front and a single opening door, but I don't think for the price we will manage that (and all the ones I can find are too wide).

I know mn know of great online places i have never heard of before so hoping you can help me out Thanks

OP posts:
drwitch · 09/12/2013 18:54

Probably best to do your own "up-cycling", go to junk and charity shops and there are loads of pieces, lots of them are in the dark wood that you don't want but focus on the shape and the solidity. Depending on the look you want you can then sand it down, stain and varnish or paint

OlyRoller · 09/12/2013 18:57

Ebay or auction houses.

Original poster
Reastie · 09/12/2013 18:59

Drwitch yes we may end out doing that. My issue with that though is I've painted a few bits before using undercoats and wood paint etc but it just chips over time and looks awful. What am I doing wrong?!

OP posts:
drwitch · 09/12/2013 19:09

not enough sanding? I really like the look of wood wash/white wash and there the finish is not so important

Original poster
Reastie · 09/12/2013 19:26

me too drwitch but DH insists on the pristine look Hmm

OP posts:
Jenijena · 09/12/2013 19:30

My experience is that ikea is a lot more solid than home base.

aliciagardner · 09/12/2013 19:40

What about any of the tall chests of drawers on here
I'm not a fan of pine generally but they have oak, or painted wood, etc.

PipCarrier · 09/12/2013 19:56

reastie have you tried Annie Sloan chalk paint? Similar to you, I am fussy about furniture and do like solidly built original pieces but sometimes without the price tag. AS paint has been a revelation to me! I've picked up a couple of amazing pieces of furniture on gumtree and painted them in annie sloan with fantastic results.

Original poster
Reastie · 09/12/2013 20:46

Funnily enough pip we have a shop near us specialising in Annie Sloan Chalk paint! We had good success with a mirror frame I painted but much less so with a toy box and dining room chairs as even though I followed instructions it just didn't last and started rubbing off relatively quickly.

Thanks for the link alicia they are all OK, but it just seems alot of money to spend on something that I find a bit meh IYKWIM.

jeni I wondered that as I was Shock at how rickety homebase was. We've had ikea stuff in the past and I'm sure they weren't that bad!

OP posts:
PipCarrier · 10/12/2013 19:53

Nooooo don't tell me that!! Hope that doesn't happen to my stuff! They do a lacquer as well that is meant to be used on flooring in high traffic areas, so maybe could use that on furniture too for extra durability??

ouryve · 10/12/2013 20:05

IKEA stuff is pretty decent and pretty sturdy for flat pack but I don't know if they have anything online that would fit the bill - you'd probably be best looking instore.

If you do paint something, you need to sand well, use a primer undercoat and, if you use emulsion, rather than acrylic paint, cover with several coats of clear acrylic lacquer to make it more durable. IME, this gives a more durable finish than a lot of the acrylic paint for woodwork that you can get now.

BeanoNoir · 10/12/2013 20:09

Where are you? In my city there's a community furniture store that picks up furniture for free and then sells it at a v cheap price, even cheaper if on a reduced wage/benefits. We got a great bed for dd for £20, and a cheap brand new mattress too. Maybe any mners near you might know of a similar place local to you.

Original poster
Reastie · 10/12/2013 20:47

Great idea beano , I'm in SE, South of London

OP posts:
BeanoNoir · 12/12/2013 09:29

I'm in York, so my local one would be no good to you, but this is now bumped so maybe someone near you might help?

PrimalLass · 12/12/2013 12:29

Some of the Argos 'Scandinavian' unfinished pine stuff gets good reviews, and would be easily customised.

PrimalLass · 12/12/2013 12:31

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/6301992.htm

75 wide.

Original poster
Reastie · 12/12/2013 12:59

Thanks primal , worth considering for sure.

OP posts:
LibraryBook · 13/12/2013 21:48

Ikea is very very much better than it used to be.

I've bought a few things in there recently and I'm impressed.

Pannacotta · 13/12/2013 21:50

Have you looked at the IKEA Hemnes range?
It is classic looking and not expensive and the quality is pretty good.
That range has some good tall chests.

camtt · 13/12/2013 21:59

i would say look around at auctions and antique stores (not on the most upmarket high streets ideally!). I got a walnut chest of drawers, very good condition for £195 recently. They're solidly made and something flat packed would have cost almost as much. I'm also trying to furnish my house with some things that haven't come from Ikea or Argos this time round!

NinjaBunny · 15/12/2013 08:30

Oooooo, don't discount IKEA!

I've got wardrobes/bookcases/drawers from there which I've had for years and it's all still going strong (has even withstood several house moves).

Homebase is the same company/stuff as Argos and really is utter crap. Am amazed it's still going..!

ReastieYuleANBU · 15/12/2013 14:49

That's interesting ninja . We are considering an Ikea trip after the Christmas rush.

Katej0912 · 11/11/2016 01:20

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SunnyUpNorth · 11/11/2016 12:05

You def can't go wrong with Ikea on that budget. I took a punt on some wardrobes frim argos a couple of years ago and they were terrible, really rickety and cheap. I think Ines quality is fantastic. I second the Hemnes stuff.
We have their large double width chest of drawers, have had it approx 8 years and it is still immaculate and survived a house move.
Have also had their wardrobes and they're great. I think as long as you don't go for their most basic, cheapest range you'll be fine.

I also think the Hemnes is really attractive and classic. I love painted stuff and have some nice antique bits but the Hemnes fits right in.

pinkpanda101 · 11/11/2016 12:41

We bought a huge IKEA wooden wardrobe in 1996. It moved house in 97, 98 and 2002, after which the constant dismantling took its toll and the sides collapsed. We reused nearly all the pieces for various other DIY projects so got our money's worth.
Their Pax wardrobes are really flexible when you look at all the stuff you can use for the interiors. We've had a small Pax for 8years and have just ordered 8 x 75cm wooden ones with sliding mirror doors for our next new house! Our joiners and plumbers have been impressed with the quality of the other IKEA stuff we have (washstands, sinks, worktops, kitchen cupboards, etc)