Where do you buy furniture?

[Flaxbee]

How much would you spend for a sofa or dining table and chairs or a bedframe?

Do you care if the wood in the furniture (even if just in the frame) is sustainably harvested?

If you buy used, do you worry about bedbugs?

What did you last buy?

We got a loveseat a few years ago that has been shredded by the cats -- so much so that the stuffing is coming out the back. I'm looking for a decent slipcover. However, in the not-too-distant future I'd like to buy a few good pieces, hopefully some of them relatively cat-proof - wood framed sofa, perhaps. I'd really like a quilted headboard (that I may consider making myself) but I can just see the furry little bastids thinking it was their own fancy scratching post placed conveniently near the bed for them.

So I've been thinking about furniture. New prices seem so ridiculously high, and I'm suspicious of less expensive items for quality and sustainability reasons.

:hi:

[Bunny]

1. There's no way I'd buy used upholstered furniture.

To me, that's just disgusting - way too many unknown cooties. :scared: I'd go to the furniture store for that sort of thing.

For unupholstered things, like tables, dressers, etc. I'd shop craigslist for decent quality used stuff. You can get some good buys if you pay attention.

[Flaxbee]

2. yeah, I stay away from used upholstered items, too... just too many

unknowns, as you say.

I'd like to find a nice old wooden kitchen / dining table ...

I also really want a good couch that is comfortable ... without spending huge amounts b/c I *know* it will end up somewhat tattered because of the cats.

[snagglepuss]

5. Bedbugs can be brought in on wood furniture. I read a horror story of

a woman who was given an old wardrobe and she got an infestation. There might be suggestions on line as to how you might fumigate furniture bringing it inside your home but to assume that non-upholstered furniture is okay is asking for trouble.

[pink-o]

11. It's summer, so you can leave stuff outside for awhile....

If I saw a used upholstered piece I just loved, I would cover it with Diatomaceous Earth and plastic sheeting for a week, then vacuum it thoroughly, then clean it with upholstery cleaner THEN bring it inside. Problem solved.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear Flaxbee!

You might consider having your loveseat reupholstered. We more or less routinely do that to our stuff. I've had (over the years, not all at once, lol) a couple of small couches reupholstered, and my favorite computer chair as well.

The folks I've hired have done a wonderful, durable job. The work isn't cheap, but it lasts.

Use a squirt gun on the cats!

:P

[madinmaryland]

17. The problem with that is that after I squirt the cats...

the wife squirts me and then the cat with the HUGH bladder.....

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. Omigod!

:scared:

[Flaxbee]

23. Problem is, the cats do not like the squirt bottle, however, we're gone

so much of the day that they really only get the no-clawing-please message 3-4 hours a day -- intermittent training isn't very effective. :)

[dimbear]

4. Garage sales and antique stores. Don't hate me for saying this, but

learn how to do your own upholstery. It's not nearly as hard as you might think. The tools are very inexpensive and it's sort of fun.

You end up with unique pieces at a fraction of what you would pay otherwise.

[Flaxbee]

6. I'd love to do it - and my husband is quite handy with those kinds of things..

we just don't really have a place to do it (or didn't - we now have access to a garage at our office).

I'd like to do the headboard first.

I just don't have any furniture, really - just a few cobbled together pieces and I'd like to get a few things I'd like to keep for the long haul that I could re-upholster, either myself or as CalPeggy suggested, by others, forever.

[dimbear]

7. Flip thru one of the many DIY books on upholstery. See if you're not tempted.

Start out with something small, like a footstool or something. Or a set of barstools. Then move on to the Victorian sofa. :)

[grasswire]

8. the border collie has ruined our couch

He sits on it to look out the window, and goes berserk if a kitty approaches outside. I regularly replace the duct tape that is holding the upholstery together on top, and I cover the top of the couch with a pretty and durable quilt.

So until the border collie goes, I won't replace the couch. It was bought new about seven years ago at a discount furniture store and it is exceptionally comfortable. It was attractive. I would go that route again. I think it was about four hundred bucks.

I'm really scared of bedbugs.

[idiotgardener]

9. Most of mine was free...

Given to me when people moved or still using from when I was a kid.

I would splurge on a nice couch if you can afford it and can keep it safe (I have doggies so I know...) Right now I have a futon as my living room couch, and it's been the "temporary" couch for about 12 years now lol. I would pay more for responsibly made furniture. The stuff I reeeally like costs about $10,000 and I don't see myself ever paying that much, even if I hit the lottery.

Can you get a new couch for you that the cats are not allowed on, and keep the loveseat for them?

Last thing I got was a sofa-bed from the IKEA as-is section, for guests. It was like $350 instead of $850, nothing wrong with it and I keep it in a room with a door closed. Nicest furniture in the house and I can't use it ;-)

If you like the style, you should check mid-century modern stores for wood-framed sofas and get it reupholstered. Those things will last.

[Flaxbee]

12. I know! I always seem to say, "oooh, pretty" and then notice the price is in 5 digits..

Stupid, but some people have more money than sense. And even if I could afford it, I just don't know if I could purchase something that $$. At least, something that was bound to be used and abused by felines.

I do like mid-century modern, that's kinda what I have in mind when I get around to buying some good pieces.

The kitties are just such good company when we're watching a movie - and I'd want to sit on the comfy sofa while watching a movie - so cats will probably always be an issue that I need to consider. :D

Ikea's a good idea - what's the 'as is' section? I haven't been inside an Ikea for over 10 years. Is it for the store models, or slightly imperfect pieces, or ?

[idiotgardener]

13. Yeah, having good taste is a burden lol

And the original rule over here was no dogs on the couch or bed, but that was before we understood they were necessary for cuddling.


Every now and then I see some really nice furniture on Craigslist, but even then it might be $5,000 for a couch and I'm thinking, it's metal, foam and cloth, not gold-plated!!

In my IKEA, the as-is section is in one corner behind the checkouts, after you come through the warehouse part. It's floor models, discontinued stuff, and stuff that is broken or has cosmetic issues. Mine always seems to have a couple couches there and they always look pretty good. If my couch has a defect I never found it! And they do crazy deals over the PA. While I was considering the one I got, they announced an extra 20% off upholstered furniture in the as-is section and that sealed the deal!

[hobbit709]

10. Buy furniture?

I got tons more furniture than I need.

[InkAddict]

14. Here's a site you might consider:

http://www.homereserve.com/?gclid=CJqoor_irqkCFYEUKgodVBg5Og

Pet fabrics/changeable fabric/modular/affordable/

Apparently American-made.

I can't give you a testimonial, but thought this interesting enough to bookmark should the need arise.

[Flaxbee]

15. thanks, InkAddict, I appreciate it.

I'll take a look... :)

[valerief]

21. Looks great. Just sent it to a friend looking to buy a lounge. nt

[applegrove]

16. My latest buy was a sectional vinyl couch from Canada Tire. Very cheap. My bed was

made by my brother...of much better quality...I'll have it forever!

[txwhitedove]

19. Everywhere! Kids twin beds from Craigslist. I still sleep in a cast iron

double bed found left outside for the trashmen. I jogged past it one morning, trotted back, then back to the condo and drove around to pick it up. Now use old metal springs from a rural Texas hotel and the kids think it's the bounciest bed ever. Latest and greatest is my first ever grown up living room set: sofa, loveseat, double-chair with ottoman from Gallery Furniture's 'Mattress Mac'.

[Odin2005]

20. Thrift stores, like the one I work at.

I bought a nice padded wicker chair we had at the store for $15. We thoroughly checked for bedbugs before we put out furniture.

[GoCubsGo]

22. Consider the type of fabric with which your old stuff is upholstered

Is it really loosely-woven? I have noticed that my cats prefer/preferred loosely-woven materials. You know, the stuff they can sink their claws into easily. None of them ever seemed to bother with twill or other tightly-woven fabrics. You might want to try getting some remnants of a bunch of different upholstery fabrics, and tack them over the spots on the old furniture, where your cats are scratching now. Do an experiment on which sorts of textures they seem to prefer, and go with the kinds they ignore. Then, either re-upholster what you have, or find something that is upholstered in something like the fabrics they seem to ignore.

And, yeah. Wood-framed furniture with cushions might wind up being your best bet. Or, dare I suggest leather/pleather? I guess the bottom line is to get furniture made of materials your cats don't like to scratch. :-)

[Flaxbee]

24. *snort* Pleather? My cats scoff at pleather!

The loveseat was a nice, soft, butter-colored 'faux leather' (I avoid leather - just don't like the idea of sitting on all that animal skin). Shredded. They could really sink their teeth into it.

I'm going to get a tightly woven twill slipcover and see if that interests the fuzzy little buggers or if they leave it alone.

But eventually I'll probably go the wood-frame route, or just buy a good twill-covered sofa and slipcover it immediately.

[GoCubsGo]

29. Think about the Soft Paws/Soft Claws nail caps

If they tolerate wearing those, and don't chew them off, you can get whatever you want. :-)

[Chan790]

25. Goodwill.

I usually spray it with the stuff they sell at BB&B to kill any bugs. Several bottles worth. Then I wrap it in plastic for a few days.

[OmahaBlueDog]

26. I buy at a combination of estate sales, Target, and Ikea when I can get there

New prices are ridiculous, and quality is often suspect.

[denbot]

27. Hi Flaxbee!!

Nice to see you posting. Last time I bought a large piece of furniture I bought it used. It was a waterbed with a big headboard. I was worried about the possibility of importing critters so before I brought it in I made sure every thing was completely disassembled and I closely cleaned and inspected evey inch to make sure there were no surprises.

If you want sustainable, try the newer bamboo composite stuff. It's made using polymers, but the bamboo is a eco-friendly base material.

[Flaxbee]

28. hey denbot!

:hi: how're things?

hmm. bamboo. I have considered it for flooring, don't know why I didn't make the leap to furniture...