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Why new furniture doesn’t last long

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Why new furniture doesn’t last long

#91

Post by landmass »

tfandango wrote: post #56

The same goes for hiring built in furniture. I got some quotes for about 8ft of cabinets with some bookshelves (painted, not even nice wood, probably decent ply) and it came in at 10k. I knew it would cost more than buying something from the furniture store but that really threw me. I think it's why we see so many "ikea hacks" online.

I was told by a furniture store owner 20 years to use local cabinet makers to build bookshelves for you. He said never to have shelves installed in your house - a movable bookshelf costs the same as an installed one and you can take it with you when you move.

Re: Why new furniture doesn’t last long

#92

Post by ChatGTP »

stetrain wrote: post #4

My biggest issue is that, like so many markets, there is a "missing middle" created by this downward price pressure. For the most part if you want a piece of furniture (ie a nightstand), there are two categories. Either you buy the Amazon/Wayfair version made of pressboard for $100-$200, or you can find a solid wood heirloom version for $2,000+. The domestic plywood or cheaper solid wood options are no longer mass pr…

I know this is extreme and not available to everyone, but I'm just making my own furniture because of the reasons you cite.

Yes I have the room, money and a little time to build my own workshop, but really, it's 100% more satisfying, attractive and much much cheaper to DIY.

It's really turned into quite the passion for me. Once I pay off me house I'd think about investing more time into it.

Re: Why new furniture doesn’t last long

#93

Post by segmondy »

angry_moose wrote: post #41

We actually expected our West Elm sofa to be well built - it wasn't cheap and their reputation wasn't complete garbage yet when we purchased it. After about 18 months the whole thing collapsed, just out of warranty believe it or not. When I started taking it apart to see if it was fixable I found that the entire damn thing was built out of stapled-together 1/2" OSB (oriented strand board...garbage "plywood") and all…

Thanks for sharing. Never thought of doing this, but definitely will be doing it next time a sofa falls apart.

Re: Why new furniture doesn’t last long

#94

Post by VHRanger »

LargoLasskhyfv wrote: post #86
sheepybloke wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. I've been looking for bookshelves and wanted something that wasn't just Ikea's Billy. The price jump to something from Pottery Barn is 3-4x the Ikea price, but from the quality you see at the showroom, it should be closer to 1.5-2x the price. I also feel a bit jaded from the mid-tier furniture showrooms, which offer Wayfair quality at 2x the price. I just want something that will survive a move while not hav…

Why care about furniture surviving a move, when you can buy and build the same shit at your destination for cheap? And 'gift' the old to your follow renters, or just discard it?

Because wasting stuff is bad?

Re: Why new furniture doesn’t last long

#95

Post by jacooper »

VHRanger wrote: post #94
LargoLasskhyfv wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why care about furniture surviving a move, when you can buy and build the same shit at your destination for cheap? And 'gift' the old to your follow renters, or just discard it?

Because wasting stuff is bad?

Well, in this case its not like you have a choice.

Re: Why new furniture doesn’t last long

#96

Post by incrudible »

As someone who has seen a lot of high quality furniture go to waste because they oulast their owners, I firmly believe the market has got this right. Furniture should not be made to last indefinetely. It has a lifecycle. It should not fill you with guilt to dispose of it.

Re: Why new furniture doesn’t last long

#98

Post by arwineap »

zihotki wrote: post #50
foobarian wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, I wish it were plywood, it's actually MDF or other kind of pressboard.

I wonder why you consider it a problem. Mdf and variations are much more stable, don't warp due to humidity. For non-premium furniture it's a perfect choice.

MDF bubbles when it gets damp, and completely crumbles away when it gets wet. The price difference between plywood and MDF is not significant; $45 -> $60 in my market, and OSB is even cheaper at $30 (all prices, 4'x8', 1/2" sheets)

Why MDF is used, I'll never understand.

Re: Why new furniture doesn’t last long

#99

Post by cuttysnark »

freitzkriesler2 wrote: post #84
yowzadave wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where is it a cost-saving solution to pay for a quarantine room that will be unused for other purposes for up to 5 months, all so you can save a few hundred dollars by buying used furniture?

It's not unless you've got the space, I have a shed I put stuff in and let anything on it starve to death. You have to plan on for it

Bed bugs can go for ages without feeding; the only real way to kill them en masse is extreme heat—e.g. the dryer. There are services that come and seal your house up and then essentially pump 125F heat into it, to kill the bedbugs (bugs @ 120F, eggs @ 125F). If suppose if your shed gets to ~125F in the summer, should be good. Point being: heat > time-since-last-meal for bedbugs. (unfortunately I am speaking from experience)

Edit/addendum: The bed-bug-sniffing-dog, while a very good boy, is a total scam.

Re: Why new furniture doesn’t last long

#100

Post by kylehotchkiss »

There's a certain kind of wood from India (acacia I think) that a lot of new hardwood furniture is built with. I've seen it everywhere from Home Goods to West Elm to Crate and Barrel. If you seek it out, you'll get good, modern looking hardwood furniture at a good price. I find the way hardwood ages over time (it won't be pristine forever) to be preferable, and the ability to pay somebody to refinish it one day is a nice perk.
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