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Why are most sofas so bad?

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Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#541

Post by thfuran »

eightysixfour wrote: post #519
thfuran wrote: post #289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Luxury implies comfort or quality.

Quality is not necessary for a good to be a luxury good. Only for demand to go up disproportionately with increases in income. Practically this means luxury goods are purchased to convey status. Consider Range Rover or Jaguar, which are known for being low quality but luxury brands. Premium is the word that means paying extra for an increase in quality. Consider a Toyota vs a Kia. These things are often correlated bu…

>Only for demand to go up disproportionately with increases in income

Okay, if we want to limit ourselves to economics jargon rather than vernacular.

>Practically this means luxury goods are purchased to convey status

No, practically it means poor people aren't buying them much. Only some luxury good purchasing is related to status signaling.

>Premium is the word that means paying extra for an increase in quality

I'm not aware of a context where that would be the standard definition, though in some contexts it may be the excess portion of the price.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#542

Post by namaria »

mynameisvlad wrote: post #429
namaria wrote: post #410

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Partner sounds like a fashion victim. If social media consumption is making one's taste fond of low quality flashy crap I'd say grow some critical thinking skills.

I mean… not really. Quality and style generally are pretty correlated, with higher quality pieces traditionally being more “old school”. And that was basically GP comment’s point. One can value form over function, especially if there’s a specific style that the rest of your house uses. If your entire house is decorated in a contemporary style, then a traditional sofa is just going to stand out like a sore thumb.

This whole thread is about overpriced crap that sells because people don't know better. And if one's partner prefer flashy crap to quality stuff by calling quality stuff "antiquated" because it doesn't conform to styles peddled in social media and are devoid of fundamental quality well... that's not a conflict of taste, that is a story about choosing flashy crap for the sake of flashiness. Which doesn't seem defensible to me.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#543

Post by didon »

Symbiote wrote: post #517
sgc wrote: post #495

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bought their highest end leather couch with a fold out bed a couple years ago, due to time constraints. I was very unhappy to see it was made from chipboard. Of course their shelves and such you can see what you are buying, but I would not trust anything upholstered myself.

Indeed: > Frame: Plywood, Polyurethane foam 30 kg/cu.m., Particleboard, Solid wood, Fibreboard An example of something that looks well-built is the Skogsta dining table [1]. > Table top: Solid acacia, Clear acrylic lacquer, Clear lacquer > Leg/ Rail: Solid acacia, Acrylic paint (Though the oak version, which costs more, is oak-veneered particleboard.) Many Ikea things aren't designed to last. That table has cross-bea…

I actually have the Mörbylånga table at home and I find it very sturdy. One thing which the pictures doesn't show is that there are two supporting beams under the table, which provides the necessary strength to not collapse on first touch. Obviously, I have not done the actual test, but I will try to remember and report back if the table ever breaks.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#544

Post by phatfish »

anon291 wrote: post #511

The highest quality furniture can be found in antique stores or estate sales. Perhaps it's just me but my default has always been to buy old things with the idea that, if they've lasted this long, they'll probably last longer. I've always felt it was lower risk. But please don't all rush to buy old things; because I like the low prices too.

There are charity shops in the UK that get good furniture donated and they resell cheaply, the British Heart Foundation for example. You do have to check regularly to find something of a specific style/type though.

Sometimes they don't know what they have, I picked up a Herman Miller office chair for £30. It did have some paint specs on, which might have been why it was sold so cheaply. They came right off with a damp cloth though.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#545

Post by hcknwscommenter »

I'm generally very skeptical of brand/store loyalty type arguments, but lately I've found that in the US, Macy's furniture is still good value for good quality. I've had to completely furnish a few rooms over the last couple of years and looked at all the usual, e.g.: costco, ikea, wayfair, jordan's, etc., as well as expensive hand-made local shops, and I keep ending up at Macy's in the end.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#546

Post by nijave »

elteto wrote: post #79
angry_moose wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah. Even at the time we knew West Elm wasn't high end, but we were at least expecting decent. We know more now (and could afford better) whenever we have to finally replace this, but $2000 is a not-insignificant investment that shouldn't be a complete piece of crap.

My problem is that I don’t even know where to buy _good_ stuff. I don’t want to pay $5k for a couch, but maybe I will _once_ in N years, for some large N, if I know it’s very well made and I like the design. But I have no idea where to go for this. The overlap between junk and luxury is too large nowadays.

I've had decent success with reddit r/BuyItForLife. Seems like mostly good recommendations and not too much shilling/advertising.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#547

Post by trogdor »

lowlevel wrote: post #533
zac23or wrote: post #530

Everything is bad these days, not just the sofas. 1. The new switches I bought broke before the old ones, which are over 20 years old. 2. LED bulbs last less than incandescent bulbs, even with a 20-year warranty. 3. The new cell phone's screen breaks very easily, it's not like the old Nokia's. And nowadays something expensive is no longer guaranteed to last. This is why I value old things so much: I have an old chair…

I fully agree that new is very often worse than old. I've had to return 3 new iPhones in a row for manufacturing defects and out of box software errors. A TV lasts me maybe 4 years before it's 'broken' and needs to be replaced.' Home appliance longevity is laughable now.. (especially Samsung, my gosh.) I've purchased 5 new cars over the past 15 years or so, only one of which didn't have serious problems from new that…

> I've had to return 3 new iPhones in a row for manufacturing defects and out of box software errors

That is very surprising. Mind explaining what the issues were?

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#548

Post by wobbly_bush »

hcknwscommenter wrote: post #545

I'm generally very skeptical of brand/store loyalty type arguments, but lately I've found that in the US, Macy's furniture is still good value for good quality. I've had to completely furnish a few rooms over the last couple of years and looked at all the usual, e.g.: costco, ikea, wayfair, jordan's, etc., as well as expensive hand-made local shops, and I keep ending up at Macy's in the end.

Can you elaborate on why you chose Macy's over others?

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#549

Post by causi »

I wish I could find a sofa that was designed for repairability. The only thing that ever wears out is the cushioning under the seat but I've never been able to find someone who offers repair services.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#550

Post by amerine »

verisimilitude wrote: post #532
linsomniac wrote: post #512

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I ended up doing MDF tops for my workbench (1" MDF over 3/4 plywood), and finished them with shelac for a protected, low-friction surface. It is still vulnerable to water damage, but not as bad as unfinished, and as a spoil layer it's not bad. It has plusses and minuses.

If you ever need to replace that MDF, try this: https://epoxytops.com/phenolic-resin-countertops/ I'm using it for my next workbench top.

Oh neat!! Thanks for showing me this
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