<p>My H and I will be driving to Boston in January to help my D move into a studio apartment as she is transferring schools. Do any Boston parents have tips on shopping for beds, mattresses, rugs, etc. in the Boston area? </p>
<p>Since Boston is expensive, she’ll be sharing the studio w/ her best friend, and we’ll be buying 2 beds. If you know of places that have inexpensive but clever bed solutions for a studio, I’m interested in that also.</p>
<p>I know there is an IKEA nearby, and we’ll have a car to be able to zip around. Since it’s the holiday time, we’re pushing some cash to her so she can buy some things to set up herself, and we’ll take a few days off in January to help her. She’ll be trying to stretch her budget as far as possible, I’m interested in stores that are reasonable in price, including wholesalers.</p>
<p>I don’t know Boston but we went through this process helping our son set up his apartment in San Jose. Our best advice came from a mature salesman in a Sears who directed us to a furniture outlet across the street where we found a great dresser. In addition to local outlets, there might be Macy or Sears furniture outlets in the area.</p>
<p>Re furniture in general, Cort Furniture is a rental place that has clearance outlets (one in Cambridge) to sell items pulled out of rental. (They also do staging.) There’s a wide variety of furniture including beds at good prices, but you have to examine everything carefully since there’s a range of potential damage.</p>
<p>The larger TJ Maxx and Marshall’s have a lot of furniture including lamps and rugs. Tuesday Morning also seems to have tons of rugs.</p>
<p>Craigs List does work for people but I would avoid anything upholstered because of the bed bug etc. potential. Don’t buy a used mattress! We sent our son to the local Sears and told him to order the least expensive mattress on sale that felt comfortable.</p>
<p>Setting up twin beds as day beds with bolsters against the wall is one way to make it look less like a room with 2 beds. Combing one with a futon is another idea, although futons are fairly uncomfortable to sleep on. </p>
<p>Home Goods (affiliate of Marshalls) has nice stuff too. Floor model matresses in a good mattress store is another way to get a good quality bed without paying too much. (Mattress shopping is a crap shoot - I find the salesmen in there on the same level as used car salesmen. They have different commissions for various models, so they will push whatever will bring them the highest $ in their pocket).</p>
<p>If you go to IKEA in Stoughton, there is an Affordable Furniture To Go, Jordans Furniture Outlet and BJs nearby. All 4 stores are in the Route 24 area and less than an hour from Boston. Also, in Braintree and on the way to/from Stoughton is Target and a Sears at South Shore Plaza.</p>
<p>Thanks for these great suggestions … I didn’t realize the IKEA was a full hour away, so we will have to be efficient in what we get there both in terms of space (in our car) and time. The other suggestions on other stores is perfect … I would never have known of Jordan’s, Affordable Furniture, etc. and I know what you mean about mattress salespeople. </p>
<p>My D has a dense foam pad that she’ll lay over top of whatever mattress she gets, so I’m hoping an IKEA mattress is do-able. I hate negotiating w/ mattress and car people, and with IKEA, the price is the price. I like the idea of twin beds w/ bolsters against the wall.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone … you are all very helpful!</p>
<p>IKEA isn’t a full hour away. It’s more like 30-45 minutes, depending on when you go. Fine Route 93 (Expressway) southbound, stay to the right at the split between 93 and Rt 3 (to the Cape). Then get in the left 2 lanes to Route 24. Exit at Central Street to Stoughton, and you’ll see IKEA. It’s right near Jordan’s Furniture.</p>
<p>I think the previous poster had older information, when the closest IKEA was in Hartford.</p>
<p>Especially because I don’t think there’s an Ikea in Hartford at all; it’s in New Haven!</p>
<p>I would check to see if Bob’s is in Massachusetts. (mybobs dot com). You could check them out online, or in the store, and have them deliver. I think their stuff is pretty basic and pretty decent. </p>
<p>This is my suggestion for my son who is apartment hunting in NYC also if he needs furniture when he finally finds something.</p>
There’s a Bob’s right in front of the BJ’s off of Rte. 24, very close to both IKEA and Jordan’s Furniture. Next to Bob’s is a Sleepy’s as well. And a Kohl’s is there, too. All very convenient.</p>
<p>We got son’s bed at Sleepy’s. We went to Somerville where Best Buy and BB&B are. We got furniture at Targets there which had to be put together. Maybe I stink at it, but dresser never worked. Near the hardware store and supermarket in Porter Sq is a used furniture store, which also sells unfinished furniture. We got a new dresser there and they delivered.</p>
<p>These suggestions are great for a non-Boston person. When my D gets up at Noon tomorrow I’ll tell her that we have options now for apartment stuff. It sounds like I should hit IKEA and the stores near there and then go to Somerville for round 2. Love it.</p>
<p>The IKEA in Stoughton has been around longer than the one in New Haven. </p>
<p>Regardless…there are also a number of good used furniture stores in Brighton. You could check those out too. We had very good luck furnishing a small apartment in NC buying from Target and Walmart. The mattress…we looked for a place that did same day delivery and got the mattress/frame there. It was delivered and set up that afternoon…priceless (since fitting a mattress in a car is a challenge). DH brought his tools with him and assembled a desk, table/chairs for the kitchen and a bookshelf. We bought a dresser which is a great story…but more for the "good buy of the day " thread. We hit it lucky.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any ideas on where to buy or order cushion bolsters (back seat cushions that look like wedges) that you put on a twin bed to make a couch? I looked at a custom website and by the time I punched in dimensions put fabric on 4 of them (2 each bed) it was $700. Are there any stores that make these as standard things you purchase already covered?</p>
<p>^^Instead of using the wedges, buy three floor pillows per each bed. They are much firmer than regular pillows and can be used by friends on the floor for movies, etc. MUCH cheaper that way but still do the trick.</p>
Not as far as I know. We’re from NJ and live south of Boston. We originally shopped at the IKEA in Elizabeth NJ, and were excited when they opened the one in New Haven, since it was closer! But then they opened Stoughton, and we were thrilled! We still have a lot of their furniture!</p>
<p>Anyway, you’re right - it’s off-topic.</p>
<p>As far as the wedges are concerned, wehn you look at IKEA, look also at their day beds. Otherwise, Sleepys may have some for their day beds.</p>
<p>For pillows/covers, look at a shop called West Elm. There’s one in Boston on Brookline Ave. Actually, this is a great store for ‘apartment-sized’ furniture of all sorts. Check the website for ideas…even if you don’t buy from them.</p>
<p>My D, a student in Boston, bought a platform bed, without a mattress, on Craigslist for $50. We ordered her the cheapest mattress at Sleepy’s (around $80) and then added bulk to it with a very thick memory-foam mattress pad from Overstock.com (a bargain at $50). Voila - a comfortable double bed for around $200 with shipping/delivery.</p>
<p>There’s another thread on the Parent’s Forum about furnishing an off-campus house. Less purchasing from shops and more raiding the out-going seniors’ curbs!</p>
<p>Excellent idea, katliamom. Good use of Craigslist. West Elm is a new concept to me, but definitely a new source, Novelisto. I think December/January is harder to raid graduating Seniors than May, but will have her look into that this Spring because she’ll likely want to upgrade for the next apartment. This current studio is cute, but very small. Thanks, all … off to hit some sales!</p>
It sounds like I should hit IKEA and the stores near there and then go to Somerville for round 2. Love it.</p>