OP here,
@VaBluebird gets the prize. We went to multiple furniture places today, after doing a fair amount of online searching.
They got a dinette set and a coffee table from Ashley Furniture. It’s not great quality, but it’s nice enough. Sitting in it and seeing/feeling the top of the table was really helpful before buying. They realized how important it was after sitting in various chairs at Ikea and hating some, even though they looked fine. The funny thing was, we priced it at the store, then checked on line where it was significantly cheaper, and the store could not honor the online price. They got a discount for being a first time shopper there, plus the on-line price, and were happy to be done. It will be delivered, and we’re pretty sure built, for “free”
They wound up “breaking budget” and falling in love with a Lay-Z-Boy reclining sofa. They started with the Ikea one being OK at less than $500 on-sale, to deciding they really wanted a reclining one, and finding one for less than $1,000 at Ashley, to going into the Lazy-Boy-Store. They were just going to sit on a couple of reclining sofas to make sure they were happy with their decision. Well, they decided they weren’t, and got the Lazy-Boy.
They are now done until they figure out what else they may need. They will likely buy a TV at some point, and probably a couple of nightstand tables, and who knows what else.
They are both pretty frugal, so it was an interesting experience to help them through. I didn’t want to encourage them to spend more than they were comfortable with. They kind of agreed that I got the “veto” or “that’s stupid” card to keep them out of trouble. Overall I think they made good choices.
Sounds like a nice experience to share with your kids. My daughter graduates this year and we are excited to help when she has to furnish her first apartment.
LOL
Ha, glad it worked out! We have alot of furniture from Ashleys. It’s not Haverty’s or Ethan Allen, but it’s not meant to be. It’s meant to take a beating and still look nice.
I would never spend more than $1500-2000 on a piece of upholstered furniture… because my avatars. They don’t scratch it, they are so good about using their scratch posts, but they shed. SHED. 
Glad that the youngsters got what they needed!
If you live in certain areas of the Western US, RC Wiley has nice not too expensive furniture. Ashley is another good, not too expensive place.
What about consignment stores? We’ve had wonderful luck buying and selling furniture at our local consignment store. We got a very nice Restoration Hardware end table for much less then it would be if we’d gotten it straight from RH.
When my D was shopping for her first apartment she hit every vintage shop in a 30 mile radius of Portland, and got everything she wanted (needed) - kitchen table/chairs, dresser, side tables, lamps, a comfy chair, buffet/entertainment unit. The only things she bought new were her bed and an urban sized sectional. The bed she bought online (Amazon, memory foam bed in a bad, that was so nice, I ended up replacing hers at home with the same one); and the sectional from one of those warehouse type furniture importers you find in larger cities. The vintage totaled $1,000 which was her all-in budget, the bed $350 the sectional $385 (I sprung for those). It can be done. I flew to Portland, rented an SUV and she guided me to the shops. A few pieces she repainted and all the vintage furniture is real wood, and should last a good long time.
Students, teachers, and school faculty can score 15% off with a valid school ID at West Elm.
Raymour and Flanigan looks to have good quality stylish furnishings. I will have to visit their store the next time I am out east.
If you plan to buy used soft furnishings you should read the CDC info on how long C. diff and norovirus can live on solf furnishings. Some nursing homes put all upolsuterd items out in the trash after an outbreak and who knows where it goes next.
Nesting night stand/ end tables can be a versatile purchase. You can move them around for entertaining.
Isn’t it funny how you see something you have never heard of and then it pops up in your life the next day? This seems to happen to me every so often, with random things.
I was in NYC yesterday but stayed overnight in Secaucus in NJ. Driving into the complex where my hotel was, I noticed a Raymour and Flanigan store and thought, wow, never heard of that store before and I JUST read about it on this thread the night before. On my way home today, I passed another one along the NJ turnpike. Just looked at their website - we don’t have them in MD.
We have Raymour and Flannigan near us. They have a wide variety of furniture styles and prices. When I replace my family room couch, I will check there. Plus…they deliver.
A family member started this business. It seems to serve
a need.
https://fernish.co/
Very interesting concept…
There’re lots of opportunities to furniture a room or a flat for students. Such marketplaces as Amazon, FB marketplace offer a wide range of furniture. So you can choose according to your financial capabilities, decor needs etc. As for me, I’ve checked some Coleman Furniture reviews and decided to buythere. The prices are really affordable for students
Thanks. Furniture was purchased back in January. They are happy with their LazyBoy reclining sofa, Ashley furniture dinette set, and very inexpensive little tables, maybe from Wayfair.