My son has moved into a house with some roommates and I let him take his bedroom furniture. I am turning his room into a guest room, although he will probably be the only guest to ever use it. Since every stick of furniture (except 3 recliners) in my house is antique and passed down from family, I have never shopped for bedroom furniture. I am shocked at the poor quality of stuff I can afford and the prices of stuff I like. Are there any secret furniture stores I should be looking for? I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I also am looking at estate sales and such since I am accustomed to solid wood stuff.
For used furniture, you could try Craigslist, using search parameters for your preferred style, etc.
Is there a consignment shop in your area? Or search for consignment shops in wealthy areas. There has been a wholesale shift to a very different look in home furnishing and wood is out. Consequently, some of it ends up in consignment shops, especially that which was well-made and expensive originally.
I second the upscale consignment shop advice. My D needed to buy a bedroom set and got a set that included queen bed headboard and frame, triple dresser, triple mirror, chest-on-chest drawer and two nightstands, all in excellent condition (just a few scratches on the top, but for the price, unbeatable) - all for $800. It will easily be a second bedroom for her one day when she’s at that point in her life.
Good ideas. I will search for consignment shops.
You say wood is out? Then what is in? What I’ve seen looks like cardboard compared to my solid mahogany. lol
Also, I know there is a huge markup on furniture. Is the price negotiable like on a car?
Typically not, but there’s never any harm in asking if there’s a discount if you pay in cash or some such, or can they throw in free delivery. What’s the worst that happens - a shop owner says no.
It’s the big heavy wood furniture look that is out. All that stuff is now sitting in consignment because today’s young people don’t want that look.
What’s in? Sleek & glossy. Lucite, chrome, what looks like formica, but I assume is some other resin. Sharp corners, angles.
Upholstery is all solids, many with nail heads. Solid gray, taupe, lots of cream, some blues. Corners are sharp, instead of English roll arm. Lots of tufting. Pillows are self-welted or knife edge. Fringe is out.
Persian rugs are gone, replaced by sisal or animal prints.
Look at Williams-Sonoma Home for a quick idea. I have never bought anything there but that is the type of look I am seeing. Or Restoration Hardware.
I had not looked in years and was amazed at the changes.
Here the big, heavy rustic, western-style furniture seems to be in. A new furniture store just opened in my little town and that is all that they have. The bed itself would completely fill up the room. I don’t want big but I don’t want trendy either. I just want timeless, classic, simple furniture that will last long enough to pass it down but without costing a fortune. I always get in my head what I want before I go shopping and then am rudely reminded that it doesn’t exist.
If you decide to visit local furniture stores, you could ask about annual sales. Online I’m aware that Crate & Barrel puts their upholstered furniture on sale every August. In a city near us, there’s a furniture “wholesale” store that carries some better brands such as Hancock & Moore. They do four big sales each year.
There’s a furniture dealer in VA who runs a furniture forum where you could ask for suggestions on manufacturers and retailers. (www.myfurnitureforum.com) Participants are from all over the country.
I’ve been helping my soon to be a college graduate daughter scout out used stuff on craigslist and some facebook yard sale type groups in my area. I’d still buy new for things like mattresses and upholstered items but I’ve been amazed by the really great deals on beautiful looking desks, dressers, headboards, etc. It makes me wonder why I ever wasted money buying new.
We bought our very traditional bedroom set off Craigslist and my Ethan Allen dining room set from a consignment shop. I bought my flex steel living room couches at their annual 50% off sale.
But if you want solid wood, well made bedroom furniture look at Amish made furniture. When we were looking at dining room furniture, I was looking at Amish made until I found the Ethan Allen at the consignment shop. We have a Amish made furniture store about an hour away from us and they were so helpful. Even helping with the difference between Ohio or Indiana made furniture (can’t remember the difference but there is one). It’s also very custom, you can pick the wood, the styles, the finishes. Many of my neighbor’s have Amish made dining room sets and they are beautiful. The bedroom furniture is equally nice.
Our son’s bedroom is also a guest room. It has a bed on a frame, some bookshelves, and a table and chairs. We bought the bed/frame from a mattress place. The other things were moved in from other rooms on our house.
Fortunately for you, there is no shortage of great furniture consignment shops in the Dallas area. Check out Dulce Consignment, Area 25, Consignment Heaven, Again & Again, The Jewish Store, and B&B. A trip to the design district in Dallas is a good place to start.
I’m fascinated by something that’s called “The Jewish Store” but I can’t find it on Google. Is that truly the name?
Do you have a local Facebook swap or online garage sale page? The bedroom sets around here can start at $50 and go up, based on the condition and quality. Most often people just want to get something for their current set when they’re getting ready to order a new one.
I have been looking on two Facebook sites and Craig’s List. I found a new one that I like, but it is more than I want to spend. It was at Ashley Furniture and they also have it at our local furniture store but the price is even higher here. It is probably the mid-priced Ashley line. Adding to the cost is a minimum $99 delivery fee and a mattress/foundation. Luckily, I am not in a big hurry to find something, although I have already bought a quilt and shams and am going to paint his room to match next weekend. I have never painted an empty room. How wonderful it will be to not have furniture to move and obstacles to maneuver around!
edit: wrong word choice.
Another thing I noticed while shopping in a couple of antique malls: there are tons of dining room hutches out there. I decided it is because no one has formal dining rooms anymore, and when grandma passed away, the heirs kept the table/chairs, but did not have room for the hutches. Kinda made me sad.
Also, estate sales.
Craigslist worked for us: we purchased, and managed to wrangle into our house, a nice Thomasville leather couch and big chair for $300 plus the ~$35 or so for the van rental. New, they’d have been over $2000.
One of the things to note is the quality of build. You want good hardwoods in the frame and box joints instead of nailed joints. (I think that’s right - any carpenters out there can correct me)
@VeryHappy. That was partly a typo and part shortened reference. I meant to say the Jewish Resale Store though I should’ve given the actual name of the store which is The Resale Shop at Jewish Family Services. “The Resale Shop” is rather non-descript (since there are lots of resale shops) and the whole name is long so I guess that’s why it’s often referred to in the area as The Jewish Resale Shop (or Store).