ᐅ Table, chairs, sofa... where on earth to buy them?

Nordlys schrieb:
My wife and I occasionally visit large furniture stores here in the north, like Kraft or Kabs. But we never really find anything we like. Somehow, it’s all uninspired and generic. Thousands of corner sofa sets, each flashier than the last, uncomfortable to sit on—only good for slouching. Shelves for the living room are hardly available anymore; if you own more than three books, furniture makers seem to consider you an endangered species. Instead, there are ultra-wide media units designed to showcase huge screens as the centerpiece of the room. Hello, Frauke and Franz, welcome to our living room, look what we have for the cool TV.

A nicely crafted wooden piece is rare; laminated particleboard or similar coated surfaces dominate. “Selectable fronts” is just another word for covered composite wood.

We actually often find something at IKEA. Yes, it’s usually particleboard there as well. But the designs are more delicate and clever. Sofas are smaller. The dining table is a proper table, not a ping-pong table. Chairs still follow the Arne Jacobsen tradition of doing a lot with a little: rounded shapes, plywood laminates. We like that. Take the Lack coffee table. Only 10 euros. A wood composite coated and filled with recycled paper. Square. Small. Take four, preferably in different colors. Place them close together, and you get a large table. Or at a small party, each couple gets one for their drinks and slices of pizza. When it’s time to dance... snap, the little tables are quickly moved aside. Furniture comes from the word “mobile.” Somehow, mainstream producers seem to have forgotten that. Or are we customers the kind that want more, more, more? Does it always have to be massive, just so Almased can fit on the table? Karsten

I didn’t want flimsy furniture. What’s there should stand firm and not fall over, wobble, or creak.

Solid wood furniture is also available in furniture stores... and even cheaper than from a carpenter. But you won’t find that in youth-style interiors.

The small space-saving sofas are only suitable for small people with tough backs at best.

A large TV is very relaxing for the eyes.

Nowadays, people read e-books and no longer pile up books in the living room. Even if that hasn’t reached every household yet.

merlin83 schrieb:
For us, it was:

Lamps, coat rack, chairs, dining table, bar stools, bed, kids’ room, wardrobe, sofa, and living room wall unit.

Manufacturers vary. Large furniture stores carry everything common.

As mentioned before: I saw our chairs at a big furniture store, priced around $379. No manufacturer listed. In the "custom corner." Quite a cheeky price!
Did a lot of research online, found the manufacturer, found an outlet, bought them for under €100 (around $110). During the house construction. Special lamps were bought before breaking ground, from Westwing.
Brought our own sofa. High chairs took two years after moving in. Table was bought at an outlet for impression-style furniture.
...these large furniture stores are only good for us to pass the time on rainy days... for narrowing down options...

Home24: a mixed bag of various sub-sellers.

Our last investment was bedside lamps: extra wall outlets were planned, but there were no lamps at a reasonable price. The ones ordered from Home24 bent immediately in the bracket.
In the end, we ordered two delicate lamps from Nordlux from a previous season: one from a supplier for €129 (about $140), the other for €24 (around $26)... we accepted the drawback of having to cut off the cable with the plug to mount them directly on the wall. But now we can centrally switch them on or off with a switch, or turn them off individually on the lamp itself.

So, our furnishing is growing... sometimes something goes away and is replaced with something else – gladly a simple Ikea design, but also striking one-of-a-kind pieces.

Regards, Yvonne

Nordlys schrieb:
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A well-crafted piece is rare; laminated particleboard or other coated materials dominate. "Choose your fronts" usually means another term for pressed wood waste that is only slightly dressed up.

...

We often actually find what we’re looking for at Ikea.

Somehow that doesn’t add up. Especially the lacquer series isn’t even particleboard. The mentioned 10 euro table is 80 percent cardboard.

When I enter a traditional furniture store (Höffner, Kraft, etc.), I feel like I’m taking a trip back to my parents’ and grandparents’ tastes. “Young living” there doesn’t stand for modern design, but for quality even below Ikea.

On the other hand, when I visit a designer furniture store (Who's perfect, Bo Concept, neue Wohnkultur), the prices asked have no real relation to the actual value. I’m still looking for something clearly higher quality than Ikea, with modern design like Ikea, and prices comparable to Kraft and similar stores.

As I already mentioned, I’m currently quite impressed with home24. At least based on what was displayed at the showroom opening in Berlin over the weekend.

merlin83 schrieb:
We spent a lot of time selecting the right furniture and then obtaining the corresponding offers. Very exhausting—but it can save a lot of money.

1: Compile a list of products (hard to compare because large furniture manufacturers, like Wöstmann for example, sell the same item under different names).

2: Request offers and price undercutting from 2 to 3 major furniture manufacturers. For us, these included: a big company represented in Bietigheim and Sindelfingen, another large one with representation in Göppingen and Esslingen Sirnau, a furniture chain from Reutlingen, and Europe’s largest furniture store from Senden. In the end, Sindelfingen and Senden were almost neck and neck. On average, there was a discount of about 25% on the installation price (not the retail price). Anything not included in the package price is rarely available later at such conditions.

3: Good quality costs money... for example, E.Schillig was for us not on the same level as W.Schillig. Rolf Benz may look nice but was not comfortable for us.

4: For some furniture pieces, it may also be worth going to a carpenter.

Have fun

This was our experience when buying a walnut dining table. The exact same model sold under different brand names in various furniture stores. Nowadays, furniture stores even advertise: “If you find the same item cheaper elsewhere, we will give you the same price minus 15%” or something similar.
I then negotiated a bit tougher with a salesperson and told them directly that it was exactly the same piece of furniture just under a different name and that I considered this misleading to customers. I ended up getting a good price…

Then I'll start.
Couch (the old one from before)
Bathroom fixtures complete 1150 euros
Dining table, chairs 1100 euros
Coat rack 700 euros
Coffee table (the old one)
TV wall made of reclaimed wood 1000 euros
New box spring bed 800 euros
Lamps, etc.
So, I think 15,000 euros is a lot of money and I would have used it to build my terrace instead.

Sascha aus H schrieb:
At least roughly for us

- new sofa $3,500
- new dining table $2,000
- 8 new dining chairs $3,200
- new box spring bed $1,500
and plenty of lamps, mirrors, etc.

I don’t find the €15,000 (about $16,100) surprising at all.
What have you spent on new furniture?

$3,200 (about €3,000) for chairs is quite a lot. I thought we were already spending a lot at $200 (about €185) each

- solid oak dining table with butterfly leaf extension up to 2.46m (8 ft) €600 (display model)
- bed with slatted frame and mattresses €1,600
- bedside tables free (after complaint, they just refunded us :eek)
- ceiling-height sliding door system for the wardrobe about €600
- 4-meter (13 ft) Pax wardrobe system for the dressing room including interior fittings about €1,100

That covers the biggest items. The laundry room in the utility area was included in our kitchen budget.

All the small stuff adds up. Lamps are partly DIY/internet/Ikea. Double roller blinds, privacy films, pleated blinds, wall decorations and pictures, shelves for the pantry... But we are far from €15,000 (about $16,100).

The next bigger project will be a platform in the stairwell area for a climbing plant that should grow from the basement ceiling to the first floor. And generally, other plants are still missing too.