Furniture

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Yeah, while I was there dropping off half my clothes today, I stuck my nose inside. Nothing really super, but this isnt a really nice part of town. They did have a mustard yellow recliner for a dollar and a nearly matching mustardish yellowish couch for four dollars...

[Bob_Smith]

Years ago I wanted a couch and I wanted quality. I figured that someone who digs into the guts of old furniture (a re-upholsterer) might know who makes the best. So I found a woman who had been in business for over 40 years and had a long waiting list. She didn't hesitate - she said that Flexsteel and Koehler were best. I bought a Flexsteel couch and it's still almost as good as the day I bought it. That was 20 years ago; I may never have to replace it.

[charlie]

In my city, the trash dept allows us to discard stuff
for curb pick-up each month. You would be
amazed at the things people throw away. The scavangers come out in droves and the good
things (like couches) never make it to the trash dump.

Cheers,

Charlie

[Jane]

Also check with friends, coworkers and family. Some people feel the need to rid off nice furniture just because it doesn't fit their style anymore or something.

I got my wood dining table and chairs from a neighbour. Some sanding, wood putty, paint and fabric and they look brand new. My neighbour comment: "is that the table and chairs I gave you? Look so nice and new!". Amazing what a little paint and elbow grease can do.

I got my bedroom funiture (but I bought new mattress): 2 night tables, headboard, 6-drawer vanity from a relative. Again, some sanding, paintint and new handles from hardware store and they look amazing!

Good luck.

Jane

[unclemick]

Post ER - I've noticed a reasonable minority, mostly regular age retiree's get bit by the woodworking bug, including furniture - an even smaller minority of the of minority stick with it. Of course - being in a fish camp - I'm a jackleg so so - 5/8 galvanized threaded rod and 4 X 6's being a favorite material.

Quote:

Post ER - I've noticed a reasonable minority, mostly regular age retiree's get bit by the woodworking bug, including furniture - an even smaller minority of the of minority stick with it.

A friend of mine does this, but I now he's got far more invested in his tools and workshop than I will spend on furniture in a lifetime. *

Another tip;I can have custom solid quartersawn Oak furniture built for about 1/2 the price of Store bought stuff. Much better quality. The Oak Furniture that I had made will not only last me for the rest of my life, it will be passed on to my daughter. We also have solid Oak pieces that are in our home that were passed on to us from our grandparents that are over 100 years old.

Look for someone in your area that is a woodworker and does this. They like to build a few pieces each year, so that they can write off their tools. My woodworker is an Physician at the Mayo Clinic

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Ah yes the stuff by the curb!

When I lived in the south SF bay area, the town sponsored an annual "clean up event". For a week you could push anything you wanted out in the street into a long pile at the curb, and they'd come by at the end of the week with dump trucks and tractors and scoop it up.

During that week, scavengers in pickup trucks combed the area. Contents of one pile disappeared only to return in someone elses pile years later, I'm sure. I must have had good stuff because almost nothing I put out made it into the dump truck.

What amazed me is some of my neighbors managing to come up with six to eight foot high piles that were as wide as a car and twice as long. Every year.

[sgeeeee]

Quote:

. . . What amazed me is some of my neighbors managing to come up with six to eight foot high piles that were as wide as a car and twice as long. *Every year.

They were probably trading up each year. You could go out and see if you can find any furniture better than the stuff you nabbed last year and put last year's stuff out. It would be like a free furniture leasing agreement.

My neighbors tell me that they shop garage sales regularly and if they find something they want to trade up to, they buy it and then hold their own garage sales to dump the old stuff. I don't know how well this works, but they hold a garage sale about once a month.

[gayl]

Anyone had any experience with reupholstering furniture? I have an old sofa & 2 matching chairs. The butcher block ends and steel frame are in great condition, the hatian cotton is worn out. Hate to get rid of them as they are made better than 90% of the new stuff out there but I am all thumbs when it comes to sewing

And I really want to get into this project after the popcorn ceilings are down, tile bathroom floors set, new doors up, new carpeting, and a New England cruise. Leaving new hardwood floors in kitchen / breakfast room / family room for the spring

[Nords]

You can do fine from a book or a website if you don't mind the risk of occasionally having to rip out a seam and start over.

If the frames are in good shape then it's worth the experiment. If you take it apart carefully then the old fabric pieces can even be used as templates for the new cuts.

Or you could just take it down to your friendly local upholsterer, who'll probably do a great job for about half the cost of new. It depends on how much time you have and how high your hassle tolerance is.

We reupholstered an old Haitian cotton sleeper sofa, but I sure wish we hadn't done it in white. Now we have to wait another 45 ^&%$ years for it to wear out again...

[Whisper9999]

Again, thx for all the ideas guys...

[trumpeting_angel]

I think I've read this whole thread, but did anyone mention the dump?

In my small town, there's a section at the dump for the good stuff, and another section for actual garbage. Your truck gets weighed going in and weighed going out, and the dump charge is the difference. So you can save $$ on dump fees by taking home those end tables and skis and antique toy wagons; what you don't furnish your house with, you can sell on eBay.

My ex-husband was a champion of this, although nothing ever got sold, just added to the pile. . . . He took so much stuff out that sometimes he weighed more going out! They didn't pay him to take the stuff away, though.

Anne