DHM's Profile

My wife and I purchased a nice modern-design home last year. We set aside what seemed to us at the time a hefty budget for furnishing the home. Then we started shopping. Wow. What a shock!

We went from the low end (Ikea, Crate and Barrel, etc) middle (Room and Board, Restoration Hardware), to high end (DWR, Ligne Roset). Sat in every type of sofa, chair, and so on.

Talk about confusing. Is a sectional from Ligne Roset (think $10k) really that much better than one from Ikea costing ten-time less ? Does it last that much longer?

Then I had the following epiphany. While sitting in a beautifully made lounge chair at our local library, I started thinking about where they got their furniture. So I started checking around, first by peering underneath the chair to see which companies involved. I also did this at nearby schools, medical clinics etc. My thinking was this was the stuff made to last.

And do you know what, there is a whole industry – mostly USA based – who make contract furniture for public settings. Several of these companies are well-known, like Herman Miller and Knoll, but there are another 20 or so companies doing the same thing. The great thing is that you can find their price lists and brochures on-line. In many cases, you can to the show rooms to sit in the furniture.

It was through this process that I began to appreciate the actual cost of making well-made furniture. So what does a well-made lounge chair cost? Basically between $2-3k, depending on the fabric. So now I understand why a sectional, one that is designed to last many years, and is going cost $10k.

I would presume any buyer of used rug would first get it cleaned before bring it home.