S/O Furniture: How much new vs used?

[bunnymendelbaum]

The Happy Friday post got me thinking, how much of our furniture is NOT hand-me-down, goodwill or otherwise used?

I'm going to figure out a % right now. Used means goodwill, hand-me-down, flea market, essentially not new.

Office - all used or ikea
Nursery #2 - all used except rug is new
DD's room - new dresser, ikea expidit bookcase, new ikea rug
Our room - ikea bed, ikea dressers, new rug

parlor - used couch & trunk ikea bookshelf & chair, home depot shelves, new rug
living - used chair & table, ikea bookshelf, new rug
dining - used (bought from friend table), gifted chairs, ikea chairs, ikea buffet
play/guestroom - used dresser, ikea daybed & rugs

So that means in our entire house, the only new thing that is not ikea, home depot industrial shelving or a rug is DD's dresser. WOW. ONE thing!

[mrs.jacinthe]

I've got stuff in my house that was bought new FOR me, but I didn't pay for (i.e. I was in HS or college). Is that "new" or used?

[heygrey]

New - mattress/box spring, couch, chair currently in storage.

Used - everything else! Coffee table, side tables, kitchen table and chairs, dresser, night tables, bookshelves, bed frame, tv stand.

I shop mostly at yard sales with a few thrift store finds thrown in there.

[bunnymendelbaum]

Jan 4, 2013 13:40:31 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

I've got stuff in my house that was bought new FOR me, but I didn't pay for (i.e. I was in HS or college). Is that "new" or used?

Hmmm. Not sure.

DDs dresser was bought with $ from DHs parents specifically to be used on furniture. So if I consider that out, we have NOTHING new! HA!

[pitterwoo]

oh gosh, a percentage would be funny to figure out. I will have to count up our furniture items and do this. Off the top of my head I'm struggling to think of anything that's new unless I count the living room chair that I had reupholstered. It's new except for the frame so maybe that counts for something.

We have a tremendous amount of family handmedowns and a lot off of CL. Even our IKEA dresser is not new to us and from CL. lol.

[wawa]

Hmmm...
Dining room table - used table and chairs, ikea rolling cart thingy, ikea booze cabinet

Living room: Used couch, used wing chairs, used sideboard, used side table, used rug (all handmedowns actually. Nice handmedowns for once!) ikea coffee table, ikea TV stand.

Our bedroom: Used bedframe, used dresser, used rug, walmart dresser, walmart side tables (10 year old walmart even)

Nursery: Used crib (gasp!), used table, used dresser/changing table, used bookshelf, new chair, new rug

Rest of furniture currently in storage: Ikea sectional, ikea stools, 2 used desks, 10 year old walmart bookshelves, ikea wardrobes

So one actually real piece of furniture and one new rug. Of the remaining, 70% handmedown or CL, and 30% Ikea (from my first grownup apartment) or 10 year old Walmart (from my college bedroom).

I actually love a lot of our handmedowns. The two rugs my mom gave me are really nice. We have a solid oak dining room table that isn't totally my styel, but it is very nice. It belonged to my husband's aunt's ex-husband's mother. And my old boss gave me a TON of beautiful old old wood furniture when she renovated her house. Some of it needs a touch of rehab, but it's lovely stuff.

I'd be perfectly happy to furnish the rest of my house with CL finds - it's the particle board Walmart shit leftover from college that I'm dying to unload. With the stained ikea couch in our family room following close behind.

[thewop]

New: dining table, couch, ottoman, end tables, tv stand, mattress, rug

Used/hand me down: crib (flameaway), changing table, dressers, night stand, bookcase, buffet table, rocking chair

Wow, we don't have that much furniture when I type it all out.

[cosmowife]

I actually try to avoid new furniture whenever possible. I prefer to buy vintage and/or antiques. The only "new" wooden furniture that we have purchased (and we have a TON of furniture - seriously, like at least 10 dressers or more) was the crib (for safety reasons) and the dining room table. We only bought the table new because we couldn't find an old one that fit the space and was big enough.

I make an exception for upholstery, however. I almost never buy that used (other than two chairs I picked up at an estate sale in my neighborhood). I have a healthy fear of bedbugs. We've purchased couches, dining and kitchen chairs, living room chairs, and mattresses. So I guess I would say 40% new and 60% old?

I really don't even bother looking at wooden furniture online because it all looks "fake" to me and I know I can get something even cooler in an antique store or my MIL's spare storage garage!

ETA: I forgot that I bought a vintage persian rug. I only plan to buy vintage persian rugs from now on, as well. Those are cleaned professionally before coming into the home. I don't want a rug where there might be more than one of a kind LOL!

[pitterwoo]

Okay, wow I knew we didn't have much new stuff but I didn't realize it was this low!

1) My gate-leg sewing table from IKEA
2) the tilt-out trash bin in the kitchen if that counts as furniture

We've had chairs and a dresser before but have gotten rid of them so I guess that's why it surprised me. I guess that's how we can be as low income as we are and still get things done.

ETA: our rugs are new to us. Our mattress was new to me, but not H.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Office: 3 ikea (bookcase units), 3 CL buys (desk and chairs), 2 parental gifts (1 desk and printer stand), 1 hand-me-down (glider chair)

Guest BR: 1 ikea (bed/mattresses), 1 parental gift (chest freezer - LOL, don't judge me)

Kitchen: 1 ikea (microwave cart), 1 hand-me-down/heirloom (table and chair set)

Living Room: 5 hand-me-down/heirloom (bookcase, cedar chest, armoire, piano, side table), 1 new (sofa), 1 ikea (tv stand)

Master BR: 2 parental gifts (dresser, lingerie chest), 3 hand-me-down/heirloom (side tables, chair), 1 CL buy (headboard), 1 new (mattress set - although I've had it since 2004)

So yeah, if we're counting things that I personally bought new that are NOT from Ikea ... the master bedroom mattress set and our living room sofa.

[emoflamingo]

We're getting to more new than used at this point. Our bedroom furniture is all new now, our couch, chair and end table in the living room were all purchased new, we've got a new dining room table coming, Monkey will have new furniture and Baby W has an antique dresser hand-me-down but a new crib.

Of course, I am a super budget type, so I'm not talking new $1,000 couch. It was definitely a cheap couch lol. And I dealt with an ugly 1970s couch for 5 years before that. Once Ikea gets here in 2014 (YAY!), I'll be in budget furniture heaven lol.

[eliza22]

I'm like cosmowife, I love and prefer antiques but have a bedbug fear when it comes to upholstery. My favorite things in my house are a craigslist buffet, my dd's antique dressser and an antique tea cart. The only new thing I love is my ikea couch (because it took me 5 years to convince dh that a white slipcovered couch was not a bad idea.)

[magdala9]

About 50% new and 50% used. Only 1 piece is left over from college (mine). Only 1 piece is Ikea (his). We finally emptied out the storage units so all the furniture is at our house. I like to shop estate sales and yard sales and have been lucky to find nice wooden pieces at these places at prices that I could afford.

[stephm0188]

Um.
Pretty much everything we own was purchased new, so I'll list the things that weren't.

Ikea Liatorp sideboard. My neighbor had it in perfect condition on the curb with a "free" sign. It was something I had planned to purchase, so major score!
Two end tables in the living room. One was an antique store purchase, one was a curb side find.
Living room coffee table... technically it was purchase new, but I'm calling it used. I wanted a round table, and we had our old kitchen table sitting in the shed. I cut the legs down and ta da. Round coffee table.
Dresser in the guest room.
Dresser, headboard, and nightstand in the kiddo's room. The dresser was from Craigslist, the headboard and matching footboard came from Goodwill for $20, and the nightstand was another curbside find.

[simpsongal]

Almost everything was a family heirloom, used family stuff, or antique. The stuff fills in gaps. Since it's faster to list the new:

Our bed frame & mattress, chaise sectional, several area rugs, kitchen chairs, bar stools, TV stand.

[Deleted]

We have a few things that we purchased new, but not many. I plan to buy a new sectional when we move to the new house but if I find one that I like used I would totally choose that.
Master bedroom- used/CL- bed, dresser, nightstands; new- matress
Older kids room- used/CL- bunk beds, toy tool bench, wooden toy box; ikea- trofast toy storage; new- dresser
nursery- used/CL- crib, dresser, book shelf; new- rocking recliner
dining room- new-table & chairs set
living room- used/CL- couch, loveseat, chair, end table, computer armoire; new- tv & entertainment center.

So, mostly used but an average of one item per room that is new.

[ktzmoh]

Only the furniture in Kates room is used- crib is a hand me down, and dresser is also a freebie from a friend that I refinished.

[Susie]

lol - we bought a media cabinet recently for the family room, and it was our FIRST "adult" furniture purchase. We've been homeowners for > 4 years.

Used/handed down/bought on Craig's List:
Dining room: sideboard, mirrors, all 7 chairs
Living room: couch, piano, 2 bookcases
Family room: sectional sofa, coffee table
Master bedroom: bed, armoire, 2 night tables
Guest room: bed, headboard, 1 night table
Guest room #2: nothing permanently in there besides an air bed
Office: 2 desks, 2 bookcases, 2 chairs

Made by my dad:
Dining room: table
Living room: 1 bookcase

Bought cheap (think IKEA, although we don't actually have IKEA):
Kitchen: pub height table + 4 chairs
Master bedroom: 1 dresser

Actual nice furniture that we bought ourselves]:
Family room: media cabinet

So we are right with you with the 1 item thing.

[Deleted]

Most of y furniture is new now..the used is only..

Foyer--antique trunk (from my mom)

Living room--1 desk we got from a hotel clearance place we painted, a mid century bookcase off CL

Playroom--4 school house chairs I painted which were bought off CL

Dining room--bookcase (hand me down from parents), buffet (left in our first house by old owner)

DD3/2s room--dresser (mine as a kid)

DD1s room--bed (antique brass was my grandmas as a child), dresser & vanity bought at used furniture store, trunk (from grandma too)

[hbomdiggity]

We have one random nightstand that is old/hand me down. That's it. Well a dresser and armore that my parents bought for me, when I was 16.

We have purchased a decent amount of furniture as a couple. While I appreciate solid wood/vintage pieces, they are hard to come by where we live and/or $$$$ so we haven't gone that route.

[prazenjc]

when we moved into this home we pretty much bought all new things. DS's room is all new, our room is all new, our family/loft area, living room, dining room, even the hall tree in the foyer are all new. now, the LO i am pg w/now will use the same crib as DS, but we originally bought it new, too.

something to note, however, is that DH and i were both in our mid 30s and older when we married. DH had gotten rid of a lot of his stuff when he sold his condo in hilton head, sc and moved in with his dad (this is when we met) and i had been living w/my furniture for 10-15 years and was ready for a change when we moved here 6 years ago.

i have been hoping to buy something off from craiglist, pick something up at a garage sale, etc. and update it furniture-wise (inspired by all of you or the few blogs that i follow). i don't have an imminent need for anything right now...so not likely to happen any time soon.

[auntie]

Our first home and its contents were destroyed in a flood, so I lost a lot of antique, vintage and hand-me-down furniture.

I lost my grandparents' bedroom set, the furniture that had been my father's little boy bedroom, an antique chest.

Current home-

LR/ all new except a hutch my grandfather made for his bride and an antique floor model radio

DR/ hand-me-down dining room set courtesy of my mother who bought a more casual house

DSBR/ all new Ikea stuff

Office/ All new Ikea stuff

MBR/ beautiful formal cherry chest and highboy from my mother- she already had a set like it at the beach house she retired to. King 4-poster bed and mattress are new

Upstairs landing/ occasional chair carved as a wedding present for DS's great grandfather/namesake

Foyer/ new

[emjacobs]

Kitchen: 3 items new, 1 item used
Dining Room: 5 items (table & 4 chairs) used
Living Room: 3 items used
Foyer: 1 item used
Office: 4 items new
Master Bedroom: 3 items new, 2 items used
Movie Room: 4 items used, 2 items new
Game Room: 3 items used

[sillygoosegirl]

Purchased new - mattress/boxspring, one bookcase from Target (that looked like crap within a year), card table
Made ourselves new - the other bookcase, speakers
Used - everything else (which seems to somehow be filling our 2300 sq ft house, even though we just moved out of a 1200 sq ft apartment, I'm guessing about 90% of our furniture)

I'm totally okay with this though. New furniture that isn't crap is really expensive, and our used furniture is mostly really high quality beautiful stuff. I have much better things to spend my money on than new furniture.

[thatgirl2478]

Dining Area - used table/chairs (craigslist find)
Living Room - antique sideboard, new sofa/chair, new rug, new sofa table, new art
Guest Room - new bed/mattress/box spring, new book shelves, new rug, new art
DD Room - used mattress, used bookshelf, new crib, new dresser, new glider, new rug, new art
Master Bed Room - antique dresser, used night stand, used/re-purposed headboard, new mattress/box spring, new night stand, new rug, new art
Family Room - new sofa / love seat, new rugs, new side tables, new art

I'd say 85% is new, 10% is used (2nd hand purchase) and 5% is antique/hand me down furniture

[TBM]

Used/handed down/bought on Craig's List or thrift store:
Dining room: glass top table and chairs
Living room: small cabinet, mirror, art
Family room: coffee table base
Master bedroom: headboard, dresser
Guest room: headboard, dresser, shelf, floor lamp
Guest room #2: desk, shelf headboard
Studio: professional sewing machine, drafting table
random: two chairs that need to be upholstered, a book shelf and a few lamps

Made by my us:
Family room: TV stand, top to coffee table, pouf

Bought...some cheap, (most of it), some not so cheap :
family room: sectional, large shelf units, sofa table
dining room: 2 wine cabinets
living room: 2 chairs w/ottomans, shelving unit, writing table
master bedroom: mirrored dresser and nightstand


We plan to buy some really nice stuff when we move, but I doubt that we will ever have all new/pricey stuff.

[sierramist03]

We have four things in our house that are used and hand me downs. they are all dining room stuff expect a daybed frame. Neither one of us had access to a lot of hand me furniture after we got married. I lived in a furnished apartment and dh lived with his mom. When we moved into our own place my parents gave us a sofa and love seat that we have since replaced. The first thing we bought was a bedroom set. We also bought a tv stand and accent tables for the living room. Really we don't have a lot of furniture though

[katie4253]

The only used furniture we have is Gabe's dresser. We aren't opposed to used, it is just hard for us to find used we like.

[minniebee]

Most of our furniture was purchased new, but some of it was purchased so long ago I don't consider it new anymore. Plus, all the items H bought new before I was in the picture don't really seem new to me. We didn't start dating until we were 30 and we were both already homeowners at that point and had fully furnished households.

I would say maybe 15% is used, and most of that is family heirloom pieces. The big stuff was all new.

I buy lots of decor items at thrift stores and garage sales, but most of the furniture is new. I'm not opposed to used, I just have a hard time finding things I like. I guess I need to frequent more estate sales, the thrift stores in my area have slim pickings for furniture. And Craigslist scares me.

[SusanBAnthony]

Kids room: all used. Our room: all used. Living room: bought new couch and love seat, rest is used. Sunroom: all used.

I wish I could say it was because we have great vintage style, but really we are cheap/poor! I would love nothing more than to run out and buy new furniture, but DH will probably never care enough to spend the money, and I don't care enough to fight him in it. I would rather go on vacation or save more . We are going to make more of an effort whenever we buy a house, but it will all be used too probably!

We have gotten lucky (not that I wish death on my grandparents!) that the timing of us getting a house coincided with 3 of my 4 grandparents dying, so we had a lot of opportunity to get their furniture.