Furniture/Household Good Recommendations and Advice

[Isikiz]

Hi all, just looking to get some advice regarding spending on household goods and furniture. Some context - I've purchased my first property (condo) in pre-construction and I'm set to move in relatively soon. I envision that I'll likely live there for 2-5 years.

As this is my first property, I'm trying to gauge how to appropriately spend my money to furnish the place - e.g. when to splurge on more expensive pieces vs going cheaper (IKEA). I've been looking at EQ3, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, Structube as well as IKEA so far to find the particular style of furniture / decorations / household goods that I'm looking for. Any advice or experience that you veteran CalgaryPuckers out there can share with a soon-to-be new homeowner?

[Northendzone]

Spend money on a mattress, as the piece of furniture you spend the most time on

You can get decent quality stuff at any store - Leon’s , the brick etc

Try and stick to neutral colors

[Derek Sutton]

Since you only plan to be there for 5 years, don't spend too much on things you'll likely leave behind such as appliances and window coverings. I also wouldn't botherupgrading the flooring/ kitchen tiles etc... as you would not likely see any return or minimal return. Don't spend too much on stuff you won't be using in the new place because it'll be outdated or won't fit such as a bedroom suite or couch and coffee tables. We were in our first place for about four years and when we moved the styles and colours had really changed and a lot of our original furniture looked dated in the new place with the new colours as that was right about when all the dark colours were taking off. Our pine stained bedroom furniture looked out o f place in our new house and we spent a good chunk of change on it and it was it really good shape. My wife wanted new but I wasn't spending the money so she sanded the suite down and re stained it dark walnut (this is a real tough job, re finished furniture and would not wish it on anyone knowing what I know now).

Our couch and coffe tables didn't go in the new place either as the fit wasn't right and didn't go with the colours we chose for the house. New used them in the basement for a few years before selling on Kijij and garage sale. There is nothing wrong with Outfitting your place with stuff for IKEA, they have quite the range from really cheap to decent quality when it come to furniture. You can also load up from there on the kitchen gadgets, utensils and dishes as you have a whole lifetime to upgrade those things or just replace years later at Ikea

[Peanut]

Estate sales, consignment furniture stores and even kijiji/Craigslist is where I’d start. Retail prices for furniture are insane and most of it is cheaply made. I bought my first home about 12 years ago and if I could go back and give myself that advice, I would.

[bagofpucks]

I absolutely despise IKEA, but that would be my recommendation. When we had our first apartment we picked up a few of the bare essentials and they lasted and were functional pieces as we moved. Our bed frame was $99 and it just gave up the ghost this year after three moves and 10 years. We also had a futon from there and that thing is still functional despite four moves and not being treated particularly well in its life. We have two bookshelves that we use in our storage room now and same thing, those things have taken a beating and are still functional.

When you’re looking for something more permanent, Canadian made furniture all the way. The difference in quality is huge in my opinion and it’s always nice to support our local industry.

[GGG]

How do you currently furnish where you live?

Given your 2-5 year timeline I would treat the furnishing like I would you currently do. Use your existing furniture until you figure out what you want to upgrade. It's not fun like buying a bunch of stuff but if you learn what you want in the space first you will save a lot of money in the long run.

[Chingyul]

I would give Kijiji a shot for your hard surfaces (coffee table, side tables, dining table, tv bench, desks).
For me, I wasn't comfortable with getting used soft fabric furniture.

For house goods, I've ended up getting stuff mostly from Ikea and Homesense, but I'd also price check against Amazon as well.

For myself, I did splurge on my main sofa and dining table though (article.com).

With your timeframe, I'll echo everyone's comments on not spending too much now.

[Red Slinger]

Structube is a step up from Ikea but it's still relatively cheap and some of the styles are not bad. It's not the highest quality stuff you'll find but for the price it's pretty good.

[longsuffering]

I agree on spending the money on a great mattress. The importance of a good nights sleep cannot be underestimated.

Since this is your first place and you're probably going not going to keep the furniture when you upgrade, I suggest you find bargains on Kijiji or even CP's Buy and Sell.

Dishes and stuff, either Ikea or check the second hand stores/flea martkets. Is it really important that you have matching plates, dishes, bowls, etc.?

Costco is also a good option for dishes, pots and pans, bedding, etc. and you can have it all delivered!

[Isikiz]

Thanks all for the answers so far - much appreciated! I may be a little overzealous as I've finally been excited to own and organize a place for the first time with decent financial means, so I appreciate all of the comments from you wiser folks. So from what I'm hearing, the common recommendation is to think frugally for my first place.

I am pretty set on getting a sort of style in the space. Aside from what I can find at IKEA and Structube and the occasional finds in estate sales, second hand stores, etc, does anyone have any recommendations for other places/brands where I can find cheap, decent quality pieces with a modern/clean/Scandinavian look?

For other household goods, any opinions on what I shouldn't skimp out on? I'm thinking kitchen knives and smaller appliances I would spend a little more on.

Originally Posted by GGG

How do you currently furnish where you live?

Given your 2-5 year timeline I would treat the furnishing like I would you currently do. Use your existing furniture until you figure out what you want to upgrade. It's not fun like buying a bunch of stuff but if you learn what you want in the space first you will save a lot of money in the long run.

I currently live in a partially (pretty much fully) furnished place. I have a couple of items that I've purchased as an upgrade for particular spaces. The reason I am also looking to buy mostly new stuff is because I will not be able to take most of the furniture/household goods with me.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

So, here's my plug for doing a lot of your shopping on Wayfair.

I bought a new house in the spring, and got a bunch of furniture from Revolve, EQ3, Home Evolution, and Urban Barn. Also got a dining table made custom by Wheatland Woodwork (and if you're willing to wait, because he has some backlog, that is my number one recommendation).

But doing it that way is pretty expensive, and you can't buy everything at those major stores. Some accents and decor I got at homesense, as well as an end table. But really, Wayfair should be used more. It's actually not really much cheaper, but because it's a website they have a much broader selection and you can find something that really fits what you're doing instead of a compromise. And usually, there are a bunch of reviews to give you some comfort about whether the item is quality. I've bought an area rug, coffee table, bedside tables for my guest room, lamps, and a bookcase from them. But I'll just provide the story about the sideboard I bought. It's this one.

https://www.wayfair.ca/furniture/pdp...-wdmg1779.html



I needed a sideboard cabinet for the space beneath my TV, and that one happened to be the perfect size. It's pretty pricey, though, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend that much, especially without having seen it. I noticed it was a bit cheaper somewhere else, so I called them to see if they'd price match. They said normally no, but gave me a discount anyway, which was actually for more than the price difference. They then went out of their way to get the delivery company to bring it to my door on my schedule. However, when I set it up, I noticed that one of the shelves had broken in shipping. Everything else was fine. So I removed the shelf, and called them up and told them about it. Their customer service is great and quite speedy, and their solution was to offer me $200 back and send me a replacement shelf for the (relatively minor) inconvenience.

That was obviously more than enough to satisfy me, and I figured the matter was closed. But they assigned someone to it anyway, who got in touch with me to ensure that I was pleased with the resolution. I was. Case closed, right? Not quite - I got an e-mail a week later, saying that the manufacturer of the item doesn't make parts separately, so they wouldn't be able to send the replacement shelf. Ah well - $200 off of a sideboard with a missing shelf is still fair enough, to me. Case closed again, right?

Well, again, no, and this is where their bend-over-backwards-for-customers thing gets utterly ridiculous. Simply because they couldn't order a replacement shelf, they're sending me a whole other sideboard. That is, another $1500 piece of furniture, for free. I did not ask them to do this. I didn't even know they were doing it until after they shipped it. I called and asked if they expected me to package up the old one and send it back, which would be a hassle. They said no. You get another one for free. After already discounting the original one I bought, twice.

If you're an internet retailer, that type of behaviour is how you put B&M stores out of business.

So basically, if anyone wants to buy a sideboard from me, I'll have a new in box one sometime in february. I might just keep and put it somewhere else, it though... It's a pretty fantastic piece of furniture.

[surferguy]

Buy a quality mattress and spend some money on things you will be using day in and day out. As you move in bring a few things with you that are absolutely needed. My advice will be don't rush to fill the space immediately as you currently have no idea of how you use the space.


All of your furniture (especially in a condo) should be the right piece for the space. When you don't know how you use the space it is impossible to know what the right piece entails. Be patient is my best advice and build towards the overall look.

Small appliances can be found used on kijiji no problem, just make sure you have the spot for them to live before taking the plunge. If you want a clean Scandinavian look that can be killed easily when you have every appliance know to man living on the counter top because there is no storage for them to hide away.

[Caged Great]

Accessories are readily available in most places, even the higher end stores for not that much money.

The main thing I would avoid is putting any colours with any of the larger pieces as you can insert colour via accessories instead. Large amounts of any specific colour can tend to get boring after a while and typically leads to dissatisfaction and the need to change it.

[longsuffering]

OP: It might help a bit if we had an idea of your age, say <30 or >30 and whether you're living on your own or with a significant other. If this is a bachelor pad, my advice is don't over do it. Assuming you're male, when you shack up or get on the road to being married, your tastes won't count for much anyway.

Seriously though, as surgerguy mentioned, don't feel the need to rush to furnish the place quickly or fill it with 'stuff'. I suggest that simple is better, less is more and in time you'll appreciate having floor or wall space rather than a bunch of clutter. Taking your time and finding 'steals' on Kijiji or an estate sale will be half the fun.

He was too polite to mention it but one of surferguy's pieces might be a nice addition to your new place

[Caged Great]

A high quality mattress should be #1 above all other things though. You spend 1/3 of your life on it, make sure it's a good one.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

A high quality mattress should be #1 above all other things though. You spend 1/3 of your life on it, make sure it's a good one.

Just never pay full price for it. I think around 50% off is nearing realistic pricing.

[surferguy]

https://twitter.com/user/status/956588317318955009

Also it was made official today that F2 Furnishings is moving locations in May (building is being torn down).

So they are having a big sale! They carry a lot of really nice stuff so it might be worth while checking out!

[Isikiz]

Originally Posted by longsuffering

OP: It might help a bit if we had an idea of your age, say <30 or >30 and whether you're living on your own or with a significant other. If this is a bachelor pad, my advice is don't over do it. Assuming you're male, when you shack up or get on the road to being married, your tastes won't count for much anyway.

Seriously though, as surgerguy mentioned, don't feel the need to rush to furnish the place quickly or fill it with 'stuff'. I suggest that simple is better, less is more and in time you'll appreciate having floor or wall space rather than a bunch of clutter. Taking your time and finding 'steals' on Kijiji or an estate sale will be half the fun.

He was too polite to mention it but one of surferguy's pieces might be a nice addition to your new place

I'm in my mid-twenties, and this would currently function as a bachelor pad with a potential of living with a significant other in the next year or two.

I have taken a look at surferguy's stuff and have been very tempted...

[DoubleF]

I haven't been able to find any place that's cheaper than IKEA for a toilet brush. Dollarama and Walmart are good enough to get a few basic items to get your home up and running. I like Costco if I want to pay a little more for things that are decent price that I am less likely to upgrade in the future.

Kitchen: buy the bare minimum. There's always amazing deals on pots and pans, but most people don't always use them. Don't buy things that have any potential of collecting dust. Pan, pot and knife are pretty much all you need at first until you have a better idea on cash flow and things you need but never have. I like going to home sense or costco for this stuff.

Blinds vs curtains vs windows film: while there are places with cheap blinds, in my opinion, a far cheaper method to save money on window coverings is opaque window film. $150 roll of windows film, a spray bottle and baby shampoo should be good for almost an entire home. Not all windows need to be fully laminated. Sometimes only 1/4 needs to be laminated (ie: raised windows). Watch youtube to learn how to do bubble free application of film (hint: Be very liberal with your application solution of baby shampoo + water in a spray bottle). I am currently applying laminate at certain angles so that individuals cannot look into my home, but also using blinds in the main areas. A combo of laminate/curtain/blinds can be functional and look great. However, blackout options in a bedroom might be non-negotiable for a good nights rest.

I spent $3500 on window coverings for my townhouse when I moved in. Knowing what I know now, I think I can get by with about $1500 for the entire home while still retaining some of the premium blackout blinds for my bed room.

I like suggesting buying the base IKEA futon with cover and buying a memory foam topper to shove under the cover. It works as a good couch, but also a relatively (more) comfortable thing to sleep on.

Buy a folding table and folding chairs. Even if you get a proper dining table + chairs, these items are still useful for "expansion" if you have a big party. Table cloth and seat covers are relatively inexpensive ways to make it look better if needed.

Try buying IKEA on Kijiji if you have the ability to truck it around without damaging the item too much. There's always good deals on those as people outgrow IKEA and sell for cheap. Lack corner tables easily can be had for anywhere between $5 and free.

Shelving: I really like the wire shelf options on the Costco website and Amazon. Between $60-120 gets me solid wire shelves that are relatively easy to assemble, can carry 300-400+ pounds of crap and are easy to dismantle to reassemble elsewhere if needed. I wouldn't buy any other type of shelf until I'm settled and ready for anything fancy.

Mattress/Bed: If memory foam is ok. Bed in a box hands down would be my suggestion. Casper, Endy, Novosbed are all decent options. Bonus, it's far easier to transport memory foam to a new location later on than coil beds. I would also suggest buying a waterproof cover to go on the bed. the mattress will stay pretty damn close to new looking with it on and you barely feel it. As for a bed frame, skip it until you want fancy. A memory foam bed ultimately needs airflow underneath it to reduce the risk of mould due to trapped moisture, a few months with a mattress on the floor isn't going to hurt.

Having little furniture isn't a bad problem. I personally started my home thinking that as long as I had enough to entertain 2-3 guests, I could slowly add more furniture going forward.

Places I generally buy things:
- Amazon
- Home sense
- Costco
- IKEA

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

A high quality mattress should be #1 above all other things though. You spend 1/3 of your life on it, make sure it's a good one.

Sounds like the OP is unattached so hopefully spending 1/6th on someone else's.