Mid-Century Modern on the cheap

Hi Everyone,

I'm a first-timer shopping for living room furniture and I have a pretty low price point: $1200. I'm trying to find a mid-century modern sectional thats not going to fall apart in 3 years, but in no way can afford heirloom quality or leather thats worth a hoot. I have a cat that has not shown any tendency to attack my current fabric set but I'd rather not take my chances, so I've been leaning towards vinyl. Yes, I can be talked out of it. No, I'd rather not raise my budget but I can by a bit. I've seen some knowledgeable advice on this forum over the last few days so I figured I'd give it a shot. Anyone have suggestions for companies that make quality furniture that won't break the bank? I haven't heard a single nice thing about Ashley or Simmons or any of the other companies that make "starter furniture", but it kinda looks like thats all I can really afford. I'm hoping you all can tell me different. I'd love to get something from a place like Thrive or West Elm but its too much, and then I came across http://www.maxwestusa.com/. The appearance of their furniture and the website make them seem like a legitimate company, and the prices look reasonable, but there aren't any dealers in the southeast so I'm a bit lost. You can find them on big online furniture outlet sites but there aren't any reviews. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

At $ 1,200 for a sectional, you would be best served buying pre-owned. You cannot get anything even remotely durable for that small budget. I would actually be afraid to sit in a $ 1,200 sectional for fear of going right through to the floor!

You can have Quality or you can have Low Cost. But you can't have both in this industry. What you are looking for is the equivalent of a $ 59 iPad. Its just not out there.

Thanks for the reply. I was afraid of that. I actually crunched some numbers shortly after posting this and have determined that if I wait a couple months I can probably push up to somewhere in the $2000 range, which still doesn't get me much. Thankfully I'm not in dire need of a new set right now, but my current stuff is on its way out. What would you consider to be a good dollar amount as a starting point for something new that won't fall apart in 7 years? I intend to browse the site more tomorrow and see what I can come up with in terms of buying used. I've always been weary about it as I've always looked at it like buying a used mattress, but I'm hearing that suggestion more and more so I need to change my frame of mind. Thanks again! I really like your site.

Well, if buying new, you really need to budget closer to $ 4K for a sectional for something well made. You might sneak by around $ 3,500, but there's not much below that if you want some longevity in the piece. What you may want to do is shop your local furniture stores for floor models that are marked down. Most every store has something that has been on the floor too long and not sold as they expected. Sometimes its the wrong color, or sometimes it shopworn a little...but that's where you will get your best deal on something new. Also, watch your local Craigslist for deals. A 5 year old high quality sectional that may have sold new for $ 10K will only bring $ 2K as a resale, and its far from being used up. Good luck.

SectionalSearcher- not sure where you are locate, but there is a nice looking Hancock & Moore sectional in Tulsa listed on Craigslist, just got listed yesterday. Hard to tell based on pics, but looks like a real bargain at $1k list.

http://tulsa.craigslist.org/fuo/3598169741.html

Thanks for the replies, guys. This site has proven to be a goldmine of useful information! I plan to go hit the furniture Mecca area of town on Monday and see what I can scare up in terms of floor models. I live just outside of Charleston, SC, and have been a little disappointed in the used furniture department. For the style I'm looking at, it seems that anything viable turns out to be genuine antiques or vintage, i.e. they show their wear... a lot. I'm still back and forth on the upholstery decision, because on one hand a cat is less likely to attack leather or vinyl, but on the other if he does it'll show a lot more. For instance, my sister-in-law's cat likes to chew leather so she keeps her purses hidden; and one spastic cat episode could result in a big tear. I'm also opening myself up to the possibility of a sofa/loveseat/chair set instead of a sectional, just to broaden my search. Additionally, I'm trying to get away from the all black mindset I'm in right now. So long as its earthy tones, I'll give it a look. I'll let you know as the situation develops.