Introduction/Furniture Longevity Question

[NoVA Novice]

Hello all. While researching Hancock & Moore furniture, recommended by my aunt, who is an interior designer, I came across some very informative posts by "Duane".

Eventually, I found a link to this forum and have been very impressed - and often a bit dazed and confused - by all of the information available. My wife and I are building a home and will be furnishing it essentially from scratch. We are very new to the process and, aside from the IKEA- and Jennifer Convertibles-level stuff, the products.

I look forward to reading all of the great advice here to get a crash course on the basics, and, eventually, nuances of buying furniture. I also hope to visit the showroom with my wife, as we live in the greater DC area. Anyway, enough about me already.

I hope I'm not asking something that has already been answered for my first question (I did search the blog first, to no avail), but here goes: How long does high-quality furniture (H&M, Baker, etc.) typically last? I know some furniture can last centuries, but what about couches and other less-durable or more heavily used pieces?

Thanks for any advice... and thanks in advance for all of the great information I'll get over the coming weeks and months as we begin our furniture finding adventure.

NoVa Novice

[AZJoe]

Welcome. I myself was in your position a few short weeks ago. This forum will definitely help guide you through the process.

For starters in THIS thread Duane touches a few times on longevity. One note in particular is this:

Do I buy the inexpensive leather I can afford or get the costlier higher end leather I really want? I am asked this quite often. That answer is YOU have to decide after considering your budget in contrast to the overall lifespan of the piece. Lets say the sofa model you like is $ 2,500 in the manufacture's promotional leather, and $ 3,500 in the one you really like. Yes, you have to pay the extra $ 1,000 up front, but when you consider that the average lifespan before replacement is 25 years on the piece (if you keep it clean and out of the sunlight), then the leather you really want is costing you an additional $ 3 a month over the lifespan of the piece. I've had dozens of customers say to me a year or two later "I wish I had got the leather I really wanted but at the time it seemed like too much to spend". I have never had the first customer tell me "I wish I had gone with the cheaper leather and saved the money" when they ordered a more luxurious hide. So my recommendation is to buy what you can comfortably afford, but keep in mind it will be in your home for a long time given reasonable care.

Additionally in THIS thread duane touches on longevity again.

You're smart to invest in better furniture as the cost of ownership is actually lower over the lifespan of the piece vs cheaper furniture. I have many pieces in my own home approaching 25 years of age and still in very good service duty, I expect they will all go another 50 (maybe not in my house, because at some point you simply want a change). The best quality should go into the highest use room, usually the family room. If you have to decorate on a tight budget, same the cheaper pieces for the living room that is rarely used. Even mediocre quality goods will look decent over the years if no one uses them. Leather will outlast fabric 4 to 1 on average, one of the reasons why its so popular - and most everything wipes off it.

This is right inline with what another Hancock and Moore dealer told me, prior to talking to Duane.

Like anything else, it seems like longevity is directly related to how you treat it, care for it, and what it comes in contact with.

Here is my thread detailing my recent purchase. There may or may not be some helpful info in there too.
http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...ect-sectional!


Hope that helps some.

[drcollie]

Well-made furniture can, and does, last centuries. There are many pieces that are as old as America dating back to the early 1700's still in use today. Most folks get tired of looking at their pieces long before they wear out and simply want a change. Lifestyle affects longevity more than anything else. Whatever you buy (wood or upholstery) keep in mind that sunlight is the # 1 enemy...it fades everything and causes deterioration in fabrics. Second is keeping quantities of water away from things (i.e. standing water like basements flooding, or furniture subject to a heavy rainfall). Finally, just keep it clean and avoid harsh chemicals being used on pieces. Control those aspects and you will keep and maintain your pieces for a long time.

Stop by the store sometime if you're in the area, its very close to Historic Mt. Vernon VA

[NoVA Novice]

AZJoe and Duane, thank you very much for your quick and very helpful replies. That is exactly what I was trying to find out. I know there are a lot of variables, but when you are looking at the costs of furnishing an entire house it cushions the blow to know that the "good stuff" is a worthwhile investment. Thanks!

[drcollie]

The trick, unless you are wealthy, is to use a mix of old and new both mediocre and high quality. Its extremely difficult for the average person to furnish an entire home in high-quality goods, the costs simply explode when you do that. If you're a first round draft player for the NFL you can probably do that, but most everyone else (myself included) has to budget. What most my customers do is buy two to four high quality pieces a year. For the other pieces, they simply 'make do' with hand-me-downs or find incredible buys on Craigslist, etc. on pre-owned furniture. That way you build your collection slowly and its affordable. Over a period of 10 or 15 years, you can have your home very nicely furnished that way.

I've been doing this 26 years now, and I've had customers shopping with me that long as well - my regulars - and when I go in their homes I'm amazed to see all the older pieces I sold them back in the 80's and 90's! Things that were one of a kind, or no longer made and how good they look.

[AZJoe]

AZJoe and Duane, thank you very much for your quick and very helpful replies. That is exactly what I was trying to find out. I know there are a lot of variables, but when you are looking at the costs of furnishing an entire house it cushions the blow to know that the "good stuff" is a worthwhile investment. Thanks!

Believe me I am in the same boat. I just sold my house, and bought a new house, and am starting from scratch. It is a huge undertaking. Then after all the furniture, I need to buy paintings, accessories, wall decor, etc, etc. It never ends..lol Luckily this house is 1k sq/ft smaller, so it is far less to furnish.

I have most of the large purchases out of the way now. I just need to buy a few new barstools for the kitchen, and then possibly redo my office with a nice
sadler recliner/desk But I need to recoup first.

Good luck!

[wintersummer]

Several followup thoughts to this thread:

We are getting ready to replace two sofas, in preparation for downsizing and moving into retirement community. One item being replaced is a 30 year old leather Ethan Allen sofa, still in great condition. I'd say it has received average use. Just a Duane said, we're just tired of the style and are ready for something new. The other sofa is a 26 year old Century and the upholstery is wearing thin on seats and "piping" (not sure if that's what you call it, but the little roll at the edges of cushions) has worn through in places. This sofa has received heavier use. I am unsure if companies make the same quality of furniture that they did in years past, so it might not be of value to use these as examples.

We've made decision to invest in best quality product as possible for our replacement sofas and have settled on H&M. Now, we're just attempting to narrow down and select the style.

Again, as Duane mentioned, we're taking the approach of mixing high-and-low, old-and-new, and are looking at lots of consignment type stores for things like side tables, end tables, etc. I just find the older type (not antique, but classic) furniture so classy - almost like finding one-of-a-kind piece! We're not having great luck with finding things, but will keep on looking!

[NoVA Novice]

Duane, unfortunately, I was taken very, very low in the draft. So low, in fact, that they won't even let me buy season tickets.

Thankfully, my wife and I are rather minimalist (spacially, not as a design aesthetic) when it comes to furniture, and want to have enough room between pieces that we don't need to sidestep, step over, or swivel our bodies around anything in the house (our current situation and one of the many reasons for the new house).

AZJoe, it's quite an adventure, isn't it? We are just nailing down specifics and placing orders for appliances and some other mechanical aspects. Furniture, paintings, rugs, drapes/blinds, and all of the other interior stuff seems like a coming tidal wave, looming on the horizon and getting closer by the day. It's a great feeling to be able to craft the home and interior design that you want rather than working within a structure that someone else created, but it's rather daunting too.

Wintersummer, thanks for relaying your experiences. It sounds as though, from what I can gauge reading the responses above and in some other posts, that kind of quality is still available in the marketplace today. That is very comforting to know after having taken the "disposable" furniture route for so long.

Thanks to all.