Unfinished furniture

[Marjflowers]

Once upon a time, a working class family with dove children and few resources turned to unfinished furniture stores. This furniture, while utilitarian, was reasonably well made, and lasted forever. I have one bedroom that uses some of these "early attic" pieces. Fourteen years ago I painted them white.

I would now, or sometime in the future, like to replace the bed and the small chest of drawers. My problem is that I still want to use white furniture. The chest is the poorly made piece, and really has seen better days. The bed would be okay with some new rails, but I think I'd like something different. But whatever I get, I'd like to retain that "early attic" look. I don't want a Pottery Barn Kids looking bed. I've thought about a white iron bed. I also have white bookcases and storage unit that are particleboard with while laminate, and I'd like to get rid of those.

What suggestions to you have for furnishing this room that retains the "early attic" look with pieces that will be reasonably well made but on the inexpensive side. I miss the unfinished furniture stores! I don't mind painting furniture, although I'd rather not.

[wisejd]

I think today's newly-weds and/or new parents for their family, turn to IKEA due to the fact that Unfinished Furniture Stores are nowhere to be found in most cities. If you look at the IKEA selection they have some of the attributes that Unfinished Furniture once had. The difference is they are Scandinavian-Modern, but otherwise well made for long life and affordable. People either love or perhaps strongly dislike the simple, clean-lines and high tech fasteners. I enjoy looking at the 500 sq. ft. home built within the IKEA Stores or even the slightly larger ones as they have an innovative look. The sinks and bath cabinets as well as the kitchens are particularly efficient looking. My home is filled with what was once called Early American or Antique Furniture so I don't think I have a single IKEA piece, but my kids have a house full and they love it. Don't know if you are ready to consider Your New IKEA Room, but I thought I would draw the possibility.

[drcollie]

"Well made" and 'Inexpensive" really don't play nicely together, that's why you don't see this product out and about. And unfinished furniture by nature is going to be 'cheap' because of three reasons:

1) Most people looking for it want the absolute lowest price and that usually means some assembly.

2) Assembly must be easy which means joinery methods that are far less than ideal as it takes a trained woodworker to correctly put joints together. i.e, it will have less structural integrity.

3) Unfinished wood is highly unstable, subject to much wider ranges of movement than finished pieces. The finish actually seals wood and slows humidity absorption and loss. This means that tolerances must be much higher than normal to allow for this compression and expansion and that means less structural rigidity.

Another truth to this that when we sell a piece in 'white wood' to a customer, they cannot finish it for the same cost as the maker. They don't have access to the materials or the knowledge base and will go to Home Depot or Lowes to buy thei finishes and expect to get them on in a couple of coats, and that invariably leads to something that looks like it was done in their garage - and it was! The cost to finish is around 10% of the total price of a piece. Let's say you buy a Windsor chair that costs $ 500 finished, and $ 450 in white wood. You can't finish it for $ 50 and have anything approaching the maker's finish on it. Once in a while I will get an order for white wood furniture because someone wants to apply their own finish. I won't take the order on things like drop leaf tables or pencil post beds, because they warp in transit, I can almost guarantee it. And in 90% of all white wood orders I deliver, the customer is not happy with their end result.

[Marjflowers]

I think I just don't have the vocabulary for talking intelligently about furniture! I get that "well made" and " inexpensive" are mutually exclusive. And while I clearly prefer well made, for this particular room, I really am intentionally going for the "early attic" look -- random pieces that were used by just about every member of a couple of generations of family members, with multiple colors of different colors of paint to show it. It's been everything from that period when "antiquing" was in, to my 13-year-old passion for all things orange, to jet black preferred at one time by my brother. That's how my parents started setting up housekeeping 60 years ago, and most of the pieces are still around and in good, sturdy shape. All was bought at unfinished furniture stores that aren't around anymore. Unfortunately, with bunches of grandchildren, most of it has bypassed my generation as we were able to buy stuff of our own. I still have a bed and a bedside table that I was told was made from rock maple. And they are heavy as lead! While the bed needs new rails, it's in decent shape -- I just want something with straighter lines (and easier to paint). The chest I have was not so well made, and after 50-60 years, it's pretty much shot. It could be repaired, but it's just not worth the expense of having it done or my time to do it myself. The bedside table is the one piece I want to hang onto.

I'm definitely not looking for heirloom quality furniture. This particular room is very quirky, and fine furniture would look just weird. Because of the color scheme, white is the look I want. But stuff I find online, especially chest of drawers, look like nursery furniture. They're mostly made from pressboard, and they just look so....well, new. I'm thinking I might like an old iron bed, but I'm stumped on the chest of drawers. Probably I should go to some flea markets, but that's about as appealing to me as gum surgery.

I've never looked at IKEA -- I'll give it a shot.

[wisejd]

Marjiflowers, From the "Memories" Room that you describe, I don't think IKEA is going to fill the bill after all (unless the items you add will become your grandchildren's memory items). IkEA is going to look to you like integrated RV Furniture. You would definitely learn what the Scandinavian idea of "clean lines" is. If you want a relatively inexpensive Chest that has the "Period" look then go to Home Goods Stores. They will have it, but you won't have to finish it. Their Bedroom Chest of Drawers will be a copy of an earlier time and the finish will have the distressed paint to show it. However the piece will be brand spankin new and ready to place in your room. I can almost guarantee that even if you don't find that perfect Chest, you will buy something you will find a place for.

[Marjflowers]

You're right -- IKEA was not the idea. I've never been to a Home Goods, but there are two in Louisville -- about 2 1/2 hours away. And while I'm not crazy about the "distressed" look, I am all about not painting furniture myself!

Thos isn't a project for right now, but it's on the to do list -- where it's been for a while. I swear, I am nesting like a pregnant woman -- and it all started with ordering my Hancock and Moore recliner!

[Marjflowers]

And thanks for the suggestion. It will make a good road trip!

[vbnet]

My opinion on home goods store is it's a good cut above a TJ Max kind of store. You Will probably find something or several things you want to buy there (been there, done that!) and at great prices. Whether you find your chest the day you want it, well, that's another story. I tried to find a chair for decoration purposes, not heavy use. Tried going in weekly for 3 months (friend's recommendation). Gave up, ordered one. Guess what happened a couple months later. Could've saved a bundle. Big bundle. But like I said, if you have somthing in particular in mind.... Wayfair online, hayneedle, joss & main might give you options. Quality will be a risk, but sometimes there are reviews on the piece and you can always try asking a question of the reviewer. I'm just mentioning it because you said HG is 2 + hours away. Definitely go at least once but combine it with something else in case you don't strike gold. Be prepared though, you might have wayyy to much fun in there. It can go either way.

[drcollie]

"Home Goods" and TJ Max are the same group, same owners and they have virtually the same product lineup. My just-out-of-college daughter shops there and takes me with her. I cringe, I cringe!

[Marjflowers]

I'm sure you do!!!

Anyway, that bedroom (which would probably also make you cringe!) is way, way down the list. The purchase of my recliner set into motion a cascade of other purchases -- I'm getting a sofa table and end table this week, and bookcase hopefully mid-August. I've since ordered new wood blinds and a new light fixture made by an artisan in Mexoco. Most absurd, but oh, so cool, is a $25 switch plate! Also, a small table has been refinished and ready to pick up.

Next year's project is to figure out what I want on the other side of the room that will hold my TV and related equipment and oversized books.

Now if I can persuade the landlord to replace the carpet (I'm not optimistic) and paint the ceilings ( slightly more optimistic), my living room will be just perfect! Well, except for the leather throw pillows and upholstered pillows I can make myself. And THEN it will be perfect. Unless............

And to think -- all I wanted was a comfortable recliner that wouldn't fall apart in 5 years!