Im an idiot and bought furniture
09-08-2007, 11:59 AM
#65
the highpoint market dates moved a little bit this past year. i know the fall market is the first week of october. i'll be there pre-market this month to set up some prototypes. it will be my first time back in norf cakalacky since i moved out here...i might just decide to stay there.
usually the following 3-5 weeks after the markets, the showroom samples start showing up in the clearance stores. there are a few of them. i don't remember the names, but they are like multiple-floors and they have different stores in them.
my tastes lean towards modern, so that style can sometimes be a little hard to find. traditional and transitional styles are everywhere there.
there is a huge furniture mall in hickory, nc. the prices are ok, but not really that great.
i lived in charlotte, which is pretty different from highpoint, but i still miss NC altogether.
i'm the worst person to go furniture hunting with because i'll practically disassemble the piece if i can. salespeople don't know ****, so understanding what makes a piece of furniture good is paramount.
on a tangent, i HIGHLY recommend spending a few extra bucks on a good office chair. particularly those of you who have office jobs. it can save you a lot of pain later on. i bought an aeron chair while working for herman miller. i've had it 10 years and it's still as comfortable as the day i bought it. i have brought it to 3 different jobs now. if you're going to be ditting at work a lot, you better be correctly comfortable.
usually the following 3-5 weeks after the markets, the showroom samples start showing up in the clearance stores. there are a few of them. i don't remember the names, but they are like multiple-floors and they have different stores in them.
my tastes lean towards modern, so that style can sometimes be a little hard to find. traditional and transitional styles are everywhere there.
there is a huge furniture mall in hickory, nc. the prices are ok, but not really that great.
i lived in charlotte, which is pretty different from highpoint, but i still miss NC altogether.
i'm the worst person to go furniture hunting with because i'll practically disassemble the piece if i can. salespeople don't know ****, so understanding what makes a piece of furniture good is paramount.
on a tangent, i HIGHLY recommend spending a few extra bucks on a good office chair. particularly those of you who have office jobs. it can save you a lot of pain later on. i bought an aeron chair while working for herman miller. i've had it 10 years and it's still as comfortable as the day i bought it. i have brought it to 3 different jobs now. if you're going to be ditting at work a lot, you better be correctly comfortable.
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09-10-2007, 05:05 PM
#66
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Join Date: Oct 2004
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kung fu, you still in Irvine? or you in charlotte full time?
i just went thru the furniture shopping pains last month. we ended up getting SE Asia knock-off bedroom furniture for < $700. didn't have the heart to pull the trigger for american made stuff while still living in an apartment...
bonus: got the fiance to pay for it all. FTW!
i just went thru the furniture shopping pains last month. we ended up getting SE Asia knock-off bedroom furniture for < $700. didn't have the heart to pull the trigger for american made stuff while still living in an apartment...
bonus: got the fiance to pay for it all. FTW!
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09-10-2007, 05:30 PM
#67
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a friend of mine who works at Leather Creations got himself a made in asia dining room set for real cheap. It was incredibly nice! I thought it was a $8-10k set, he got it for $1k plus some freight charges.
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09-11-2007, 01:12 AM
#70
tony, i'm in irvine. trying to find another job to relocate back to NC or GA, though. i have time on my side.
some things to be aware of in asian furniture:
"solid wood" usually means rubber wood or an amalgamation of wood pieces with a wood veneer from a local species.
"leather" from asia is usually water buffalo. if it feels REALLY soft and has a fine grain, it may be pig leather.
with the exception of taiwan and japan, most aisian metal furniture is garbage with a metalurgy of highly suspect integrity.
ever notice that "smell" when you walk into Ashley furniture, world market, pier one, or other purveyors of imported furniture? that, my friends, is a urea based wood finish. urea from the processing of livestock. not legal to manufacture here, ok to import on finished goods.
small notice...some states are going to require the sale of some furniture manufactured from particle board to move to the new "E1" board. it doesn't contain formaldehyde. england and a few other european countries already have implemented this. E1 board is considerably more costly that typical partical board. i would expect to see a jump in RTA furniture products.
fun fact: besides china, italy exports more furniture to the US than any other country. not just leather, but solid hardwood furniture.
typical markup on furniture is 300-500% over cost...including the crap you buy at the bigbox stores.
a well-made sofa or chair can last over 20 years with regular use. reupholstering is often the best way to refresh a look. the frame is what's really important.
some things to be aware of in asian furniture:
"solid wood" usually means rubber wood or an amalgamation of wood pieces with a wood veneer from a local species.
"leather" from asia is usually water buffalo. if it feels REALLY soft and has a fine grain, it may be pig leather.
with the exception of taiwan and japan, most aisian metal furniture is garbage with a metalurgy of highly suspect integrity.
ever notice that "smell" when you walk into Ashley furniture, world market, pier one, or other purveyors of imported furniture? that, my friends, is a urea based wood finish. urea from the processing of livestock. not legal to manufacture here, ok to import on finished goods.
small notice...some states are going to require the sale of some furniture manufactured from particle board to move to the new "E1" board. it doesn't contain formaldehyde. england and a few other european countries already have implemented this. E1 board is considerably more costly that typical partical board. i would expect to see a jump in RTA furniture products.
fun fact: besides china, italy exports more furniture to the US than any other country. not just leather, but solid hardwood furniture.
typical markup on furniture is 300-500% over cost...including the crap you buy at the bigbox stores.
a well-made sofa or chair can last over 20 years with regular use. reupholstering is often the best way to refresh a look. the frame is what's really important.
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