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Topo Table Gives Your Meals A Landscape - SendMeRSS

Topo Table Gives Your Meals A Landscape

The Topo table doesn't look like any other table because it isn't made like any other table. Topos are created using plastic inserts formed over rocks that are dropped into the table. Each one is...

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Do You Like to Read While Sitting? Good News...

The Furniture Guy...always on the look out for cool and unusual to go with discount furniture...found this recently. Check out the chair that doubles as a bookcase. Two for one furniture is always fun because of the imagined space saving, conversation, and "cool" factor. I mean how cool is this thing? Count the furniture guy as a fan of this little piece. Here's to this showing up in local furniture stores soon!Hope you enjoy this.........The Furniture Guy

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Furniture from Weapons a New One for The Furniture Guy

From cambodia, the Furniture Guy brings you a blog where the writer talks about this furniture from weapons movement. I am not sure these are something I would want in my home, and as affordable furniture goes, Im not sure these would qualify, but you gotta love the creativity. Plus, I do have to admit that this is definitely a more peaceful use of weapons and a creative use of furniture! Enjoy it... I know THe Furniture Guy enjoys finding the unusual furniture articles and examples for readers. Hope This Helps......The Furniture Guy

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Patio Furniture Materials: Part 1, Aluminum

There are so many different styles of patio furniture out there, that the discount furniture shopper can nearly always find something that is right for him or her. However, discount patio furniture shopping is about more than just personal taste; it is also about finding the right material for your climate and your patio furniture needs. Today, in part 1, The Furniture Guy will take a quick peak at the pros and cons of Aluminum as a patio furniture material.

The Pros of Aluminum Patio Furniture

Aluminum patio furniture is, first and foremost, very easy to clean. With simple soap and water, you can keep Aluminum patio furniture looking bright and clean. Additionally, it is light weight, which makes it easy to move and easy to maintain. Finally, aluminum is a great patio furniture material because it does not rust. That means no worries when those summer rain showers come calling and no concerns about morning dew not trying quickly enough for those of you in humid climates.

The Cons of Aluminum Patio Furniture

The biggest con is also one of those pros, believe it or not: the aluminum patio furniture is light weight. If you live somewhere with a lot of wind, that means you may have to find a way to secure it or simply try a different material. Additionally, certainly types of aluminum patio furnitrue are mass produced and machine assembled, which means that they can sometimes look sloppy up close. Of course, if you are all about price point and value (and many of US are), then such small flaws in appearance are not that big of a deal.

All in all, as with many other materials, Aluminum is right for some but not all people. Stay tuned over the next few posts as The Furniture Guy looks at other materials for your discount patio furniture.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Cool Sofa

Before we get to tomorrow's patio furniture post, I wanted to share a cool sofa I found during one of my daily internet surfs. Furniture is one of those things that seems to just recycle looks over and over again. This one, though, with its modern style, takes a look we have all seen and then adds the twist of an interesting conversion. Additionally, and this is a rare thing to find in the world of furniture, the price is not awful. Check it out and let me know what you think about this convertable sofa.

Patio Furniture Season!

Here at the Furniture Guy headquarters, we had a sunny day of nearly 70F on Saturday which brought to me, along with thoughts of golf and softball, a realization that patio furniture season is here. Though not necessarily disposable, many consumers treat patio furniture as if it almost is as such...buying cheap patio furniture sets, letting them rot in the snow and ice, and then buying new cheap patio furniture.

That leads me to March and discount furniture stores' patio furniture offerings.

Over the next few days and or weeks, I'd like to dedicate some time to patio furniture in general as well as discount patio furniture. Starting tomorrow, I will offer up the first taste with a bit on patio furniture materials as well as patio furniture care. Patio furniture stays outside the better part of the year, so it is important to understand what it is made of and how to care for it.

Before I let you go, I wanted to pass along this video. Let me clarify, though, that the company behind it is NOT a Furniture Guy sponsor. The video just gets me in that spring time, patio furniture type mood with the music and the images. Plus, if you are thinking of buying patio furniture this spring, the looks can be inspiring. Just to cover here, though, I will plan to do a review of the site in the coming weeks. I usually try to avoid the videos that are furniture store commercials (no matter how funny), but I just like the music and feel of this.

Finally, I would enjoy answering any questions you want to send along via the link to the right side of the page here "Contact the Furniture Guy." Drop me the email and I will be happy to answer questions as well. A side note: last year I could not have made such an offer, but the increase in Furniture Guy readership and participation via comments and/or emails has been great!

Hope this helps and that the next few weeks help you make those outdoor and patio furniture purchases that will help you truly enjoy the warm weather.

The Furniture Guy

Amazing: Grow Your Own Furniture!

I guess that when it comes to discount furniture, there is not better way to save a few bucks than to grow the furniture in your back yard. I had seen this stuff before, but on this site you get a great look at this furniture that is not built but rather is grown. Practical? I have no idea, but it is cool and in addition to giving you furniture shopping tips and discount furniture resources, the furniture guy enjoys showing you flat out cool furniture. I can't be the only one who thinks growing furniture from the ground is cool, can I? I wonder if you could grow these furniture pieces in pots and then actually use them indoors for real furniture purposes? Something to consider I suppose.Hope you enjoy this.........The Furniture Guy

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Lego Furniture?

I know I know, the furniture guy has been missing for several days. Call it life getting in the way of hobby, but I am back. I wanted to offer you up another piece of cool furniture to check out. After all, if the furniture guy is going to come back with a fury it may as well be a video.

Check out this cool furniture. This is the ultimate in RTA furniture as far as I am concerned. I have no idea bout price, once again, but would love to hear from anyone who has any of this stuff.

Hope you enjoy!
The FUrnture Guy

The Ikea Hackers

Furniture can certainly be a display of innovation and creativity. Check out this NYtimes article about being innovative with furniture and using what you have to fashion what you need. In fact, yours truly just built a simple desk rather than buying one. I now have a piece of furniture that is customized to our space, that matches our colors in the room, and cost a lot less than purchasing what we would have wanted/needed. Though I think furniture stores and furniture shopping are great, sometimes it is just about what you can do. So check this out and I will be back soon to talk about more online furniture shopping and furniture sites I have visited lately......hope you enjoy...The Furniture Guy

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Normal Room -- A Photograph Gallery of Rooms From Around the World

In terms of furniture, this is a really fascinating site if you ask me. Though I generally try to add to the site things that will help furniture consumers, I do occasionally feel it is important to share other sites. This one consists of photos of the interior furnishings of homes around the world. You can see how the homes of people are furnished in everyplace from Russia to England. I found it enjoyable to see what designs and furniture pieces people from all over the world were putting in their homes. If you have a chance, check it out...it is an eye-opener....Hope you enjoy it....The Furniture Guy

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Your Furniture Salesperson

When you go to shop for discount furniture or even for high end furniture, you will likely have to deal with a furniture salesperson. Though many people dread working with a commissioned furniture salesperson, it doesn’t have to be a bad experience at all. In fact, if you handle it the right way, your furniture salesperson can be a real asset in your search for furniture value and a good overall furniture experience.

Be Prepared

The fear or dread in most people about furniture salespeople is that they will somehow try to rip them off. While I would argue that for most furniture sales people this is not something on their agenda, there are ways to ensure that doesn’t have to be a worry for you.

For one, make sure you are prepared. The more you know about furniture basics, the less you have to worry about misinformation. So continue reading The Furniture Guy, educating yourself, and being as much of an expert as you can.

Secondly, and this seems most important to me, make sure you know what you want from your salesperson going in. Do you want he or she to simply write an order? If that is the case, let the salesperson know up front that you don’t want advice or any information. You are going to shop on your own and then call them when you are ready to place an order. If he or she cannot accept and respect that, then it is time to find a new salesperson or new store.

Be Comfortable

Finally, make sure you have a level of comfort. If you are not comfortable with your salesperson, then the experience will never be a good one. It is fine to ask for someone else or simply to leave and return another time.

For Me…

When I was working both in sales and as a manager for a discount furniture retailer, I know that I was never trying to “take” someone. In fact, a negative experience by a customer was way to costly to me in time, money, and energy to want that. Additionally, the commission was never high enough that I cared whether someone spent $300 or $500. I simply wanted happy customers who would send their friends to me.

So don’t be afraid for your furniture salesperson. Instead, look at him or her as an asset in your search for quality furniture. He or she should know about the pieces, their origin, and what is going to give you the best bang for your buck. A good one will at least be able to get answers to questions you have the he or she can’t answer on the spot. Use your salesperson to enjoy your furniture shopping experience, not to dread it.

New Sleep Pods Recliners for Powernapping

I am not sure this is so much for your house, but it is cool as anything. Recliners get a bad rapp sometimes, but this things is great! It is essentially a chair/pod thing that is made for powernapping. I gather from the information on the site that it is basically spa furniture or lounge furniture. I guess, though, if you are wealthy (not generally the demographic of the Furniture Guy), you might throw one in the home office! Either way, it is not discount furniture but it is definitely cool furniture. Hope you enjoy.........The Furniture Guy

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How to Find Quality Discount Leather Furniture

A few days ago, I posted some information on what discount leather furniture was and where it comes from. Once you know that, though, there is still the little issue of actually finding quality discount leather furniture. It is not always easy to do and once you find some leather furniture at a discount, you are still stuck with figuring out whether or not it is of high quality. To that end, consider some of these techniques for finding quality discount leather furniture near your home or even on the internet.

Compare Prices

First of all, you have to figure out what price point qualifies as discount when it comes to leather furniture. The price can actually vary depending on the market, the demand, and the furniture store competition in your area. So before you even worry about the quality of the leather furniture, find out where the price points are in your market; look at ads in the paper, watch tv commercials, check out local store websites, and visit the stores you think are most likely to offer the best prices. Be sure to not only compare identical items, but also like items since many stores intentionally avoid carrying the same brands or models as their competition (easy to claim lowest prices that way).

Ask Around

Aside from checking out leather furniture prices in the area yourself, you also should ask around. Ask friends and family who have purchased leather furniture. Additionally, talk with the salespeople at the stores to find out where the furniture comes from, and about what they know regarding their store’s pricing. If you find the right person and have the right vibe with them, furniture salespeople can be incredibly honest about what their store is doing (after all, it affects their income just like the store’s).

Once You Find the Prices

Once you have the pricing down, it is time to make sure the discount leather furniture offers some value. So how do you know if it is quality discount leather furniture? You ask, you test, and you research.

Ask:
Ask your sales person what type of leather is on the pieces. Top grain is all you should really want. No matter the finish, top grain is the thickest and most durable type of leather. Splits will wear faster and are generally considered to be a lower quality. The only exception would be if you get a top grain/split match piece where the lower quality leather is only on the sides and back of the leather furniture. These can work well if all else is good.

Additionally, ask about the frame (only hardwoods please), the warranties, and the brand.

Find out if you are working with an import or name brand. If it is a name brand, you can kick in your research. If not, it is not a sign it is bad, but you will just have to make sure you feel good about the piece.

Finally, ask about the return policy of the store. Whether it is online furniture or a physical plant store, the return policy will determine just how confident you are going to feel. Additionally, many stores do not mention the return policy unless you ask (in fact, we were not allowed or supposed to mention it where I worked).

Test:
Reach under the piece and feel the frame thickness. Does it feel thick and heavy? Also, pinch the leather and feel the thickness and durability of it. You can tell a lot about leather and wood both by simply taking the time to feel it and test it. Finally, sit on the piece, bounce on it a little, and see how the floor model looks. Remember, the floor model is a good indicator of what your piece may look like after thousands of sittings, jumps, and abuses by friends and family.

Click here for an article about shopping for a sofa. These same ideas apply to checking out your leather furniture.

Research:
If you are dealing with a name brand, research it online. Most furniture manufacturers have a website. Additionally, check out the store’s ratings online with a consumer site. A search on a company will often give you every negative comment or complaint they have gotten. Those “complaint” sites know how to market to google and you can bet the searches are easy to make. If not, drop The Furniture Guy a note and I will be happy to help with your research.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Living Furniture?

Check out this interactive furniture. According to the article, this furniture will react to things like mood and weight. Essentially it is like a mood ring for your behind. If you do check it out, you will notice that this is not exactly furniture for your home. Instead, it seems to be targeted at public places like airports and clubs. Either way, though, the furniture guy tries to pass along cool furniture and cool furnishing concepts as he becomes aware of them. This just happens to be one of those. I will be back later today or tomorrow with the promised follow up to the post a few days ago, but until then enjoy the thought of furniture in your home that is alive. Seems cool to me!....Hope you enjoy it....The Furniture Guy

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Kids' Tetris Furniture

Sometimes furniture can be fun. Check out this furniture based on the video game, Tetris. My only question is this: if you make a line in the furniture does it disappear and allow the other pieces to fall? Either way, sometimes cool furniture is cool furniture and I have to share it. I will be back later on with a "real" post about discount leather furniture. Hope you enjoy this.....The Furniture Guy

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Is There Really Such a Thing as Quality Discount Leather?

Discount furniture is definitely the name of the game right now. In a struggling economy and falling housing market, US consumers, as a general rule, do not want to drop tens of thousands of dollars on the furniture for one room. In fact, a quick peak at sales around the world will tell the story that most furniture shoppers are interested in discount furniture.

In my personal furniture experience, though, there is more to it than just getting discount furniture. The key for most furniture buyers is value; that is, discount furniture needs to also provide a certain level of quality and style.

When it comes to both quality and style, there is little out there that matches leather. Leather furniture offers the ultimate in both durability and cleanability (is that a word? Oh well, it is now). At the same time, leather is stylish and offers flexibility in terms of what can be used with it.

So can the two come together?
Is there such a thing as true quality discount leather furniture?

Believe it or not, the answer is a resounding yes.

How can discount leather furniture exist when my leather jacket cost over $300?

Good question. The fact is that I have no idea about the manufacturing process involved in leather jackets. On the other hand, I am quite familiar with leather furniture and why the prices of it continue to fall or at least have over the last decade or so.

First of all, you need to know that any discount leather furniture you purchase is going to come from outside the United States. Even US companies like Ashley and Lane get most of their leather furniture from overseas to some degree or another. If you want to buy only US made leather furniture, that is noble; you just need to know that you are going to pay for it.

Where does discount leather furniture come from?

Most of the discount leather furniture out there originates, to some degree, from China. In many cases, a small factory in China will specialize in one piece of furniture; say, a leather sofa. They will get really efficient at making that one leather sofa, crank them out rapidly, and then allow US retailers to buy them and import them under their own brand names. You end up with a $500 leather sofa that would cost three times that if made in the US.

The other way the leather comes here is through what is called a cut and sew program. In such a program, a factory in china will specialize in only making the leather covering of a certain sofa. They will cut the leather and sew it into the shape needed for the sofa frame. The cut and sewn piece is then shipped to the US (or Australia or Great Britain, etc) to be placed over a sofa that is completely ready except for the leather covering.

And This is Quality Discount Leather Furniture?

It can be. Like any other type of furniture, you have to do your homework. Feel the leather, ask about it (you definitely want top grain leather), and sit on it to be sure. There are good pieces of discount leather furniture as well as high quality discount leather furniture pieces all over the place.

In my own home, I have a leather Ashley sofa (retail $669) and leather vinyl match recliner (retail $599) in my family room that would definitely qualify as “discount leather furniture.” It has held up well under the assault of two dogs, two cats, and a pair of kids. However, there are imported discount leather furniture pieces out there that are not good, so again, make sure you do your homework.

Hopefully this helps you gain a little better understanding of where discount leather furniture comes from and why it is possible to get real leather at a great price. Tomorrow I will be back to give you helpful tips on both finding quality discount leather furniture and making sure it carries the value that you desire.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Check out my favorite used furniture site!

Cool Pieces of Transformable, Convertible & Collapsible Furniture [PICS]

For the most part, the Furniture Guy writes a lot about practical, discount furniture. That is because my background is discount and practical furniture. When I saw this list of cool urban decor pieces, though, I had to share it. Though this may not qualify...or certainly does not qualify...as discount furniture, it definitely qualifies as cool furniture. If you like the idea of space saving furniture in that modern urban look, then you are going to love these pieces. Even if you are not ready to go out and drop the cash for this type of furniture, you owe it to yourself to at least check it out. I really feel like discount furniture and all other types are headed in the direction of space saving and convenience...Hope this helps...The Furniture Guy

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Review: Houston Online Furniture

The Furniture Guy is picky, as you know, about online furniture retailers. In general, I just feel like they are difficult to trust at times. With that said, I have found one, thanks to another reader, that I really like! While nobody is perfect, Houston Online Furniture does a great job of avoiding the pitfalls that generally infect online furniture retailers.

Before I get into the ins and outs of Houston Online Furniture, I want to point out that though it is primarily marketed as a Houston furniture store, Houston Online Furniture delivers furniture across the US. In fact, I will point out what I like about their delivery later on.

So with that said, let’s get to the ins and outs of this fine little site.

What I like:

Staying Streamlined: When you visit Houston Online Furniture, it does not take long to notice that they have a limited selection of furniture. While many might look at selection as a criteria for great sites, I like the fact that this Houston furniture store has chosen to stick with what they know and what they can handle best for their customers.

Pricing on the Site: If you visit many if not most online furniture sites, you will find that they do not show pricing on the site. Instead, most will make you phone them once you have placed your order. These furniture sites give a variety of reasons for making you call (our prices are so low that the mfr insists we not show online, our low prices change so often in an effort to have the best price, etc), but frankly I rarely buy into what they are saying. Houston Online Furniture, on the other hand, has their pricing right there with the product.

Easy to Find Policies: The Houston Online Furniture site is simple. This little Houston furniture store site is setup with only a handful of pages. The most important of those on any furniture site are the policies. This site offers separate links to their warranty information, their in-state delivery, and their out of state delivery.

Delivery: Houston Online Furniture does not try to overreach here and I think that is the key. They use FedEx as a way to delivery your furniture. That way, you know what you are paying for, they are leaving the delivery to delivery experts, and you know they can get the furniture to you wherever you live. Seems simple to me, and yet most online furniture stores would try to get complicated and sell you delivery instead of furniture.

What I don’t like:

My only real complaint with Houston Furniture Online is that they offer no real warranty on their products through the manufacturer or themselves. However, they do make that readily known to their users. Additionally, they make it clear that you have a 3 day window to determine if you want to keep your furniture. Since nobody is perfect, I think this is something I can concede on enough to recommend the site.

If any of the Furniture Guy Readers out there use this site, I would love to hear what you thought. Email me at the contact The Furniture Guy link or comment on this post.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Furniture Made From Airplanes Lets Your Social Life Take Off

Check this stuff out: it is furniture made from airplane parts. This is one of those things I saw and read about that I just thought I would share. I really no nothing more than what is on this site, but it seems pretty cool. Would be a really good furniture gift for the aviator or aviation lover in the family or in your life huh? I have a buddy that I know I am sending this off to; he is a huge fan of all things aviation and would love nothing more than a propeller martini table for his living room. Anyway, I know the furniture guy has been away a while, but I will be back later on with a real post. Also, stay tuned to The Furniture Guy for a couple of upcoming reviews of websites I have really enjoyed. Maybe buying furniture online is worthwhile after all! Anyway, hope you enjoy this and hope this all helps....The Furniture Guy

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Paint Your Furniture?

From time to time, the Furniture Guy likes to give you a heads up on something weird or interesting in the furniture industry. The video below represents one of those times.

This upholstry spray paint is apparently available in Australia. I will be emailing this to some of my furniture friends, though, to find out if there is any chance of it coming to the US. Sure, I have questions just like any other furniture shopper, but if it works well at all it would be a great way to refresh the look of an old sofa. I also envision this as being particularly popular in frat houses on college campuses; can you imagine? Painting your furniture a new color for each party?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video...I found it fascinating (mainly because the finished product looks pretty even and makes the sofa look nice). Let me know what you think...feel free to comment or to contact the furniture guy at the link on the right side of the page.

Enjoy it!
The Furniture Guy

Free Furniture Contests: If You Win Furniture, Who Needs Discounts?

It's election time, as I'm sure we all know by now, which put The Furniture Guy in the mood to think about winning.

Additionally:

I was thinking about the idea of discount furniture and that fact that the ultimate in discount furniture is free furniture. Obviously, though, The Furniture Guy is not able to provide a whole lot in the way of free furniture sources. Then I realized that there are always contests for everything going on, so why not share some contests where they could win Free Furniture?

Everyone wants free furniture, right?

So with that in mind, here are a few I was able to find that may be worth a look for you. I tried to avoid too much that was just local only because most of my readers are spread out (based on my hit tracker), so if you check them out you will likely be able to enter no matter where you live.

FURNITURE CONTESTS

Ugly couch contest

Furniture Design contest

Furniture photo contest

Furniture sweepstakes

Thomasville sweepstakes

Lane sweepstakes

Basic furniture sweepstakes

Bassett Furniture sweepstakes

Obviously if you win a bunch of money or a bunch of free furniture, promotion of The Furniture Guy would be encouraged. One day, all of us over here would like to quit our day jobs. Until then, though, Hope this Helps:

The Furniture Guy

Check out my favorite used furniture site.

Cleaning Microfiber Sofa

I was recently out and about online: checking message boards, reading blogs, and generally seeing what I could see. Anyway, I ended up answering a question at Yahoo Answers about furniture that works best for people with children.

The answser was two main materals: leather and microfiber. While I have spend a lot of time on this blog talking about leather and leather care, I have not spent a whole lot of time on microfiber care. While microfiber is, of course, wonderfully stain resistant, you still need to be able to clean it.

To that end, I thought I would share this video. It is a video from Ashley, but the information is good for all microfiber furniture.

Remember, there is no such thing as perfect furniture or perfectly stain resistant furniture. However, if you know how to properly care for it and know how to properly clean it, microfiber is just about as close as furniture gets.

Good Furniture Shopper REsource

Whether you are planning to buy discount furniture or high end pieces, you know that The Furniture GUy puts a lot of emphasis on being prepared before you buy. One of my number one rules is measure and plan and measure and plan.

A nice resource I found is this room planner. It allows you to plan out a room and see how much space you are going to have. This can be a nice first step in planning your purchase. Beyond that, you will need to measure doorways and hallways to make sure furniture can spin, turn, and be walked everywhere it needs to. Then, once in the store, make sure your furniture sales rep helps you with accurate measurements and information that will help you have a smooth delivery.

I will be back later with more.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Video for Wood Discount Furniture Care

Since we are spending a few days here on, specifically, discount furniture, I thought I should keep my eyes open for useful videos and resources for caring for that furniture. Discount furniture, even of the best quality, needs to be cared for. Upkeep is important for the longevity of any piece of furniture, but with discount furniture it becomes even more crucial.

This video is a DIY video about veneer repair. As you know, veneers are a necessity with wood furniture, but on occasion there will be seperation or splitting. Being able to repair such problems can go a long way in helping you keep that discount furniture piece looking new longer.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Finding Discount Furniture Locally

Now that thanks to yesterday’s post, hopefully you know what questions to ask once you find discount furniture that you want to make sure is of good quality. However, there is still that little problem of FINDING the discount furniture in the first place. Today, we can start with just what you can do locally. Online discount furniture is a whole other market, and you may want to look where you can touch and see the furniture in person anyway. Here are a few tips, then, that can help you find not only discount furniture, but also hopefully quality discount furniture.

Check Local Discount Furniture Retailers:

The first place to look is on your TV, in your local paper, and on local websites. Most every major metropolitan market has a variety of discount furniture retailers selling new discount furniture. How, though, do you know who is really a discount retailer? Start off shopping by price, then use your questions and intuition…as well as the Furniture Guy…to determine whether or not they are a quality discount retailer.

Watch your paper, especially during holidays and big weekends, for doorbuster items at local retailers. Doorbusters are a discount furniture retailer staple. They are usually limited availability items that are sold at very low prices. They are often small pieces (hope chests, RTA furniture pieces, and maybe even the occasional small dinette set. The whole point is to put them near the front, advertise them well, price them very low, and get you, the customer, into the store. Where I worked, we usually actually took a loss in profit on doorbusters. That alone is a reason to keep an eye out for them when you need small discount furniture pieces.

Additionally, to make sure you are seeing the right dealers, watch the papers and TV ads to see that the prices really are as low as the screaming guy on the tv says. Compare like items (you don’t always have to compare “apples to apples” if you are going to be looking at the furniture in person since local stores rarely carry the same manufacturers. It is easier to advertise “price matching” that way).

If you are unsure, you can ask around about the experiences people you know have had with local discount furniture stores (in fact, you can use such word of mouth inquiry for all discount furniture hunting you do). Additionally, make a quick call to your local BBB or check their website to make sure there are no glaring problems with the retailer.

Watch Your Local Classifieds for Discount and Used Furniture

Your local paper undoubtedly is loaded with classified ads. Just make it part of your daily routine to check out “for sale” items. You know: sip your coffee, eat your toast, read the sports, and then check out the classifieds. From time to time you will may stumble on a wonderful used piece at a great price.

Used furniture is the ultimate in discount furniture. Used furniture that is local is easy to visit and check out. You can feel it, see it, and check the condition so that you know it is quality discount furniture.

Check the REAL Message Boards

Many supermarkets and big chain retail non-furniture stores have local posting bulletin boards. Watch them for yard sales featuring furniture and individual pieces people are looking to unload. You can get some deeply discounted furniture that way as well!

Check LOCAL Websites

Before we venture into how to find quality discount furniture online, we are talking local. There is, though, always the hybrid of the local website. Do a quick search or keep your “ears open” for local message boards or sites that may offer used items, such as furniture, for sale.

Check out this discount furniture shopping advice from an earlier post!

Start Your Search for Discount Furniture, and Bring at least 3 Little Questions

I know that when I was being advised about job interviews back in college, I was told to always ask questions. Strangely enough, I think that the quality discount furniture shopping process is not all that different from a job interview in that you should come with questions. Finding discount furniture is easy, but finding quality discount furniture takes some work. In the end, though, the work is worth it; you will end up saving money and still have quality pieces to decorate your living room, bedroom, or dining room.

Going back to what I said before, though, one thing you need as you start your quest for quality discount furniture is a list of questions – a list of the right questions. Once you have found a piece or two that have the aesthetic you are looking for and a price you like, it is time to ask yourself, the salesperson, your BBB, or anyone you can get a reliable answer from the questions on your list (you can even ask The Furniture Guy with his new contact form on the upper right hand part of the blog and I will give you a reliable answer if I have access to the information). Having trouble coming up with your list of quality discount furniture questions? Why it just so happens I have 3 recommendations for you below:

1. What is the construction of this piece like?

If you find a piece that looks the way you want (color and style) and is the right price, you have definitely found your discount furniture, but the next step is to decide if it is quality discount furniture. Find out what types of woods are used,what types of foam are used in the cushions, etc etc. If you aren’t sure what answers you should be looking for, The Furniture Guy has a few posts in the history that can help:

-8 Way Hand Tied vs. Pirelli Webbing in a sofa

-What to look for in wood furniture: solids and veneers

-Selecting a sofa (some duplicate info from the 8 way hand tied and Pirelli webbing post)

2. Why is this piece so much less expensive than others I have seen that are similar?

So you found a piece that you suspect may just be quality discount furniture. Again, if it is the price you like and the look you like, then you may just be right. However, like in question 1, the part that is often most difficult is determining if the piece is well made, determining if it is a quality piece. If the piece is used, the answer is often obvious, and that is certainly a good way to come up with a piece of quality discount furniture. The answer you are looking for is basically one that does not include anything that implies the piece might be made of less than quality materials. However, good answers might include that the store takes lower margins on their furniture (many furniture retailers use a formula of (cost + shipping) X 2 = retail price), it might be that the store buys for themselves in bulk and thus get lower prices themselves, or it could even be that the store cuts costs somewhere else (delivery, commissions, floor space, etc.).

3. Does this piece of furniture come with a warranty or any sort of guarantee?

When you buy discount furniture, you are likely going to be told that it is quality discount furniture. When in doubt, though, make sure the seller is putting up to prove it. Ask about warranties, repairs, guarantees from the store, the manufacturer, or anyone else. While you may not always be able to get a straight answer on what is inside the furniture, you should make sure that you have recourse for taking care of problems. Warranties and guarantees are good since they are in print and often legally binding.

While there are plenty of other questions you will likely have and that you could ask that would help you feel better about your quality discount furniture purchase, these three should give you a pretty good idea about what you are getting. So with that said, I will be adding posts in the near future about finding quality discount furniture in the first place and then, of course, I will make sure I review how to care for your discount furniture.

I know this was a long one, but I still hope it helps,

The Furniture Guy

Good Video for Discount Wood Furniture Shopper

Oh how The Furniture Guy loves a good furniture video!

Actually, this one is going up because if we are going to start delving into more information on QUALITY discount furniture.

As you may or may not remember, The Furniture Guy site has looked at wood used to build discount furniture as well as the myths surrounding solids and veneers. In this video, Paul Schulman, a furniture maker, demonstrates and reinforces what I have written in the past about wood used in furniture. Frankly, though, Mr. Schulman does it better than The Furniture Guy did (plus, he has a video and a cool looking shop).

Notice the subtle differences between particle board and MDF. OFten times, uneducated furniture shoppers think they are the same thing. Additionally, there is good reinforcement that there is still a myth out there about solid wood furniture ALWAYS being better. As Mr. Schulman points out, it just really depends on what it is used for, and I would add where it is used.

Enjoy the video and as always, I hope this helps,

The Furniture Guy

DIY Cardboard Furniture - The Definition of Discount Furniture

When I talk about discount furniture, I am usually talking about the Ashley Furniture and Guildcrafts of the world. This, though, when I saw it, struck me as the ultimate in discount furniture. This guy, apparently an architect, has put together blueprints that you can print out for free and use to fold pieces of cardboard into furniture for kids. Per the site itself, this furniture is pretty solid for the tots. So if you aren't sure what to do with the box from your new fridge, you may want to check out these cardboard furniture plans. Also, at Digg.com, one commenter on this article proposed that someone take these plans and try making adult furniture with sheet metal....not a bad idea, but the truth is that The Furniture Guy is really not prepared to put in that kind of time when I could just buy a $300 sofa that would likely be just as comfy. Anyway, enjoy.....Hope that in some way this helps, The Furniture Guy

read more | digg story

Good Furniture Shopper Resource

I want to thank Sara for posting to the site and referring The Furniture Guy to the website http://www.measuredfit.com/. A nice site for those shopping for discount furniture for the office. It is a fairly simple site set up to filter and sort bookshelves on Amazon.com by size, and I think that by now, if you are a reader of this blog, you already know how much The Furniture Guy thinks it is important to measure your furniture before you buy.

While it is important to note that they are an Amazon affiliate, The Furniture Guy figures that the people at measuredfit.com are offering enough of a service to furniture shoppers that it wouldn't hurt to hook them up with a piece of the pie (that you were likely going to buy anyway).

I know there has been a layoff of a couple of days from the furniture guy, but things at the Furniture Guy Estates have been a bit hectic. I will be talking and spending time with some of my friends that are still in the furniture biz, so I should be able to come back with some new thoughts and ideas from them (isn't it awful that furniture people talk shop so much. I mean really, it's FURNITURE!).

The Furniture Guy would like to focus the next few days to a week specifically on discount furniture. With economic worries in the US and with a global trend (the Furniture Guy has Aussie and Brit readers ya know) toward quality discount furniture, it is a good idea to cover that well. Plus, after spending years in the discount furniture business, it is my bread and butter!

Enjoy thanks again to Sara for giving me the heads up on measuredfurniture.com! I look forward to more resources and ideas from my readers in the future.

Hope this all helps,
The Furniture Guy

Discount Furniture Warehouse

I was checking out a website I had not seen before: Discount Furniture Warehouse. This is another online furniture shopping site that works with a physical plant store in California. I have been unable to find much in the way of reviews of this site, which I take as a positive since negative reviews tend to pop up faster than positive ones do.

What I like:

I like the site itself. It is easy to use, and the furniture is easy to browse. Additionally, they have nice information on there, the policies are easy to see, and the infromation is a breeze to locate. These are all factors to consider when shopping for furniture online, or anything else for that matter.

They also say all the right things (no "free" delivery, etc) when it comes to having discount furniture on their site.

What I dislike or think is odd:

There are no prices on their site. They give some weird answer about manufacturers not wanting such low prices displayed on the internet, but I'm not buying that. Furniture retailers of various types price things low all the time and show it online.

The Discount Furniture Warehouse has you call a customer service rep (read: salesperson) to get the pricing of what you want to buy online. This seems like a hook to sell you more, but I could be wrong I suppose.

Overall, this seems like a pretty upstanding site. Though I think the pricing stuff is odd, I still think Discount Furniture Warehouse may be worth trying out. When you call, make sure you know what you want and what you expect to pay and stick to it.

Discount furniture is worth looking into, but just make sure you have your expectations set up and that you hold the retailer, online or not, to it.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Click Herefor my favorite almost free and discount used furniture site!

Furniture Store Online or Retail Store Weighing The Economics

This is a GREAT article on the pros and cons of shopping for furniture online. With the recent trend of reviewing the furniture .coms, I thought this was a very valuable article to save with you. The author outlines reasons to consider buying furniture online as well as reasons to buy furniture in a retail store. There is no real lean one way or the other, but rather there is just good sound information about furniture shopping and the economic considerations you need to make. This is one of the better furniture articles I have seen around. Please give it a read. Hope this helps.....The Furniture Guy

read more | digg story

Always Ask for Best Furniture Pricing

As you may or may not know, I used to work for a furniture retailer. I did my time as both a salesman on the floor as well as a manager for a showroom. During that time and the time since, I learned a lot about furniture retailers and the furniture business.

As today is Martin Luther King Day, my mind goes to thoughts of furniture sales. Furniture sellers will use any excuse to have a sale or event (during a sale, items must be reduced...an event can just be fancy tags and no pricing difference). That means that the price of your furniture can go up or down a lot in a short amount of time. So how do you know when to buy?

The simple answer is to buy your furniture when you are ready for it. If you are worried about missing out a great deal, then ask your salesperson about the pricing policy of the store. Most retailers will give you at least 30 days of price adjustment. That means if your furniture goes on sale or is reduced to clearance price within 30 days of your purchase, they will refund you the difference. Trust me, that is easier for a furniture retailer than dealing with someone returning and rebuying furniture.

If you are concerned, though, just make sure you ask. Then, have your salesperson write that on a business card and sign and date it. This, while not necessarily legally binding, gives you a record of the conversation. With that in hand, you should have no trouble buying your furniture with peace of mind about the pricing.

With tax refunds on their way, spring sales brewing, and many of the three day weekend holidays coming up, knowing your pricing can be valuable. When in doubt, just make sure you ask.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Long, Long Sofa

It is championship weekend in the NFL and the Super Bowl is right around the corner. What that means for furniture shoppers is obvious: football parties. Do you have enough space on your furniture for all your football friends? Will your furniture clean up when wing sauce and nacho cheese ends up on the arm and between the cushions?

Well when it comes to the capacity of your furniture, you will notice that this video gives you a solution. It is obviously not practical, or even real to be honest, but it does fit with the season. Plus, it is the weekend and The Furniture Guy has a lot of home furniture work to do himself (like move some) and cannot dedicate the time to reviews that he can during the week.

So check out this video and just imagine the number of people you could have at your football party to watch the big games. Of course, you would need one huge TV to go with it, so maybe it isn't such a good idea.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Bike Furniture Design turns tires into loveseats

This is some pretty cool furniture. I guess you would have to be into biking, but if you are or know someone who is, this would be a pretty cool gift to give I would think. Always on the lookout for cool furniture....The Furniture Guy

read more | digg story

Discount Furniture Shopping - Find Value in Even Cheap Furniture

In these post-holiday months, discount furniture shopping may be the only type many of us are able to do. Couple this time of year with a possible recession in the US and you have high demand for things like discount furniture. However, before you run out and pick up just any discount furniture, you should make sure that you have an understanding of how to get the most value for your dollar with this vast segment of furniture.

Find Quality Where You Can

Just because you are buying discount furniture does not mean you have to sacrefice ALL the quality. There are a number of factors that go into furniture being sold at a discount. Through careful research and examination of what you are looking to buy, you can still get decent quality even with discount furniture.

Just like with any other piece you would buy for your home, you should test out and get a feel for any discount furniture you are going to buy. Even if you choose to go the route of used furniture for your discount furniture purchase, I would advise that you either test out the furniture in person or at least make sure there is some recourse if you get a piece that is not going to work for you.

Sit on chairs, lie on sofas, and recline recliners. Make sure you do everything to the discount furniture on the showroom or at the sellers home that you will and would do to it in your home. This will do two things: one, you will know if everything works and two, you will see how it feels to your body. These are the things that prevent your discount furniture mission from turning into a discount furniture nightmare.

Look for Stores that Save Money Places Other than Quality

If the furniture is cheap, find out why. You can get discount furniture of high quality by looking for a store that saves their money in other places. Maybe they do NOT offer free delivery (and pass the savings along). Also, look for stores that carry large quantities of stock so that they are getting discount furniture purchases themselves. Many times, you can find discountinued furniture that is of high quality but at discount furniture prices.

So how do you find stores like that? Ask around; word of mouth is often the best way to find places like that. Additionally, you can call the BBB in your area or if you post here (which sends me an email) I can do some research and let you know what I can find in your market.

Discount furniture is likely in the future of many people. Don’t let it be a nightmare. Instead, find discount furniture that you can find value in and keep for years to come.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

The amazingly bizzare Slipper Rocking Chair

This blog entry is interesting. I have never seen any furniture like this in my life, but it sure seems like something I would like. The blog author mentioned that this was found in Jerusalem. This is definitely strange furniture, but at the same time it is cool furniture. The blog says that the slippers on it are warm and that it is very comfortable furniture. As with many of the pieces I put up here, I am not sure if you can get these in the US or even in Europe, but it still makes for a cool piece to look at. Hope you enjoy it!....The Furniture Guy

read more | digg story

iBean Bag Chair

I was done posting for the day, but I saw this. Now this bean bag chair doesn't exactly qualify as discount furniture, but for the tech savvy furniture shopper it is a great piece to check out. Seems like something ultimate dorm rooms would feature. What do you think?

read more | digg story

Eco-Friendly Furniture, or Green Furniture if You Will

Green is king right now, so I might as well make the time to occasionally showcase eco-friendly or green furniture. Though I am not sure exactly what qualifies furniture as green furniture, I do know that there are people who do know. That is why I am highlighting this video. INtersting stuff, and I have to say that this eco-friendly furniture collection is nice looking as well.

As for price, I have no idea. I would assume that it is a bit more pricey than other furniture may be, but if you truly want to take part in the green lifestyle, then this eco-friendly furniture may be the thing for you. I will see if I can find some green furniture sites as well as some eco-friendly furniture sites to highlight over the weekend for those who do want to look into it more. In the mean time, enjoy the video and let me know if you encounter any of these pieces and have any other input on them.

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Cool Modern Furniture

As you probably know by now, I spend more time than most people surfing the internet for everything furniture. I look for cool furniture, cheap furniture, furniture sites, and furniture stores. Basically, I make nice with google and various furniture words. One of the furniture searches I most enjoy is when I occasionally check out what furniture youtube has going on. There is often video of new and innovative furniture pieces from around the world. In this case, it is basically a convertable furniture piece that appears to be fully automated. I have no idea if this furniture is available for sale in the US, or even in Europe, but it sure does look like one heck of a conversation piece to put in a guest room or kids bedroom. Check out the video and if anyone has seen this in any US stores, let me know!

Im still seeking out more online furniture stores to check out. Stay tuned for more furniture .com reviews. Also, if anyone has a good or bad experience with any online furniture stores, be sure to let me know!

Hope this helps (or is at least cool looking),
The Furniture Guy

20 Pieces of Ingenious 'Flat Pack' Urban Furniture [PICS]

They calsl this stuff Flat Pack furniture, and it is exactly what you would think: furniture that comes as flat pieces. When I first heard of it, I wondered if it was all that different from RTA furniture. Well, it actually is. This is very contemporary looking stuff that furniture shoppers would be able to haul in most any vehicle (depending on sheet size of course). With some minor digging into it, I found that not all of it is furniture you can buy. Many of the pieces on the site linked here are concept pieces or prototypes. STill, as cool as this furniture looks, I would expect it to be available to furniture shoppers not too far down the road. Anyway, once I saw these pieces I knew I had to share. Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope it helps!.....The Furniture Guy

read more | digg story

Highbrow Furniture Online Shopping

Im back and have a new .com furniture store to talk about. This one is www.highbrowfurniture.com. First off, let me say one thing: what a horrible name for a furiture store website. Having said that, though, I assure you that the name will have no bearing on what I think of their online furniture presence.

What I like:
Free shipping in the lower 48 of the united states...a furniture shoppers dream. Just bare in mind, though, that nothing is free in furniture and you are probably going to pay for that delivery somewhere along the line (wrapped into another price).

They offer full refund within 10 days...again, a furniture shoppers dream. When it comes to online furniture shopping, I always encourage you to check out the return policy. It is usually customer service that will bite you with online furniture stores. Still, this one seems pretty good.

A search of the internet reveals VERY FEW complaints about this site. That is something to be proud of since they have been online since 1999 and are a furniture site. After all, evcen the top sites tend to have plenty of unhappy customers out there.

What I don't Like:

Highbrow is pretty expensive. They do not carry knock-off furniture, which is I guess is okay as long as you know you are getting into high priced pieces when you go that route. Just remember that in many cases, the only difference in name brand furniture and knock-offs is the stamp on the wood. Sometimes the factory is China is even the same...just something to consider.

Overall, I like what I see here. If you are set on furniture shopping online then this may be the place for you.

Tips On Cleaning Your Leather Sofa

Here is a pretty good article on how to clean a leather sofa. Part of being a good furniture shopper is knowing how to take care of the pieces you get. As you can see in this article, leather furniture is pretty easy to take care of. As you do your furniture shopping, be sure to always consider the material and how you will care for it. Furniture you can keep looking nice for a long time is furniture for which you are getting maximum value. I will be back later on today with more for you, but I just like to keep all the furniture shoppers out there informed about what is available. So check it out and consider what this article says when it comes to furniture maintenance.

read more | digg story

More on 8 Way Hand Tied

I do try to pay attention to what is going on with the readers. I get emails (more often than posts I may add) and I track the traffic. What I see is that there is a lot of interest in learning more about 8 way hand tied furniture.

Of course, I would love fot you to read what I wrote on the subject for one thing. Additionally, though, I thought it would be a good idea to give a few more 8 way hand tied resources. Again, with furniture, knowledge is power and through it you will be much more likely to have a positive furniture shopping experience.

Here is one article that echoes a lot of the things I said in my post, but it is in a more formal, article format that may be easier for some to read. There is also a little bit of additional information in there that may be helpful.

Here is another link to the discussion I mentioned in the original post. You will see that I did throw in my two cents worth there somewhere, but it is worth seeing what others have to say about it.

Hopefully these links will help you as you research 8 way hand tied. If you ask me, it is just a labor intensive practice that plays on the "they don't make em like they used to" emotion. Get what is comfortable and what you feel good about. Furniture buying is something you do based on feel and your gut (once you have all the information you feel like you need that is).

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Scary Furniture

Let's continue the furniture guy trend, shall we...with a VIDEO!

Let's face it, being a furniture shopper can be very scary. However, after watching this furniture video, I now realize that it could be worse. When I think back on the old couch we had in college, I think that this had a great chance of happening. Take a look at the video and think about how furniture shopping is easier than maybe you thought. Be back with another .com review for you today or early tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy the video!
The Furniture Guy

Safety Tips for Baby Furniture

Various baby furniture have various sets of safety precautions. However, there are a couple of common baby safety tips you should keep in mind in all furniture.I did a short series about a year ago on furniture safety. When it comes to furniture safety, though, it is baby furniture that is probably the biggest issue. This blog does a much better job of talking about baby furniture safety than I did. I say I should get points for admitting when I am defeated! Anyway, if you have kids or are thinking of having them...give this article a read. Trust me, I have kids and furniture is a CONSTANT issue. Hope you find this helpful,The furniture guy

read more | digg story

Furniture Shopper Links

Since much of my spare time (what little I have) is spent surfing the net and talking with friends that are still in the furniture biz, it seems reasonable that from time to time I should share some of what I find. With that said, here are some furniture links that furniture shoppers may find helpful or entertaining.

Furniture Today is sort of THE magazine for those in the furniture business. Knowledge is power, so if you know more about the furniture industry it can certainly help your furniture shopping.

As a general rule, About.com is reliable with their information. Here are some furniture tips they offer. Pretty good stuff if you ask me

Under the category of "you can find ANYTHING online," here is a site that actually features a furniture joke!

THere are a number of consumer sites out there. Ripoff Report has a lot of good reporting on furniture stores all over the country as well as online. Woth looking at before you buy furniture in person or online. Just be responsible...ONE bad report does not a bad furniture seller make.

I will try to post more links from time to time, but I hope that you as furniture shoppers and furniture buyers are able to benefit from the information above. As always, post here (which shoots me an email) and I will be happy to give you additional information if you need it. And to those who have done so already...or who have emailed me directly...THANKS

Hope this has been helpful!
The Furniture Guy

A or The Sofa Site...Neither Really

So I went to check out some of these sofa domain sites. The obvious choice that came up on nearly every search engine was www.thesofasite.com. Problem is that even though there is a great domain there, they don't actually sell any sofas themselves. In fact, it is really just a portal for affiliate websites that do sell sofas. However, they do have a link on there to another site that came up repeatedly (strangely enough, behind The Sofa Site was one that I do like: FunkySofa.com.

First of all, they have a web site that is easy to use. Additionally, it is nice to look at: fun, exciting, and modern. In general, from what I can tell, they mostly manufacture their own product. While this is not always great for prices, they seem to be right on and that does make for good warranty.

That leads me to my other love about Funky Sofa: they are completely transparent about their furniture warranties. In those terms, the big one I like is that they offer a lifetime warranty on the frame. Frankly, after working in the furniture business, I think all furniture stores of size should do this. Frames are generally hardwood anyway, and repair is fairly simple on them. I know we used to offer that warranty even when a manufacturer doesnt simply because it makes customers feel better and it is an easy service to provide if you have the right people.

Additionally, their delivery policies are easy to find on the site and easy to understand. They sections are short and without a bunch of extra legal garbage. They tell you what their pledge is and what the furniture customer's end of the bargain is.

As always, do your own research in addition to what I mention here, but I like what I see and what I read about Funkysofa.com. If nothing else, they have some really cool sofa designs that are worth looking at. Browse and see what you think.

I hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

Click Here For My Favorite Used Furniture Market

Talk About Versatile Furniture!

Yes, The Furniture Guy is currently obsessed with furniture related videos. I have not forgotten the continued commitment to .com furniture reviews, and you can probably expect one later today or at least early on tomorrow. THis one will be one of the many sofa domain sites (ones where sofa, rather than furniture, is the key to the domain name).

This video, though, HAD to be posted. I have no idea how comfortable this furniture would be, but for a furniture shopper who is looking for "flexibility" and versatility with their furniture will love this little wonder. The man is not speaking english in the video. Additionally, I did notice that he does not actually ever sit on the piece. There is a video out there online that I found, though, where a couple sits on it in a few different formations. Again, I have no idea about comfort, but one can certainly sit on this furniture. As for that other video, search google or something...it was not as clear as this one (it was sort of grainy, like one of those hostage videos on middle eastern television), so I embedded this instead.

Hope you enjoy, and if anyone knows whether or not you can buy this stuff in the US, email me or post here so I know. Would LOVE to see it in person.

The Furniture Guy

Awesome Furniture Inspired by Scrabble Game ( Photos )

I just found this last night and thought I would share it. Obviously I will throw in a new .com post today, but furniture shoppers should take a look at just how creative you can get with your furniture. These pieces are really cool...do you think you are allowed to use proper names on the sofa? Slang? Hope you enjoy it!....The Furniture Guy

read more | digg story

Save Money: Repair Furniture Instead of Buy

Even though this is generally a blog about furniture shopping, it is ultimately about saving money and doing what you want and need to do with your furniture. To that end, I couldn't resist sharing this video I found. It is a little DIY video about furniture repair. Let's face it, repairing old furniture sure is a heck of a lot easier and cheaper than running out to buy furniture. Either way, keep your options open when it comes to your furniture.

And yes, it is nice to have stepped out and started adding video to this site. Not that there is a ton of video out there about furniture (short of commercials that is).

DIY Fixing Broken Furniture With THE FIX IT CHIC - The best home videos are here

Anyway, hope this in some way is of help to you!
The Furniture Guy

Furniture.com

Furniture.com is probably the largest online furniture presence. That is, no doubt, partially a product of having a fantastic domain name (unlike the cheapskates over at Furniture Guy headquarters). That is mainly why I decided to look into furniture.com and see if I could get a feel about whether or not it is worth a look for online furniture shoppers.

Who They Are

First off, if you are not familiar with online furniture stores, you may not realize that they are generally owned or controlled by traditional furniture retailers. In this case, furniture.com is an ecommerce presence for a variety of furniture retailers. In fact, the big seller for them is that they do allow retailers to have an online presence without having to do it on their own. Overall, though, it should also be noted that the brand of furniture.com is owned by Levitz (on stock reports you will see it reported as part of LEvitz, and I don't think it is a fact they hide at all)

Here is an article that gives a little more information on what furniture.com is. Remember, when furniture shopping, information is important to have:

What I found about Furniture.com

I have to say that the site itself is very nice. Additionally, there is some good content there and solid advice for furniture shoppers. Generally I am leary of advice on a site for a particular manufacturer, but in this case there is some stuff there worth looking at. They even have design advice and a site that will help you set up the design of the room you are looking to furniture. So information wise, they have as much as an online furniture shopper could need.

However, as I searched and talked to people about furniture.com, it was difficult to find much of anything in the way of reviews. However, when I was able to find them, they were largely negative. They were examples of my fear about online furniture shopping: customer service and return issues. Granted, I did find that these reviews were several years old so there is really no way to know if things have improved over at furniture.com. For now, I would check them out but would be a little leary of buying from them just yet without more information. I will continue to look into them, but they have a bit of that Levitz rep going already from what I can see.

You Can See One Review of Furniture.com Here

Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy

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Furniture Video: Check Out Modern Japanese Beds

Check out these modern looking beds. I was surfing around seeking out whatever was online and related to furniture and I found this. Furniture videos are not exctly common, but I had to share this. Check out the VERY modern look of most of these beds.

From Japan Bedrooms... Become The Modern Bed - The best bloopers are a click away

Almost Free Furniture?

Okay, so I mentioned this place before on a tip from a buddy. However, at that time I had not looked into it as much. Turns out that while the furniture at Almost Free Furniture is not necessarily almost free, there are some great prices. Almost Free furniture basically is a site on which you get access fromt he same suppliers that consignment shops and professional furniture resellers do.

This means that you get good prices and avoid the markup that the same furniture found on almost free furniture would have in a store. Don't worry, there are local listings so that you can get your used furniture close to home or have it delivered to you. Either way, you save.

Finally, and I think as importantly as anything, this site allows you to sell furniture as well. Have a piece to sell and need a new piece, this would be the way to go. There is a fee to access the site for a year, and while I don't love that I do love the fact that the site takes no money for the sales...only that monthly fee. Not a bad deal for the consumer.

So if you do think you may look to buy online, then go ahead and consider Almost Free Furniture.

Not interested in paying for the site? There is always Ebay and Craigslist. Just make sure you work with someone local and if I were you I would use some sort of escrow to protect yourself from furniture fraude. Good luck, and next time I hope to take a look at a couple of new furniture retailers on the internet.

Furniture Shopping Online

Online furniture shopping is fairly new to me, but I have been able to ask questions of my friends still in the biz and have done a little of my own research. To that end, I want to spend some time on what furniture shopping online is and should be all about.

I remember when I went to work for Jake Jabs in Denver, Colorado. At the time, he like myself, did not believe that online furniture shopping was ever going to work. Furniture is sort of a feel purchase. Most people want to know what a couch feels like before they sit in it, and likewise with a chair or recliner. Furniture shopping online does not seem to afford people that opportunity. Additionally, I was always uncomfortable with a big purchase like furniture happening online since I didnt know where it was coming from or who was responsible for it.

In the last couple of years, though, I have really come around (as has Jake Jabs for that matter). Now, I see that many online furniture stores are offering local showrooms or at least information on where you can go to see the furniture you are considering. Additionally, they are offering better and better customer service. A quick search of online furniture shopping sites will give you an idea of who is doing what they are supposed to.

The growth of the internet has helped online furniture shopping take off. So many people are online that reviews are easy to locate and both good and bad word of mouth spreads super fast.

Where to Start

Just as a way to kick things off, I think that some of the best online furniture shopping that happens is in the Used Furniture Market. With Ebay's popularity along with other auctions, you can get a fair price in a true free market. Additionally, services like Almost Free Furniture will allow you to participate in a used furniture only market online. This is where I first came around, and if you are looking to save a little money on things then maybe you should too.

The Furniture Guy Video

Furniture Guy

Posted May 18, 2006

The Furniture Guy takes a tumble during a commercial shoot. Don't worry, he's okay. But what about his guitar?

Furniture shoppers should feel free to stop and chuckle any time. This little video has long since made the rounds on the internet, but it occured to me that this was also something that I simply HAD to have on my site. Enjoy it...furniture does not have to be serious, and furniture commercials rarely are.

Furniture Resources and Online Furniture Shopping

Hope you enjoyed some of the content that was posted the last few days. The Furniture Guy was doing some traveling over the holidays and could not post himself. I also took the time to add some pertinent RSS feed to the sidebar, which should give you some headlines in the furniture industry. Remember, as we move into 2008, that information is the furniture shopper's greatest alli and so reading not only the consumer information I supply here and that you find on other sites, you should also take a little time to see how the furniture industry works. Trust me, as someone who bought furniture both before and after learning the ins and outs of the furniture industry, I can tell you that it does change the way you look at things when you walk into a furniture store.

I plan to start a series of posts about purchasing furniture online soon as well. As you may recall, I was once opposed to the idea of buying furniture online just because of the fact that you dont get to sit in, lie on, or touch the furniture. Additionally, I was never real impressed with the customer service reviews and return policies of the online furniture retailers.

In the last year, though, a lot of changed in the online furniture shopping world. Almost daily, it seems, there are quality online furniture stores popping up in affiliation with real established furniture stores in major cities. These newer sites are offering top notch customer service and good return policies. Since you cannot touch or sit in furniture online still, though, I will be focusing on two things: where you can or should shop for online furniture and how to shop for online furniture. That should get rolling in the next day or two.

Hope everyone had a great holiday season.

The Furniture Guy

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How to Purchase New Bedroom Furniture on A Budget

Author: Mr.Andrew Caxton

RTA is a cheap way to replace old furniture with modern Swedish furniture. Engineered wood is stronger than solid wood. RTA bedroom furniture is cheap enough to replace every year or so.

If budget constraints are preventing you from purchasing new furniture for your bedroom, there are alternatives in existence that will allow you to purchase more modern furniture without putting a crimp in your budget. Even though Swedish furniture manufacturer, IKEA, has made the idea of ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture more popular, some negativity is still in existence when it comes to the concept of buying furniture constructed with engineered wood. Such negative connotations are undeserved and fail to consider the advantages of RTA furniture over ready-made furniture constructed of wood. Of course, many consumers may not even be aware of these advantages and just erroneously assume that all wood furniture is better that RTA furniture constructed of engineered wood.

Advantages of RTA Furniture

Although it seems difficult for some to accept, RTA is actually stronger than solid wood furniture. Particleboard that includes a thin veneer on each side is actually capable of sustaining more weight and taking more abuse than the majority of solid wood boards. Solid wood also has a tendency to warp and crack as it ages because of changes in humidity as well as the ability of moisture to enter into small cracks and open spaces. On the other hand, it''s almost impossible to penetrate engineered wood, and it lacks the cracks and pores you find in solid wood. If you take care of it properly, RTA furniture will last longer than solid wood furniture.

Styling

RTA furniture provides the perfect solution if you''re looking for a contemporary look in bedroom furniture. The modern design construction is one of simplicity and sleekness with solid tones that lack any wood grains. Dark colors such as espresso and jet black are the trend for contemporary bedroom furniture at the present time. It makes no sense to hide a beautiful oak bedroom set under a coat of black paint when RTA furniture provides the finish and look you so desire at a price that is more affordable.

Affordability

For most people, price is of great concern. Keeping that in mind, if you take care of your RTA bedroom furniture, it will last as long as you own it. If you''re the kind of person who likes to update your bedroom''s look every now and again while keeping up with trends, RTA furniture allows you to do that. It''s not necessary to spend a fortune on bedroom furniture, and then grow tired of it before it wears out as you do with solid wood furniture. When you look at the low cost of RTA furniture, there''s no reason you cannot update the furniture in your bedroom every year or two.
Andrew Caxton is the author of many resources on living rooms related topics published at http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com . A website with tips on swedish furniture

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