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
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
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
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
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
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
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
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
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
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
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
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
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.
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.
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