Buying furniture. A (for me) terrible topic.
I often buy things online (for garden, electronics, books, etc.). Furniture, however, rather less.
1. The pictures on the internet often look different than in real life
2. I can’t try it out (test sitting, etc.)
3. Even though it says that furniture/lamps are cheaper online, I always have the feeling that they are still quite expensive
4. You get overwhelmed by the enormous variety (e.g., with lamps). When I am shown that I have to click through easily 400 pages with 20 lamps each for one lamp, I lose interest (especially because the models often repeat or look similar)
I only remember two pieces of furniture that we bought online.
A box spring bed at Otto and the changing table (-cabinet) at no idea anymore.
We liked the bed and it was reasonably priced. But since the slatted frame and mattress are crucial for the bed, I could order without problems.
The changing table just fit well in terms of price/performance. It still exists after 5 years. Since the second child has now been out of the diaper phase for about 3/4 of a year and mostly gets dressed independently already (with some help), we will probably remove the changing pad soon and continue to use it as a dresser.
Otherwise, I handle furniture similarly to and, if the wife agrees, sometimes like .
I bought our first dining table + 6 chairs used in 2006 for 130 euros. The table was discarded in 2014 with the move to the house (because my wife no longer liked it), the chairs were sent to the basement a few weeks ago (and reactivated when guests came). = 8-10 years of use.
We found replacement chairs at Möbel Martin after a longer search. They matched in color, were comfortable and cost only 20 euros each (rather unusual for Möbel M). I had budgeted 60 - 100 euros per chair, but there was always something to criticize. Now I realize that these chairs are not made for eternity. But – we have small children who like to make a mess, and if they last only 3 years, they have paid off more than 100-euro chairs after 8-10 years. If the chairs last longer – all the better.
Our corner couch cost about 2,600 euros. At the time of purchase, our daughter was just 4 months old and a move was coming up. Meaning: we needed something sturdy (I’m just saying: vomiting children) that lasts for a while with reasonable care. The couch naturally suffers despite admonitions from small children. We have had it for 5 years now and it still looks decent. I assume that the couch will last another 5 years.
Friends of ours bought a leather couch 5 years ago as well for 6,000 euros (children are of similar age). That couch definitely shows its age already.
In general, our furniture lasts relatively long and, if it’s removed from one room, it may be used elsewhere.
The large wardrobe from my wife’s childhood room lived on in our old apartment in our daughter’s room and now stands as a wardrobe in the son’s room (bed, etc. was new). Other furniture from her childhood room serves as a filing cabinet and CD cabinet in the office.
The old futon bed from 2002 (replaced by the box spring bed) has also found its place in the office/guest room. At some point it will be replaced by a sofa bed – but there’s no rush.
My old wall unit from 1991 is still in the new living room. It was actually supposed to be retired in 2014 but was allowed to live on because the new living room furniture fell victim to the higher construction costs.
A base cabinet + 2 wall cabinets from the old kitchen found a new purpose in the utility room as tool cabinets.
