Anonymous
11/18/2014 16:19
Subject: Would you buy a nice $2K table or cheap IKEA table if you have kids under 3
There is something in the middle. I bought an awesome farmhouse style table from Home Decorators (I think) for $250! It is solid as a rock. I bought it online and was prepared for junk to arrive and it is not junk. Look for something on Overstock or Wayfair or Home Decorators. Read the reviews. There is a world between Ethan Allen and Ikea. Another option--what I did for my dining room--was buy antique style pieces. I had an idea of what I wanted and I looked around. I found both at stores that mostly sold other items. My dining table was displaying small merchandise and is beautiful and cost 450. My 6 Queen Anne chairs ere 600 on Ebay. My China cabinet was 450. It has some damage at was going to be painted over by the owner into that Shabby chic painted stuff. I bought it and it is always a source of complements. So there is another way....
Anonymous
11/18/2014 16:11
Subject: Re:Would you buy a nice $2K table or cheap IKEA table if you have kids under 3
Anonymous wrote:Whatever you get, make sure it is not expensive and also not something you hope you have in the years to come...because you won't.
Kids...and their friends,and life- pretty much ruin furniture, but that's the point. It should be used.
The other reason is that you will not really like what you buy today in 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, and so on. So many of my friends bought really good stuff when they got married- a piece at a time with the idea that quality was worth having an empty house for a time being, and having nice stuff come a little at a time was the better option.So they had empty houses with the occasional item showing up a little at at a time, and by the time their house was furnished,the kids were about 12,and they already hated what they originally got-BUT, they had to keep on buying matching pieces and now they hate the whole look- the kids are gone, and they dream of furnishing their retirement condo.
Go with the moment- have a happy functional house with low priced furniture and other fun things such as art and the colors that you like- and replace when you need to...or when you move...or when you hate it.
By this logic, though, you should never get anything nice. I don't like buying disposal things.
Anonymous
11/17/2014 20:42
Subject: Would you buy a nice $2K table or cheap IKEA table if you have kids under 3
Anonymous wrote:
I inherited a large oak table. We use it for everything. Yes, the art projects have made their marks, but it speaks to a vibrant family life and can easily be refinished.
My children are generally surrounded by nice things. Hardy things - wool rugs, leather sofas, high-end artwork, solid wood furniture pieces. I take extra care to teach them how to function in that environment ("We don't touch paintings, sweetie." "Use two hands on the tea cup."). But, I also have come to terms with the idea that accidents may happen.
Same here. And just use a vinyl tablecloth when you're doing art projects.