Can we talk furniture?

[ncbrunet]

If you check out the Carrollton store, keep going to Smithfield and check out Hearn furniture. They are a family owned store and the prices are reasonable. They are just in town limits on the left. If you need other directions let me know.

Marsha

[berlinsmommy]

What about looking at garage sales for sturdy wood pieces in basic shapes that you could paint and put new hardware on? That's what Berlin's dresser is (except we didn't get it at a garage sale). When my grandma died and we cleaned out her garage, DH and I were engaged poor college students. In her garage was an old, faded dresser that was a hideous green color but when we picked it up to move it, it was heavy and we could tell it was a solid piece. My dad (who will be 60 this year) told us it was his dresser from when he was a kid. It is a short dresser with 2 long drawers and 2 side by side short drawers, making it 4 drawers high. DH and I stripped it and painted it a glossy black color and put some rubbed bronze pulls on it and put our TV on top of it and it looked great, we got lots of complements on it. When I was preggo we decided it would make a good baby dresser, so we took it apart, stripped the paint again, and painted it green to match the Sesame Street nursury theme she had and put white handles on it so it looked more like a baby dresser. Now she has a more girly room, so last summer we stripped it again and painted the dresser a dark pink color and painted the drawers a light pink and put the white handles back on.

Since it is a basic shaped piece made of quality wood, we can continue to update it as styles change by stripping, painting, and changing the hardware. Also, since we have that flexibility I'm more open to doing things to it that may be trendy, like if later on Berlin wants to paint it some wild color and since it can be easily changed I'm not worried about it going out of style. Since it is so solid she also cannot really tear it up other than the handles (which she has already done a few times), but I'd much rather replace handles at 80c each than replace a piece of furniture. It's also too heavy for her to move right now, which is a good thing. Also, since she is a kid, she's drawn on it and put stickers on it and stuff like that but I don't worry too much about it since the paint is washable and if it is too bad I can also touch it up.

[MaryMary]

IMO, take a look at your own lifestyle and habits.
What styles you like? country, antique, modern or eclectic? If you like modern, refinishing your sturdy grandma dresser is a waste, unless you can sell it for profit.
How big is your house/apartment and how often you move? Heavy heirloom pieces and lots of knick-knacks are pain with frequent moves and can be easely damaged.
How often you like to redecorate? Is it a complete re-do or just some hues and pieces? If 10 years ago you were into French Provincial, but now like hard modern it would take longer and costlier to achive.
How large of a budget you have?
How handy you are with refinishing technics?
Do you have/consider having kids, how often have guests/throw larger parties, etc. etc. etc.
IMO, you need to answer many questions and your own answer about furniture will come up authomatically.