New living room furniture

[jewjubean]

Hey everyone! I just moved into my own place and I've been looking around for a nice living room set. My budget at this point is around $1,200 for a sofa and love seat/chair. Does anyone have any suggestions as far as companies that I should be looking at? I am from the Orlando area.

 

[LJSquishy]

Honestly, with a $1200 budget for both a sofa and loveseat or chair you aren't going to get very high quality furniture. And, there is nothing wrong with that as long as you are aware.

Ikea will be about as low-priced as you can get...but styles are limited and I can't attest to comfort.

We actually purchased a (knowingly lower-end) sofa chaise (two normal seats plus a third long chaise seat) at Costco. It was really inexpensive, I think $700 or so and it is about 6 months old now. So far it has held up really well and I have no complaints. We planned on getting something inexpensive that would last maybe 5 years to fit our current living room which is quite small. If it lasts longer than that I will be happy and we can always keep it in our new house someday. I would check out their options online and/or in store if you have a membership.

Definitely stay away from Ashley furniture if they are still even in business. They have the most horrible crap I've ever seen! Well, some of their hardwood furniture is not bad but their upholstered stuff is awful.

You will find sets in your price range at Furniture Row and Mor Furniture For Less (not sure if those are in Orlando).

Look for kiln-dried hardwood in the descriptions. Definitely sit on the furniture before buying! Some sofas will really surprise you...when you go to sit down, it feels like you just sat on a rock. I also bounce a little (while seated) on the floor models to listen for squeaking or other noises because I do not want a noisy sofa. I also ask the salesperson if they know how old the floor model is so I can judge on how fast it breaks down.

PS: I don't recommend getting a matching set. I would buy either 1 sofa and 2 accent chairs (chairs different than sofa), or 1 sofa and 1 loveseat (sofa & love should match). Or, if you end up wanting more seating, just make sure your chairs are different than the sofa/love.

 

[SandrA9810]

Even Ikea isn't that cheap in comparison to some of the box stores.

Just head out to stores and start sitting. If you need something to get you by, you can also look for scratch and dent stores. Check to see if the Rooms to Go store is still open on OBT in Orlando (just south of the Florida Mall).

There's actually a really cute hid-a-bed sofa or loveseat at JCPenneys that's not a bad price. I think it was about $700 for the middle size. There was a love seat size, a sofa size, and a slightly larger sofa for a reasonable price with different color options.

 

[Lizzybean]

I'm also going to suggest Ikea and Costco. You can get some really decent pieces that should hold up for several years.

Stay AWAY from Value City Furniture. I purchased a kitchen set and an ottoman from them and warranties. The products didn't hold up, the warranty company refused to fix or replace...ugh it was a nightmare!

 

[jewjubean]

Thanks for the opinions! I am a fresh out of college into a great new position with a new apartment with a bare living room! I know my price range is a bit low, but I'm looking for a set to last the next two years until I get into my own bigger place!! As far as wearing down the set, I work 50-60 hours making magic, so I'm hardly ever home! I am going to look into rooms to go!!

 

[SandrA9810]

Thanks for the opinions! I am a fresh out of college into a great new position with a new apartment with a bare living room! I know my price range is a bit low, but I'm looking for a set to last the next two years until I get into my own bigger place!! As far as wearing down the set, I work 50-60 hours making magic, so I'm hardly ever home! I am going to look into rooms to go!!

Don't be afraid to look at craigslist. There's a lot of people that sell furniture for cheap. I got a couch for $40. I needed a quick solution, the recliner chair broke laying down. The couch was from a guy's aunt who passed away. The arms were a little worn, but the rest of it looks really good, like it was constantly covered.

A lot of people have two rooms, the family room and living room. The living room furniture barely gets used because every one goes to the family room.

I would honestly save your extra money for the next few months. You might be working 50-60hrs now because of the holidays, but January and February are rough when work hours go down to 32hrs (the minimum amount for full timers).

 

[usnuzuloose]

Craigslist worked for us. I paid 80 dollars for a near new Lazy Boy sofa. It has two recliners. I am very pleased. The person selling it said they found some thing better on craigslist.

 

[tinkmom2]

We like our Ashley furniture. They have a website and you can see where there is one near you. Their furniture is inexpensive but well made. We have a a living room set with a love seat, recliner, and couch, and a dining room table. We purchased the living room set for under $400. It's really sturdy and has a 5 year warranty. They also have financing if need be.

I did sell a Lazy Boy couch on Ebay to a bunch of college kids so it's possible to find something there also.

 

[zoemurr]

especially around the holidays people are selling things to make $. We just got a $2600 set that they still sell in the store for $1000.

They were buying a house w/a huge family room so they bought huge furniture. The sale fell through and it didn't fit in the house they did end up purchasing. Only a few months old.

 

[jgreco]

+1 on Craigslist. I know I have sold some really nice things on there when we've moved. Also check furniture consignment shops.

 

[disykat]

I would also save your money, especially if you only want it to last two years!

I come from an era when no one expected to have matching furniture starting out. I bought my first couch when I was 28. Prior to that, I had whatever hand me downs I'd gotten from family, previous roommates, garage sales, etc. Most of my peers had the same.

I love HGTV, but swear it has created a new normal.

 

[dakcp2001]

We got an entire room for less than that at rooms to go. End tables, chairs, lamps, couch and loveseat. But we GAVE our old set away on craigslist and it was in good shape so it is worth looking. I'd be wary of getting fleas or bedbugs although I imagine the risk is pretty low. Slip covers are like 30-80 bucks depending on the size.

I would also put the word out on facebook that you are looking for furniture. Often times people have old loveseats or whatnot hanging around in spare rooms they might be able to give you. With CL you need to be able to go pick it up and move it

 

[Honeybell]

The Ectorp sofa from Ikea is comfortable and long wearing. We bought an Ektorp love seat in 1999 when we lived in a small apartment. It's still in the living room of the much larger home we have now. It's been joined by a full size sofa and an arm chair. Because it is slip covered, it has never looked out of date. When I get bored with it or when we change the color of the walls all we have to do is get a new cover. In those 13 years we have had three different covers for the love seat. The rest of the furniture is still on its original covers. When the kids were little I used to through the loves seat slip cover in the wash.

The other advantage is that because of the way Ikea packages everything we have never had to rent a truck. Even the full size sofa has fit in the back of my minivan.

We bought a living room set from Rooms to Go for our family room and a dining room and bedroom set from City Furniture when we moved into our current house 10 years ago. All of that furniture is long gone, none of it held up well. People like to joke about Ikea but we have been very happy with the quality of the furniture for the price we pay.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

We have the Karlstad sofa with chaise and the chair, and we love them.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=karlstad

I have the leather which is more expensive but it has survived 4 kids for 2 years so far. And they are really comfy!

 

[Lizzybean]

Ikea is amazing. A desk and bookshelf I got when i was 7 or 8 are in DD9's room. I've simply updated with a coated of paint.

 

[minushka72]

The Ectorp sofa from Ikea is comfortable and long wearing. We bought an Ektorp love seat in 1999 when we lived in a small apartment. It's still in the living room of the much larger home we have now. It's been joined by a full size sofa and an arm chair. Because it is slip covered, it has never looked out of date. When I get bored with it or when we change the color of the walls all we have to do is get a new cover. In those 13 years we have had three different covers for the love seat. The rest of the furniture is still on its original covers. When the kids were little I used to through the loves seat slip cover in the wash.

The other advantage is that because of the way Ikea packages everything we have never had to rent a truck. Even the full size sofa has fit in the back of my minivan.

We bought a living room set from Rooms to Go for our family room and a dining room and bedroom set from City Furniture when we moved into our current house 10 years ago. All of that furniture is long gone, none of it held up well. People like to joke about Ikea but we have been very happy with the quality of the furniture for the price we pay.

We also have the Ektorp line for our living room. I have the large comfy chair and also the sleep sofa. Going on 3 years and they have held up well with 2 small children. Love the removable covers that can go right in the wash! Also very affordable. We had them delivered to and that was $59 or $69. I think delivery cost vary though so check your local store!

 

[maggiew]

I looked up the Ektorp and it looks good. I will keep that in mind for next time we buy something.

We bought a big living room set at The Room Place. It was one of those sectional sofas (sofa for 3, corner seat, love seat all in an L shape). It was bonded leather. We have had it for only a couple years and the 'leather' is all peeling away! We bought the warranty. We called the Room Place and they told us that the leather warranty people went out of business! No wonder!! They are sending someone from the structural warranty people over at the end of the month to check it out. I hope they can fix it or give us new stuff! Otherwise I am getting rid of it. I can't get a slip cover to fit it due to the shape. Plus 4 of the seats recline, so the slipcovers don't work well. Right now I have a black towel on the back of the one seat where it is really bad.

It looks kind of like this one:
http://www.theroomplace.com/living-...ionals/preston-ii-3-pc-sectional/1528362.aspx

DON"T BUY THAT! I have no problem with the structure. So if you buy something like that, just don't buy the "leather" one.

Maggie