I learned a long time ago to do it right the first time. When you really want something the next best thing just doesn't work. So I end up doing it twice (eventually) and spending more money. Save up and do it right the first time.

Great Quote!

Was just thinking about this last night. Thanks for summing it up so well!

I agree. Best to invest in just one item, less money is spent, less time and product wasted, less environmental impact than if you buy a cheap version now and the real version later.

http://embritadesign.blogspot.com

Brilliant as usual, bepsf: I always enjoy your insights!

I must respectfully disagree. What we love is not things, it's the way they make us feel. If you can only get the feeling you are seeking from one specific piece, I encourage you to save up and enjoy that piece for the rest of your life. But most people are more flexible than that and a focus on "the One" actually distracts them from what they were originally seeking. When they acquire the piece of their dreams it does not automatically confer the magical feeling. I wish people would learn to be happy with what they have and what they can afford. Sometimes knockoffs are good enough and substitution can be a force for deeper reflection on what we really wanted in the first place.

I agree..... Specifically I have an Eames LCW that's the real thing (with certificate of authenticity to prove it! lol), and when I see knockoffs, they just don't look quite 'right'.... The lines are the same, but they look a little bit 'clunky' or something... It's just not the same....

Yes, I love how a thing makes me feel, and for some the feeling we most appreciate comes from the craftsmanship, authenticity, and durability of the genuine article.

I've sat in and touches many an Eames lounge chair knockoff to know that for me, the short-term gratification will one day be replaced by feelings of disappointment for inferior materials and slight differences in design and compromise the experience.

Not true for every object, but just as fat-free cheese is an undesirable substitute is some dishes, so is anything less than the real thing. I'm with bepsf.

Thanks Gregory and Everyone - I'm honored.

I built my shop around the same philosophy. Surround yourself with stuff you love. I'd rather go without than have the less than perfect piece in my space.

www.nest-living.com

I've been struggling with this for the past week.

There are a lot of great pieces of furniture that I see and would like to purchase and then I find out the price and get turned off. Some of them are Outrageous. Then I think to myself, am I paying for the craftsmanship and the materials and etc, or am I paying a huge price because of the name.

Especially since most of these things are from the Mid-Century era and were not priced like this when there were originally designed, or no one would have purchased them, but now that the name is well known, the price skyrockets. I can see the case with antiques since those items are rare and no longer being manufactured but, with something still being made today, it's not the same.

As an artists, I try not to do anything that infringes on other artists copyrights. I buy all my music and movies while lots of people I know "Acquire" them in other ways.

I like certain things because of the aesthetics of them. The clean lines, shapes, etc. So if I see something that is a similar style, and gives me the same enjoyment when I look at it but, it fits into one paycheck as opposed to being spread out over several, most likely I will buy it.

There's just too big of a gap between Ikea and the upscale furniture stores. Maybe I'll get started on designing my own stuff.

While I appreciate the quality and beauty of "the real thing", my problem is that I lose interest after a while. I'm content with whatever I have now, but in time I decide I really want another style, color, whatever.

If I spent $10,000 on a couch, what happens when that couch no longer holds its appeal, no matter how beautiful it may be? What happens when my tastes change, which they do every few years, as I grow and change myself?

I can't imagine living in the same house for the rest of my life, or sitting on the same furniture, or eating from the same dishes, or driving the same car. Or, living with the same person, for that matter.

Life is all about change. Beauty comes in all forms. Inexpensive doesn't necessarily mean unattractive.

I am ridiculously eclectic and my tastes in things, chairs, bookshelves, rugs, sofas etc, changes so often that I am perfectly fine with buying a CL deal or Ikea item, and then selling it off on CL in a year or two and replacing it with a different style equally as cheap as the first one I had.

Personally I would really hate myself If I saved up for something I thought I would love and adore for a lifetime, only to be sick of it in a year or two, and kick myself for spending all that money in the first place. Everyone is different.

K T G-- I agree with your overall point, but the way anything electronic changes so frequently now, I'm not sure the camera is the best example. You can buy a state of the art camera, and five years later not be able to find a replacement media chip for it.

I think the same rule applies to home improvement projects. If you don't use good materials in order to save money, it's a decision you'll someday regret. Better to save your money and do it right the first time rather than go on the cheap and have to replace it or fix it later.

It reminds me of a bathroom my parents added on to their house when I was a kid. They didn't have a lot of money at the time and were doing a few projects at once. So they used an aluminum window, sheet vinyl flooring, and my dad did the shower tile work himself. The window ended up unopenable in a few years, the vinyl floor was unattractive and completely not in keeping with the 1940's house, and suffice it to say my dad did not have a future as a tile craftsman. My mom says to this day that it's one of the best lessons she's ever learned. Do it right the first time or suffer the consequences.

Someone once told me there is an old Chinese saying, "Buy the best and you only cry once." Words to live by!!

I agree!

(typing this on my Togo, which was very much a years-in-the-planning purchase)

I say buy quality, "Original" stuff from good, local designers and forget about the labels. Just because your name doesn't come up in Google, doesn't mean you work isn't as good or better.

porche 911 is suuuuch a girl car, i'd never get one ew. but this is really not a good quote...it makes me feel bad for mankind not happy and reflective. bepsf does usually have good comments though

Buy what YOU want to buy, regardless of what anybody else thinks of your decision. Just buy mindfully, thinking about whether the investment is worthwhile for you. I personally don't care if the label is designer or not. If I like it, I like it. I like excruciatingly expensive stuff I will never own and I like flea market finds that nobody else would care for, and things in between. Design snobs would hate much of my furniture, but I like it and since I'm the one living with it that's what counts!

I agree. For me though, I typically forgo the material things all together if I can't or don't want to spend the money.

On life experiences, I will happily spend the moo-lah to get to the real thing. Authenticity is above a price tag when it comes to travel.

I spent what was a small fortune in the 80s on Mario Bellini's Le Bambole love seat and 2 chairs. I have loved them to this day. Every time I look at them, I say, "Ah, yes. Nice".
Totally worth it.
http://www.homeportfolio.com/catalog/Product.jhtml?prodId=200643

If you're a connoisseur, then yes... by all means, save your pennies and get the real thing. But if you're after the style, is it okay to use a shape that works for your space, regardless of the 'name' on it?

MCM isn't my thing, but I do enjoy antiques. I'm no purist though- mine aren't mint pieces from the Old World, they're early century pieces that have seen better days. The ones that are particularly rough often get (gasp!) painted, decoupaged, or otherwise re-invented into something else. It's the spirit of the piece I'm into, and how it fits into my home (or can be re-created to).

Maybe this is decor blasphemy? Perhaps I'd feel different if furnishings were my passion. I do agree that some things are worth the price though- I'd rather put my pennies toward saving for that Paris or GBR vacation- I don't think I'll be fondly recalling my furniture on my deathbed, no matter how authentic it is.

I say save your money and try to find (or hack) a piece you like that suits your style and environment. If it turns out you can't find anything BUT the outrageously expensive designer piece that's great, go for it. But I think you should consider other options first, and I'm not just talking about knockoffs here, either.

And remember, just because some iconic piece looks incredible in marketing photos, staged in dramatic rooms, doesn't mean it's gonna look so hot in your apartment. Sometimes the $500 couch from IKEA will look a lot better in your environment.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280305917445&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123