Weighing the Options: Deciding Which Furniture to Buy

I calmly make budgets for my job all the time. but when it comes to my own home buying decisions tend to be a lot more emotional than rational. Deciding on a furniture purchase may be a snap for some, but weighing the practical, moral, aesthetic, and economic aspects of each option can also be a huge challenge.

I rarely regret investing a little more in a well-made piece of furniture instead of buying a lower cost knock-off that might fall apart after a few years — but sometimes a less expensive option is the best one.

The Marcel Breuer designed Chaise Lounge (1), at $2,722, might become a family heirloom. At less than 10 times the cost, the IKEA POÄNG lounger (2) is not as unique but it's an attractively priced, well-designed option.

Then there's the BluDot Toro Lounge Chair (4), which certainly isn't cheap at $1,099, but the elegant and classic design is certainly worth giving up a few dinners out for. I also love the simplicity of the leather Butterfly Chair that is available from Urban Outfitters for $199 (5) even though it's personally not my favorite place to shop. Or there's the handmade version with higher quality leather from Circa 50 (3) for a couple hundred dollars more.

Ultimately, I'll make a decision based on the piece I love the most that I think will fit best in the space — a 1950s ranch filled with mid-century as well as modern pieces. If I go for one of the higher priced options it might mean a few extra months of saving up, but that just might be worth it in the end.

What factors do you weigh when buying a new piece of furniture?

Images: As linked above.

Comments (18)

My tastes change too much to invest over a grand on any one piece. I'd rather spend that money on a set of pieces that I will get rid of guilt free in a years than to get something really expensive which I may not like in 5 years and then stress about getting a good price for it.

(And um, btw, your reference numbers in the article don't match the graphic for 3, 4, and 5.)

Since it's a home chair, what counts most is comfort. Can I relax in it enough to read? to sleep? Pedigree and price matter less to me. I want to sit in chairs a while before deciding whether to buy them. My Poang chair and foot stool have been comfortable, maintenance-free, and durable for years, so I just laugh at snobs who call them dorm decor.

"At less than 10 times the cost, the IKEA POÄNG lounger (2) is not as unique but it's an attractively priced, well-designed option."

I believe you mean "at less than ten percent of the cost...."

"lower cost knock-off that might fall apart after a few years" . . . or might not. It sometimes just depends how you treat your stuff.

I'm starting to hate throwing things away so I try to pick a piece that's relatively affordable and when stacked up against the "latest thing" still holds it's own. It also can't be too precious. I have a kid and a dog so I don't want to stress about it being ruined, while at the same time teaching kid and dog respect for furnishings.

""lower cost knock-off that might fall apart after a few years"

You can buy almost 12 Ikea POÄNG loungers for the price of that Marcel Breuer chaise lounge! Even if a POÄNG does fall apart, you can buy a new one. It's not as though anyone's really going to go through 12 POÄNGs in their lifetime.

May I tell you that so far none of my Ikea furniture has fallen apart? The oldest pieces are two directors chairs that were my "first" pieces of furniture, i.e. the first ones I was allowed to pick when I was a teenager, 14 or so.... Oh, I'm 38 now, by the way.

I also wonder if people would still prefer the Breuer if the Poäng was the ten times more expensive chaise. Just wondering....

I'm with Prue,

I've never had any of my Ikea furniture fall apart and I always wonder, what are people doing with their furniture? Usually, when I'm finished with a piece, I give it to a friend or sell it on craigslist and get a decent price for it because it's in "like new" condition.

If you take care of your stuff, it's going to last and if you don't you'll need to repair or replace it.

Frankly, none of this furniture appeals to me, but if you really want to get one of them, get the Poang. All my Ikea furniture has held up really, really well.

My husband builds amazing furniture in his workshop. He said he'd rather be water-boarded than go to IKEA.

But the items I purchased for the first college-age daughter are still holding up through the third kid--11 years.

First thing I consider when I think of a purchase is "Can I buy used?" - I'd rather have something unique and vintage than something boring and new.

If its gotta be new, the next quetion is "Where is it made?" I prefer American made, and don't have a problem w/ European made - but I'm not about to shovel more of my money to China when there are attractive and affordable alternatives.

If I can't find what I'm looking for or am dissatisfied w/ the choices available, then there's always the possibility of custom made. Custom draperies, custom rugs and custom upholstery are always an option and oftentimes can be no more expensive than the comparable item from the fancy catalog retailer - and as a bonus, you're helping to keep a local neighbor in business while getting something utterly unique.

I'm working on a renovation of the Adult Services floor of the Library where I am a librarian. (See what can happen if you read this blog -- special assignments!)

Our chair budget for comfortable seating is ridiculously small -- maybe $250-$350 per chair. (For "industrial grade".) Hard to find the right mix of sturdy, attractive, comfortable, affordable...

One of the Trustees on the committee found a picture of a chair she liked. I took one look and KNEW we couldn't afford it, even though it wasn't remarkably different from the ones we have been considering. I called the manufacturer, and the chair -- which I agree, was nice looking -- was $2056 PER CHAIR!

Ah, if money were no object!

Public library chairs are best in hard plastic, metal, and/or wood because human wastes will be left on them. They will be vandalized in other ways, as well, so there's no point in trying for "attractive," at least not in this county. NH counties may be different, I hope.

I just found a Vassily-like chair at an antique store for less than $50. I love it. And it looks so good with my furniture, which is not modern by the way.

I'm a bit (okay, a lot) obsessive about the furniture and other stuff I buy for our apartment, and it takes me a long time to find exactly what I'm looking for. We needed a new couch a few years ago and in all of Boston, I couldn't find one that I loved. So I discovered Room and Board (personally, I find Crate and Barrel furniture very boring) and took the bus to New York to buy a couch and chair that I had picked out online. My mother-in-law thought I was nuts because I had to pay the bus fare, not to mention the shipping costs of the stuff from NY. That didn't matter to me b/c I love what we have now. I won't buy used major stuff -- usually -- and I have a Saarinen table from DWR that is one of my prizes. On the other hand, I'm also a yard sale addict and easily one fourth of our place is from yard sales and curbs. I'm big on FREE! So basically, I believe on spending what you need to (even if it's a lot, within reason, of course) on something that's important to you, and conserving on the rest. Make sense?

We had a 400+ lb guest sit in our Poang chair and rock in it. Although the chair creaked a bit, it didn't appear to sustain any damage.

It is always cost vs value with all things in life. Sometimes the values are "comfort", "American made", "status symbol", "durability" or "great design". Then you ask if the thing you value is worth the cost. Then you get the Poang chair!

I thought that first photo was a Poang!