apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

cb2, cb2, cb2.

for now, order online or via the catalog. i can't wait for the store to open.

the prices a wee bit higher than ikea, but the quality is far, far, far superior.

I'm in the same spot - just moved, with basically no money for furnishing. Dilligence with craigslist has been my saving grace. I got a one-year-old Crate & Barrel couch for the cost of something new from Ikea, and a great kitchen table. I like to save a few searches in my bookmarks - "table" with images, under whatever dollar amount, for example - and check on them a few times a day. You'll never get anything from craigslist if you're never first to respond.

I also second the Housing Works recommendation. If you can spend a day checking out multiple stores in the city, you'll fare best.

Good luck!

I highly recommend checking out thrift shops like Housing Works, Salvation Army, City Opera, etc....

You can find amazing pieces of lightly used furniture for awesome prices....plus the money goes to charity.

When I was growing up my parents NEVER purchased a piece of furniture. Everything we owned was either from Salvation Army or from the street curb.

Good luck!

Uh, CB2 is not cheap and my guess is that if you are living in a studio for your first place you won't have that much money. If you can't take a truck out to Ikea in LI or Paramus then shop on Craig's List or check out the Salvation Army or Goodwill (there's a location downtown). There's also Housing Works, but they tend to be really expensive and a lot of the stuff I've seen is from Ikea and it goes for more than at the store. CL is the best place though, or the flea markets in the city on the weekends. The one at the Annex is really good, as is the one in the parking lot across the street - that one has lots of furniture usually.

I live in a university town and the school has a warehouse surplus store that sells old stuff from dorms, offices and whatnot. It's a great place for an occasional quirky find, and you're recycling!

Something I wish someone had told me when I was in your situation was to wait on the couch. Instead, I got a futon couch, which is convenient for moving and guests, but not very attractive. And having something that works, I don't have the budget to get something actually good now. If I could do it over, I'd sit on cushions on the floor until I could afford a good couch, that would last over the years. I'd suggest avoiding IKEA too. IKEA isn't all that cheap when it comes to things like couches, and the quality just really isn't there.

I'd suggest thrift stores, garage sales, craigslist, and flea markets for non-upholstered items like coffee tables, kitchen chairs, etc. I'd avoid these sources for upholstered items because cleanliness can be a real issue, particularly with the resurgence of bed bugs.

I second the craigslist comment. I am also poor (grad student...such is the life we lead) and I've been able to get wonderful things from there for my new place that I'm moving into this weekend. It's an amazing resource, especially if you have a car (or a friend with a car) that can fit larger items in it.

Admittedly, I'm a little additcted now...

Luciana

IKEA is for when you need multiple matching bookshelves or cabinets, on the cheap. They do that sort of thing extremely well, with lots of options for combinations and doors, which will save you from having four incompatible bits of too-small shelving all arranged along a wall, looking meager and wretched.

If you're saving for a sofa and feeling squidgy about used upholstery, most furniture stores have sample sales at least once a year. You've missed the fall one, but some stores will do January. Also, Macy's should have a scratch-and-dent section with substantial markdowns; other stores probably do likewise.

AT's Scavenger....it's the best from my experience. Remember, your life is going on w/o all of the things that you want to furnish you place with and you can be patient and wait for what you want in the style that you want. Plan on what you want the finished apartment to look like and stick to the plan.

Sometimes JCPenney.com has good prices. also check overstock.com

Not sure which part of Brooklyn you're in, but I would check out:
Junk on N 8th & Driggs (good for mirrors, nicknacks, random 50s furniture, cute end tables, etc, not too expensive)
Green Village Junk Shop off the L Jefferson, on Starr between Wyckoff & St. Nicholas (pretty massive, lots of furniture, cheap!)
Also there are some good thrift stores in Astoria that are less picked over. I remember going into a few right off the 30th Ave stop.
And definitely Craigslist. Each page of Craigslist has an RSS feed. So if you are a bit tech savvy, put your Craigslist searches on your RSS reader and check that thing all day at work. I've found lots of stuff this way. And yeah, you do kind of have to be the first person to respond to a posting.
Good luck!

I am also on a tight budget and have done very well at warehouse sales. ABC Carpet and Home has a great semi-annual warehouse sale and I got a great very large couch for $500. Find a furniture store you like and sign up for their email list.

Good luck!

The newest Time Out is their Annual Home Design magazine...lots of great resources for people just starting out and on a budget (look for a post later today). Though I think you'll get more expert advice from reading AT regularly!

I agree with angorian about the couch. For some of the larger items you can make do without, wait until you can afford something good or get a great find off craigslist. It is better to save your money for that. Also, couches are such a pain to move.

Good luck.

...also target.com

Ditto the above. Also, put a tape measurer in your bag along with a paper noting the dimensions of your door, your stairwell or elevator, your building's front door, and all your room dimensions. That includes how far it is from the window to the corner, from the corner to the door, from the floor to the window--anything that affects getting your furniture in and getting it placed.

I furnished my first place with a combonation of Ikea, Target, returns from furniture rental places and some serious street/dumpster finds. The place was so cool, and I might have spent $1000 total furnishing it and refinishing some of the dumpster finds.

Oh -- and when you go with Mason's advice to make a plan and stick to it (which you should), think in layers.

1. STORAGE. Being able to put things AWAY is key to happiness in a small space. Get your major storage piece(s) right, and everything else falls into place.

2. Seating (including the bed). Buy your sofa in a size that doesn't force you into one of the bad-flow arrangements in the Cure book. Think about how you use it, too. If you want to be able to lounge, don't go for a stiff, armless design, no matter how stylish it is.

3. Lighting and tables (if needed) to hold lamps up. Lighting is going to define your space as well as allow you to see where you're going.

4. Rugs. These also define your space, and they just aren't cheap, so you want your furniture arranged (at least on paper) before you start buying.

5. Window treatments, if these aren't forced on you by a landlord. You want your overall "look" determined before you shell out here, or it's easy to spend a lot on something too visually noisy.

6. Accessories and art. While you can "build" a room around a treasured piece of art, you don't want to start buying tchotchkes until the bones of the room are decided, so you know what display space you have and where you could use a mirror.

You can work all this out on paper and then start the actual buying at any point, of course.

Yes yes, to all of the above. Wonderful tips I wish I'd had when I moved into my first place of my own 3.5 years ago (all the other's were furnished by roommates). Instead I bought a cheap ugly crappy futon and took a free awful heavy "dorm-style" couch that I STILL have. If I didn't have anything, I would have saved up for something I really liked, something substantial. I did that with my bed, and after 7 months sleeping on the mattress on the floor, I had the exact frame I wanted and it makes me happy to this day.

My boyfriend suggested putting my futon on craigslist (the free section, to get it out of there) and then force myself to save up for the real deal couch that I want, but I can't bring myself to give it up...it could mean months of watching movies from the floor!

M. Katz on Essex below Houston in Manhattan has great deals on sample furniture including Lazy Boy chairs and sofas, leather couches, dinettes and other wood furniture. I've gotten many brand name pieces of furniture there straight from the floor. They also have many catalogues and get you the best deal. Extremely nice and friendly people - very caring and want customers to be happy. I go in there regularly to see what's available and almost always see fantastic deals. Check out ALL 3 floors - main/street level, basement and 3rd floor (major staircase to deal with but WORTH IT!!). Closed Saturdays... good luck!

Also - for smaller items such as lamps, side tables, etc...TJ Maxx, Century 21 and Marshall's..all great!

About rugs, we just bought 3 rugs (different size areas) from FLOR and are very happy with them. Rug prices are breathtaking, and not in a good way. If I had all the money in the world, I'd upgrade, but I don't, and I'm happy with the rugs I've got.

Uh, CB2 is cheap considering what you get for your dollar.

Craigs
Garage Sales
Tompkins near Jefferson in Bed Stuy: The Victorian and Jefferson Antiques

If you have or can rent a car, Junk to Jems, LI:
http://reclaimedhome.com/?p=287

Three suggestions . . . craigslist, craigslist, craigslist. Be patient, keep watching the list and be prepared to go claim your treasures at a moment's notice. It will be worth it. If you've got a good eye, you'll end up with a home that looks waaay more expensive that it actually was. Good luck!

Um, CB2 is ---NOT--- cheap!

Sorry, but not everyone can afford $600 on a simple chair.

Right, CB2 MAY be a good value for the dollar, but when your dollars come by the dozens and not the hundreds, you've got to stick with places that can more realistically serve your needs. And then just look forward to the day when you too can consider CB2 a good value.

It's all about perspective, and everyone's got their own. :)

Goodwill and Salvation Army. There are one of each in Boerum Hill. The Goodwill gets things from Target. Sometimes damaged or clearanced, sometimes slightly damaged from brand new product lines.

CL is definitely the way to go for used items; if you don't have access to a car, Citimove.com is a wonderful source for cheap man with a van services.

For new, if you cull through you can find some decent buys on Homedecorators.com; Target.com has a much wider selection than stores and is great for stylish but cheap items. Don't forget about Pier 1, which has good sales as well.

i think reading the ikea catalog is fun, and visiting the store is fun, and overwhelming the first time. don't go on a weekend. dont waste a summer weekend there either. ikea is bad for expensive things like couches because cushions are thin and slipcovers don't hang right, so they look cheap and falling apart after 2 days. even jennifer leather has better quality stuff! Can get a couch for like $600 plus delivery fees and tax.

But, depends on your budget, do you have $400 to spend or $2000?

I would get a bed, figure out size comfortable for you in studio-probably a full, a queen if it fits. And, get a 3 person couch if it fits, so you can sit comfortably and have someone sleep on it if necessary. no loveseat, too little. get some floor lamps to light up the place. Get a table to eat at, that can be used as extra table/work space if you need it. Get a mini table for your computer.

Craigslist is good for shopping. try to find someone moving at end of month that has multiple items you need so you don't have to keep paying people $50 for delivery.

Buy some big cool pictures for your walls, hard to find big pictures, and usually more expensive, but bigger is better on walls.

also, ikea is great if you stick to the super super low end stuff, like if you have $50 to spend on your whole apt and want some crappy little cheaply designed tin chinese junk to look at, that you will just throw out in a year or so, but still they have some fun stuff for like $2.99 sometimes. But, other stuff is $299.00. So, just keep in mind what you are going for. Personally, I'm no longer into those little magnetic things/racks that hang on every available space of kitchen wall to hold one plastic pasta spoon!! So, be careful at ikea, most of it is useless.

try store called homegoods in suburbs, think it is owned by marshalls type company, similar to homesection of marshalls, with discounted irregular sheets, glasses, home items, fake international antique crap. But, fun.

But, remember the budget, just a new bed and couch are already $1000 total if you buy them new. Try not to leave walls bare. Try to remember not to worry too much, you may get sick of this place and need to move and sell all your stuff on craigslist soon anyway!

You can also check out freecycle, a Yahoo group where people post things they want to get rid of. Everything posted there is free. Most things are small, but I posted my Ikea loft bed there when I moved to my new place, so you never know.

When I lived in Brooklyn, nearly all of my furniture came from two sources:

1. Little Luna in Cobble Hill (corner of Kane & Cheever). The owner, Denise, is awesome and prices things very fairly. I loved this store. It was the first place I ever spent money on furniture, and most of what I bought there is still with me now.

2. The curb. I lived in Cobble Hill, and I found some AMAZING things put out for free there (and in neighboring Carroll Gardens). I also had great luck at stoop sales on the weekends in that area -- people were usually willing to bargain down to next to nothing just to get rid of stuff, particularly when getting ready to move.

Good luck!!! I often feel that my nicest apartment was my first, and also the most cheaply furnished. Look for things you love, and don't be afraid to spiff them up with slipcovers and paint!

1. craigslist.
2. macys (oddly -- but decent "sets" for less than ikea)
3. homedecorators.com
4. costco.com (wish we had costco furniture stores here. they do in the West and they're great)
5. PBteen.com sale section


I don't have luck with housing works, etc and delivery is a hassle -- assuming you don't have a car. Also, AT has freaked me out about bed bugs. If you do have a car, try the Crate and Barrel outlet in Cranberry NJ

craig's list all the way.
all of the furniture in my entire condo adds up yo the cost of a cb2 sectional, and it looks amazingly eclectic and cozy.

remember, you can refinish or repaint anything!

While I can't offer much in the way of resources in the NY area but I can offer some suggestions.

I will admit, I love IKEA for many things, many of the lower end stuff is just that, stuff, but some of their things are surprisingly good for what little you actually pay. For instance, I did purchase a really nice pizza cutter and I bet if I go to Bargreen's, a restaurant supply place, I can get replacement blades for it as it's held on with a screw and locking nut on a solid metal handle. It's held up great and I think was something like $3 and they appear to have some decent dinnerware/flatware for inexpensive stuff, but like I said, they can be good but as someone else suggested, they can overwhelm you with the sheer selection of stuff. However, I will suggest that you have some idea of how you cook, store things etc and have a list with you when you go, some of the rack systems they offer to get stuff off the counters may or may not work for you and you may find it's easier to find an inexpensive plant pot to stash your cooking utensils in instead of trying to hang them on the wall like I did. Don't be afraid to repurpose something if need be.

Urban Outfitters is a good resource for some items too. If you can, find some interesting albums, don't worry if the LP's themselves are any good, just make sure the cover is in good shape (they can be had for $1 each at the GoodWill) as you can get LP cover frames at Urban Outfitters for $20 for 2, or $15 for a single frame and frame them is a suggestion for inexpensive artwork for your walls.

If you must go for a futon, go for a place that specializes in futons and carry a range of mattreses in a wide range of prices and stick to a mid grade or higher mattress and frame. That's what I did. I bought a mid level mattress from a futon specialty store (now defunct I think) that had 5 layers of cotton batting, in between them were layers of eggcrate foam and the mattress was topped with Dacron batting, that gave good support, but didn't compact down to a hard lump and provided a touch of softness on the surface, both the mattress and frame were floor samples in a full size. Bought it new in 1996 and is still reasonably comfy now and is my only bed. It needs a topper now but that's 11 years of near daily use too. The frame was a nice black metal minimalist type of lines so it has some style to it. At the time, I was living in a studio where the main room was roughly 14.5x15Ft square and I had no bed, let alone a couch so the futon was a good solution for me at that time. Today, I'm in a 1 bedroom apt.

I also agree in knowing the dimensions of the space, the access ways to the space so when you go shopping, you can be sure to find something that will fit size wise. Also, keep an eye towards esthetics, ie, make sure things coordinate in some fashion or you'll end up with a room full of miss matched furniture, unless going for the eclectic look and even there, some coordination in fabrics and such help tremendously.

@ Nisha

Nisha hit it on the head..

overstock.com has some really good deals, you don't pay tax's and shipping to your door step via FedEx is $2. Also if you do a quick google search "overstock.com coupon" there are codes for an additional 10-15%.

I feel like i need to stand up for IKEA here. I love IKEA. I have had IKEA furniture (practically my whole place is furnished by the company) for 7 YEARS and have never had to throw anything out due to quality issues. NEVER. I've even moved apartments with it and its fine.

I think the big trouble people run into is that they assemble their furniture poorly in the first place, and are then surprised when it gets wobbly or doesn't last. As with most things, if you take the time and care to do it right the first time, you should have no problems.

Meanwhile, other companies really are not much better quality. My boyfriend bought a desk from Crate & Barrell, and its fairing more poorly after 1 year than my IKEA desk after 5 years. Unless you're splurging for solid wool, its all particleboard covered in veneer, no matter if you get it from IKEA or any other place, for crying out loud.

A final note on IKEA couches -- they have a terrible reputation. I have a couch that is quite possible the MOST COMFORTABLE couch ever. I've had friends sleep over on it and say that it was more comfortable than their bed at home. No joke. And the slipcover fits just fine, thank you. :)

I guess the lesson is to try before you buy. Go to the store and try out the product and if it feels good and sturdy, buy it!

Anyone ever been to the DWR outlet store over in Jersey? I realize it may still be out of Kate's price range, but I haven't made it over there and I'm curious.

Dear Kate,
You can visit the online website http://www.globalartinteriors.com/ and can order some of beautiful, traditional and unique furniture items from it.
Thanks

Check out all of the big department stores' Web sites, some offer their best things only online. (Target, Macy's, JCpenneys.com, remember their mirrored console everybody wanted?)

Gothic Cabinet Craft unfinished wood furniture
Home Decorators Collection Outlet
Overstock.com literally the overstocked merchandise from various stores, they just don't mention the name brand. (In fact, I think the pic in the link is CB2's old Shelter sofa, the dimensions are the same and it is discontinued now.)

One word - BEDBUGS!

Be careful about the curb, Salvation Army, etc...

Two pieces that should not be scrimped on - sofa and bed. Both those pieces will be used more than any other pieces so they should be comfortable and well made. And nothing is worse than a bad mattress for making one cranky.

You can scrimp on the other pieces such as coffee table, accessories, rugs, desk, etc...

Also - the Neiman Marcus and Saks Off Fifth Ave outlets at Woodbury Commons and Jersey Gardens have some of the most amazing furniture at amazing discounts.