My furniture spending -
Entire bedroom set - $0 (was husband's grandmothers)
Dining room, wait, what dining room? The long table in the hallway that might eventually go in a dining room was a curbside find.
Sofa - $75 at Salvation Army
Coffee Table - $10 on Craigslist
Misc. everything else - Under $40 total.
I suppose this makes me sub average, and I'm proud to be there!

Queen Matress - 200.00
frame - 250.00
nightstands - 20.00
dresser - 25.00
mirror - 30.00
Dining Table to seat 10, with eight chairs and table pad - 150.00
Hutch - 150.00
Sofa Free! New slipcover from Ikea - 100.00
Coffee table - Free

Thanks craigslist.

oh and ikea for matress and bed

@phoebeart I think I would puke if I spent over 300 on any piece of furniture.

One of my secret weapons for finding great furniture on the cheap is to tell my friends and family what I'm in the market for. Example: I wanted an antique iron bed, but couldn't find any under $500. My mother - who frequents estate sales in a great part of the country for antiques - offered to help so I gave her a bid limit of $300. She found the perfect bed and the final bid was only $90!

One of the things I love about this websites is learning from the ingenuity of other readers. Breathing life into old pieces is fun, economical and ecological...thanks for sharing, everyone!

I'm French, so I have to convert dollars into euros, but I'm wayyyy below the average too, except for the bed. I'd never ever buy a mattress or boxsprings secondhand, so we went for the extra-comfy extra-pricy beds for us and for my son. But we just spent 40 euros at a secondhand shop to buy him a vintage wooden bed frame that was a total steal. No frame for us at all, I sew the boxsprings cover.

As for the rest of the furnitures, it's salvation army, leboncoin (the French Craigslist), family heirlooms, elbow grease and paint.

300 dollars on coffee table... is it gold-plated ? I did notice how expensive new sofas are (here too), but you can find antiques on eBay or leboncoin and have them recovered in a modern fabric. It's less expensive, and so pretty and unique...

The rise of upcycling and plethora of DIY videos and articles online has made me much more open to buying on Craiglist and at estate sales. This is going to sound ridiculously hard to believe, but my entire home was outfitted in furniture for under $500. Only 2 items in the whole house were purchased new.

My spending:

Master bedroom:
trunk - inherited
trunk - $5 yard sale
chair for bedside - $3 yard sale
crate for other bedside - $1 yard sale
full sized vanity with 6 drawers and mirror - $5 yard sale
curtains - Walmart - $15.00

Dining room:
9' solid wood table, seats 8 with 4 chairs $80.00 (clearance sale)
other 4 chairs app $12.00 - yard sales

sofa - $300.00 Ikea

coffee table with 3 little side tables that fold and slide into the underside - $10 yard sale (Apparently the woman's brother made it back in the 1920's)

*mattress - we have lived with hand-me-down mattresses from various family members for years and have learned our lesson. We plan on buying a new one in the next few months and plan on spending app $1,000.00 - $1,200.00. This is one item you need real quality.

Spent WAY too much money on some upholstered chairs recently. But balanced it with an inexpensive Ikea sofa.

Wow, some of you guys are so talented in finding deals! I am actually astonished!
The most I spent on my furniture is my dining set but I know it's something I am going to love for the rest of my life so I think it was worth every penny I spent.

I can't remember the last time I bought new furniture. Used, vintage found or handed down can be applied to almost all of my furniture.

I still spend quite a bit on furniture, but my money goes further since I'm not paying for newness, and I prefer things that have been used a bit.

OK, I spend too much $$. My dining room table and chairs were $6000, but I love them. And I need to replace my 15-yr-old sofa and furnish a living room that will soon be habitable (a 5 year renovation). I'm resigned to spending more than $1200 the sofa I want. Yes, AT, you've trained me to love expensive stuff. But I have a great old yard sale find coffee table, and a magnificent book case I picked up for $40. So its a mix. Thankfully, I'm in for a significant raise.

I furnished all of my apartments during singledom from Craigslist and hand-me-downs, but I recently got married and decided it was time to actually invest in furniture I love. It has something to do with creating a home that feels permanent. I was so committed to not staying in my previous apartment, that it was almost unfurnished. I'm doing the opposite now.

This is not to say I did not love (or that one could not love) second-hand furniture. I just want a specific aesthetic in my home, and I will openly admit that I don't have time to hunt for used furniture.

This lead me to purchase new book shelves and an armoire for about $400; a $500 ottoman/coffee table that multitasks as a guest bed; and $700 including delivery for a reclaimed barnwood dining table and benches.

I feel like a big fat consumer, but having a carefully considered apartment is important to me because I work in the the industry, and because I am building a home and family. As I said, I am sure it could be done second hand, but I work 60 hours a week and don't have time to cruise flea markets, etc.

Dining set $50 Craigslist, desk $50 Walmart
Bedroom #1 two twin beds (including mattress) $50 Ebay, dresser $400 Pier1, night stands $30 & $15 craigslist
Bedroom #2 twin bed $200 Overstock, mattress $200 sears, rocking chair $450 (foolish pregnancy purchase - look for it on Craigslist soon)
LR coffee table $7 Craigslist, sofa $850 (got it for $50 on on Craigslist and had it reupholstere) side tables $15 & $30 Craigslist, tv stand free from a friend.

Fabulous Bed Set with incredible storage - $1900 (includes queen bed, dresser, mirror, night stand, chest of drawers) - http://goo.gl/EC5u8. I honestly think this was a steal

Huge sectional sofa (bought it off a friend) - $600

Coffee Table (second hand) - $100

Lot of $'s at TJX and Book stores

Wow! That is a lot of money on furniture! I have been using second hand and DIYing stuff found in resale stores (and dumpsters) for so long I can't imagine NEW furniture. Our household rundown looks like this:

Mattress & Frame: Gift From Mr. M's parents
Nightstands: $7 (one bought, one family cast off)
Dresser: $20 (University Surplus)
Chair $1 (for chair, $14 in fabric and uppholstry nails)
2 Chairs & Sofa: Inherited
Coffee Table : $10 (paint and table - 2nd hand)
Dining Set: Inherited
Tulip Table & Directors Chairs for sunroom: $45 total (Craigslist)

Household Total: $97

Thanks for this post. Please include more posts on money and spending. I think a lot of us would appreciate it offsetting the slew of posts that contain goods far out of our reaches. My spending:

* New sofa: Free on craigslist + $1,000 reupholstery. It has been around for 40 years and the frame is in mint condition. I hope it will be around for another 20 at least.

* Mattress, boxspring, frame: Around $1,000.

* Everything else is family hand me downs, yard sale, or alley finds including Ethan Allen sofa, antique side boards, antique mahogany dinning room tables and chairs, full bedroom set. My family knows not to get rid of their furniture and give it to me instead.

I got the Mitchell Gold Bob Williams living room set of my dreams with my AMEX points. Yup, I'm one of those people. bank my points and make a meaningful purchase with them every few years so it's no layout of cash whatsoever!!

I can't be the only one who spends more than the average, can I? I'm embarrassed to even give numbers with all of this amazing thriftiness surrounding me in the comments section. You are all to be commended!!

But I will say this: I only buy brand new furniture ever since my husband and I lived through a bedbug infestation a few years ago. I fall in love with things at flea markets and on Craigslist all the time, but even thinking about the remote possibility of bringing another infestation into my home makes my skin crawl.

Amy T, you are an INSPIRATION. Everyone should take a page from your book. We also try to upcycle whenever possible, but sometimes we'll make a "purchase" with AMEX points, via craigslist, or in trade so that we don't have to lay out any cash.

These numbers surprise me a bit- i would think sofas are where most people splurge... (i do, at least). I've found that by waiting and constantly looking on Craigslist and at local thrift shops, I've been able to find or modify the awesome, one-of-a-kind pieces I love for prices I can afford. It's a hard lesson to learn, and I've purchased many second-hand items that I thought would work well enough but that were quickly re-sold, or gifted to friends when what I actually wanted came along at a steal. But ultimately I end up with pieces that feel special- ones that I would lust over even if the price tag was much more.

Bedroom: $200 for a handmade, queen canopy bed, steel with a copper patina, $15 for a 9-drawer dresser with a curved front and inlaid wood.

Office: $35 for a dark wood, mission style desk circa 1929 from craigslist, $15 for walnut arm chair at church thrift store

Living room: $1,000 for dream couch, leather with high back and arms, $70 for steamer trunk/coffee table at church thrift store

Dining room: $180 for gloss-grey painted farm table with leaf on craiglist, $50 for meeting house 3-chair bench at furniture thrift shop, $5 for two random chairs- one i painted, one i upholstered.

It wasn't until my late 30s that I bought a fancy mattress ($800) and a real sofa ($1200). Everything else is in the $300 on down to free range - most closer to free (plus elbow grease, of course.)

Due to the bedbug epidemic, I'd never buy anything "soft" that's second hand. I'm also starting to despise most Ikea cr@pola.
I don't really consider price when I find something I love. If it's the perfect item, I don't care if it costs $5,000 or $50.

Dining set 1000.00
couch 1000.00
Both bought six years ago when my FIL turned 90 and DH wanted to host a party for him
The rest of my furniture was free, or from yard sales/thrift shops for well under $100
My latest beauty is a teak Danish modern desk bought at the thrift shop for $45 in new condition. I bought it the minute they had put it on the floor and beat the swarms to it.

I had to buy a lot of new furniture when i got divorced, and it ranged from a $5 end table to a $450 bed. I will often buy a cheap piece from a yard sale or something, live with it for a while to get a feel for what I REALLY need, then upgrade. The old piece might get passed on or turned into outdoor furniture, which is what's going to happen to my $25 dining table.

My mattress set was on clearance for about $700, everything else I have was well under $100. Of course I have yet to need to purchase living/dining room furniture (I rent a room), but I'm always window shopping and dreaming. I think the couch would be the only thing I'd be willing to pay a decent amount for.

I definately spend more on furniture than the average American but my justification is that it will stick with me for many years to come. I'm buying the classics (Eames, Nelson, etc) and who can argue with that. And my spending on furniture has went up in recent years since graduating college, earning more and establishing a home, not just a place to sleep.

This last 12 months has seen me buy my first apartment so lots of expenditure but lots of furniture brought with me and lots bought second hand.

Aside from a brand new kitchen and bathroom with all appliances main furniture purchased:

Custom made media unit: $800
Ikea sofa: $400
Second hand armchair and footstool: $100
Pair of vintage chairs I reupholstered: $80
Second hand outdoor rattan sofa: $100
Second hand dining table & chairs: $100
Second hand IKEA shelving unit: $100
Second hand coffee table and linen chest: FREE

I'm saving up to add to my Artemide lamp collection!

i'm not sure how this article received their data to come up with their numbers, but it seems that it probably came from information from furniture stores, and maybe not from a survey of average joes.

if this is the case, i think their numbers are pretty accurate in that a person on average would spend that much if buying new furniture.

on the other hand, i also think that the average AT reader is also a scavenger and not the average joe either. many finding great antiques, vintage items, and beat up furniture that can be turned into treasures with a little elbow grease for little more than being free.

kudos to all of you who posted that have spend so little on your furniture! i'm sure your homes are beautiful, eclectic, and full of character and you should ALL submit house tours!! i'm intrigued by those who have beautiful homes that are filled with secondhand and DIY things :D

This is fascinating, and i'd love to see more posts like this. I thought I was fairly frugal, but compared to you AT folks, I'm a spendthrift! Here's what I've spent on my house:
Mattress - $700 (waste - it turned into a banana bed very quickly. I will never buy from sleepy's again, they have the worst customer service ever, and made it such a nightmare for me that I gave up trying to get a replacement)
Bedframe - $300ish (ikea)
Bedside tables - $30 (ikea tv tables)
Dining room Table/6 chairs - $600
Couch and matching chair - $600

These were purchased over 6 years. Apart from the year I bought my bed and mattress, i never spent more than $600 on furniture in one year.

I thought sofas would be higher as well, especially since I can't find a new sofa for less than that (at decent quality). We are looking for a new sectional at prices between $1000 and $1500. My queen sized bed frame is the one my parents bought me in high school for $300 and the mattress set was $600. I want to upgrade our mattress as well this year or next and plan on spending around $1500 to $2000. My dining set is a hand me down from my grandma, its not pretty but it functions, and won't be getting it replaced anytime soon.

Let's see.

$800 for couch and armchair
$120 for TV console (Craigslist)
$100 for coffee table (Craigslist)
$300 for vintage side tables

~$900 for dining table and chairs
$200 for dining room console table

$400 for a tanker desk (in my defense, it is in fantastic condition)

$250 for armchairs (which we are going to replace)

$800 for bed (splurged at Room and Board)
$0 for mattress (taken from one of our parents' homes)
$600 for dresser
$100 for console table
$320 for vintage side tables

As we define our style, I find it a lot more rewarding to score a good deal AND get good quality. That doesn't always mean Craigslist and it doesn't always mean getting it new. We bought our dresser new because it was on sale, and it's the one we wanted. Our couch was new because it was on sale and we refuse to buy upholstered things on Craigslist. Our dining furniture is new because we can't seem to find what we want on Craigslist at all.

It's worth it to get what you want at a good deal than to sacrifice what you want just to get something cheap.

I agree that the thriftiness in these posts should be commended but I'm a little incredulous about the transparency (or lack thereof) of some posters. Furniture can be expensive (and quality that will last decades often is) but there are many other expenses to consider... rent, utilities, renno costs, lifestyle, etc. Is there a cash prize for "thriftiest AT-er" that I'm missing?

Also, few posters have really highlighted the relativity of furniture's intrinsic worth/value. In example, I just purchased a half-century old Fabricius and Kastholm leather armchair from Denmark and had it shipped over to the states for a combined total of about $1200. It took me 5 years to find and the price tag seems paltry when I consider all of the memories it conjures up spending time with my grandfather in a nearly identical chair as a child... considering I have only one surviving photo of him, this chair is priceless (in my own eyes).

Last, living in Chicago, I'm sympathetic to the posters who refuse to buy second-hand "soft" furniture. Do a google search for a map of "Chicago bed-bug infestations by neighborhood."

Better yet, don't. Ignorance can be bliss.

Last comment: DIY and upcycling are awesome but in my experience, purchasing quality tools and materials when coupled with the time invested in the project ultimately makes for little in the way of true dollar savings.

The furniture industry doesn't like me. I've probably spent less than $1,000 total for my entire lifetime on furniture. I'm 61. Yard sales and the like, free stuff and lately, Craigslist. Oh, I was in the antique business for 6 years in the 70's and came by a few things that way, spending very little on them. I've just turned the corner on wanting antiques throughout my house, it's not my style any longer though I still appreciate the good classics. I'm finding antique furniture too heavy these days.

Most of my stuff was free or very cheap but I did spend real money on a few things

Sofa: 400
Bookcases: 200 ea
Refinished Arts & Crafts Rocker: 500
Farmhouse Gateleg Table: 100
Dresser/hutch cabinet set: 300

My coffee table was purchased at a thrift store for like 10

All my other chairs, nightstands and tables were found on the street

Oh and I accidentally spent 300 on a steamer desk in a heatwave induced spasm of poor judgement. That doesn't count. I hate that thing.

Oy, I'm way over these numbers. This sounds like college apt furniture prices! Since buying my own place this year I've started investing in quality, cool-looking pieces. Not to say you can't find that for less, but perhaps my stomach for spending more has increased. Thank you for the reality check! (Sets match to DWR catalog)

I think this is a little bit surprising. Even on a budget I try to buy things that I truly love, that are well made and have longevity. I personally spurge on the following.
Mattress, Couch, lighting and bedding

I like to upcycle occasional chairs and dressers

Although I have a vintage coffee table, I would really love to upgrade to something lustworthy like the Platner coffe table
http://www.dwr.com/product/designers/m-p/warren-platner/platner-coffee-table-36-in.do?sortby=ourPicks

Hmmm...bedroom:
Cedar Chest: Graduation present from my parents
Mattress and Box spring: an old set my roommate's parents no long needed
Desk: $60 on craigslist, plus around that much for paint, new hardware, etc
Dresser and nightstand: bought by my mom at a garage sale when I was 13, I probably spent 20 to repaint it.

Of course, I'm a recent college grad and some of these will get replaced if I find decent employment. So if those are lifetime averages, I might fall in line at some point.

@TeraO, I'm in your boat. Sort of.

I already have a nice collection of furnishings from my first house, that all told, for the entire house, including lamps, rugs, etc, probably cost about $8,000. Today, I have very little cash to spend on furnishng our new house, which is twice as large and therefore it's about half empty.

I've scoured craigslist and our home-grown ksl.com to find some great deals. I also get the occasional overstock.com deal. But it's meamt waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Two years in, and I've furnished about 1/2 of our family room.

current spend:

Thomasville full-grain leather couch: $800 used
Overstock end tables: $140 ea
Marble coffee table: inherited
Two side chairs: $200 used
Vintage Knoll table: $200 used
Two vintage Overman lounge chairs: $350 (have to get them recovered.... which will *hurt*)
60's gourd lamp: $100
60's danish lamp: gift from mom

So it's looking like about $2000 thus far. Could have easily spent $10,000 on what we have if I'd shopped at Room and Board (where I spent it all the first time 'round)

I spend more than the average too. Statistically speaking, we have to be out there. However, I'm just a bit above the average. The most expensive thing I've ever purchased is $1,200 (dining room set). Most of my stuff is from Craigslist but I also buy paint, frames, plants and decor from Home Goods and the like.

We have a definite mix at our house. On the low (free) end are dressers and nightstands from my and my husband's respective childhood bedrooms, an iron bed given by my mom's friend, and bookcases and tables made by my grandfather (we make a sketch together and he makes it--amazing).

Then the low-mid $, some side tables and media center from West Elm, and many many various uses of FLOR products (I will not spend 1000 dollars on something my dog might vomit on).

Then the big expenditures are reserved for upholstered pieces from C&B (1400 and 800), and a real hardwood dining set (1500 or so), and above all, LIGHTING fixtures. I have spent a lot at Rejuvenation because I feel like our 1920s home deserves to have something better than Home Depot lighting fixtures. I will also happily invest in good teak for the porch because I hate sitting in something that feels disposable.

For little stuff, esp clocks and lamps, Ebay all the way. I also have a fiberglass/vinyl Eames chair from craigslist (250) that I treasure.

I spend under average. Most of my furnishings came from resale shops, Craigslist, antique fairs, and family. Bought my shelves and desk from IKEA. And my sofa was discounted heavily from Macy's.

Bedroom
Mattress with box springs and frame $300
DIY upholstered Headboard $200
Bedside table $100
Book case $100
Curtains $20
Dresser - Free

Guestroom
mattress $200
Lamp shade $20
Curtains $20
DIY bedside table
Lamp stolen from work

Living
Bookcase $100
Small table $40
Curtains -$20
Dining table - Free/refurbished
4 Danish teak chairs - Found at the dump by my Dad, reupholstered by me
2 mid-century Danish Teak armChairs -Inherited
Mid-Century Danish Lamp - Inherited
Teak Danish midcentury table - Inherited
Teak Danish midcentury Mirror - Inherited

All orignal artwork is mine, with the exceptions of a collection of wooden carved masks which probably cost $35

Now if you want to know where my money goes...don't ask about the vases, bowls, and other knick knacks:)

BTW although I try to keep my spending modest and love Ebay and West Elm, I will not touch IKEA. I simply hate that place. I will perhaps one day make an exception to reface our kitchen cabinets as I respect their cabinetry somewhat, but I can't stand their media furniture, upholstered stuff, or even being in the place. No love here.

If I could afford it I would spend much more...but I"m an artist and live on a shoestring...I do have a couple of nice oriental carpets from the days when I made good money:)

Haha I have done major overhauling this last year, due to a move and finally devoting time to finding furniture I actually like! (As opposed to whatever was cheap or someone gave to me.) Just about everything is from Craigslist.

Chaise lounge (in place of a sofa): $500, Craigslist
Recliner: free, gift from my redecorating aunt
Cat post: (yes this lives in my living room) ~$100
Coffee table: $300, Craigslist.
Baroque ornate style mirror: $74, Craigslist
Glass end table: $15, Craigslist

Dining set: $380, Craigslist
Baby grand piano: $3300, Craigslist

Tatami mat bed with thin pillow cover: ~$1100, new
Leaning bookcases: $150ish, Overstock
5 ft. by 6 ft. ornate gold mirror: $375, craaaazy amazing Craigslist find!

Handmade bookcases from England: $800, Craigslist.
Computer desk: $15, WalMart

Basically, I have a mix of inexpensive items (like the WalMart desk) and high-quality stuff from Craigslist that the original owners spent a fortune on.

About to head out to pick up a Pottery Barn dining room table for $60 (Craigslist) to use as a desk. Tonight I am picking up a Crate and Barrel dining room table and chairs for $300. The rest of my furniture is either from family or similar Craigslist finds. I would love to have "matching" furniture but it is so expensive, especially considering my student loans that I need to pay back.

My household has some issues in finding inexpensive, lovely furniture. We don't have (or want) a car, so getting used furniture home is a hassle and an additional expense. Neither me nor my partner are DIY handy in any way, shape, or form so any used furniture must already be attractive and in good shape. I'm also leery of buying soft furnishings used.

I got lucky with our dining room, which is furnished for less than $100 with a trestle table + six chairs and a friend kindly dropped them off for us.

The office isn't too expensive either, and currently consists of a CL desk ($75 for the desk, $25 for the station wagon rental), a CL filing cabinet ($15 for the cabinet, $20 for the car rental), and two IKEA carts ($20 each, $50 for the station wagon rental).

But the living room... There's very little that's cheap in the living room. My sofa alone was a floor model on sale for about $1000 (including shipping and taxes), but I had lusted after this sofa for years and leaped with joy when I saw it was part of Room & Board's annual floor sample sale. It's still my favorite piece of furniture. Likewise, I fell in love with our bookcases when I saw them and they weren't insanely priced for what they are (American made, solid wood, $250 each), so I bought five of them. Instead of a coffee table, we've got 4 storage ottomans that I nabbed from Overstock.com for $150 each, but with a free shipping code. One of our armchairs was a freebie (with a long story attached to it), the other armchair was almost $1000 all in, with shipping and taxes, but my partner fell in love with it on first sight and had to have it.

Our bedroom... well, that's a work in progress. The bed was $800 from Hold Everything, purchased because it has oodles of built-in storage. We just replaced the mattress for $300 (free shipping, thank you Amazon!). Instead of dressers, we have two freestanding closets I picked up for $40 each (again, thank you Amazon for free shipping!) and that I'd like to replace with something attractive, one of these days. I'd still like to find nightstands that allow us to access the underbed storage (right now we're using wall mounted shelving).

The sunroom is a hodge-podge. There's a cute bistro set that I think I picked up from Amazon for about $50. There's an IKEA storage piece I picked up from CL for $40 ($15 for the piece, $25 for the car rental). And then there's my chaise lounge, another purchase from Room & Board's annual floor sample sale and still not cheap (I think it came to $800 all in). But that's another favorite piece that I had long lusted after until I got it and I still love it, so it's worth every penny to me.

For the most part, the expensive pieces are ones that we love and hope to keep forever. (The exception: our bed, which we bought for practical reasons and now want to replace.) And, for the most part, the cheap pieces are ones that I hope to replace someday with pieces that I love. (The exceptions: I've come to like our dining room furniture and I really like the little bistro set in the sunroom.)

To all the commenters who are balking at the idea of spending more than $300 for furniture...
You do realize that it takes skill and time to make GOOD quality furniture and that skill and time costs money don't you? As a person who makes furniture, I can tell you that I can easily spend $300 on materials alone (for a high end piece). We don't do this for free.

I spend less than average on "hard" things (e.g. tables, chairs) and more than average on "soft" things (e.g. mattresses, sofas) because expensive tends to wear better.

For example, in 1997, I paid $800 for a top-of-the-line Simmons Beautyrest (would cost in the thousands today). We're STILL sleeping on it and it's still more comfortable than most luxury hotel beds we've slept in.

I have to agree with redbeard on this. It's not hard to find <$300 furniture. But quality and design is a huge factor.

I can certainly furnish my entire apartment with second hand IKEA from Craigslist for less than $1000.. but would I? No.

I certainly tried to find more affordable options but it was difficult finding the perfect piece without going above a certain spend threshold. So instead, I adjusted my budget and I'm currently saving up for the Gus Spencer sofa. I could settle for something similar for $500.. but I rather get exactly what I want -- a tufted, single cushion sofa.

Oh, and my prized possession - a custom made walnut dining table purchased for $200 and professionally refinished for $900.
The quality and style of the table is something that would be near impossible to find for less than $3000.

Well said, Redbeard.

LR Sectional: $1200 furniture store closeout off eBay
Saarinen Executive Armchairs: $40 each off eBay plus fabric (eBay) and $250 each for reupholstery job.
Living room 10' diameter Flokati rug: $500
Dresser: $500 off Craigslist (Vintage Broyhill Brasilia)
Mattress: $500 from Macys
Bed & Upholstered Headboard: @$500 from WestElm (discontinued closeout)
Nightstand: $200 from WestElm (on sale)
Credenza in hall: $500 Craigslist buy
Occasional Chairs in living room: One was $80 off eBay, with $200 restuffing job - the other was $50 off Craigslist.
Loveseat in den: $1000 from Macy's
Wing Chair in den: $250 off Craiglist
End tables in Den: $450 off eBay (I think they're Baker or Herendon - I forget)
Rug in den: $350 closeout from Pottery Barn
Secretary/Bookcase in Den: $500 off Craigslist
Custom Draperies in Den: $250/yard fabric off eBay for closer to $75/yard, plus lining and custom fabrication - They came in about $300/panel (4 panels)
Draperies in Bedroom: probably under $400 for all 6 panels - a discontinued closeout from Pottery Barn
Lamps all over the house: Nothing more than $100 each from eBay, plus custom shades (except for the one shade in the LR I found in the trash) & finials, most rewired myself.
Mirrors: All under $100 via eBay except for the one in the hall from Horchow during a 25% off sale
Artwork: Several prints by an artist friend of mine for @ $50 each, but with custom matting and framing, they come to @$1300 each - plus a C Jere sculpture worth $1200 found on Craigslist for $250...
...and a collection of plates, Bitossi pottery & vintage impressionist oil canvases - nearly all off eBay, nothing more than $100 each (most far less)

We got married a year ago, and have furnished our 2700 sq. foot home exclusively from Craigslist, garage sales, flea markets and antique stores. We're just now getting to a place where I really like what we have, but we've gone through 2 dining rooms sets, 2 kitchen sets, multiple side tables and chairs etc. I bought what we needed on CL, then traded up, always making a profit, until I've found what we love.

Hmm... I like to think that I own "real" furniture, for the most part. I have a young child and dogs, though, so my sofa is an Ikea slipcovered number (but still not a cheap one, I paid $250 for it second hand but got 2 slipcovers instead of just the one). My platform bed frame was $200 and my mattress $1200, but the headboard was an alley find.

I paid $15 for a vintage 60s howell dining set, $10 (plus cost of paint and plenty of elbow grease) for my enamel-topped kitchen table with chrome hairpin legs, $15 for kitchen chairs (which I also painted). And the side table that served as the inspiration for my living room is a Florence Knoll piece whose table surfaces had been ruined and had been left behind in an apartment. Taking it apart and replacing the surfaces with high quality hardwood plywood and edge veneer has breathed new life into it and made it truly unique.

That's basically to say that just because furniture is free or inexpensive to you because it wasn't purchased new doesn't mean that it's crap or that it has to look/feel like a college dorm room in your home. Or a hodge-podge collection of items that don't adhere to a common theme or period. Though I'll admit it's taken me 6-8 years to collect pieces that "fit" and phase out the Ikea crap I bought in my younger years....

Couch - $30 at antique flea market
Desk - $15 at yard sale (plus it came with a stool that is being used as an end table)
Desk chair - free (find)
Dressers (2) - free (hand-me-downs)
Bed - free (hand-me-down)
Mid-century couch and chair - free (curbside find)
End table and standing shelves - all free finds or gifts
Hanging shelves - $10 for one and $8 for the other (flea market finds)
Accessories - all either free and DIYed from existing junk or purchased second-hand from flea markets and refurbished
Mid-century diner-style table and 4 chairs - $30 (the set had been left behind in new neighbor's house and they didn't want it)

Let's see:
Living room
sofa - free/handmedown - still looking for something I both like and can afford
Credenza $500, vintage walnut MCM
Chair $10 at a yard sale (Pier 1 woven seagrass chair
Rug - $199 8x10 lucky find at NFM
End table - free+elbow grease. My dad made it in his high school shop class some 60 years ago.

Dining table and chairs - $125 twelve years ago at NFM, have since repainted the hunter green accents to black (it's now black against dark cherry wood)

Book case - $45 but it was a birthday gift
other book case - $15 at second hand store 20 years ago

Bedroom
Bed - tax return... about $300-$350
Dresser - $250 MCM /Dixie from my furniture stalker
Nightstand #1 - $60 MCM/ Lane from my furniture stalker
Nightstand #2 - $40 handmade antique from my favorite antiques haunt
Rug - $199 15 years ago

(my furniture stalker is a woman in town who hunts estate sales for MCM furniture, cleans and restores then posts on her blog - so lucky to have found her! It's like she does my hunting and shopping for me, and I just text her when I want something! )

Wow, never thought I was a big spender either until I hear the prices others are citing. We have a mix of low and "intermediate" furniture, but the intermediate still costs. In the living room, a chaise lounge from Mitchell Gold was $1000. A leather Italsofa couch was about $1000. A coffee table on Craig's List was $75 and an Ikea bookshelf was free.

In the dining room --- the dining room table and chairs cost probably a total of $600.

We have a Chinese wedding chest in the bedroom that cost $700 and IKEA nightstands that probably cost something like $25 each. The bed and frame we bought so long ago (about 15 year ago) that I can't remember how much we paid, but probably about $400 for both.

Honestly, I would never spend thousands on a piece of furniture, but I am comfortable spending hundreds --- especially if the design and quality is good. I always buy with the intention that it is for the long-term.

@redbeard I realize that making furniture is expensive, but seeing as 300 is like half my paycheck, there's no way I can justify that. Plus I'm sure there's enough used furniture in the world for everyone.

I'd rather spend my money on traveling anyway.

Interesting data, and the comments are pretty informative, too. We are still living mainly on gifted or hand-me-down furniture, and don't plan on buying any more furniture until we buy our own place. It's not really a financial thing, but more of a priorities thing--I'd rather put all my potential savings toward a down payment at this point. When we do start looking at replacing our mismatched furniture, I'm hoping to find quality pieces that will last a long time, and I'm comfortable splurging a bit on that (not going into debt, but definitely spending more than average).

I have a real mix of things that I saved up for and things I got for nothing.

My most expensive purchase was a $1500 mattress. I saved up for it for months. It's the most comfortable thing I've ever slept on, and I don't regret the money at all. My other big purchase was $1100 for four curtain panels--but we don't have a lot of art, and they are gorgeous and make our living room a much happier place.

On the other hand, we inherited our couch and dining room furniture, and my dresser is from Ikea.

I'd like to gradually replace my cheaper and/or less-loved pieces with quality things, and I don't mind paying for them, but that means saving up. I'm young and I don't make that much money, so it's going to be a long process.

I think it's important to make a distinction between COST and QUALITY. Just because something is inexpensive or expensive doesn't mean it's black and white in terms of quality.

So let's say you buy a bed from on Craigslist. If the bed came from Room and Board, that means that even though you bought it for $100 the bed's value could be as high as $1,000! $100 is just the price you paid. It's not a true indicator of quality.

So before we get all judgy on how much people are spending or not spending, let's put it into some context. Just because something is inexpensive doesn't mean it's cheap, if you know what I mean.

Like RedBeard said, high quality furniture costs a lot more to make. But if you're willing to do the work and find high quality furniture for less COST, you can be confident that it still retains its value.

As of right now, I've spent less than the average by sticking mainly to ikea, DIYing and craigslist finds - But I also just finished university.

I do feel that unless you are either much more resourceful than I or are not interested in pieces that truly last, you need to spend some moolah. I'm actually surprised to see that some of these averages are so low - I'd be willing to pay much more than the average bed or sofa cost listed to ensure that I got a piece I love and would stand the test of time - I've found that it's more expensive in the long run to buy junk and replace it with junk than to just do it right the first time.

@annekeo - you're right. It's more expensive in the long run. The thing is, I'm just wondering how many people got their super great deals by just buying second hand. There needs to be a distinction as to how much people on AT spend on NEW furniture vs. how they spend just buying second hand. I think we can safely assume that a great deal of second hand items (collectibles being an exception) are less expensive than their brand new counterparts.

I have furnished my home over many years. Sometimes buying new when I couldn't find what I was looking for. Most of my pieces came from estate sales, divorce sales, antique stores,consignment shops, going out of business sales, and Craigslist. However the pieces are all high quality, Thomasville, Ethan Allen, Kindall and Hickory Chair. I have had things recovered, re-finished and used in different rooms in many different apartments. I love a good deal, buying used is environmentally friendly, buying the highest quality you can afford means you will have pieces that you keep for a lifetime.

The fact that the average American doesn't spend a lot on furniture doesn't really shock me at all. Considering the average American makes about 50K or so a year, why would you spend a lot of money on furniture. Most people I know from the Midwest, South, and South-West get their furniture from Target and Walmart (not Restoration Hardware and Crate&Barrel), get hand me downs from parents, or grandparents and get a lot of items from Wedding and Baby Registries.

We live in a Brooklyn Railroad where we don't really NEED a lot of furniture and don't make enough to warrant spending 1K on a mattress.

Bed: $50 (we had to get rid of the bed recently because of bedbuggers so we're most likely going to get a new one from Ikea which will cost about $500 total)

Dresser: Free, no space for nightstand!

Mirror: Ikea on sale for $50

Coffee Tables $50 ( for all 3, 2 salvaged from Ohio, 1 from a NYC Goodwill)

Kitchen Table $200 ( We built it ourselves for about $75 in wood and paint, plus 4 Chairs from Ikea and a free mini chesterfield chaise)

Sofas: $350 (1 was $350 vintage craigslist pick, the other was Free from craigslist because it was a pain in the ass to get out of the girl's apartment)

MISC:

Vintage Club Chair - $50
2 Wooden Ikea Kitchen Islands - $150 (1 from Craigslist, the other new)
Bookcases - Free as they were already in the apartment when we moved in, and spruced them up for $10.

I will say we DO have very well made pieces just not expensive, and not a lot of very modern styles (which helps with costs and lets us go salvage).

You can have well built furniture and spend a lot of money. You can have well built furniture and not spend a lot of money. You can buy replacement furniture every 2 years or so as well, it's just what's important to you at the time.

IKEA is a lifesaver for people on a budget. It would be nice to have a sturdy, stands the test of time sofa that's $800+, but that just isn't in the numbers for us, and not a priority. What is is putting money into our baby daughter's college fund. It's just different for everyone. Whatever floats ya boat ;)

Here's my breakdown though:

Dining Room-

a computer/office desk we use as dining room table, IKEA $35

2 folding chairs, IKEA, $12.99 a piece

highchair, IKEA, $25

Living Room-

Sofabed, the "beddinge", our combo $350 (minus $150 we got for selling our sofa on craiglist)

Credenza/TV Stand-free, my uncle was going to put it by the trash! It's very mid-century, and ties in great with the rest of our furniture.

TV-free! We never buy the latest and greatest in electronics. We have what we NEED. But lots of family members are into having the latest phones, laptops, and televisions so we usually get their "old to them, new to us" electronics either on the cheap or for free. This one is thin, HD and plenty big enough for our townhouse.

Vintage Herman Miller Eames Plastic Molded Chair-$30!!!! Yep, thirty dollars! Someone at a local vintage shop(now defunked) didn't know what they had. I did. I was tempted to sell it, but I can't bring myself to. It's my best furniture bargain ever for sure.

Our bedroom is all IKEA. It's a mix of Malm and Hopen. It's inexpensive and we aren't complaining in the sleep department. Well, we need more sleep, but it's not for lack of a comfy bed/matress, it's our kiddo that keeps us up lately ;)

Nursery-

Jenny Lind style crib-free, gifted

Glider-$5 from our church's annual garage sale. I knew the woman who sold it and always had my eye on it. They sell things for DIRTCHEAP! Awesome find.

I find I enjoy a piece or pieces of furniture if they were a great find bargain-wise or if they are something someone handed down or gifted.

I am just transition from the throw away/hand me down furniture stage and starting to think about investing in more quality furniture.

Dining set- free from the dumpster. It was brand new, still wrapped in bubble wrap with the legs off ad hardware included. I found the set online and it was just under $500 retail. Major score.

Bedroom furniture- $300 for Queen mattresses, $20 for short lockers used as bedside tables, free solid wood dresser and a $25 high boy Craigslist find that I refinished. It is Sculptured pine and sells for <$500 in good condition. I have just a cheap bed frame and I use a dark wood dining table top as my headboard- the apron makes a perfect ledge and it looks great. My mom purchased the table for $40 at an Estate sale and just gave it to me.

I use upholstered storage ottomans in the family room as toy boxes- good storage, but not obnoxious. $65/ each at target.

I need to invest in couches, I imagine that what I want (deep seats, down, attached chaise) will be $$$$, but I figure that I've saved a lot of money in other areas so it all evens out.

@JenniferNYC - I agree that there are lots of people past the east and west coasts, and that their mentality to spending on furniture is different...however, I think it also has to do with knowing where your boundaries lie. I can't support Wal-Mart and would never consider any piece of furniture from there to be worth whatever amount I would have paid. Target I usually go to for accessories, but the furniture is generally low quality. I would never buy a bed there, for example.

I think it just depends on where you are in life. I have friends who balk at spending $800 on a bed, and yet it's the most comfortable bed I've ever had, and I would do it all over again.

@laceylove - Your Herman Miller find is stunning to me. I've never been able to find something that good! (btw, the spelling is defunct).

@AlyssaW - this is where we are. We're transitioning and getting rid of the hand me downs that aren't our style at all, and buying more high quality pieces we enjoy. I don't look down on people whose financial situation or personal ethos means they wouldn't spend more than $300 on furniture, but I can and I will so I hope others afford me the same lack of judgment!

I spend way more than this and way more than most of the commenters. That said, I still feel unbelievably cheap, and like we need some upgrades. We are in Canada where everything is more expensive, but I think there are just some unbelievably frugal people out there. Or maybe it is just different stages of life. We both have good jobs, and have had for a few years and we own our own house. Most of our DIY efforts are in renovating the house. Not too much time or effort left for finicky refinishing, shopping in dumsters or the like.

Living room:
- sofa and love seat: $1,000 together
- IKEA bench: $50
- leather club chair: $100
- lamps: $300, $70, $25
- rug: $300
- end tables: $50 for 3

Dining Room
- IKEA table and display/buffet table: $100 but I want to upgrade to a GUS table for about $1500
- eames eiffel chairs: 4 at $125 each
- t.vac chairs from DWR: 2 at $250 each (incl. shipping etc.)

Bedroom
- IKEA wardrobe: $500
- bedroom set (oh how I cringe that I bought a set): $1500 for 6 pieces

It is interesting to me to see how I've evolved over the years in what I'm purchasing. In my first apartments in my early 20s, I spent well under $1,000 total - $40 dresser from Goodwill, coffee table scavenged from the dumpster, some IKEA shelves, futon couch, etc.

Now? Well, I just spent around $15,000 just to furnish the back yard. But in my mid-30s I have a much better sense of my own style and am trying to find quality pieces that I love and am going to want to keep long-term, so I'm more confident in making those big purchases.

Ooof, I decided to bite the bullet and tally it up.

Bedroom:
- frame: $800 (Crate and Barrel)
- mattress: $900
- dresser:$1,400 (Room and Board)
- nightstands: $500 for 2 (R&B)
- table lamp: $175 (C&B)
- floor lamp: $150 (CB2)
TOTAL: $3,925

Living Room:
- sleeper sofa: $2,500 (R&B)
- coffee table: $600 (Blu Dot)
- TV stand: $80 (Overstock)
- side chair: $500 (Overstock)
- side table: $125 (Pottery Barn)
- lamp: $85 (BBB)
TOTAL: $3,890

Dining Room:
- table: $149 (IKEA)
- chairs: $900 for 6 (DWR Bellinis)
- trunk: $1,000 (Timothy Oulton)
TOTAL: $2,049

Office:
- desk: $0, inherited from grandfather but will soon spend $$ on refinishing
- desk chair: $249 (Straight from the Crate)
- side table: $30 (IKEA)
- electric piano: $950 (Sam Ash)
- chairs: $76 for 4 (IKEA)
- bookshelves: $600 (IKEA)
TOTAL: $1,905

And of course, our darling cats shredded one arm of the $2,500 couch within six months. ;)

I am a bargain busting design addict.
Sofa: $80 on craigslist (from Blueprint)
Coffee table: $70 craigslist (vintage 70's glam)
End table: $240 hd buttercup mega sale
dining table & benches: $550 west elm sale
pair of louis ghost chairs: $550 craiglist

I splurged on the bed, but it was still a super deal. $1800 down from $3800 at a Beverly Hills furniture store going out of business.

I'd say in my 20s, my #s would've been much lower (>$200 a piece) but my place was filled with futons and crappy particle board dressers, temporary pieces.

As I got older, I've been investing in pieces I love, prefer living in smaller spaces now so can be a little more induglent since I have less rooms to furnish:
Bedroom:
- full set (dresser/canopy bed/nightstands) $3,000
- antique maple/granite desk $600
Living Room:
- sectional $900
- dresser/credenza $1,500 (I always get compliments on this piece, really added to the room)

Also have various smaller accent/storage pieces here and there from dwr including the hang all, cubitec, sapien.

On Maui, its just not the same as on the mainland, the furniture choices here aren't that great to begin with so that makes for a not that exciting used inventory also. Once in awhile, I'll see something fantastic in a consignment store or on craigslist but it won't be cheap. Its usually a piece that was shipped in from somewhere, not originally purchased here. We have no Ikea, CB2 or West Elm here. Our furniture is likely also priced a couple of hundred more for identical pieces on the mainland (I'd say my couch would be ~$600 on the mainland, its pellissima). Inspiration is the only source for modern (in Honolulu) and their prices are way high. I'll never buy a used couch (unless I planned to reupholster) if I can manage it due to really bad allergies and its very very dusty here.

That said, some really great places to go treasure hunting on Maui (but not for pennies mind you) is Endangered Pieces, La Jolie Maison, The Green Garage, Indigo and Nest. BJ Furniture is pretty ho hum new traditional furniture but their inventory of asian chests and credenzas is great.

My husband and I are in the process of trying to slowly replace our cheap ikea furniture with quality pieces. We are lucky to have some hand me downs from my dad who does fine woodworking and has given us some beautiful tables and cabinets. I recently purchased a chair for my living room at Restoration Hardware for $450. I couldn't believe I was spending so much on one chair... but on the other hand I love it and will have it for years and years to come so I don't mind spending the money. I have also been keeping my eye out for craigslist deals which is hard because I don't have much time to hunt for stuff. I think the hardest part of investing in higher quality pieces is the time it takes to acquire everything you want. I am dying for a new bedroom set and a new dining table and its hard to resist the urge to hit up ikea for instant gratification. Its awful because I realize that with the money I spent on Ikea furniture I could have gotten something much nicer off of craigslist if I had the patience and diligence to search for exactly what I want.

We splurged and spent $2000 on a tempurpedic mattress set and pillows. It was totally worth it, my back pain went away.

$200 on the Ikea bed frame.

Mid-century modern dresser was a hand me down = free.

Found an Ikea floor sample sectional at the "as is" area for $700, in the color I was looking for.

TV console is a MCM credenza thrift store find. I bought it over 10 years ago as a dresser, can't remember how much it cost, maybe $20?

Eames reproduction rocker from Craigslist for $50.

Two marble top MCM coffee tables from an estate sale cost $175.

Looks like everything in my house is either Ikea or second hand MCM pieces. There is an Ikea close by and their prices are a lot more affordable than simular ones from more upscale places.

I feel like a lot of regular readers are feeling a little shamed by the thriftiness of other posters. I know I am. But I've seen the readers' apartments featured on this site, so I know we can't ALL be that frugal!

I don't think I spend any more than is appropriate for my lifestyle, and relative to my rent. THAT'S what'd be interesting to see... how much our rent/mortgage versus what we put into the rooms!

Here's the damage for me:

Living room:
Noguchi coffee table: $1200 or so
Ikea leather sofa: $400
2 Barcelona chairs bought from Wright Auctions: $4,500
Accessories like lamps, pillows, etc: less than $400

Kitchen:
3 stools from CB2: $300 for all three

Bedroom:
$1000 mattress set that's just sitting on the floor. I really want a real bed someday.
$40 pair of nightstands from Urban Outfitters (don't judge!)
$300 standing cabinet from Crate & Barrel. No other dresser since we've got a big walk-in closet with shelving.

And that's it for our one bedroom apartment.

I'm a poor student (still... one day I'll become a real adult), so what I spend on furniture is practically nothing, and I've been able to make it work pretty well. The best thing was a teak MCM 7 piece dining set in decent condition for $50. My old professor sold it to me when he moved out of state. I even managed a CB queen bed frame for $75. I don't actually really have room for the dining set, but I've been using it in my porch converted to a weird large entryway. I won't let go of it.

I do daydream a lot about having the money to spend on great furniture. Not necessarily new stuff, but nice, sturdy and not full of cat hair and stains.

Oh, and I just have to say that I think it's so weird when readers and writers here say, "invest in..." when referring to furniture or appliances or whatever. It's not investing... it's spending? I can understand the want and even economy of buying things that will last at a higher cost, but those things depreciate in value. Unless, maybe, designer vintage.

I'm more like LadyLara19 – I'm way over these numbers. Even the IKEA sofa that I have (that I got in their “as is” section, thank you) was $900 + tax. And I was proud of that.

Some other people have said exactly what I'm about to, and that is that I try and buy quality pieces and pieces I won't tire of. I save my money for the good stuff made of the materials that I want to invest in and designed by people who I think contribute to the design aesthetics of the world. I am buying my furniture soooo slow-ly, and in doing this I am able to really evaluate what I LOVE and what I just LIKE.

Having said all that, I do believe that your numbers above might actually be correct for the average joe. I hardly ever step into a house that I am just wowed with.

@pleiovn - Appliances are an investment in the resale value of your home.

As for "investing" in furniture, this post does a good job at explaining both sides of the psychology of budget vs high end furniture: http://www.professorshouse.com/Your-Home/Decorating/Furniture/Articles/Investing-in-Quality-Furniture/

"We’re not just talking about buying some expensive furniture; we are talking about investing in quality. There’s a difference. When we invest, we are actually hoping that by the day we die our investment will mean something, usually financially. An investment means that you hope to get more out of it than it originally cost you. While most people don’t make money on their sofas and loveseats, a particularly unusual armoire or an intricate chest of drawers, and even a sophisticated secretary’s desk can eventually yield your future bloodlines a handsome return on your estate."

By the way, there's one thing I want to throw out to the masses: sometimes I consider my love of good design and good furniture to be a curse.

A lot of time goes into finding just the right pieces at a price I'm not going to drop dead at and yes, sometimes I wish I just didn't care! Life would be so much easier.

Hm... I realize they got their numbers from furniture stores or whatever, but could they not round up that final absurd dollar even for this?

It's a little tricky because you don't know who these average americans are—I imagine most of these are expenditures by households, probably with 2 incomes, whereas I'm a single person, but....

Bedroom:
bed frame $850 (splurge item)
muji washable futon $250+$300s&h (unintentional splurge)
rug 5x7 $700 (splurge item)
nightstand $100
table lamp (had it since middle school, no idea)
bookcase $90
2 little tables $90
desk $150 (kind of a splurge)
printer stand thing $10
walk-in closet organizational items (including hangers) ~$100
floor mirror $80
= ~$2600 <hyperventilates> (will probably add one more nightstand)

Living room
rug 5x8 $50
sofa $40 (needs to be reupholstered)
pillowsac+rocker+fancy cover $550
bookcase $50
coffee table $150
rocker $40
console/sofa table $325 (expands to double as dining table!)
floorlamp $40
floor mirror $65
"literature rack" $5
tv $0 (if you just want a non-huge non-HD CRT, you should srsly check out the free section of CL, since ppl upgrade to flat panels all the time and may not bother trying to make money back on the tv they're getting rid of)
=~$1300, to go up on reupholstery and when I get a media console/table

Dining room/kitchen:
table - already accounted for
4 chairs $100
2 other chairs $100
kitchen cart $50
=$250

The splurge items are almost the only ones I've bought new, and I am fairly certain they will never show up on CL anyway. They certainly were not necessary expenditures, but they make me happy. Without them I'd probably be considered much more frugal—almost everything else was a CL purchase. XD

I'm almost done with my apt. Thinking about adding it all up...
Art - all gifts (but about $300-$500)
Bookcase - $160 from CL
Bed Frame - $250
Kitchen Table/Desk - $40
Bookcase - $40
TPS file cabinet from CB2- $175
coffee table - $25 from CL
night stand - $40 from CL
lamps - $40 West Elm
Sofa - $350 - $100 from CL
Rugs - $120 from CB2 & West Elm
Closet - $150 from container store
Coat Rack - $60 from container store
Chairs - $60 from CL

It's all stuff I appreciate and will keep to furnish apartments even after a wife.

When people say they have invested in quality things, they don't necessarily mean in the sense that they will someday reap a return on sale/value that exceeds what they paid.

It can mean you have paid for a quality piece that you will enjoy and use for an extended period of time. You can "invest" in something that merely brings you joy and/or you don't need to replace/repair for quite some time.

I'm with the furniture marker who balks at the idea of quality constructed furniture at less than "free" prices.

Living room:
Flor carpet 8x10 = $500
Room & Board linear console table = $450
Couch = $1200
Plasma TV = $450
Wii console + games = $300 (?)
Blu-Ray player = $120
FK leather armchair = $1200
Arne Jacobsen lamp from ebay = $300
Flea market side tables = $250
Knoll leather bench from CL = $300
Art + Frames = $500 (conservatively)
Cubitec storage system from CL = $150
...

I'd love to see some photos showcasing the thrifty design tour de force some of you guys and gals seem to have accomplished...

I forgot these:
linen drapery fabric, sheers and steel hardware = $600
sapien bookcases from CL = $300 / 2 units
a myriad of design and science books = $1000...

So sorry, but I must add in the following:
Stackable machinists toolchest with tools = $1200
Pillows plus fabric = $100
large Jacobsen banker's wall clock (ebay) = $300

Bedroom:
$75 - Wrought iron headboard (CL)
$20 - table lamp (thrift)
$10 - reed king chair (CL)
$0 - paint for inherited dresser & nightstands ($20 for cost of painting them)
$0 - inherited mattress
$30 - rugs
$75 - curtains and rods
$20 - decorative mirrors
$30 - lampshade/materials for lampshade customization
$5 - clearance Christmas lights

Spare/yoga room
$60 - floating shelves
$40 - paint for mural
$30 - rug
$30 - organizational closet supplies
$0 - inherited vintage hanging lamps

Living room
$300 - sectional couch (CL +100 & 60 for the previous 2 couches it replaced)
$200 - ikea bookshelf
$60 - armoir for tv (thrifted... and also effing awesome)
$80 - old dining room table and chairs (thrifted)
$40 - new dining room table (CL)
$30 - supplies for re-covering chairs
$0 - gifted vintage card catalog (CL)
$0 - ugly side table left by the person I bought the place from which I hate but have infinite use for and has now made it at one point in to every room in my house
$30 - vintage tray to cover ugly side table
$100 - various sets of curtains because I never end up liking them for long

Heidi in NYC, Thanks for the thoughtful post and link regarding investment spending versus thrift.

I hate to spend a lot on furniture but I have no talent for scouting deals mostly because I hate having to rope people (...usually my dad) in to help me pick up/move to apt said found piece.

but since I am in the midst of slowly weeding out my college furniture to "adult" furniture and this is the first apt where I don't have a roommate to consider someone else taste or things to accommodate Ive definitely realized I'm frugal when it comes to furniture. I'm more of a fashion then deco person so its been hard converting that spendthrift into buying things for the home

somehow easier for me to justify 200 dollar shoes or a 500 dollar purse

with that said Ive also realized that I love DIY and since my style tends to lean more boho-eclectic its easy to find something I like at various price points.

talk about tons of comments!

i'm canadian and bought a bunch of my furniture back when our dollar was worth a bit less... plus you gotta remember we have higher prices in general...

it's my first apartment and i bought the "need this to live" stuff for about $2000 total, which was equal to my tax return. granted that included things like sheets, towels, pots and pans, knives, cutlery, curtains, etc. etc. man, those thing add up!!! (the dollar store saved me!)

furniture...
-$700 on a sofa (yes it's not the best but it's super comfy and will last for 8-10 years)
-bed = already owned the frame. no headboard, just a big piece of art
-mattress = free (boyfriend was in the moving business and someone tossed a brand new set because it was past its return date)
-bedroom furniture = $150 for 2 ikea side tables, $5 on a paper lampshade, other dressers were pre-owned
-coffee table = $50 (CL)
-dining table = $100 (CL again!)
-dining chairs = $300 total plus fabric and cushions. yes, they're ikea... and yeah i'll replace the cheap pine ones eventually.
-poang chair = $100
-office desk = free (my dads work was tossing a granite-topped chrome desk)
-filing cabinet = free (see above)
-rug = i need to replace mine, they're ikea and they look OLD. note to self: don't buy polypropylene, it does NOT wear well.

other odds and ends... chandeliers, etc. i got off CL. i love craigslist.

i think i'm morally opposed to buying new stuff when i can buy used. especially when the used is better quality.

Living Room:
Petrie Sofa - $1,499,00 from Crate & Barrel

2 lamps - $29.99 apiece from HomeGoods

Shag area rug - $79.00 from Target

2 chairs -$99 apiece - 10 years ago from Pier One

2 vintage Formica step tables - $14.99 from Salvation Army for both

Vintage Walnut Mid-Century Credenza by Stanley - $14.95 from Salvation Army

Flat Panel TV - $1200.00

Dining Room:
Bursta Sideboard - $249.00 from Ikea

Vintage Walnut MCM Drop-Leaf table (seats 8) - $50.00 from local thrift store.

2 lamps - $39.99 apiece from HomeGoods

I buy all used all the time, and it looks great.

Bedroom:
Used Queen Mattress - $99 (It passed a smell test, came from a clean used furniture store, and is the nicest mattress I have ever had.)
Nightstand - $20 (CL)
Handmade bed frame $0
Lamp - gift from my brother $0
Chandelier - my old bike wheel and $10 of icicle lights
Dresser - $30 at the goodwill

Sofa - $119 at the Value Village (It's the most expensive item in the house, and an antique velvet affair.)

The Dining room is a clean sweep of side of the road and sitting by the dumpster finds. $15 for fabric to reupholster everything to match.

Coffee table - $15 at the Goodwill.

Well, I guess I'll add my two cents (well, way more than that but you know...). I will buy new or used, it's all about whether or not I like the piece, and what the quality is like. I agree with all the posters who emphasized quality, I am willing to pay a lot of money if the piece is sturdy and beautiful. I've been very lucky in that I'm related to 2 woodworkers and a refinisher, so I got quite a few things for free as presents over the years.

Furniture:
Bedroom
Antique dresser- free or cheap from neighbor
Bedframe- made by great-grandpa
Mattress- the one my parents bought when I outgrew the crib
Caned stool- made by grandpa
Antique Victorian chair- $95
Bar stool from Michaels- $25 plus paint
Mirror- out of grandma’s attic
Kitchen
Old card table- free from mom
Stool- $25
Particleboard cabinet- $125 or so from Lowes
Dining room
Table- made by grandpa
2 kitchen chairs-free from grandpa
2 folding chairs- free from mom
2 eastlake chairs- $50 each
Antique dresser- $250
Map chest- made by grandpa
Bookcase- made by grandpa
Living Room
1871 steinway grand piano- $2500 plus moving (approx. $300)
Couch, octagonal coffee table, side table, 2 chairs- inherited from grandpa
1920s dresser- free from mom’s friend
Eastlake chair- $55
Spare bedroom
Futon- about $600
Antique dresser- $250
Drafting table- made by uncle
Desk- made by grandpa
Misc lamps from walmart, target, lowes, etc
Obscene amounts on books and knickknacks :P

And I just realized how much stuff I have O.o It doesn't look like that much when I'm in the house...

I am a constant "upgrader"...spent the past few years buying and reselling amazing finds for a small profit to buy what I've always wanted...found a pair of Paul evans lamps on eBay for $170 and sold them for $1200 at auction! (ok, that was a large profit example!) So, I have some pieces that I know will get responses about being cliche...however, everything was bought vintage. You just have to know where to look, trust eBay, and participate in auctions in your town or all over the country via the web.

Some purchases:
Vintage Saarinen womb chair
Vintage marble Saarinen small dining table
6 vintage panton chairs
2 Dorothy Draper chests
1 platner chair
Vintage marble coffee table
Jere sculpture
Vintage lamps, vases etc

Trendy, cliché, or whatever ...these pieces retain their value for years!

I'm a total cheap skate, so I try to save what I can when it comes to furniture.

Futon mat: $150, twin (i'm single, what do i need a huge bed for?)
Bed frame: Cleaned my mum's house
Couch: $125 on Craigslist
Coffee table: $10 trunk from junk shop
End tables: Salvaged
Bar stools: $15 from junk shop
Desk chair: $10 from junk shop
Office chair: $15 from used furniture shop
Desk/Shelf: $60~ in process of being built
Old Typeset drawer: $250 from junk shop
Metal file cabinet: Salvaged
2cube shelf: $40 from Container store
Metal book shelf: Salvaged

I posted earlier, and I think I'm just about in the middle in terms of spending. I would like to get higher quality furniture and I think it is worth the money, but I'm torn because I usually can't tell in advance whether I will really love something. Like, I loved my couch at first, but after a few years of living with it, I now think it's the wrong size and shape for my living room. I spent $600ish on it, which is bad enough, but if I had spent $1000 or more I would feel awful. How do you reconcile wanting good quality and being willing to pay for it, with not wanting to make an expensive mistake?

To me, it's about value (or cost vs. overall utility). For example: Several years ago, I bought a 2-week-old Schillig modular sofa from Craigslist for $750 (original retail: $3000+). Recently, I discovered that Schillig now makes a corner piece that will turn my sofa into a sectional. I spent $1200 on that piece, but will now have the sofa I've always wanted, of a quality that will endure for years to come (and yes, we're certain the fabrics will match).

It's wasteful to spend even small amounts on something that doesn't meet the Charles Rennie Mackintosh (beauty/utility) rule.

I feel a bit guilty and self-indulgent spending money on my home (after all, it's just a place to live!) You can imagine how sick I felt when my OH announced that he paid 2,000 euros hiring a crane to winch a stone table in place for our garden.

mmclark - I'm drooling over your list, wow!

themegnapkin - I know what you're saying, comes with experience, right? When I look back at the years, I wish I knew then what I know now. What I try to do now is look at a ton of pics online, googling along the way. Before I buy a piece, I measure, several times at the furniture store and also in my place to get a visual or where the piece will begin and end, don't forget the depth, including the chaise if it is a sectional. I sometimes also bring a sample of my flooring to the store (this helped immensely when buying a brown dresser that I wanted to float on my brown floor). For your couch, have you tried to reconfigure your pieces? Sometimes a couch might look too large floating in a space but will work up against a wall?

themegnapkin... one more thing. Sounds kind of weird but sometimes I actually have to sit in my space, without anyone or anything distracting me and just try to look around and visualize how a piece will look if I put it here, there, etc. Try to open my mind somewhat.

Are the amounts in the original post estimates of the U.S. retail sales of those categories of new furniture divided by the number of U.S. households in 2009? It's so unclearly explained that I'm unsure what's really being discussed.

Bedframe: 100.00 It was new, black metal, transitional style, what I wanted and marked down from 300.00

Boxspring and mattress - 150.00

Bedroom total - 450.00 For the aforementioned bed, two nightstands, and a mirror, but no dresser because there'd be no place for it to fit. I don't have the 2nd nightstand or the mirror yet actually but I've circled the pieces out of the catalog and that's what they cost. If I end up going with something else, it will be a cheaper something else.

$100.00 total on dining room furniture - Pedestal table and 4 Windsor-style chairs, solid pine construction, new. It was a store opening sale. Not my very favourite wood finish (a bit orange-ish midtone, neither very dark nor light) but at that price I'll live with it a few years then decide what colour it should be.

And it was cheap enough and new so I don't feel I'll be doing a major cruelty by painting, the way I would if it was classic/vintage/hideously expensive.

Sofa, free.
Upholstered chair, free.
Coffee table, end table, console, free.

Lowline entertainment unit 100.00 new. Solid wood. Not my favourite finish so I might be spending money to hack it a bit, but still not a bad deal IMO since I like the lines of it and its not MDF. See above about no qualms about painting new and weirdly orange pine furniture.

Mattresses: $299 (because of the Sealy discount I had through my job at an interior design office)
Bed frame: $50
Sofa: FREE (Former landlady bought a stellar, vintage sofa at a thrift store, we made slip covers for it and she gave it to me. It will last a thousand years, at least.)
Pink leather double recliner: Free, because my sister loves me
Oak coffee table and end tables: Free, because my sister loves me
Vintage 40's TV cabinet, used as flat screen TV stand: Free from former landlady
Antique mahogany china cabinet: $300, worked off in labor for former landlady
Antique upright piano: Came with the house
Cherry kitchen cabinets: Free, from the warehouse where I used to work.
Cherry kitchen island: Free. I made it from two base cabinets. (The black granite on top was in a sale bin at $1 a tile)
Vintage metal typing tables used as night stands: $10 each.
Armoire: Free, from the warehouse were I used to work
Bathroom sink vanity: Free. It used to be my niece's dresser.

I'm seeing a pattern here. I am sickeningly thrifty and lucky when it comes to furniture.

Awesome! These are identical to my typing table night stands.
http://www.whitetrashnyc.com/products/industrial-typing-table/1865/

P.S. No, the figures would be much lower if that were how they were reached. Are the figures in the original post the 2009 U.S. retail sales totals for new furniture in the specified categories divided by the number of sofas, coffee tables, and so forth sold? That would be a more plausible explanation of how those particular figures were reached. However, they still wouldn't indicate what "the average American spends" for the reasons given by other commenters.

No such thing as an average American. I have friends in pretty much the exact income bracket as me, and we spend our money entirely different. Even my husband and I are opposite. He buys the Mac with all the bells and whistles and things he'll never use, and I am tickled with my little white Macbook. Funny thing about that is he only uses his for playing games at night. I use mine all day long every day for work. LOL

I spent roughly the amount listed for my current master bedroom furniture (no dresser, no mirror). I also spent roughly the amounts listed for my current dining room furniture, sofa, and coffee table. I spent roughly twice the amount listed for my current master bedroom (king) mattress (no box spring required).

That's going just by what's listed in the original post, however those figures may have been reached. I bought all of the mentioned furniture new, in new condition, from mainstream retailers, some by custom order. Although it ranged from good to excellent quality in material and construction, none of it had an impressive name label. Much of it had been significantly reduced in price.

It's hard to draw valid conclusions from the information in this thread. I agree with other commenters that many commenters seem unusually clever at hunting down inexpensive good used furniture and fixing it up well. I also agree with another commenter that there's no such thing as "the average American."

What I meant by "investing" in quality pieces is not that I hope to sell them someday at a higher price than I paid, but that I buy good quality pieces that I will keep for a lifetime. Many of my things I have had for 30 years or more and because they are beautifully made I have not had to replace them. I invested in pieces that reflect my taste and my values. The color schemes change and so do the accessories but my basic pieces are here for the long haul.

I can admire thriftiness, but not when that means purchasing furniture items that are going to break down into trash well within your own life time. Case in point: all that "put it together yourself with a hex wrench" particle-board and melamine crap sold by just illustrious vendors as Ikea. (Not to single them out - but they're just a convenient example.)

Ever walk down the alleys on a city street, say, in late spring through summer? Ever seen all that furniture that people throw out? Well, I have. I can firmly say that about 90% of it is this particleboard crap. Maybe it's 10, mayyybe 20 years old before it's broken and in somebody's dumpster.

Ever wonder why you never find old solid-wood antique in the alleys? Because these pieces were built to last. Not for 10, maybe 20 years. Not just for your life time of say, 40 years of use. No - they're still around, hundreds, even 2 or 3 hundred years later with proper care.

If the motto of this site is "saving the world one apartment at a time" then I encourage you all /not/ to choose the thrifty throw-away furniture option. Is this responsible? Is this green? No and no.

Be thrifty, fine, but spend your money on something quality. If you cannot, then save your money to purchase something quality. That's the more responsible option over choosing "thrift" at every opportunity.

I can relate to furniture that is put together with a hex wrench. I recently purchased a desk online for one of my employees, the desk "looked" nice, was inexpensive and the shipping was free. We had trouble assembling the furniture without things breaking from the start. In a recent move to our new offices the desk did not survive the ride and ended up in the dumpster, so much for an "inexpensive" desk, 3 months of use for this desk. I guess there is more to the picture than just "price". I am sure a well built solid wood office desk like the Amish build would have provided me with many years of service.

I consider myself medium thrifty- I love free things, am not above garbage picking and frequently peruse both the scratch and dent section of ikea and craigslist, but i buy some things new as well:

Second hand: Trash-picked patio furniture, desk and bankers chair. Free hand-me down dining room table, gorgeous kilim rug from a neighbor, coffee table, side table & armchair, $100 dresser from CL and $100 for an oversized armchair + ottoman.

As-is at ikea: $40 night stand, $75 each for a tv console, bookcase and (replacement) coffee table, and a bed frame for $100.

New, but on sale: $600 sofa, $90 bookcase, $500 mattress. And soon a $300 armchair on clearance at pier1.

Not on sale: Kitchen cart for $100 and soon a new sofa for $1200-$1500.