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Furniture

DHSF

Les Ferdinand
I have literally moved out and have been going to places like Habitat and John lewis for furniture HOWEVER for the prices you are paying I would have expected a bit more than a plastic table for 2k with each chair costing 200 quid.

So anyone had any good experiences of these places you see advertised such as DFS (yes I know the fudgein damn joke) and Sofa World etc? I mean theyre still not that cheap but you get more for your money eg three seater sofa for the price of a plastic seat at Habitat. But are they of decent quality?

Im looking for dining furniture too and a few other bits and pieces.

If anyone got any suggestions I would be very grateful fudgers.

Thanks
 
We got our current sofa set from DFS, will never buy from them again, alot of their brick is treated with formaldehyde and other nauseous brick. Next time I'm going to antique shops to get excellent quality old school craftsmanship made before mankind went truly insane!

No help at all really I guess!
 
We got our current sofa set from DFS, will never buy from them again, alot of their brick is treated with formaldehyde and other nauseous brick. Next time I'm going to antique shops to get excellent quality old school craftsmanship made before mankind went truly insane!

No help at all really I guess!

No thats good - just means I wont buy their crap.

Some of it does seem too good to be true. Never been into a DFS so cant say
 
Made.com, dwell.com seem to have some decentish looking gear and usually have offers on to boot.
Marks n sparks quality is high with good prices.
 
We got our current sofa set from DFS, will never buy from them again, alot of their brick is treated with formaldehyde and other nauseous brick. Next time I'm going to antique shops to get excellent quality old school craftsmanship made before mankind went truly insane!

No help at all really I guess!

I remember Nutter Naylor commenting on this in the past, buy an antique sofa for the same as what you pay in DFS and buy the time the DFS sofa is knackered and worthless the antique sofa is still worth what you paid for it.

Personally I've had two living room suites from DFS and have had no workmanship/longevity problems with them whatsoever, there again we didn't buy the cheapest items in the store. Horses for courses I guess.

As regards the ethical/environmental side of buying from DFS it's not something I explored.
 
I've desgined/made a few pieces myself - that's another option to explore, depending on the complexity of what you aim to achieve.

Could save you a few bob - if you are not confident as a diy-person - you can always obtain a few quotes from joinery specialists based on your design.

I made this TV-stand for the equivalent of £190 including all materials, labour and painting. It's a custom piece based on my 'equipment' and space so everything fits neatly (including castors for easy moving/cleaning). Not a fudge you can ever obtain that from a mainstream store.

001-3.jpg
 
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I aint gonna build stuff. Arce - wanna build stuff for me at mates rates?

Im torn between actually doing it up properly or just saving money and just finding a middle ground in terms of cost. Its not like im married with kids etc where its my marital home. At the same time I do wanna do it up and do it a bit cosy. I have done the kitchen

There is alot of finance options like interest free credit to pay it off in a year which could help too - id rather pay 100 quid a month than 2k in one go - and its interest free. The thing is its all DFS type places. the reviews on the net arent that good but Gordi boy hasnt had an issue so I guess for every complainer there is a satisfied customer.
 
When I bought my apartment I used some funds I had set aside for the move to do up almost all the apartment (carpets, kitchen, TV, furniture etc..) The only thing I got on finance was the sofas from DFS. The sofas are fine, decent quality and everything but I hate having things on credit.. just when you think you're all moved in and everything is sorted with bills etc you realise you're still paying out for things like sofas each month when you could've just got a decent one from friends or family until you can buy a new one outright. Different for everyone though I guess.
 
I've desgined/made a few pieces myself - that's another option to explore, depending on the complexity of what you aim to achieve.

Could save you a few bob - if you are not confident as a diy-person - you can always obtain a few quotes from joinery specialists based on your design.

I made this TV-stand for the equivalent of £190 including all materials, labour and painting. It's a custom piece based on my 'equipment' and space so everything fits neatly (including castors for easy moving/cleaning). Not a fudge you can ever obtain that from a mainstream store.

001-3.jpg

What happens when you upgrade to a bigger TV?
 
Unlikely at this stage / this place but will probably go wall mounted then and do a floating 'hidden' shelf underneath - minimalist, etc.
 
When I bought my apartment I used some funds I had set aside for the move to do up almost all the apartment (carpets, kitchen, TV, furniture etc..) The only thing I got on finance was the sofas from DFS. The sofas are fine, decent quality and everything but I hate having things on credit.. just when you think you're all moved in and everything is sorted with bills etc you realise you're still paying out for things like sofas each month when you could've just got a decent one from friends or family until you can buy a new one outright. Different for everyone though I guess.



I see where you are coming from and if it was anything other than zero per cent credit then I wouldnt consider it. I have the funds - plenty of it for the move I suppose im more interested in cash flow and having money in the bank than lavishing it on some mediocrity.

Im gonna take a visit to DFS and see for myself the quality. Im just conscious that teh quality is never as good as what you see in store.

I have done up the bathroom and the kitchen. The walls will be painted in a weeks time and the floor is wood so brought someone in to steam em or something. Just the furnishings now.

I wish I had a wife to do all that brick
 
I see where you are coming from and if it was anything other than zero per cent credit then I wouldnt consider it. I have the funds - plenty of it for the move I suppose im more interested in cash flow and having money in the bank than lavishing it on some mediocrity.

Im gonna take a visit to DFS and see for myself the quality. Im just conscious that teh quality is never as good as what you see in store.

I have done up the bathroom and the kitchen. The walls will be painted in a weeks time and the floor is wood so brought someone in to steam em or something. Just the furnishings now.

I wish I had a wife to do all that brick

So do we. Might keep you off of here a bit.

:)
 
We got our current sofa set from DFS, will never buy from them again, alot of their brick is treated with formaldehyde and other nauseous brick.
Is that not just to comply with fire regs? I'm always put off DFS by the sofas they show in the adverts :)

I bought my last sofas online, sofasofa.co.uk, because I wanted something pretty basic and didn't want to spend a fortune. Only had them a couple of years but they've not fallen to bits yet. I was buying "blind" too I guess, so it could've been a right **** up.
 
Wanna lend me yours for a bit? Give you guys some respite.

Laura Ashley.
Just bought a sofa. It had 40% off in the sale, then another 10% off that (promotion) & if you took out the credit card - another 10% off that.
Hence a £1200 sofa came in at £585 or so (i will obviously pay off the card immediately!). They have 130 different fabrics to choose from including leather (the Mrs chose a 90% linen one) & customer service is excellent. Ring you two days before delivery to give you a 3 hour time slot.

They also do 6 months interest free credit.
 
We got our current sofa set from DFS, will never buy from them again, alot of their brick is treated with formaldehyde and other nauseous brick. Next time I'm going to antique shops to get excellent quality old school craftsmanship made before mankind went truly insane!

No help at all really I guess!

Thats generally what i do now for tables, chairs, cupboards, bookcases & sideboards etc (wooden stuff basically - not soft furnishings!). I have spunked literally thousands on new furniture over the years & if i had my time again i would stick to antique/junk & house clearance places now. Better quality & a lower price. Whats not to like?
 
Just bought a flat and gone through this myself.

Don't buy anything big from Ikea would be my advice, the chests of drawers, bedside tables, coffee table etc are ok but I bought a wardrobe from them and its of such poor quality it pains me that its even in my room. I made all the parts perfectly and it still wasnt even, there are gaps by the hinges and on the corner wardrobe the door they provide isn't physically wide enough to cover the space even after you adjust the hinges and the motion is so juddery.

I ended up buying a side board and a couple of other bits from Oak Furniture Land, I know the ads on TV are a bit cheesy but the stuff is well made and they deliver it for free as well. Customer service was spot on as well, one of the door handles had a split in it when I screwed it in and they sent another 2 out by next day recorded delivery no questions asked. I got the small sideboard, tall bookcase and the side/bedside table from the mango wood range (http://www.oakfurnitureland.co.uk/range/mantis-light-mango/). They usually have a sale on as well and the stuff is decent quality, reviews for them online are all top ratings as well.

Other than that I have been looking at Dwell, their stuff looks really good. Nice and modern styling and pricing isnt too bad. Going to wait for Jan sale to pick up a desk etc. Not sure on the quality of them but it looks solid in the showroom.

Other than that check out made.com - they use independent people to do the making and cut out the middleman i.e. the shops you mention so prices are good though the range isnt very appealing in my opinion.
 
Have you thought about second hand. Ebay is full of stuff ready to pickup at a fraction of the price.

Dinning table and 4 chairs for example.

fudge paying 600+ in them stores.

Pay 30 quid on ebay and collect yourself, and then take your time to buy the right thing.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beech-Din...en_DiningRoomFurniture_SM&hash=item3a7ab5d8df

Even if you do see something in say Next furniture, always check Ebay as they are likely to have it because the owner has changed its mind.

For example

Cambridge Oak is decent, parents have it, and its sturdy and heavy as fudge.

Next Large Sideboard - http://www.next.co.uk/x503948s2 £585

Same sideboard which is probably near perfect on ebay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEXT-CAMB...en_LivingRoomFurniture_EH&hash=item3a7ac953a3
Owner states it has only got a 5mm dent which if ontop can be covered by bowls, lamps etc.

Every now and then stuff pops up on ebay and you could probably get 3 or 4 pieces of that expensive range on ebay for the price of one. Get yourself a rental for £15 and go pick it up.
 
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