Where to Buy Furniture on the Big island (Hilo, Kailua: sales, rentals)

[tikiyaki]

Aloha, I'm new here :-)

I've read some stuff on moving to the B.I. and about where to buy stuff.
Last week I went to Hilo to look at a condo, which I'm in escrow on now. I need to furnish it as I'm renting it out furnished. As someone mentioned, there are little choices in Hilo for furniture.

Does anyone have any suggestions ANYEHERE else on the island to get decent furniture at a reasonable price. I'm actually looking into getting some space on a container and filling it with IKEA stuff, cos, it's pretty cheap and it's all unassembled and flat packed, so I won't need that much container space.

I'd like to furnish it with a retro/modern kind of look, as that's what I really like (hence my IKEA choice) , and it seems that any of the places I looked at had nothing like that.

I like the bamboo stuff too, but it's hella expensive. So I'm looking for some options.

I need to furnish a small 2 bedroom place, head to toe. I know Hilo doesn't have much...What about Kona and Waimea ? I've been all over the B.I bu was not really looking for furniture. Now I need to figure it out pretty fast.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by tikiyaki

Aloha, I'm new here :-)

I've read some stuff on moving to the B.I. and about where to buy stuff.
Last week I went to Hilo to look at a condo, which I'm in escrow on now. I need to furnish it as I'm renting it out furnished. As someone mentioned, there are little choices in Hilo for furniture.

Does anyone have any suggestions ANYEHERE else on the island to get decent furniture at a reasonable price. I'm actually looking into getting some space on a container and filling it with IKEA stuff, cos, it's pretty cheap and it's all unassembled and flat packed, so I won't need that much container space.

I'd like to furnish it with a retro/modern kind of look, as that's what I really like (hence my IKEA choice) , and it seems that any of the places I looked at had nothing like that.

I like the bamboo stuff too, but it's hella expensive. So I'm looking for some options.

I need to furnish a small 2 bedroom place, head to toe. I know Hilo doesn't have much...What about Kona and Waimea ? I've been all over the B.I bu was not really looking for furniture. Now I need to figure it out pretty fast.

Any help would be appreciated.

In terms of new furniture at relatively affordable prices on the Big Island, shopping in Kona is probably your best bet. Kaloko Furniture, Fite's Furniture, and Costco are good places to start. Garage sales are also a good source of decent furniture, since there are always folks here that decide to sell their stuff and move back to the mainland.

On a side note, while most of the furniture that IKEA sells does okay in California, it doesn't hold up too well in Hilo. So it's probably not worth it to save a little money by shipping IKEA stuff to Hawai'i and end up having to replace it after a year or two.

Cheers,

Jonah K

[ssxa]

Costco would be tops on my list. Also try craigslist and 808classifieds. My good friends own/operate Plantation Interiors in the Old Kailua Industrial area close to where the old Gold's gym and Harley Davidson is located. All very good quality bamboo stuff etc. Dana Mattos is the owner, if you go there tell her Steve (I work with here husband Wes) recommended them.

[Hawaii Beth]

What everybody said is true. Kona is the best bet, and all the places mentioned plus Ross (not the clothing store). Also there are frequent container sales in the Lanihau Shopping Center - always advertised

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

In Hilo check out Home Place and Furnitureland. Another in Kona is Gray's Furniture in the old industrial area.

[Mike from Kona]

I have lived on the Big Island over 30 years, and whatever you do don't waste your time with CS Wo or Furnitureland in Kona for furniture... practically everything needs to be ordered, and even though they say they will have it for you you in 2 to 4 months I have seen it take almost a year more than once. As far as I'm concerned, ANY other furniture store on the island is better. Mike from Kona

Originally Posted by tikiyaki

Aloha, I'm new here :-)

I've read some stuff on moving to the B.I. and about where to buy stuff.
Last week I went to Hilo to look at a condo, which I'm in escrow on now. I need to furnish it as I'm renting it out furnished. As someone mentioned, there are little choices in Hilo for furniture.

Does anyone have any suggestions ANYEHERE else on the island to get decent furniture at a reasonable price. I'm actually looking into getting some space on a container and filling it with IKEA stuff, cos, it's pretty cheap and it's all unassembled and flat packed, so I won't need that much container space.

I'd like to furnish it with a retro/modern kind of look, as that's what I really like (hence my IKEA choice) , and it seems that any of the places I looked at had nothing like that.

I like the bamboo stuff too, but it's hella expensive. So I'm looking for some options.

I need to furnish a small 2 bedroom place, head to toe. I know Hilo doesn't have much...What about Kona and Waimea ? I've been all over the B.I bu was not really looking for furniture. Now I need to figure it out pretty fast.

Any help would be appreciated.

[KonaKat]

When you furnish this condo, do it sparingly. I manage a lot of furnished rentals and even though people want something "turnkey furnished" (or, just furnished) they still like to see plenty of empty space for the things they do have. Go with attractive, sturdy basics and don't overcrowd the space. Do not skimp on the quality of the beds. Island Collections in Kona has very good prices on beds; we buy almost all of ours there. So when you're over here shopping, check that store out too. Some of the import stores have interesting pieces.

By the way the Ross store does have furnishings, accent pieces, rugs, lamps, art etc. So check it out. I have not been in the Hilo store but I hear it is pretty nice.

Best wishes on getting your condo closed, and rented!

[hotzcatz]

Whatever you get, solid wood is the only wood which will survive. Any particle board will be oatmeal in months.

Yard and garage sales are the cheapest way to find furniture, but it will take awhile to find what you are looking for. Craig's list should help. Otherwise, we like Teak & Bamboo because they have solid wood stuff for really reasonable prices.

[konastephen]

Yeah. We're struggling with the same issue. I've lived here 30 years too and I'm always amazed at how the taste in furniture in the islands is like the clothes and pretty much everything else, years behind the times, or maybe more accurately, in its own little world... Ship your IKEA stuff over. Maybe some of the other stores here will start to get the message. We're fed up with bulky, high end kitch and flea-bitten garage sale crap. We want affordable options. There's plenty of solid wood furniture at IKEA so I wouldn't worry about the dude who thinks you'll end up having to replace it because it won't last. Most of the bamboo furniture that all the malahini "kama'aina" love so much is pretty flimsy itself. But even particle board survives longer than you think. There aren't many condos in Hilo and I think I know which one you'd be moving into. I'm pretty sure it's air-conditioned so the normal Hilo humidity wouldn't be a factor. If you live in Waikoloa it is just as dry as southern Cali so anything that works there would work in Waikoloa... But bottom line, it's all about how well you care for your home and its contents. There are a few things that are different than say Wisconsin, but basically you can have a decent home and inexpensive furniture and make it last here just as well. I've taken to building my own furniture. But I sure do wish there was an IKEA here or that shipping weren't so exorbitantly expensive from some of these places.

[AlohaHuey]

Ikea is crap. Don't bother. Anything that has to be put together will eventually, sooner rather than later, start falling apart. I bought a nicer desk/bureau after some of their cheaper stuff began to disintegrate, and the doors fall off, the drawers don't close right...for every one decent item, there are 50 crappy ones.