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I sat on the floor for a year and a half before I found living room furniture that I liked. Admittedly I was a lot younger than you. I didn't want to just buy something. I wanted to really like it. I didn't want to settle on something I just found ok, because then I would probably have found the perfect sofa the next month.
Since then I have had a lot of furniture custom made from various types of wood. I have bought a few things used. Not upholstered stuff. I appreciate good wood furniture. I like antiques if they have been well taken care of. I haven't bought any in ages, but I hear antique furniture is going cheap these days, as lightweight disposable Ikea type furniture is the rage.
I suggest looking at new and used furniture, and not being in any hurry as you seem to have enough to get by. I don't know your future plans, but if you meet someone and decide at some point to cohabitate, she or he might have furniture they want to keep. And honestly, being a little sparse on furniture is better than having too much. Minimal is easier to keep clean.
It's amazing just how many high quality home goods and furnishings can be found for free or a very low price on the second hand market. Check out your local Freecycle, thrif
t and second-hand stores, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist as well as local estate sales and auctions. You'll be amazed at what you find for cheap.
x2
take your time buying.
Your single - no need to fret about empty spaces.
New furniture price markups are outrageous!!!
Patience & Research will reap you Thousands of $$$ in savings.
As our last two homes were being built my wife and I slowly bought most of the furnishings and stuff for it. This was over a period of about three months. This gave us plenty of time to look and decide.
If you feel you MUST have furniture, have fun with it. Is there an architectural salvage/charity thrift shop/Habitat Restore/Salvation Army or Goodwill near you? Awesome cool retro stuff there. Sounds like your dad who does your home improvements could also get the stuff delivered for you (that's, again, the biggest challenge for those of us doing this with no help). Buy it cheaply enough, and you can just donate it back when you're done, without having to pay to move it, and start over in your new location. Mine is all family pieces I wouldn't change out, but sometimes I think I'd like to just go wild buying kitshy '50s furniture for fun...
Auctions are another good source; some of that stuff goes for pennies on the dollar.
If you feel you MUST have furniture, have fun with it. Is there an architectural salvage/charity thrift shop/Habitat Restore/Salvation Army or Goodwill near you? Awesome cool retro stuff there. Sounds like your dad who does your home improvements could also get the stuff delivered for you (that's, again, the biggest challenge for those of us doing this with no help). Buy it cheaply enough, and you can just donate it back when you're done, without having to pay to move it, and start over in your new location. Mine is all family pieces I wouldn't change out, but sometimes I think I'd like to just go wild buying kitshy '50s furniture for fun...
Auctions are another good source; some of that stuff goes for pennies on the dollar.
If the house feels empty tie it together with color texture and art. Fresh drapes with coordinating toss pillows and a floor rug. Add a great canvas on the wall that has the same colors.
Aren't people avoiding second hand upholstered goods out of fear of bedbugs?
This was my thought; however, case goods, IMHO are a great value. We got a Ethan Allen Cherry dining room set for a small fraction of what it would have been new. Daughter got a great looking hutch and table and chairs by Pennsylvania House for a very cheap price. Also inherited many quality classic pieces from family sprinkled with antiques. However, the OP has different ideas I guess.
I only buy new furniture and decor. I want all of my furnishings to be modern, new, perfect condition and up to date.
So, to be sure we understand your dilemma, you have the money for new furnishings but don't want to spend it. You are unwilling to purchase 2nd hand furnishings which will allow you to replace them slowly with the type of furniture you want.
As I see it, you have 3 options. Spend the money and get what you want. Purchase 2nd hand and replace slowly so it doesn't deplete your savings. Leave the rooms fairly empty until you feel you have enough money for both the furniture and savings.
I would recommend only furnishing those rooms that you currently use. That usually means your bedroom, the living room, and perhaps the dining room (unless your kitchen is eat-in and you don't plan on entertaining right away). For example, if you don't plan on having overnight guests all that often (or ever), why spend the money on a bed and bedding that will just get dusty sitting in a never-used room?
I'm currently reading a very interesting book called, "Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism." While I don't have the discipline or desire to be an extreme minimalist, there are some good tips and tricks throughout for decluttering and organizing. Surrounding ourselves with stuff just for the sake of having stuff creates more stress than necessary.
Just buy what you need, why you feel you need to have more than that? Just to fill the space up? Strange logic.
I have rooms that just sit empty, save a cat tree, water bowl, etc, for my cats.
Haha! I did too at one time! Now it's kinda full of junk...that's the problem with empty space
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