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Okay, we finally think it's time for us to start upgrading some of the furniture around here. We bought some of the headboards from a local manufacturer who makes them for hotels. Some of the furniture are hand me downs and well, some is Chinese with fancy Swedish names (ie IKEA).
So, does anyone have some pointers on what not to buy, what doesn't work?
We found a beautiful four poster, very large, dark rustic wood, about $2.2K, another $1K for each nightstand and another $2.5K for the dresser. Solid wood.
Things I'm worried about... wear, guests bumping into it, etc. Nightmare of walking in to find that they have tied a sling onto it.... anything else?
 
I would not be spending that kind of money on guest furniture :-( Sorry. People do not care about your furniture and if you can stand the thought of scratches, soda cans, wet towels etc on a $1K nightstand...you are better than me :)
 
I would suggest solid wood for beds with good wood construction of the frames (mortise and tenon) rather than the bolted on metal frames that often hold them together. We replaced some of those early on and have been happy with the results. We do have two canopies with tall posts; so far nothing embarrassing left behind (knock on wood).
I have to agree with CL - those prices do sound kind of high. I bought three beds in 2008 from a local high-quality furniture maker for less than $2000 - solid wood construction, made and finished locally. That was the wholesale price which they do to B&Bs. They are solid as a rock beds. I am considering upgrading two rooms to kings this year, and replacing the two canopy beds, so I'll have all except one room from that manufacturer.
 
Are you bringing in THAT kind of money for such extravagant expenditures? Unless your room rates are commensurate with the furniture you are talking about, it's going to take you a long time to recoup your return on the investment. Is it really worth the expense?
Style is important. Taste is important. Durablity is essiential!
 
When you have a B&B you have to realize that everything is just "stuff" - if you are worried about nicks, chips, cracks, theft or even complete breakage of the item, don't have it out. Period.
 
Way too much to spend on guest furniture. It takes a little searching, but you can find very well made solid furniture for less. Go on Craigs list, e bay, and even garage sales in your suburban areas. It's amazing what great pieces people are selling these days. Unfortunately, often it's because they're being evicted or forclosed on which is sad, but you definitely can find some deals out there if you're not in a hurry.
We just bought a brand new $5,000 generator that runs the whole property (ours finally conked out last year) for 1/2 price because the couple was getting a divorce and selling their house. Found it on Craig's.
 
I'm looking online as well. But I really want a tall bed to highlight the height of the room. And I don't want a sleigh bed, because all I can imagine is the top of the headboard bouncing against the wall and damaging the wall, as well as telling the guests in the next room what they are doing to make it bang.
I've seen some online, but many times it's just not solid wood or just pieces. Remember, I'm not in the US, we don't have the "foreclosures" that you are seeing. And it's a king bed... plenty of queen for sale as people move to king.
I know that I need to be able to have either wood slats or have the box springs and the skirt on the box springs (gov't ratings). I definitely want hardwood and not presswood.
Are there types of corners that do better than others? Something that guests scuff more or walk into more than others? Colours that work better?
 
The antiques business in the US is still pretty depressed so buying from dealers or craigslist is pretty cheap south of the border. Maybe you could buy south and ship it up?
 
We bought a beautiful, solid oak 4 poster bed at Ashley Furniture, King bed and 2 side tables for about $1,000. I just checked online and they have stores in Canada, but I don't know if there are any near you. Check out their website. Very high quality stuff with great prices.
 
Quite honestly I would not spend that much on furniture for ME! As long as it LOOKS good, and the bed is SOLID, it is covered as guestroom furniture. We got a lot of ours at flea markets and second hand stores. The beds were (2 of them) new. The queen 4-poster had slats. Our "shake-down cruise" came doen the first morning to tell us she had broken the bed. As she oonched up on it to put on her shooes, she had pushed the box springs and spread the boards holding the box springs - letting the slats drop out and the springs and mattress to collapse. DH went up after we left for the day (back when he was in good shape) and used lag bolts and piano wite to ensure that bed will never do that again. It must have worked well because we once had 2 motorcycle couples from Tennessee who all got into that bed to watch movies and eat popcorn and another time had a couple that if they weighed an ounce less than 800 lbs total, you may call me Queen Elizabeth! The bed held!
 
We bought a beautiful, solid oak 4 poster bed at Ashley Furniture, King bed and 2 side tables for about $1,000. I just checked online and they have stores in Canada, but I don't know if there are any near you. Check out their website. Very high quality stuff with great prices..
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
 
We bought a beautiful, solid oak 4 poster bed at Ashley Furniture, King bed and 2 side tables for about $1,000. I just checked online and they have stores in Canada, but I don't know if there are any near you. Check out their website. Very high quality stuff with great prices..
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
I know what you mean Eric. A number of years ago I vowed to not buy any furniture that I had to put together myself! You know the cheap kind I mean! Well, I've still had to put some together, but it's much less than when I was younger!
Our place is filled with solid wood beautiful furniture. A lot of it I inherited from my grandparents and parents. We put glass tabletops on some of the pieces to protect them. Some get a (heaven forbid) 'doily', and others get a table cloth. The great thing about quality wood furniture is that they can be stripped, restained and fixed if necessary.
When buying furniture at a store, don't forget to negotiate. Even when there are sales! It doesn't always work, but if they know you own a b&b sometimes they'll do a special deal and if they keep you happy, they know you'll shop with them again. Fortunately, we have a truck, so we save on delivery charges.
 
We furnished from a variety of sources: Unfinished furniture shop for a solid pine four-poster, about US250 as I recall. Two heavy coats of dark Minwax stain and a polyurethane finish and, really, most think its an antique. We buy solid wood from second hand shops mostly. When they leave white rings, I use 600 grit, then dark Old English before the next guest. When the tabletops eventually get completly stripped (tops only!), then a dark stain and poly will go on. (We didn't use glass on one of our tables because its drop-leaf, too awkward to use the glass.) Wood is so forgiving. Even the repairs can look really nice. I just used one of those re-finish-in-a-bottle restorers for a 1920's bed that went into our vacation rental. The old checked varnish came off and left the dark stained finish. A fine-grit light sanding and a coat of Old English, and it's nearly as nice as the day it was purchased. There were no dings or dents, but the finish was checked and dirty. If you have a place to work, go for the wood from the second hand shops. It will take some time to score the perfect pieces, but will save cash and heartache over dings in the new stuff. Save the big $ for new mattresses and things that cannot be purchased used.
 
We furnished from a variety of sources: Unfinished furniture shop for a solid pine four-poster, about US250 as I recall. Two heavy coats of dark Minwax stain and a polyurethane finish and, really, most think its an antique. We buy solid wood from second hand shops mostly. When they leave white rings, I use 600 grit, then dark Old English before the next guest. When the tabletops eventually get completly stripped (tops only!), then a dark stain and poly will go on. (We didn't use glass on one of our tables because its drop-leaf, too awkward to use the glass.) Wood is so forgiving. Even the repairs can look really nice. I just used one of those re-finish-in-a-bottle restorers for a 1920's bed that went into our vacation rental. The old checked varnish came off and left the dark stained finish. A fine-grit light sanding and a coat of Old English, and it's nearly as nice as the day it was purchased. There were no dings or dents, but the finish was checked and dirty. If you have a place to work, go for the wood from the second hand shops. It will take some time to score the perfect pieces, but will save cash and heartache over dings in the new stuff. Save the big $ for new mattresses and things that cannot be purchased used..
Our last bed we bought for room 12 is a Half tester cost £350 delivered and put up which was a bargain from a local auction and is partly antique and partly reproduction. The reason we got a good deal on it is that is it 10 foot high and most modern houses are 8 foot ceilings so there is very few properties it would fit into. We slotted a divan base into it rather than the slats that came with it as this solves the slat sliding issue. This can be done with a lot of 4 poster beds to help with larger customers having jolly weekends (I think we all know what I mean) You might also think about metal beds but make sure they don't squeek we got a nice reproduction brass one bargain price for ourselves no squeeks as yet and its been 18 months so may buy one for room 4.
 
We bought a beautiful, solid oak 4 poster bed at Ashley Furniture, King bed and 2 side tables for about $1,000. I just checked online and they have stores in Canada, but I don't know if there are any near you. Check out their website. Very high quality stuff with great prices..
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
I know what you mean Eric. A number of years ago I vowed to not buy any furniture that I had to put together myself! You know the cheap kind I mean! Well, I've still had to put some together, but it's much less than when I was younger!
Our place is filled with solid wood beautiful furniture. A lot of it I inherited from my grandparents and parents. We put glass tabletops on some of the pieces to protect them. Some get a (heaven forbid) 'doily', and others get a table cloth. The great thing about quality wood furniture is that they can be stripped, restained and fixed if necessary.
When buying furniture at a store, don't forget to negotiate. Even when there are sales! It doesn't always work, but if they know you own a b&b sometimes they'll do a special deal and if they keep you happy, they know you'll shop with them again. Fortunately, we have a truck, so we save on delivery charges.
.
My family has been in the linen business since before I was born. All my personal linens were samples or end-of-line. I've lived all my life as a student... nothing matched. At one point of time I decided I had had enough of it and I went out and started to buy a set of matching towels and some beautiful sheet sets and donate all my linens. All my life I had been taught how to buy towels and sheets, but the only person I had never bought them for was... ME!
I have never owned a simple set of proper furniture. It's time.
Unfortunately, we are city boys, no delivery truck and we need to hire people to move furniture. But I have got to buy some nicer furniture. It will also help with the B&B's rating with the ministry.
 
We bought a beautiful, solid oak 4 poster bed at Ashley Furniture, King bed and 2 side tables for about $1,000. I just checked online and they have stores in Canada, but I don't know if there are any near you. Check out their website. Very high quality stuff with great prices..
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
I know what you mean Eric. A number of years ago I vowed to not buy any furniture that I had to put together myself! You know the cheap kind I mean! Well, I've still had to put some together, but it's much less than when I was younger!
Our place is filled with solid wood beautiful furniture. A lot of it I inherited from my grandparents and parents. We put glass tabletops on some of the pieces to protect them. Some get a (heaven forbid) 'doily', and others get a table cloth. The great thing about quality wood furniture is that they can be stripped, restained and fixed if necessary.
When buying furniture at a store, don't forget to negotiate. Even when there are sales! It doesn't always work, but if they know you own a b&b sometimes they'll do a special deal and if they keep you happy, they know you'll shop with them again. Fortunately, we have a truck, so we save on delivery charges.
.
My family has been in the linen business since before I was born. All my personal linens were samples or end-of-line. I've lived all my life as a student... nothing matched. At one point of time I decided I had had enough of it and I went out and started to buy a set of matching towels and some beautiful sheet sets and donate all my linens. All my life I had been taught how to buy towels and sheets, but the only person I had never bought them for was... ME!
I have never owned a simple set of proper furniture. It's time.
Unfortunately, we are city boys, no delivery truck and we need to hire people to move furniture. But I have got to buy some nicer furniture. It will also help with the B&B's rating with the ministry.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
My family has been in the linen business since before I was born. All my personal linens were samples or end-of-line. I've lived all my life as a student... nothing matched. At one point of time I decided I had had enough of it and I went out and started to buy a set of matching towels and some beautiful sheet sets and donate all my linens. All my life I had been taught how to buy towels and sheets, but the only person I had never bought them for was... ME!
I have never owned a simple set of proper furniture. It's time.
Unfortunately, we are city boys, no delivery truck and we need to hire people to move furniture. But I have got to buy some nicer furniture. It will also help with the B&B's rating with the ministry.
It does not have to be expensive to be nice. I had a wonderful Aunt who when they became "comfortable and better" would not shop anywhere except Marshall Fields because that equated to nice to her (even if she could have purchased the same thing at another store for less). I have found some beautiful, solid pieces (and sets) at secondhand stores. Just be ready to handle the "gut-punch" the first time you find scratches or water rings on your beautiful expensive furniture. This is meant in a nice way, not being snarky.
 
We bought most of our beds of craigslist. Take your time and check frequently and you can find very nice and solid pieces. Sometime people buy king beds and realize that their bedrooms are way to small for them. Just be patient, check often as the best deals go fast and do not get discourage when you go to check it out and it is not what you want. Make sure to ask a lot of questions regarding the condition so you do not waste your time. Do not spend that kind of money - your heath will stop when you see guests drying their wet towels on your brand new expensive bed. They really do not care or plainly do not think.
 
We bought a beautiful, solid oak 4 poster bed at Ashley Furniture, King bed and 2 side tables for about $1,000. I just checked online and they have stores in Canada, but I don't know if there are any near you. Check out their website. Very high quality stuff with great prices..
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
I know what you mean Eric. A number of years ago I vowed to not buy any furniture that I had to put together myself! You know the cheap kind I mean! Well, I've still had to put some together, but it's much less than when I was younger!
Our place is filled with solid wood beautiful furniture. A lot of it I inherited from my grandparents and parents. We put glass tabletops on some of the pieces to protect them. Some get a (heaven forbid) 'doily', and others get a table cloth. The great thing about quality wood furniture is that they can be stripped, restained and fixed if necessary.
When buying furniture at a store, don't forget to negotiate. Even when there are sales! It doesn't always work, but if they know you own a b&b sometimes they'll do a special deal and if they keep you happy, they know you'll shop with them again. Fortunately, we have a truck, so we save on delivery charges.
.
My family has been in the linen business since before I was born. All my personal linens were samples or end-of-line. I've lived all my life as a student... nothing matched. At one point of time I decided I had had enough of it and I went out and started to buy a set of matching towels and some beautiful sheet sets and donate all my linens. All my life I had been taught how to buy towels and sheets, but the only person I had never bought them for was... ME!
I have never owned a simple set of proper furniture. It's time.
Unfortunately, we are city boys, no delivery truck and we need to hire people to move furniture. But I have got to buy some nicer furniture. It will also help with the B&B's rating with the ministry.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
My family has been in the linen business since before I was born. All my personal linens were samples or end-of-line. I've lived all my life as a student... nothing matched. At one point of time I decided I had had enough of it and I went out and started to buy a set of matching towels and some beautiful sheet sets and donate all my linens. All my life I had been taught how to buy towels and sheets, but the only person I had never bought them for was... ME!
I have never owned a simple set of proper furniture. It's time.
Unfortunately, we are city boys, no delivery truck and we need to hire people to move furniture. But I have got to buy some nicer furniture. It will also help with the B&B's rating with the ministry.
It does not have to be expensive to be nice. I had a wonderful Aunt who when they became "comfortable and better" would not shop anywhere except Marshall Fields because that equated to nice to her (even if she could have purchased the same thing at another store for less). I have found some beautiful, solid pieces (and sets) at secondhand stores. Just be ready to handle the "gut-punch" the first time you find scratches or water rings on your beautiful expensive furniture. This is meant in a nice way, not being snarky.
.
I appreciate it. I realize that guests will damage it, eventually. And I'm definitely not a labels kind of guy. I've just never really owned good furniture and I don't know enough about it to buy the stuff that I want, something that will last. I don't mind fixing up scratching and stuff... the guests do that all over the house and the stairs. I keep a pot of paint with primer and some brushes around to fix up the walls. I guess I just need to know how to pick it. If there are things that are better than others.
 
We bought a beautiful, solid oak 4 poster bed at Ashley Furniture, King bed and 2 side tables for about $1,000. I just checked online and they have stores in Canada, but I don't know if there are any near you. Check out their website. Very high quality stuff with great prices..
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
I know what you mean Eric. A number of years ago I vowed to not buy any furniture that I had to put together myself! You know the cheap kind I mean! Well, I've still had to put some together, but it's much less than when I was younger!
Our place is filled with solid wood beautiful furniture. A lot of it I inherited from my grandparents and parents. We put glass tabletops on some of the pieces to protect them. Some get a (heaven forbid) 'doily', and others get a table cloth. The great thing about quality wood furniture is that they can be stripped, restained and fixed if necessary.
When buying furniture at a store, don't forget to negotiate. Even when there are sales! It doesn't always work, but if they know you own a b&b sometimes they'll do a special deal and if they keep you happy, they know you'll shop with them again. Fortunately, we have a truck, so we save on delivery charges.
.
My family has been in the linen business since before I was born. All my personal linens were samples or end-of-line. I've lived all my life as a student... nothing matched. At one point of time I decided I had had enough of it and I went out and started to buy a set of matching towels and some beautiful sheet sets and donate all my linens. All my life I had been taught how to buy towels and sheets, but the only person I had never bought them for was... ME!
I have never owned a simple set of proper furniture. It's time.
Unfortunately, we are city boys, no delivery truck and we need to hire people to move furniture. But I have got to buy some nicer furniture. It will also help with the B&B's rating with the ministry.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
My family has been in the linen business since before I was born. All my personal linens were samples or end-of-line. I've lived all my life as a student... nothing matched. At one point of time I decided I had had enough of it and I went out and started to buy a set of matching towels and some beautiful sheet sets and donate all my linens. All my life I had been taught how to buy towels and sheets, but the only person I had never bought them for was... ME!
I have never owned a simple set of proper furniture. It's time.
Unfortunately, we are city boys, no delivery truck and we need to hire people to move furniture. But I have got to buy some nicer furniture. It will also help with the B&B's rating with the ministry.
It does not have to be expensive to be nice. I had a wonderful Aunt who when they became "comfortable and better" would not shop anywhere except Marshall Fields because that equated to nice to her (even if she could have purchased the same thing at another store for less). I have found some beautiful, solid pieces (and sets) at secondhand stores. Just be ready to handle the "gut-punch" the first time you find scratches or water rings on your beautiful expensive furniture. This is meant in a nice way, not being snarky.
.
I appreciate it. I realize that guests will damage it, eventually. And I'm definitely not a labels kind of guy. I've just never really owned good furniture and I don't know enough about it to buy the stuff that I want, something that will last. I don't mind fixing up scratching and stuff... the guests do that all over the house and the stairs. I keep a pot of paint with primer and some brushes around to fix up the walls. I guess I just need to know how to pick it. If there are things that are better than others.
.
Treat yourself to the "good stuff" and get the GOOD second hand store furniture for the B & B. Watch estate sales ads in the paper. Often there will be fabulous old wonderful furniture available because the "heirs" have no appreciation for the quality stuff Granny had - it is old so it can't be good! New, bright (fall apart next week) is the stuff they want now.
And if it is pre-stressed (as my dining room table was), the good old furniture can be refinished to be gorgeous.
 
We bought a beautiful, solid oak 4 poster bed at Ashley Furniture, King bed and 2 side tables for about $1,000. I just checked online and they have stores in Canada, but I don't know if there are any near you. Check out their website. Very high quality stuff with great prices..
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
We have Ashley, the prices are quite a bit higher up here, because of delivery costs. Their cheaper furniture is made in China or Vietnam. We are considering some of their hardwood beds. I'm just worried about the finish being enough layers of varnish and hardened. I've never bought hardwood furniture before, really. I'm over 45 and I am still living with hand-me-downs and Ikea. It's time to end this madness.
I know what you mean Eric. A number of years ago I vowed to not buy any furniture that I had to put together myself! You know the cheap kind I mean! Well, I've still had to put some together, but it's much less than when I was younger!
Our place is filled with solid wood beautiful furniture. A lot of it I inherited from my grandparents and parents. We put glass tabletops on some of the pieces to protect them. Some get a (heaven forbid) 'doily', and others get a table cloth. The great thing about quality wood furniture is that they can be stripped, restained and fixed if necessary.
When buying furniture at a store, don't forget to negotiate. Even when there are sales! It doesn't always work, but if they know you own a b&b sometimes they'll do a special deal and if they keep you happy, they know you'll shop with them again. Fortunately, we have a truck, so we save on delivery charges.
.
My family has been in the linen business since before I was born. All my personal linens were samples or end-of-line. I've lived all my life as a student... nothing matched. At one point of time I decided I had had enough of it and I went out and started to buy a set of matching towels and some beautiful sheet sets and donate all my linens. All my life I had been taught how to buy towels and sheets, but the only person I had never bought them for was... ME!
I have never owned a simple set of proper furniture. It's time.
Unfortunately, we are city boys, no delivery truck and we need to hire people to move furniture. But I have got to buy some nicer furniture. It will also help with the B&B's rating with the ministry.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
My family has been in the linen business since before I was born. All my personal linens were samples or end-of-line. I've lived all my life as a student... nothing matched. At one point of time I decided I had had enough of it and I went out and started to buy a set of matching towels and some beautiful sheet sets and donate all my linens. All my life I had been taught how to buy towels and sheets, but the only person I had never bought them for was... ME!
I have never owned a simple set of proper furniture. It's time.
Unfortunately, we are city boys, no delivery truck and we need to hire people to move furniture. But I have got to buy some nicer furniture. It will also help with the B&B's rating with the ministry.
It does not have to be expensive to be nice. I had a wonderful Aunt who when they became "comfortable and better" would not shop anywhere except Marshall Fields because that equated to nice to her (even if she could have purchased the same thing at another store for less). I have found some beautiful, solid pieces (and sets) at secondhand stores. Just be ready to handle the "gut-punch" the first time you find scratches or water rings on your beautiful expensive furniture. This is meant in a nice way, not being snarky.
.
I appreciate it. I realize that guests will damage it, eventually. And I'm definitely not a labels kind of guy. I've just never really owned good furniture and I don't know enough about it to buy the stuff that I want, something that will last. I don't mind fixing up scratching and stuff... the guests do that all over the house and the stairs. I keep a pot of paint with primer and some brushes around to fix up the walls. I guess I just need to know how to pick it. If there are things that are better than others.
.
Treat yourself to the "good stuff" and get the GOOD second hand store furniture for the B & B. Watch estate sales ads in the paper. Often there will be fabulous old wonderful furniture available because the "heirs" have no appreciation for the quality stuff Granny had - it is old so it can't be good! New, bright (fall apart next week) is the stuff they want now.
And if it is pre-stressed (as my dining room table was), the good old furniture can be refinished to be gorgeous.
.
Definately estate sales! keep your eyes peeled!
 
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