Cool furniture, design objects and desiderata

[TheFoo]



Liked the looks of this but I don't think it's being made anymore:

What's budget?

 

[Piobaire]



What's budget?

Not looking to pay Barcelona dollars.

 

[TheFoo]



R&B is fine design-wise, depending on which line you get. It's not heirloom quality (not many couches/sofas are) but the few pieces I've had have been solid throughout their moderate to heavy use. They aren't some kind of aspirational purchase by any means and if you know you're going to eventually move into a bigger place or have a remodel or design shift, then I'd personally go with something less expensive for the time being.

Within that price range there are plenty of interesting choices but most are difficult to try out in person and might have varying levels of quality. R&B is more of a "known" which makes it safer. That Joybird stuff looked decent.

Thing is, R&B is really not much cheaper than the bona fide design companies. Dining chairs are a few hundred bucks. Dining tables are a few thousand.

I see virtually zero reason to shop there unless you want safer-looking furniture that will have instant cred with your McMansion neighbors.

 

[TheFoo]



Not looking to pay Barcelona dollars.

Not helpful. For the third time: what's your budget?

 

[Piobaire]



Not helpful. For the third time: what's your budget?

Let's go with 2k.

 

[Medwed]



Guys, please help. My wife wants to drop an obscene amount of money for furniture at Room and Board. While I'm fine with spending good money for things that will last for... ever?... I just want to have some fun shopping around and not just gathering things in an online shopping cart and hitting "buy". Plus I think we can buy things on a site like 1st Dibs or something.

But she's all about R&B and ******* Pottery Barn... what do I do?

Use the largest pillow you own.

 

[Medwed]



Well yes, I figured that would be the answer.

But before I do that... does R&B actually make good furniture? The stuff she's looking at is supposedly made in the US. Does this mean anything? I mean - is it made in the US by immigrant "artisans" or is it made in the US by a family who knows what they're doing and makes good stuff?

No large company in US knows how to make furniture, it is all union made garbage put together with a staple gun.

Your heart is in the right place: 1stdibs, local estate sales, auctions online or in RL-this is the way to acquire things. Buying mass market garbage from mid-level outlets is nauseatingly lower-middle-class. Let your wife pick one item she needs the most (bed, dinner table ,sofa..) and let her buy that crap on the condition that you will wait to get the rest later.
Show her online sites with furniture you like or consider better than pottery barn. In short , you need to educate her and develop her taste gradually.
If she does not come around in 12 months use a pillow.

 

[lefty]

Why has this become a thread about ****** furniture? There are other threads for that.

Moo, R&B is fine if it fits your aesthetic and budget. It is solidly made and they have excellent customer service. You really have to know what you're doing to score at an auction or on 1st Dibs.

lefty

 

[Piobaire]



Pio I was going to ask if you tried out the Grand Repo, but if the chairs you bought were $1.4K each they were a great deal cheaper. As much as I like the Grand Repo I can't swallow the idea of spending so much on a single chair. Anyways, if you like them then that's what matters the most.

This chair reminded me of the Grand Repo...and I do like how comfy they are.

 

[Griffindork]



I'm shopping for a dining room table for a modern, open and airy NY apartment. Needs to be at least 10 feet. Right now I've got two that I'm considering (pics below) but I'm interested in seeing what else is out there. Anyone have suggestions?

Our final decision was to go with a raw edge single slab table in claro walnut. The table will be about 10 feet long and 3 inches thick. It is a little daunting to spend a whole bunch of money on a piece of wood without certainty as to what the final product will look like, but I have faith that it will turn out like the table below (other than the base, which will be completely different).

 

[dopey]

One raw edge, or two? So I guess with those, you don't use tablecloths, right?

 

[Griffindork]



One raw edge, or two? So I guess with those, you don't use tablecloths, right?

Both long edges will incorporate live plus some straight cut combination to make the table suitable for a dining table. The ends will be straight cut. Some of the edges will be charred/blackened. I don't think we will use a tablecloth. The top is finished only with wax and natural oil and it will develop scratches and a patina over time, but I think that is part of the beauty.

 

[sugarbutch]



Why has this become a thread about ****** furniture? There are other threads for that.

Moo, R&B is fine if it fits your aesthetic and budget. It is solidly made and they have excellent customer service. You really have to know what you're doing to score at an auction or on 1st Dibs.

lefty

This.

 

[otc]

Most of the R&B stuff is legit.

They are going to cut some corners...cheaper sofas might have cushions that need a lot of fluffing to stop from getting frumpy, actual materials used on tables might not be as nice, more veneers and cheaper woods used, etc...the marble on their Saarinen tables isn't quite as nice as the Knoll ones for double the price...

But they aren't going to sell you something that's just junk.

I'd be most cautious with the cheaper lines of upholstered goods...but over $1500 or so, you are probably OK.

 

[sugarbutch]

We eventually had to replace the foam on our R&B sofa seat cushions, but there were firmer options available, so it could be user error.