Plus, where to find quality furniture pieces you’ll love no matter your budget

It’s no secret — furnishing a home can be overwhelming. And expensive. With so many budget-friendly options out there, is it really worth investing in quality furniture?

My answer? One hundred percent YES.

After all, a wise person once said:

“The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

Your furnishings make a house into your home. They directly impact the function, comfort, style, health, and overall experience of your spaces. Not to mention, your home’s furnishings — and how you source them — impact the health and wellbeing of our planet.

There are dozens of reasons to invest in well-made, durable furnishings and fixtures. In today’s post, I’m sharing my top 5. I’m also sharing my favorite tip to get beautiful, quality furniture without blowing your budget. Let’s get started…

#1: When you invest in quality furnishings, you’ll save money in the long run

While the price of that warehouse sofa might seem like a good deal now, the long-term math says otherwise. Before you pull out the credit card for the next sale, it’s important to ask yourself:

• How many replacement sofas are you going to have to buy in the next 10, 20, or 30 years? 

• How many trees, and how much shipping carbon, are you throwing in the landfill each time you junk your old sofa? 

• How much will it cost to deliver a new one each time?

• How many hours of your life will be spent fluffing and rearranging lumpy, saggy cushions, trying to get a few more years out of it before you purchase again? 

What if you could invest once in a quality sofa that lasts a lifetime? That’s as comfortable in 20 years as it was the day it was first delivered? This isn’t a pipe dream. When you purchase well-made pieces, this is the reality.

Oftentimes — especially with upholstery — people worry about investment pieces going out of style. You might wonder, “Is expensive furniture really worth the investment?” 

After all, cheaper furniture is quicker and easier to replace. But there are three key points to remember here:

• The more expensive furniture pieces shouldn’t be ‘trendy’, but rather, something timeless and classic. Accent pillows, blankets, and decor are quicker, easier, and less expensive to swap out anyway.

• If someday you do want a new look, swapping upholstery fabric or refinishing the wood completely changes the look and feel of a piece — for a fraction of the cost of replacing it altogether. 

• Sofas are in your home primarily to deliver the function of comfort. A quality sofa will allow you to sit comfortably for longer.

Many family homes along the East Coast were designed by big name designers decades ago and have been enjoyed for generations. With furnishings custom designed for their spaces, families often reupholster and refinish their pieces rather than replace them. 

Not only is refinishing faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly than replacement, but these pieces become part of their family legacy and memories. Christmas gifts are opened on the same sofa for generations. Grandchildren snuggle up in the armchairs their parents once did. The beloved, richly-petinaed dining table hosts hundreds of holiday meals and board game marathons.

By refreshing rather than replacing, these rooms are completely transformed from their earlier designs. And, they maintain the functionality and warmth only custom, quality pieces provide.

#2: Classic, quality pieces keep future upgrades fun and stress-free

When you invest in quality pieces, you create a timeless foundation for your home. This doesn’t mean your rooms need to stay stuck in a timewarp for decades. It means when you crave a refresh or see a trend you like, you’re easily able to swap out design details without starting from scratch.

A solid foundation actually frees you up to enjoy trends. Update your wall art. Swap out pillow covers and throws seasonally. Have fun creating new vignettes on the bookshelves or coffee table. Because your key pieces are in place, you get to focus your energy on the fun parts of decorating — without the stress of a renovation or complete redesign.

#3: Buying quality furniture minimizes waste

Trendy, mass-produced furniture is destined for the landfill. Not only are trends notoriously short-lived, but mass-produced goods typically aren’t built to last. In fact, the low-quality is a key part of their business model. When that couch gets lumpy or the table legs begin to wobble, you’re forced to purchase again. 

Perhaps that’s why a recent survey by Rove Concepts found the average American sofa is only 6 years old. Over a lifetime, that’s 13 replacement sofas. A lot of filler for our landfills, and a lot of cash in the bank for cheap furniture makers.  

Furniture waste is now at 12 million tons per year. That is like throwing away 488 MILLION upholstered chairs each year.

When you invest in quality furniture, you can keep it for decades. Even pass it down to future generations.

#4: Investing in quality supports expert craftsmanship, bolsters local economies, and saves energy.

Your grandfather was right: ”They don’t make things like they used to.” Partly, this is a numbers game. But another sad reality? Skilled craft masters are disappearing and the next generation isn’t being taught those skills. Entire industries are dying because of cheaply-made, mass-produced furnishings.

But when you invest in quality pieces, you’re investing in the legacy of makers. As the Joinery, upholstery, weaving, and more — you’re helping to preserve an art and ensure future generations have access to these skills and products.

As the Patagonia founder recently said in a blog post, “Repair is a Radical Act”, it changes the world for the better. 

#5: Oftentimes, higher-quality furnishings and products are better for your health.

Now, before we dig in here let me be clear: more expensive does not automatically equal “healthier”. Plenty of companies charge a premium for the same chemical-filled stuff as the big box stores.

Inexpensive, massed-produced furnishings almost always contain dangerous chemicals you don’t want in your home. When you buy quality goods made by local artisans and reputable makers, you have a say in the materials used. From batting and foam to upholstery fabrics and dyes, you get to choose which toxins cross your threshold and which don’t.

Plus, made with better materials, quality furnishings are typically more comfortable. They offer better support for your spine, joints, and muscles, meaning better sitting posture, better sleep and fewer chronic aches and pains. (Investing more in that sofa or mattress up front might be saving yourself some hefty chiropractor or doctor bills down the line.) 

Here’s how to invest in good quality furnishings without blowing your budget

The reality? Investing in quality pieces can add up quickly. Craftsmanship is expensive. So it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But here’s the good news: you can invest in quality while keeping your budget intact.

Buy the best furniture you can afford.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

A $15,000 sofa not in the budget? That doesn’t mean you’re resigned to poor quality and big box stores. A designer or furniture maker can help you decide where to invest first, and how to update your home wisely over time as your budget allows.

And remember: price isn’t the only indicator of quality furniture. It all comes down to the materials and how it’s constructed.

So how can you tell if a piece is well-made? We will have a future post on an in-depth look at how to spot quality furniture that’s worth investing in.

My favorite way to save money on quality furniture? Buy vintage.

Estate sales, vintage shops, and online marketplaces are filled with high quality pieces for a fraction of the price. And, these pieces often have incredible character you can’t find in a new purchase. If you’re unable to purchase heirloom quality pieces new, shopping vintage is a fantastic option.

And remember, you can easily update these heirloom pieces for a fraction of the cost of purchasing new high-quality furniture. So focus on sturdy construction and great shapes, knowing the upholstery and finishes can be updated to your taste.

Investing in your furniture is an investment in your life.

We live so much of our lives at home. Why waste your time and money on uncomfortable, poorly-made pieces?

You deserve quality. Your family and guests deserve quality, too. Just as well cooked food is the opposite of fast food, and brings you enjoyment.  Carefully considered quality purchases will enrich your life, and are pleasurable to have in your homes.  

An interior designer can help you select investment-worthy pieces to build your home around the way you live. Our work is about so much more than matching fabrics and finishes. We’re your partners, working alongside you to learn how you live in your home, and make sure the finished space supports your lifestyle.

We carefully select pieces that echo the architectural lines and shapes of your home. We honor the historical style and choose the best functional pieces for storage and comfort, in the colors that make your heart happy.

In the end, you get a home that looks and feels like the best version of you. One that’s built to last a lifetime.

Looking for some design guidance? I offer 2-hour design consultations to help bring your plans into focus and get your questions answered — including my favorite makers and places to shop for high-quality, durable furniture.