Bizarre discussion - home decorating

[PleasantlySurprised]

Hi all

I am trying to work out what we should take and what we should leave behind.

I'm going to take those pieces of furniture I love and that which has sentimental value. But... I have some question marks on other things and I would like to know what it would cost to replace/get alternatives.

Does anyone have ideas as to where I could look to budget for a couch, bed, linen (I know there are sizing differences but I just want to get cost estimates) and dining room tables.

Really hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

Another quick question - is Ikea trustworthy? Anyone tried their stuff? Is it the type of stuff you just buy for temporary use or could you use it forever?

[Sunnyskies]

Harvey Norman and the Good Guys can give you an estimate on all of those plus appliances and TVs. Snooze and Forty winks are bed specialists but you have to buy on sale.

Ikea - everyone has a different view. Many forumites have shopped a lot from there. Remember though it is flat pack and so isn't designed to last a lifetime, but it can be great if you need a quick fix or if you like the look.

Harvey Norman and the Good Guys can give you an estimate on all of those plus appliances and TVs. Snooze and Forty winks are bed specialists but you have to buy on sale.

Ikea - everyone has a different view. Many forumites have shopped a lot from there. Remember though it is flat pack and so isn't designed to last a lifetime, but it can be great if you need a quick fix or if you like the look.

[AFreshStart]

I'm partial to Ikea, as a company I hold them in high esteem, they offer affordable products that are on trend and well built.

They've been around since 1943, published their first catalog in 1951 and started selling their first flat pack product in 1956, the LÖVET table, which they've just reissued. They offer 3 months return policy and if you become a member that is extended to 12 months, they also include free insurance from store to home, discounts on meals, products and decor talks.

I plan to purchase their Karlstad Sofa Bed on arrival, it's not cheap, it's over $1300, but built to last with washable and replaceable covers. Their mattresses (out side of the cheap foam/kiddies ones) come with a 25 year guarantee, something they stand behind, so built to last.

My favourites are always their PS range, they've just launched the 2014 range with multifunctional uses, hiring in top designers from all over the world to design them, it's taken 4 years to get them right. That's the kind of research they put into things.

Outside of the product is their ethos. The soft toys they sell go back into support various trusts and they've raised over $460.000 for educational campaigns, they recycle more than 29% of their store waste, have phased out incandescent bulbs and plan to do the same for CFL switching to LED and across their stores they have 16,000 solar panels installed, the largest in Australia, covering almost 5 football fields.

Add to that is that they have one of the best policies on forestry management and stewardship, planting 1 tree for everyone cut down and only use maintained forests.

It's a hobby of mine to visit their stores in my travels and have been and shopped at the stores in the USA, UK and Denmark.

I have a long wishlist of products that we'll be buying for our home and am more than confident they'll last.

In addition, we're taking our diningroom table, chairs and sideboard, they are collectables. Our solid oak office desk, which we had made for 1/4 the replacement cost in Aus. A couple high end furniture bits that are available in Aus, but 2-3 times the cost. We have high end cookware we're bringing with and cutlery, but plan on buying crockery there.

We're also bringing our bed and bed frame with two sets of linen, it's MUCH cheaper here than in Aus when comparing apples with apples.

We're not taking any big electrical items, they're old and we'd rather buy new, plus we plan on renting and most rentals come with some appliances like stove/dishwasher etc.

The rest I plan to buy at Ikea, Freedom and a few higher end boutiques.

I might add that I write freelance for decor magazines and do trends forecasts, so it's my job to know these things, in case you're wondering

Hope that's of some help!

Cheers

Matt

Edited May 15, 2014 by AFreshStart

[Mara]

My absolutely favourite furniture shop is Early Settler, have a look at them. I have quite a few pieces that came from them including my 12 seater dining room table and chairs.

http://www.earlysettler.com.au/

[DXB2OZ]

Some of my IKEA stuff is 12 years old, moved countries twice, moved houses multiple times and still going strong. One IKEA couch I bought had a cream cover which I dyed the colour I wanted (inflatable swimming pool for basin and umbrella pole for stirring), other couches I simply had covers made, although I don't know what the cost of upholstery is like in Oz.

A friend has warned me that their beds are not the standard Oz size.

There also seem to be a lot of second hand options on gumtree, etc.

Personally, I love the look you are describing. A few special bits filled out with some other nice finds. We've got antique wooden furniture side by side with ikea flat pack bookcases - it's quirky, but it works.

I chose to describe my style as "eclectic". That way it sounds like a deliberate plan instead of an evolved hodge podge

[TeeTMI]

When we were moving over the removal costs were quoted to us in cubic metres.

When we were struggling to decide what to bring and what to leave we had a list of items that we were not sure about, so we calculated the cost of bringing each of these individual items with us. It just helped to clarify things based purely on value. The reality was that the costs in shipping from RSA were such that for most items it was far cheaper to bring than to replace them.

Edited May 16, 2014 by TeeTMI

[PleasantlySurprised]

Thank you to each of you who responded. This does give me a better direction.

It's just hard knowing where to start, do I ask for a quote on a container/move cube first and then see what we can fit or do I work out what I really want to take and then ask? I am so confused!

[AFreshStart]

I'd work out what you'd want to take first, just to get an idea of things that mean the most, then things you might want to take, get them to quote from those items separately and then weigh up the costs of taking them. It's something we did for ourselves and gave us piece of mind in knowing what we should take vs what we could pick up on that side for the same price, or cheaper.

Hope that helps!

Matt

[PleasantlySurprised]

I'm partial to Ikea, as a company I hold them in high esteem, they offer affordable products that are on trend and well built.

They've been around since 1943, published their first catalog in 1951 and started selling their first flat pack product in 1956, the LÖVET table, which they've just reissued. They offer 3 months return policy and if you become a member that is extended to 12 months, they also include free insurance from store to home, discounts on meals, products and decor talks.

I plan to purchase their Karlstad Sofa Bed on arrival, it's not cheap, it's over $1300, but built to last with washable and replaceable covers. Their mattresses (out side of the cheap foam/kiddies ones) come with a 25 year guarantee, something they stand behind, so built to last.

My favourites are always their PS range, they've just launched the 2014 range with multifunctional uses, hiring in top designers from all over the world to design them, it's taken 4 years to get them right. That's the kind of research they put into things.

Outside of the product is their ethos. The soft toys they sell go back into support various trusts and they've raised over $460.000 for educational campaigns, they recycle more than 29% of their store waste, have phased out incandescent bulbs and plan to do the same for CFL switching to LED and across their stores they have 16,000 solar panels installed, the largest in Australia, covering almost 5 football fields.

Add to that is that they have one of the best policies on forestry management and stewardship, planting 1 tree for everyone cut down and only use maintained forests.

It's a hobby of mine to visit their stores in my travels and have been and shopped at the stores in the USA, UK and Denmark.

I have a long wishlist of products that we'll be buying for our home and am more than confident they'll last.

In addition, we're taking our diningroom table, chairs and sideboard, they are collectables. Our solid oak office desk, which we had made for 1/4 the replacement cost in Aus. A couple high end furniture bits that are available in Aus, but 2-3 times the cost. We have high end cookware we're bringing with and cutlery, but plan on buying crockery there.

We're also bringing our bed and bed frame with two sets of linen, it's MUCH cheaper here than in Aus when comparing apples with apples.

We're not taking any big electrical items, they're old and we'd rather buy new, plus we plan on renting and most rentals come with some appliances like stove/dishwasher etc.

The rest I plan to buy at Ikea, Freedom and a few higher end boutiques.

I might add that I write freelance for decor magazines and do trends forecasts, so it's my job to know these things, in case you're wondering

Hope that's of some help!

Cheers

Matt

Hey Matt

Please can you help me out with a quality comparison.

I want to be able to get a cheapish couch for a lounge area in our rental - i have looked at various places and nothing seems to be as cheap as Coricraft here - I know that it would be delayed arriving which is fine but we have the space in the container at this stage. The couch I have in mind is R7000 for a three seater and I really like it, would I be able to get anything similar for the same cost there?

Oh a website called Sydney Moving Guide there are suggestions of cheap furniture shops like Freedom, Fantastic Furniture and Ikea - now I know that i can get some good stuff from Ikea but what about the other two? Can you buy sofas and beds from there or is it more for replacable decorative items?

would really appreciate your help.

kindest regards

[Mara]

Fantastic furniture sells everything you would need in the line of furniture.

[RYLC]

We love Ikea. No it's not "top drawer" furniture but it is the "caravan" of furniture where things fit together, fold down into something else, have interchangeable covers etc. and it is durable.

With primary school aged kids, we want the flexibility of converting a bed into a set of bunks and getting really affordable replacement lounge suite covers in a multitude of colours.

Ikea have also targeted the business market for office and shop fitout (there is a separate catelogue for this) and I've seen two businesses using it and the furniture is holding up well.

[SurferMan]

If you were like us and came into Aus on the bones of your ass, look up verge collection - we got all the basics like kitchen tables n chairs and beds in one day. And yes there is no shame in that.

[MyTimeNow]

Check for IKEA in the area you're moving to.

I was hoping to get a few things at IKEA but when I arrived here, I discovered there isn't one in Canberra . Luckily they're building one so maybe in a years time

I did Harvey Norman and Good Guys, and would recommend them.

[joweni]

We bought two couches in SA with interchangeable covers before we came and although they are very comfortable they are also incredibly heavy!!! Ask the kids-after moving 4 times they are now threatening that the next time they have to move them will be to bury us in them LOL. The furniture in Oz seems much lighter and easier to move and if you do bring beds make sure they have castors - very necessary for moving them around to do the vacuuming!!

[DXB2OZ]

We bought some ikea bookcases 14 years ago. Four countries and ten houses later, they are still going strong. Have two of their chairs which are fifteen years old, I customized the covers. Likewise with the couches. I'm a huge fan because generally the stuff lasts and lasts and lasts. Plus a bit of upholstery or a lick of paint can give you something completely individual.

Having said that, my next stop is gumtree and the ops shops. Got my dining table at an ops shop, so giving back to charity and saving money at the same time.