Second hand market

[catherine]

I mix my 1927 oak table with my 3 dollar plastic school chairs, which I spraypainted gloss white, which now look kind of like this:


So you can certainly mix these elements very handily, but I too would go for the oak 20's pedestal table, which are lovely.

Okay, I just looked up the docsta materials, which are as follows:
Table top: Fiberboard, Acrylic paint
Leg: Reinforced polyamide
Mounting plate/ Inside leg: Steel, Pigmented epoxy/polyester powder coating

So I think recycling a 20's table--you can paint it white--might be the environmental winner? Only problem is it is heavy!!!!!

I LOVE that style chair. When my son got his apartment I tried to talk him into buying that style but he said it wasn't for him.

[pinkytoe]

It is so humorous to me how young people flock to anything labeled mid-century modern. I grew up with it - a Jetson's purple vinyl swivel chair, curtains with an atomic ring design, Scandinavian teak, triangle shaped coffee tables, rya rugs etc. Since we are mostly starting over with furniture as older people now, I am sticking to solid wood - old or new. I recall how hard it was to sell our 90s entertainment center after having paid what we did for it. Some guy finally gave us $35 for it and said he was reusing the wood in it for a project.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I recall how hard it was to sell our 90s entertainment center after having paid what we did for it. Some guy finally gave us $35 for it and said he was reusing the wood in it for a project.

hmm seems to me it might make decent storage for books and other things one might store (although it depends on the layout, if it's meant to highlight a t.v. less so ... big painting in the middle instead?). Yea it assumes one owns paper books. Storage per se is often of some use though, and some entertainment centers are really just storage.

[Teacher Terry]

WE have our armoire that used to hold our tv in our bedroom filled with other stuff now. We kept it as it matches our bedroom set and provides storage space.

[sweetana3]

Entertainment centers are usually a problem because of depth. They are far deeper than regular storage requires and stick out into the room taking up a lot of floor space. However, if shelves can be added inside or rolling drawers, they can be useful.

[Geila]

I'd be happy to buy a wood pedestal table but haven't seen much available. The weight is a factor though. We will need to be able to move the table to accommodate more than 2-4 people and to paint walls, clean, etc. Pedestal is pretty popular, even Pottery Barn has it and it's expensive so I don't think I'll find much in the bargain pricing. Most of the tables at auction are oval or rectangular. Now, most ovals can be downsized to a round but they don't have the pedestal base. The auction house has gorgeous chairs though! All kinds of styles. My dining nook is small and kind of dark so I want very light furniture (visually and physically) to avoid giving the space a heavy gloomy look.

I do find that older pieces are not as easy to live with. E.g. the dressers have lots of useless little drawers. But the new pine ones at Ikea are big and roomy to hold everything you need in one unit. And they are light! Easy to move, etc. I have this one and I love it.
Dh and I each have our own and it holds everything!

[Geila]

It is so humorous to me how young people flock to anything labeled mid-century modern. I grew up with it - a Jetson's purple vinyl swivel chair, curtains with an atomic ring design, Scandinavian teak, triangle shaped coffee tables, rya rugs etc.

Very true. The Danish/Scandi stuff at auction sells for big money.

[Molly]

Geila - Wow! I never thought I'd ever buy anything from Ikea, but I love the idea of lightweight pieces with clean lines.

[pinkytoe]

Funny but we have never owned dresser drawers. Just some foot wide wire drawers inside the closet for socks and undies. Frees up a lot of space in the bedroom.

[jp1]

I recall how hard it was to sell our 90s entertainment center after having paid what we did for it. Some guy finally gave us $35 for it and said he was reusing the wood in it for a project.

How long ago was this? Don't most people just hang the tv on the wall now. Or just need a big flat surface to set it on? People on Househunters routinely gripe when they walk into a home that was built back in the 90's and has a designed in tv space because the space isn't big enough for the size tv's most people today want.