How to get quality, zero VOC furniture without breaking the bank?
June 4, 2023 2:25 PM
I'm going to be furnishing a large space starting from almost scratch. How can I get furniture that is high quality (solid wood, all or mostly hardwood, joins instead of screws everywhere when possible), zero VOC (cushions that are filled with wool, cotton, latex, down, etc. rather than foam), and ideally no synthetic fibers (upholstery that uses wool, cotton, linen, silk) at the best possible price?
The ideal style would be mid-century modern.
One thing I'm noticing is that almost anything new that fits these criteria is over $1,000. New solid hardwood queen-sized bed: almost all are $1,200+. New solid hardwood / hardwood veneer over soft wood zero plywood and MDF dining tables: $1,200+. "Eco" sofas: $2,400+. And so on.
It seems like the obvious answer is: buy used.
Especially for non-sofa furniture, it's simple enough to just purchase older items that were made before MDF and plywood were common, or look for new items that are solid wood or solid wood with fancier veneers. The problem is finding them.
Sofas seem more difficult, since anything that pre-dates foam that has lasted this long is probably a quite expensive antique. Is there a particularly good way to find eco-oriented or incidentally zero-voc, natural fiber and fill used sofas?
I'm budget minded but I also want to not regret purchases. I purchased a platform bed from a retailer I saw recommended here (https://kdframes.com/) that is rough cut, not sanded smooth, no joinery just screws everywhere, and made from a softwood. I knew what I was getting into, but I still wound up a bit sad that it isn't a nicer piece of furniture.
I'm open to purchasing some items from retailers like this, including some of Ikea's solid wood products, so those are fine recommendations to make, but I don't want to populate the entire house with them. They feel more like great options for a person just starting out after college rather than this point in my life, where I'm hoping to find furniture that is soothing and beautiful to the senses that is also able to last until I die.
A better bed recommendation, for example, might be for something like this (https://www.nomadfurniture.com/product/pecos-copy/) hardwood bed that I am a little sad I didn't go with.
I'm open to physically going anywhere in the state of California and driving purchases home in a trailer, and ordering online.
Aside from the general "go to estate sales, yard sales, and keep an eye on Craigslist and Freecycle" advice, is there anything else I should be doing and anywhere else I should look at?
One thing I'm noticing is that almost anything new that fits these criteria is over $1,000. New solid hardwood queen-sized bed: almost all are $1,200+. New solid hardwood / hardwood veneer over soft wood zero plywood and MDF dining tables: $1,200+. "Eco" sofas: $2,400+. And so on.
It seems like the obvious answer is: buy used.
Especially for non-sofa furniture, it's simple enough to just purchase older items that were made before MDF and plywood were common, or look for new items that are solid wood or solid wood with fancier veneers. The problem is finding them.
Sofas seem more difficult, since anything that pre-dates foam that has lasted this long is probably a quite expensive antique. Is there a particularly good way to find eco-oriented or incidentally zero-voc, natural fiber and fill used sofas?
I'm budget minded but I also want to not regret purchases. I purchased a platform bed from a retailer I saw recommended here (https://kdframes.com/) that is rough cut, not sanded smooth, no joinery just screws everywhere, and made from a softwood. I knew what I was getting into, but I still wound up a bit sad that it isn't a nicer piece of furniture.
I'm open to purchasing some items from retailers like this, including some of Ikea's solid wood products, so those are fine recommendations to make, but I don't want to populate the entire house with them. They feel more like great options for a person just starting out after college rather than this point in my life, where I'm hoping to find furniture that is soothing and beautiful to the senses that is also able to last until I die.
A better bed recommendation, for example, might be for something like this (https://www.nomadfurniture.com/product/pecos-copy/) hardwood bed that I am a little sad I didn't go with.
I'm open to physically going anywhere in the state of California and driving purchases home in a trailer, and ordering online.
Aside from the general "go to estate sales, yard sales, and keep an eye on Craigslist and Freecycle" advice, is there anything else I should be doing and anywhere else I should look at?
There are occasional bargains on Live Auctioneers, if you don't mind the hassle of bidding. The sale price gets marked up by the "buyers premium" which is usually around 28%, so watch out for that. But if the auction is close enough that you can handle the transport yourself, you can get good stuff for decent prices.
posted by attentionplease at 2:47 PM on June 4, 2023
posted by attentionplease at 2:47 PM on June 4, 2023
I’m a hobbiest vintage reseller, and I find items like this all the time by going to … estate sales. Estate sales dot net and ctbids dot com are my go-to resources for finding sales near me (I’m based in the Midwest), so that’s where I would start. And I hate to say it, but the dreaded Facebook Marketplace is a good resource for what you’re looking for, and there may also be a dedicated local “midcentury modern” reselling group (or even more than one!) that’s based near you on there. Good luck!
posted by pinkacademic at 2:48 PM on June 4, 2023
posted by pinkacademic at 2:48 PM on June 4, 2023
Have you seen Kaiyo? It’s billed as “an online marketplace for pre-owned furniture that’s made to last.” I’m in Canada, so I have no personal experience with them, but it might be useful.
posted by fruitslinger at 2:58 PM on June 4, 2023
posted by fruitslinger at 2:58 PM on June 4, 2023
You might keep an eye on the OfferUp marketplace (disclosure: my spouse works for the company), where I've seen pretty good pieces of furniture available--especially if you're willing to comb a large region and haul it yourself.
Similarly, you might have good luck going on your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook and just asking periodically--I bet there are folks who might have large and heavy pieces of old furniture who would be happy to let it go reasonably cheaply to someone willing to come and do the lifting and hauling away for them.
posted by Inkslinger at 3:25 PM on June 4, 2023
Similarly, you might have good luck going on your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook and just asking periodically--I bet there are folks who might have large and heavy pieces of old furniture who would be happy to let it go reasonably cheaply to someone willing to come and do the lifting and hauling away for them.
posted by Inkslinger at 3:25 PM on June 4, 2023
You almost certainly will not find newly-constructed furniture that meets your requirements for the price points you are looking at, so I strongly encourage you to consider the above posts.
(source: me, who just begrudgingly paid $3K for a commercial-grade steel-framed couch that even so still does not fully meet your requirements)
Side-point: consider that you mainly want the frame, since nearly all commercial cushions won't meet your needs, and see if you can get a cheaper price by looking for used furniture with no upholstery, and then getting that upholstery made to order separately. Zero-VOC and the like has VERY unfortunately become a bit of a "rob this customer for everything they're worth" flag. IME, anyway. Jesus christ my couch was expensive.
posted by aramaic at 5:19 PM on June 4, 2023
(source: me, who just begrudgingly paid $3K for a commercial-grade steel-framed couch that even so still does not fully meet your requirements)
Side-point: consider that you mainly want the frame, since nearly all commercial cushions won't meet your needs, and see if you can get a cheaper price by looking for used furniture with no upholstery, and then getting that upholstery made to order separately. Zero-VOC and the like has VERY unfortunately become a bit of a "rob this customer for everything they're worth" flag. IME, anyway. Jesus christ my couch was expensive.
posted by aramaic at 5:19 PM on June 4, 2023
You should check out Habitat for Humanity's Restores. They sell both used furniture as well as furniture returned to manufacturers. My oldest lives in Oakland, and we went to one that had a lot of pieces from West Elm. You can track what they have (usually) on their Facebook Page, and many also post on Craigslist. I have seen amazing top end furniture there for low, low prices.
Facebook Market Place can have a whole lot of good pieces too depending on where you live.
Additionally, if there is a high priced college or university near you, you might find nice pieces during moving times- generally June or September. I am in Boston, and I have scored some amazing pieces when Harvard Business School ends for the school year- many of them free and barely used (or super unique pieces, I got the most beautiful antique farm table that was cut down to be coffee table height there one year, and I love it and now consider it a family heirloom.)
posted by momochan at 7:47 PM on June 4, 2023
Facebook Market Place can have a whole lot of good pieces too depending on where you live.
Additionally, if there is a high priced college or university near you, you might find nice pieces during moving times- generally June or September. I am in Boston, and I have scored some amazing pieces when Harvard Business School ends for the school year- many of them free and barely used (or super unique pieces, I got the most beautiful antique farm table that was cut down to be coffee table height there one year, and I love it and now consider it a family heirloom.)
posted by momochan at 7:47 PM on June 4, 2023
There's a couple of things in your brief to push back on a little.
You may still not want to buy MDF furniture (neither do I) but MDF isn't generally a high VOC product anymore, all I can get around here is E0 and has been for quite some time. If for some reason I wanted formaldehyde adhesive in it I don't know that I could get it. There are other processed products that may also fit the bill, plywood among them.
Softwood can be a quality material, without question, a number of my favourite timbers to work with are softwoods. Don't rule them out.
Natural doesn't have to mean low or no VOC. Natural turpentine turns up in furniture polish a heap, particularly the more rustic homemade style, and while it dissipates quickly after application it is 100% VOC and does sometimes cause irritation. That's just one example, however the point I'm making is don't assume natural equals benign. Lead oxides are natural and we put them in varnish for a long time, to our detriment.
posted by deadwax at 9:48 PM on June 4, 2023
You may still not want to buy MDF furniture (neither do I) but MDF isn't generally a high VOC product anymore, all I can get around here is E0 and has been for quite some time. If for some reason I wanted formaldehyde adhesive in it I don't know that I could get it. There are other processed products that may also fit the bill, plywood among them.
Softwood can be a quality material, without question, a number of my favourite timbers to work with are softwoods. Don't rule them out.
Natural doesn't have to mean low or no VOC. Natural turpentine turns up in furniture polish a heap, particularly the more rustic homemade style, and while it dissipates quickly after application it is 100% VOC and does sometimes cause irritation. That's just one example, however the point I'm making is don't assume natural equals benign. Lead oxides are natural and we put them in varnish for a long time, to our detriment.
posted by deadwax at 9:48 PM on June 4, 2023
A few suggestions for you, some California-specific and some not, based on past searches (though my requirements were a little different than yours):
1) Sawdust City, which is who I got my bookshelves and shoe rack from. Very plain style, pretty rustic, and they don't make bed frames or sofas. But if they do make something you need, the quality is 100% there.
2) You could check out the Wood Furniture Factory. It's in National City, so a little more reasonable than folks trying to make rent in coastal areas. Not entirely budget-friendly but some pieces are more than others. Also relatively plain in style.
3) Look at your county's woodworking folks - in my case, I'm in San Diego and I know from the fair that there's a really robust group of woodworkers. So I used that as the basis of my search for a custom piece of furniture recently.
4) Look at your local university(ies)' surplus site. Where I work, we're selling some of the nice wooden stuff that's now too heavy or too unwieldy (not necessarily the furniture you're describing but there's almost always something worth a second look).
5) Looking at small scale shops in LA's Garment/"Fashion" District might pay off. It appears they have at least a handful of furniture shops.
6) You can also check to see if any local community colleges offer woodworking and if they sell student work.
posted by librarylis at 9:55 PM on June 4, 2023
1) Sawdust City, which is who I got my bookshelves and shoe rack from. Very plain style, pretty rustic, and they don't make bed frames or sofas. But if they do make something you need, the quality is 100% there.
2) You could check out the Wood Furniture Factory. It's in National City, so a little more reasonable than folks trying to make rent in coastal areas. Not entirely budget-friendly but some pieces are more than others. Also relatively plain in style.
3) Look at your county's woodworking folks - in my case, I'm in San Diego and I know from the fair that there's a really robust group of woodworkers. So I used that as the basis of my search for a custom piece of furniture recently.
4) Look at your local university(ies)' surplus site. Where I work, we're selling some of the nice wooden stuff that's now too heavy or too unwieldy (not necessarily the furniture you're describing but there's almost always something worth a second look).
5) Looking at small scale shops in LA's Garment/"Fashion" District might pay off. It appears they have at least a handful of furniture shops.
6) You can also check to see if any local community colleges offer woodworking and if they sell student work.
posted by librarylis at 9:55 PM on June 4, 2023
This is what I'm trying to do also. Your strategy is similar to mine.
How do you feel about futons? I'm over them but that's a foam-free couch. TheFutonShop also one of the lower cost places to buy the kind of couch you're looking for.
I find myself willing to compromise with Greenguard stuff and even starting to consider Certipur foam.
Anyway, sorry my answers are so random. It's basically: what you already said + luck + lots of comparison shopping + waiting for sales + considering lowering my standards in a few places.
posted by slidell at 1:31 AM on June 5, 2023
How do you feel about futons? I'm over them but that's a foam-free couch. TheFutonShop also one of the lower cost places to buy the kind of couch you're looking for.
I find myself willing to compromise with Greenguard stuff and even starting to consider Certipur foam.
Anyway, sorry my answers are so random. It's basically: what you already said + luck + lots of comparison shopping + waiting for sales + considering lowering my standards in a few places.
posted by slidell at 1:31 AM on June 5, 2023
I'm not sure how popular it may be in your area, but I continue to get incredible items through freecycle
If you're willing to put in some work yourself too, the skills to do some basic furniture restoration or repairs aren't so significant and don't require a huge workshop of tools. Keeps the cost down if you have the time yourself,, and then you can recycle solid old furniture.
Maybe even make your own with a few basic tools:
The Anarchist's Design Book by Christopher Schwarz
posted by many-things at 2:17 AM on June 5, 2023
If you're willing to put in some work yourself too, the skills to do some basic furniture restoration or repairs aren't so significant and don't require a huge workshop of tools. Keeps the cost down if you have the time yourself,, and then you can recycle solid old furniture.
Maybe even make your own with a few basic tools:
The Anarchist's Design Book by Christopher Schwarz
posted by many-things at 2:17 AM on June 5, 2023
I find what I'm looking for and then set alerts on forums where people sell used furniture (kijiji, craigslist, etc.).
So instead of setting generic alerts or searching for things like "vintage sofa", I search for specific brands: montauk sofa, rh sofa, article sofa, etc.
I snagged a 10 month old Article Timber leather sofa for $200. It had a busted leg, but I knew the brand offers a 5 year warranty so I called them and they sent me new leg for free.
I got this other Article sofa for $500. It was listed as 2K with information about their needing it gone due to a move. I wrote and offered 500 up to the day they were moving. ("If you still have it on day of move and need it gone, I will offer 500").
Also, find local refinishers who take vintage, well-made furniture and give it a makeover. I bought a dresser from 1 Oak Modern (Instagram), a Toronto-company that delivered to my door. Solid wood and reasonably priced. You can see some before and afters with the link. I then used her to redo some tables I already had that had been beaten to death by decades of use. Now they look brand new at a fraction of the cost. $8K worth of tables made perfect for $500.
If you are emailing offers to people make sure you do so in a positive light. There's a world of difference between: "Love your taste! Your sofa is out of my budget of $500, but wanted to wish you luck with the sale and thanks for taking such great pictures!" vs "I'll give you $500!"
Also, if you search for terms like Moving Sale, you can sometimes find someone with something you like but don't want and email them saying, "Love the table you have for sale! I'm in the market for a sofa. Since we have similar taste, I thought I'd ask if maybe you have one you haven't listed yet. Thanks!"
You can also find things on Etsy or other forums that are in countries with a cultural history of haggling and haggle with them. I purchased two rugs with a combined sticker price of $9k for $2k including shipping simply by lowballing and then when the seller declined, just asking him his best price, which, after saying he "could never go as low as my offers" came back with prices that were only $40 more.
You can see the two sofas, one of the rugs, and one of the refinished tables in this photo.
Good luck!
posted by dobbs at 2:37 AM on June 5, 2023
So instead of setting generic alerts or searching for things like "vintage sofa", I search for specific brands: montauk sofa, rh sofa, article sofa, etc.
I snagged a 10 month old Article Timber leather sofa for $200. It had a busted leg, but I knew the brand offers a 5 year warranty so I called them and they sent me new leg for free.
I got this other Article sofa for $500. It was listed as 2K with information about their needing it gone due to a move. I wrote and offered 500 up to the day they were moving. ("If you still have it on day of move and need it gone, I will offer 500").
Also, find local refinishers who take vintage, well-made furniture and give it a makeover. I bought a dresser from 1 Oak Modern (Instagram), a Toronto-company that delivered to my door. Solid wood and reasonably priced. You can see some before and afters with the link. I then used her to redo some tables I already had that had been beaten to death by decades of use. Now they look brand new at a fraction of the cost. $8K worth of tables made perfect for $500.
If you are emailing offers to people make sure you do so in a positive light. There's a world of difference between: "Love your taste! Your sofa is out of my budget of $500, but wanted to wish you luck with the sale and thanks for taking such great pictures!" vs "I'll give you $500!"
Also, if you search for terms like Moving Sale, you can sometimes find someone with something you like but don't want and email them saying, "Love the table you have for sale! I'm in the market for a sofa. Since we have similar taste, I thought I'd ask if maybe you have one you haven't listed yet. Thanks!"
You can also find things on Etsy or other forums that are in countries with a cultural history of haggling and haggle with them. I purchased two rugs with a combined sticker price of $9k for $2k including shipping simply by lowballing and then when the seller declined, just asking him his best price, which, after saying he "could never go as low as my offers" came back with prices that were only $40 more.
You can see the two sofas, one of the rugs, and one of the refinished tables in this photo.
Good luck!
posted by dobbs at 2:37 AM on June 5, 2023
You'd have to go to the 70s to get a couch with no polyester. I had my 40s vintage couch and chair recovered and could not find sturdy upholstery fabric that was non-poly blend. The upholsterer sadly did not re-use the springs; which you need in some types of cushions if you don't use foam. A wood futon can easily be matched with a wool futon mattress and nice fabric cover. I have a lovely futon as the guest bed.
This End Up furniture has sturdy wood frames, and you can easily replace the cushions. A friend has vintage rattan furniture; she replaced the cushions and it's comfortable. Both options turn up on Buy Nothing/ Craigslist/free, freecycle.
posted by theora55 at 9:51 AM on June 5, 2023
This End Up furniture has sturdy wood frames, and you can easily replace the cushions. A friend has vintage rattan furniture; she replaced the cushions and it's comfortable. Both options turn up on Buy Nothing/ Craigslist/free, freecycle.
posted by theora55 at 9:51 AM on June 5, 2023
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posted by amtho at 2:34 PM on June 4, 2023