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> Price is 3-4 times higher but it lasts 5-10 times longer The problem is that if an Ikea furniture lasts 15 years then that's enough. People no longer need 50
by oezi 1y ago
> Price is 3-4 times higher but it lasts 5-10 times longer
The problem is that if an Ikea furniture lasts 15 years then that's enough. People no longer need 50-100 years furniture, because nobody wants to inherit old stuff anymore.
Life's circumstances change faster and buying quality often isn't worth it. Maybe a Miele dishwasher last twice as long at double the price. But it will become old after 10 years even so.
- Cthulhu_ 1y ago> People no longer need 50-100 years furniture, because nobody wants to inherit old stuff anymore. I'm going to challenge this assertion: did anyone, ever? Looking around in my parents' house (retirement age), there's no furniture from their parents (post-WW2). I don't remember whether my grandparents had any furniture of their parents in use either. I do recall going to the charity shops and finding older wooden furniture; while I recognize it as better quality as what you can get today, at the same time it's no longer useful today. TV cabinets (with doors) for CRT TVs and video tapes, writing tables, those kinds of things are obsolete. Tables are timeless though. But also, over time a lot of that old furniture was either destroyed or bought up and exported. What you find in the charity stores near me today is mostly 90's and onwards.
- lmm 1y ago> did anyone, ever? Yes. Pre-railroad people mostly didn't move and inheriting furniture was extremely helpful. Go back earlier and the cost of buying your own furniture would have been prohibitive.
- Semaphor 1y ago> Looking around in my parents' house (retirement age), there's no furniture from their parents (post-WW2). I don't remember whether my grandparents had any furniture of their parents in use either. My parents are both 70+, they have 3 big cabinets from their parents, made from solid wood. I’d not mind having them in the right place. They look and handle great, only the drawers could use some finetuning ;)
- JKCalhoun 1y agoBeds, tables, chairs. Only "style" has changed.
- bluGill 1y agoMore than style. Humans are generally taller than in the past (a good diet will do that) and thus old furniture won't fit the modern body. A modern mattress won't fit on the old fame and will be more comfortable. If you replace the stuffing of the old mattress maybe it will be as good.
- dagw 1y agoBeds I disagree with. Modern high end mattresses are far more comfortable and ergonomic than old mattresses.
- johnisgood 1y agoI have a >40 years old spring bed. I prefer it over modern beds, but I have never had the luxury to try out modern high end mattresses though.
- johnisgood 1y agoWhy the down-vote? I do have a >40 years old spring bed, and these "modern" beds I can get from Jysk or Ikea (or wherever it was gotten from) are awful in comparison, in fact, one of them broke after a month of use (with my ex) (it cost ~222 USD) and most modern beds I have laid on, they were all too hard for me, unlike the spring bed. The mattresses might be good, however. I have not tried the memory foam ones, for one. sighs.
- prawn 1y agoIt might be because you're making a judgement about preference when you haven't actually tried modern mattresses and (presumably) toppers?
- 1y ago
- bluGill 1y agoMy grandpa had in his attic letters from his great grandpa (great great?? not sure how many generations)'s brother back in Germany, written around 1860. The letters were in the old script not used anymore, and language (Not German, but I'm not sure what it was). Grandpa got them translated and then following the addresses discovered some [great...] granddaughter was living in the house so he sent he a copy of the letters. She then found some cabinet described in the letter and was able to find it in the barn. Until she got the letter that cabinet was meaningless to her, but now that she knows the history it is an important part of her house. This somehow a point in your question, but I leave it to others to figure out what. Grandpa donated the letters to the local historical society so they are accessible, though I'm not sure how.
- nmcfarl 1y agoMy stepmother (in her 60s) inherited or rather lot of furniture from her parents, enough to furnish most of a house. It’s spectacular and at this point it has to be well over 100 years old. She both wanted it and has lived with it daily for coming on 40 years. And my wife inherited three pieces from her parents and they make up much of our dining room, and her uncle gave her two pieces that he made by hand, and that did not fit into his new house. I was dubious about the stuff from her parents, but it’s beautiful if dated and we’ve gone with a very “eclectic” decorating style, no room has to look like any other room. And now I’m very grateful for all of it.
- kiney 1y agoactually most of my furniture is either inheritend (mostly from my grandpa and an aunt) or just "was there" in the old house (1835) I bought... Couldn't imagine living with modern Ikea junk.
- mixmastamyk 1y agoIkea has a range. If you choose the junk aimed at dorm rooms you got what you paid for. The rest sells easily at moving time, being a known commodity.
- kiney 1y agoeven the highest and ikea stuff is still complete junk.
- mixmastamyk 1y agoBS. Let me guess... you are one of those "connoisseurs" who looks down on products that are a good value. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24829405 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24829405
- modo_mario 1y agoMy entire house is filled with mostly inherited stuff. I'm frugal and grew up between both lower and old money upper class but i have to say if you can make it look coherent it's fine and has saved me tons. Where it isn't it's a mix and match of thrifted high quality and low quality stuff. My electric standing desk and chair being one of those modern things that costed a couple of thousands but i got secondhand for a combined 200. The desk is built like a tank. For the chair i replaced the cracking armrest covers with leather. I also have some hardwood old tables and cabinets that are a couple generations old and as functional now as they were back then.
- Aeolun 1y agoOur house is full of second-hand 50s furniture though. At least some of it gets a second life, even if not from the children.
- bobbruno 1y agoI am responding to this from my living room in Berlin, sitting on a sofa that belonged to my father, after having dined on a table he inherited from my grandfather. Both were brought with us when we moved from Brazil. So yes, people do want to inherit the old stuff. I have some IKEA stuff (the beds were just too big, and mattress sizes are different), it just can't compare.
- rsynnott 1y ago> Maybe a Miele dishwasher last twice as long at double the price. But it will become old after 10 years even so. It... won't support the new dishes that come out in the 2030s? Like, other than energy efficiency (and this is basically already into diminishing returns for appliances like dishwashers), what must-have progress are you expecting?
- alexey-salmin 1y agoIt won't require the Wi-Fi connection to operate (so definitely a reason to stick to my 12 years old appliances) I'm not even joking: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43463200 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43463200 > It says options with an asterisk—including Rinse, Machine Care (self-cleaning), HalfLoad, Eco, and Delay start, are "available through Home Connect app only and depending on your model." This is happening now.
- wahnfrieden 1y agonot miele
- rsynnott 1y agoYeah, I mean obviously don't buy a dishwasher with a wifi connection, come on now. But that's not mandatory.
- mixmastamyk 1y agoForgot the cloud account and app only available from BigTech platforms. Don’t buy—well just like cars they are taking that less-profitable choice away.
- Kirby64 1y agoFunny enough, that’s on the low end Bosch dishwasher. Their 800 series (which is essentially 2x the price) has no such restrictions because I guess they can “afford” to put the extra buttons on it.
- fragmede 1y ago
- Lio 1y agoIt's not just how long it lasts. When we redid our kitchen our fitter had to argue with our whitegoods supplier for us. The guy in the shop couldn't understand why I wanted a built in Miele fridge-freezer over what ever generic he wanted to off load. His argument was that nobody would be able to see the logo so it didn't matter and we should just take the cheaper item. My argument was that the Miele was much more energy efficient and would be running 24/7. Given that enegry costs have risen substantially since then I think I made the correct choice and that the difference in purchase price has more than been offset.
- thesuitonym 1y agoOf course nobody wants your garbage furniture that only lasts 15 years. And since I plan to live 50-100 years, I'd like furniture that can last as long.
- Der_Einzige 1y agoHigh end furniture from brands that last 50-100 years (i.e. Hancock and Moore, Century, a lot of other brands made in the Hickory NC area) hold their value. Go to the estate sales near you and watch as the prices for pieces from those companies (also real mid century modern furniture) holds at least 1/2 it's value 10+ years later. High end furniture is the kind, like goodyear welted boots, where you keep it forever and reupholster it every 10 years.