It is a good idea to give a lot of thought to purchasing furniture, especially if you plan on making a large investment. In the long run, buying the cheapest thing, that might look good at the moment is not an economy in the long run.

Many years ago, when I was very young, I purchased a living room sofa and chair for an apartment we lived in. Problems surrounding this purchase were: 1. We had VERY little money and almost no credit! 2. We were only going to be in the place for about 7 months (military) and would not be reimbursed for moving expenses when we left. So, we went to a cheap furniture store that liked to give credit to young people and sell them rooms of furniture.

Well, about the time we had it paid for, (6 months) the sofa and chair were already showing signs of wear - and we were gone all day and only sat on them at night, hardly ever had any company and didn't have children yet!

In our case perhaps there wasn't much else we could do. But, if you are starting out and can't afford to get something of at least reasonably good quality, the best thing to do would be to make do until you can afford it or try to find used items at a good price. In the case of tables, desks, chests, etc., you can often put together a charming "eclectic" room, without all matching pieces. Twenty years ago a smart friend of mine found a great maple bedroom set, with twin beds, night stand, chests, etc., for less than $200 in great shape. She used it all the years her children were growing up and it always looked good. Some of the wood furniture you can find used, if you look around, can be much easier on the bank account and of much better quality than what you could afford new.

My main advice, after making my own mistakes over the years, is DON'T BUY CHEAP, NEW FURNITURE! Buy used or buy quality new stuff. And when you are ready to buy quality, think about it for awhile. Don't buy something that is very "faddish" and you might get sick of in a few years - unless you are independently wealthy and can afford to redecorate whenever you tire of something!. Do remember though, buying quality doesn't necessarily mean buying the highest priced stuff you can find.

As time goes on I will be looking around for quality furniture that I feel could be enjoyed for years to come. The first thing I found in my search are some really terrific beds that would really set the stage for a bedroom. With a bed like these as the focal point, you could just pick a nice color scheme and add a few simple pieces for the necessary storage and have a great room. I especially liked the Woodbury!