I was visiting a friend recently and we got on to the topic of replacing furniture. We’ve both lived in our present homes for a number of years, having acquired them when our children were much younger. In those days we both purchased furniture that was cheap from the likes of Ikea; the mass produced stuff that is constructed of imitation wood. It served its purpose at the time but now our families are grown up, we are both wanting to upgrade our homes. However this is where the similarity ends as we both have vastly different opinions on the subject.
My friend is content to stick with the same type of furniture yet again. She likes the fact that it doesn’t last indefinitely and she’ll be able to pick new items yet again when it begins to look tatty. However, I don’t agree with that line of thought. This time round I want to go for a much better quality; items that are constructed in a way that will last for many years and will actually look better and better as they age. This time round I want items that are constructed by talented craftsmen from real wood that will look completely different from my old furniture and will save me money in the long run.
My favourite type of wood is oak. I love the grain and the colour of the wood and I’m sure it will look really good in our home, having had a look at the range available from our local manufacturers, Priest Brothers in Chelmsford. The room I’m going to upgrade first is our main bedroom as I feel it’s time we had a place where we can truly relax. I rather fancy a new bed and to go with that I’ll also add two bedside tables or cabinets with drawers. Our wardrobes have also seen better days so I’ll need two double wardrobes in the same range as the bed and I rather fancy a dressing table to complete the look. In years to come I’m sure I’ll still be happy with my choice and I won’t need to start looking round for replacement items.