Hey i heard in one of your older videos that no teenage boys watch your channel! I wanted to tell you your content isn’t lost on us. 😂 I’m a 17 year old straight boy and I have really enjoyed watching your videos since I found you.🎉
Funny story: We have Ashley's in Canada too. It's every bit as bad as The Brick. I knew this. But I was looking everywhere for a walnut colour coffee table and happened to be driving past Ashley's. With extremely low expectations, I stopped in thinking MAAAYBE I'll be surprised and find something not hideous and not $5000. You never know. The parking lot was EMPTY. I walked in and there were NO other customers in the store. I almost got mauled by the salespeople. I did one quick lap around and confirmed my initial suspicion that everything there is ugly and cheap, so I headed for the door when I was intersected by an older gentleman who worked there and was eager to help. I explained what I was looking for "A walnut coloured modern style coffee table. Veneer is fine but I don't want something that looks ultra cheap." He let out a big dramatic sigh and said "This is Ashley's. You're not going to find anything modern or tasteful here." I felt bad for him but I couldn't stop laughing.
😂😂😂 That's why my mom was so upset when the staff was so snooty to her when all she wanted was to look for a kitchen table set. I didn't go in but she said they had a lot of nerve to be so exclusive acting for the type of furniture they sell.
The sales people at Ashley’s will stalk you around the store. Always just around the corner or just within sight of you and the second you show interest in anything …BOOM…right next to you ….’Oh..that’s a gorgeous piece and would look great in your space’
I've never been inside an Ashley's even though there is one about two miles away. What I see in their ads tells me everything: cheap, generic, all beige.
I used to work in a Bob's Discount furniture warehouse. I met Bob. He is a very short old man with an EXTREMELY powerful handshake and bright blue eyes. He never stops smiling. He kinda feels like a mythical creature.
I own some discount Bobs couches for my psychotherapy office and they are holding up great. They look good quality, honestly. But they were a price that I could stomach
Department stores have lost a lot of their raison d'etre in the modern era of online shopping. But one good thing about them, is their serious sales. They have the volume for deep discounts when they want to get rid of stock. As for Williams-Sonoma, I used to snark-read their catalog (back in the days of paper catalogs). The text was as over the top as J Peterman's. Once they had a colander for more than $20 (in the 80s!!) and said, "Finally, a colander you don't have to be ashamed of!" I had not realized that colander shame was a thing, but that made me look at mine, and sure enough, it was full of holes. How mortifying
That's because Elaine Bennis was working late one night on that very catalog, thinking, "how the hell am I gonna sell a $20 colander?" and she came up with the shame thing. 😂😂😂
I worked for Williams Sonoma in the early 90s at their San Francisco headquarters. Believe it or not, there was an even more upscale and less affordable catalog that was housed under the Williams Sonoma brand, called Chambers. Zero affordable items, so luxury, so much useless stuff. Everything monogrammed. I loved it ❤
@@Automedon2 there’s no shame! You’re doing what’s right for the environment by using what works instead of throwing it in a landfill and getting something simply for style.
I would like a video on retailers who have the highest quality furniture and home goods at the lowest price. Or even if it's just brands with the highest quality and lowest price so we know who to keep an eye out for in places like Home Goods/Sense or Target or wherever they are hiding these days.
Take a screenshot of something you like, then put it in Google images or Amxxxx Shop the Look. They price shop for you. Edit: My new trick is finding new model homes with virtual tours. I screenshot something the designer put in them, and then I try to find it for sale. Also great for designer ideas.
I agree with this sentiment. Everything these days is very low quality pressboard (and it's not necessarily cheap!). It's a real struggle to find a decently affordable but quality piece. I recently lucked out buying two nightstands that are 100% maple wood from India, but it was an obscure find. They did not particularly cost more than particle board from wayfair or someplace else. It's extremely hard to find quality anymore.
You can find quality made furniture pieces through online Amish (someone else does the website) retailers. The pieces are hand crafted in the USA and made of real wood. Prices are as reasonable as the cheap particle board stuff you can find at an Ashley or similar. For couches, chairs, etc. look up Smith Brothers of Berne out of Indiana. Quality leather and fabric furniture made in Indiana. I have gotten so many compliments on my furniture from there. They sell large and small pieces although we went through a retail store in Kentucky.
I knew RH was going to be your first choice. The LA showroom is three stories of ‘ONE NOTE’ overpriced gold stuff. You walk the showroom and forget if you’ve been in that room because it all looks the EXACT same. 👎🏾
My brother says the RH flagship stores are like Versailles after a nuclear winter. Not an ounce of color. All ash grey, , charcoal., taupe, putty, brown, white and black. Even the books and artwork in the showrooms are drained of color.
As a former employee, I miss RH from 15/20 yrs ago: colour, texture and lots of interesting items. The items were made in North Carolina and they owned a factory that made all wood furniture there. I still have items from RH that are such better quality. Do not love the direction they went.
@@lk1869 I agree. It used to be so much better. They had a lot of well-made items and actual colors. Muted, tasteful colors, but not all greige. I have a light blue silk quilt I bought there that is really nice and well worth the (on-sale) price I paid for it. Now their stores and catalog are just depressing. They look so bleak and the prices are way too high even if I did want a post-apocalyptic look.
@@lk1869 Yep. My designer friend told me the quality of RH furniture would be better than Room & Board or Crate & Barrel but it seems those days are long gone. RH went all in on super premium pricing and outsourced everything to Vietnam to jack up margins to pay for those flagship showrooms, hotels and restaurants. There is a sameness to everything they sell now too.
Williams Sonoma and Restoration Hardware lost their way when the original owners started selling shares in the business. At inception, both retailers were focused on specific niche markets. For Williams Sonoma, where else could you buy copper pans in the US in the late 1950's - remember that this was before Julia Child on PBS. Similarly, Restoration Hardware started out focused on hardware for older homes. When each of the owners started selling shares, obligations to others started influenceing the directions of the companies. The current "brands" have nothing to do with what initially made these useful resources.
I loved shopping, or mostly browsing, at Restoration Hardware 20 years ago. They sold gorgeous towel bars and cabinet hardware for traditional homes and Christmas ornaments and specialized cleaning supplies and linens as well as the solid oak furniture. The last time I went there I thought the power was out. Dim lighting and no color anywhere… 90 shades of gray.
I remember RH catalogs from years ago, specifically woodwork you could add to your porch to make it look like old style Victorian but when I had both the house and the money for it, all that was gone, instead they had terribly overpriced and ugly furniture. So sad!
My husband and I recently looked at RH for some new leather furniture for our living room. When I asked the designer there helping us how the furniture was constructed where it was made I realized that RH furniture is nothing special. It's the same as just about anywhere else that sells reasonable quality furniture (kiln dried hardwood frame, sinuous springs, etc). Plus most of the RH pieces are made in Vietnam. The only difference is you are paying for the are their absurdly luxe showrooms and the 25 shades of taupe leather available (seriously, not an ounce of color in the entire flagship store... putty, taupe, grey, white, brown and black). Add in the absurd shipping (750 dollars) and a simple 90" leather 3 seat sofa was pushing $9K. So we were delighted to discover that a very similar leather sofa at Crate & Barrel was half that amount and shipping was a third the cost plus it was made in North Carolina. So for the same price as we were going to spend for a single sofa at RH we got a new leather sofa, a leather accent chair, a club chair and a new floor lamp from Crate Barrel.
Haha! I had to get my phone serviced at Samsung and was told it would take an hour. Since I had an hour to kill, I was wandering around and accidentially found an RH store (in Manhattan, Chelsea area). Accidentally, because it didn't even register (at first) what 'RH' was (the sign said "RH" and not the full name in an obnoxious "if you know you know" kind of way and the windows were super glossy and obscured). I walked in and immediately was in a sea of beige and brown, literally everywhere, while French jazz (or something) played throughout the store. The workers in the store were very fussy and snobby. I wandered around all of the fancy beige rooms and had sticker shock at all the prices. What bothered me most (other than all of the shades of brown) was how low to the ground everything was. Dining room chair backs were so low that they were flush to the top of the table when pushed in. It looked like an expensive toddler dining room. I guess no one has bad backs in the RH world and never need chairs with actual support!
@@smithtown00 Low the ground and super deep is pretty much all modern furniture these days. My husband and I are in our mid 50's and the last thing I want to do is crawl; out of a 4 feet deep couch thats 12 inches off the ground. (If I wanted that I'd get a futon like I had when I was 20). So the first thing out of our mouths when we went to any store was "show us the simple leather couches that are at least 18 inches off the ground and no more than 3 feet deep". It really narrowed down the choices. Thankfully we are super happy with the Barrett II sofa from Crate & Barrel. Feel well constructed and comfy and didn't cost a fortune (for leather that is).
And it's a custom one of a kind peice that fits your space perfectly. I am not in an income bracket that could afford furniture like that but even I can budget for artisan ceramic pieces for the kitchen that illustrate what you are saying. In summertime we have local art festivals that include artisan ceramic and wooden kitchen items that cost the same as mass produced things at some of the higher end stores. I have known people who got custom tables made for very reasonable as well.
Totally agree and if you work closely with your craftsperson, you'll get exactly what you're looking for as opposed to "...well, i guess...good enough" which in the end never is...
@@stefs3460 Fitting the space is a good point also. Our contractor has a good carpenter and he whipped up custom bookshelves with cupboards underneath (using off the shelf doors), and it fits perfectly, looking like it belongs to the house. It cost a bit more than what something similar at IKEA would have cost, but it was still affordable and it'll last forever.
I refuse to buy a couch online, because I have to sit in it before I buy it, I sat in so many couches before I found one I liked and was comfortable for me.
Yeah, I thought I wanted a chesterfield leather sofa, went to ethan allen, tried it, and my feet didn't reach the floor. Very uncomfortable. I ended up getting a sofa in navy blue leather with brass tacks that fit comfortably. Conor, Conway, not sure the model.
A few years back, Williams Sonoma offered a set of nested melamine mixing bowls, with a sort of fluted design, rubbery non-slip gaskets on the bottom, in bright primary colours: $197 for 4. I thought they were lovely. The bright colours would make me smile every time I opened the cupboard. Luckily, a few days earlier I had already bought a set of four nested melamine mixing bowls, with a sort of fluted design, rubbery non-slip gaskets on the bottom, in bright primary colours from Costco for $29.99. Okay, maybe I would have got a thrill from walking around the mall with a plastic shopping bag from WS proclaiming I was besties with Marth Stewart, and I was missing that, but one copes and moves on.
Over the years it seem that alot of designers, are long gone, people just couldn't afford it. And alot of wealthy people just don't have any taste so they buy because! Prices didn't matter And now they're are more of regular people that want nice things but aren't willing to pay the price .....
Pottery Barn! The quality is horrible and the prices are outrageous. Got fooled from Instagram ads a few years ago and bought some wine glasses that were so expensive and low quality I truly felt scammed. As someone who remembers the days when Pottery Barn was the end-all-be-all of home décor found in the mall, I was honestly shocked by how the mighty have fallen.
And don’t get me started on their customer service. We got a sofa from them about 12 years ago, which I loved and which we still use in our home office. Two years ago we needed a sectional for our new living room and went back to PB. It was a complete nightmare. After a 6 months wait they sent the wrong seat cushions, then sent replacements that were too short. Then they did not see reason that the things were too short. Overall it took an endless string of emails and almost year resolve. Never again.
I remember in the mid to late 90's when Pottery Barn had actual mid century modern inspired stuff and the quality was decent. I bought a platform bed from that that I still have. Now their furniture is dull as can be.
The last time I was in PB, I was with my friend who was casually shopping for curtains. I was 7 months pregnant at the time, and one of the staff members came to check on us. She was likely in her 50s, and proceeded to body shame me endlessly because my bump was already so big, and told me that I should prepare for a dangerous delivery. Also that if I wanted to keep my figure post baby to start restricting my diet. Granted I’m not big myself and my son was big and dropped early, but damn! Due to embarrassment and hormones, I ended up running out the store uncontrollably sobbing. My husband actually wrote the store an email admonishing them. Haven’t been back in one since.
What I don’t understand is why people go there for “inspo”- every single item is unremarkable- it’s not well made, the proportions are strange and ungainly and the colors are as vanilla as it gets- pottery barn is more daring! If you want inspo go to a museum of design- look to world-class, boundary breaking designers who were at the top of their game- Gaudi, Mis Van Deroe, Frank Loyd Right- or go back through history and look at the decor of historical sites like Versailles or buckingham palace- look to your local history and traditional architecture. Be inspired and then find ways to incorporate thoes ideas into our modern lifestyle- it’s a way to end up with a look that is uniquely your own and is much more chic than RH could dream of being.
@@kellyliptonAre you serious about getting inspiration from Versailles or Buckingham palace , how many average homes do you think those styles would suit ?
It's a shame, RH is so ridiculous expensive, that people can't have the joy to own some of their pieces !! So maybe someday there furniture will be available to everyone,
@@kellyliptonI get it, The problem seems that the CEO,CFO and others !! are more concerned about high profits(money) instead of there designs.its a shame that more people can't enjoy the design and style.. O well....
Years ago my partner and I ordered a dining set from The Brick (not inexpensive) and one of the seats buckled the first time I sat down. I weighed 120 lbs. Their guy came and replaced all of the seat bottoms with pieces of wood, because they all originally had *cardboard.* He told us that he did a LOT of these seat replacements right after people bought these sets. That was everything I needed to know about The Brick's lack of quality.
I tried to shop there once years ago, and the sales person refused to help us because my friend was Black. It was VERY obvious. That's also all I need to know about The Brick, and why *I'll NEVER shop there.*
As a woodworker in the United States, I've visited most mid-price range furniture stores, and Room and Board has the best quality wood furniture among them. The designs are quite simple, but the quality is excellent.
I’m a Realtor and, I have an absolute dread those marshmallow sofas. In photos they have an almost gravitational pull and in person they have all the charm of a sulking brat. When I’m listing, I ask my photographer to keep it out of the picture if he can. If he can’t I usually try to blunt its impact with a couple of throw blankets and a large floral arrangement on the coffee table but honestly, it’s like trying to camouflage an elephant. I know they are undeniably comfy and I don’t fault my clients who love them for that but to my mind they wreak havoc on the eye.
It could be as comfortable as heaven itself, but being that ugly is deal breaker. It's more comfortable to be naked than clothed, but that doesn't mean we should walk down Main Street in the altogether.
I love this. We must all do our part to rid the world of Marshmallow furniture. They always bring to mind the heavyweight citizens on floating chairs in Wall-E.
This makes me laugh, but I appreciate that you recognize that they are comfy. I'm Mexican and live in a fairly agricultural area, for a section of friends and family I have, a big "we've almost made it" is getting a big, bubble sectional, preferably with reclining component. Those families work so dang hard, they want to come home and be the comfiest the can with the limited time off they have. Plus leather is easy to keep clean lol
Williams Sonoma - I am 30 years older than you, and back then WS was the one place to get high quality kitchen gear and some wonderful (if very pricey) ingredients.
We're about the same age then ... I have some very useful pieces I bought from W-S in the 80s and early 90s, back when they mailed out paper catalogs and you dialed an 800 number to order. I have a set of rice bowls that have a great handmade aesthetic, were quite inexpensive, and my adult kids will fight over when I no longer need them. Now, it's all mass market high end bougey. And expen$ive.
It used to be so nice. Also Sur la Table. My mother shopped at both for years. I get my things on eBay, Etsy, and estate sales. Much better quality for the price.
Williams-Sonoma has great non-terry dish towels and aprons. (I like non-terry dish towels because they don't attract dog hair.). They also have a nice selection of cookie cutters in their stores but so does Old Forge Hardware in Old Forge, NY.
Please consider a post explaining : How manufacturers take leather scraps, grind them up, add a binder, spread this on a cloth backing and label the furniture ‘genuine leather’. Then they attach a tag that is the only part that’s real leather. This started years ago when lady’s purses were made with fake leather straps that wouldn’t hold up. Then came furniture. I bought a labeled ‘genuine leather’ side chair for my living room. Within a year, with no one ever sitting on it, the ‘leather’ began to crack and peel away from the cloth backing like healing skin after a particularly bad sunburn. While my older real, solid, full-skin leather couch will last past my lifetime. People don’t know about this rouse and should be alerted. Also, for anything electrical or mechanical out of China, people should be very careful. Regulations protecting the integrity of items sold are almost nonexistent and the failure rate is very high. I know a appliance salesman at a well-known big box store, who told me that most of the brand new appliances from that part of the world, need repairs before these new items can be put out on the showroom. People deserve quality furniture and appliances that will hold up, not junk that doesn’t last past the warrantee.
Furniture Trainer here: What you're describing is Bonded leather. It's crap. Look for Top Grain leather, with aniline dyes. This type of leather is beautiful and can be pricey but shows scratches and has minimal stain resistance.Performance leather (a smoother look with fewer natural characteristics) is great for families because it usually has a stain resistant lacquer top coat.
@@midlifemom5829 no such luck-- once a bonded leather piece starts to delaminate, it's permanent. Either get a slipcover or replace it with non-bonded leather if you can
what we really need is a video teaching us how to identify that reconstituted leather from the real stuff. That's the real problem. Sell me what you will, and I might buy it, I might not, but I deserve to know WHAT it is I'm buying.
I used to love Restoration Hardware before they rebranded as RH. The atmosphere was welcoming and they had beautiful Italian made sheets, towels made in Turkey, curtains, hardware and lamps etc. They were expensive but they often had good sales. Post-rebrand the vibe and products totally changed and prices went from expensive to ridiculous. I haven’t shopped there since.
Oh thank God. I had no idea what RH was. I was a Restoration Hardware junkie back in the day when replacing a china setting or search for brass drawer pulls. 😊 Missed the rebrand. Bullet dodged.
@@meminionru thanks! I guess I could go to one of their outlets but to be honest I I’m not that eager. I’ve found other places with great towels and sheets so I’m not pining, and I’d rather shop elsewhere. Their showroom vibe just completely turned me off. 😊
Bob retired and store was bought out. The "styles" were often cheesey - but the furniture did cost less. Bob started here in Connecticut- he is a generous man who donates to many local causes. The Bobopedic used to be a great, affordable mattress. Since the company was bought out and plastered across the country, it has really gone downhill (and the original stores were never meant to be high end, so there wasn't much room to go downhill).
Nick, Nick, Nick. You are an articulate, selfless, lovely public servant with this channel, doing an act of good for the Gen Z and younger Millenials growing into their full-fledged adult lives. Where we, as their loving mothers can say over and over "buy quality but only when it's on sale in July," alas our wisdom falls on deaf ears. Wisdom we learned from mothers, aunts and BFFs. But send them a video from beloved Nick Lewis about the same topic, and they are like, "Wow, Mom, he's so smart!" Kisses, dear!🎉
Estate sales and there are some hidden gems like mid mod. Some are kept I. Pristine condition sitting in a living room or storage for ages….more competitive now for second hand pieces
I knew someone whose husband worked at RH to repair items still under warranty. He was CONSTANTLY busy. Didn't buy anything from there because he saw how the pieces didn't hold up at all.
@arose2783 I don't think Ralph Lauren has been trying to cash in on middle class anxieties at all. He has always sold a dream, an image of a place where you'd like to be, a quality of fabrication that you don't often find, designs from an era that you remembered and loved, and doing that people have responded because it made them feel happy. It was that that made him successful, not a desire to "cash in."
I have some old RH dressers that I bought used for CHEAP and they are great, but I would NEVER buy anything new from there. Or almost anywhere. I live in NYC and there are lots of rich people that buy fancy furniture and then tire of it and get rid of it quick. My Mom got a pretty much brand new Ethan Allen dining room set for $300 from Greenwich, CT - they just wanted it off their hands. It cost more to move ($500) than to buy. So many of these places are not worth the money but you can enjoy stuff from these stores without wasting money by buying things secondhand.
Ethan Allen! My mom did our whole house in EA when they were the RH of high end furniture. I haven’t been in a EA in years. Thanks for bringing good memories back to me
I grew up in a small New England town where Bob from Bob's Discount Furniture lived. He had a huge house in an otherwise modest old town, but he funded the town's 4th of July fireworks over the lake for a long time! Fun fact: there are two Bobs. The Bob who actually owned the store was deemed "ugly," so the retailer hired a Bob with a big personality to appear in all the ads. And the ads were delightful. The store's slogan was COME ON DOWN! Bobs used to be a super local New England store back in the 90s, and we had a spinoff called "Bob's Pit" where we could buy reject Bob's at a discount. Floor models, slightly defective items, ect. When I graduated college and moved out, my dad bought me a $100 one-armed sofa that had once been part of a now-separated sectional.
In my early 20's I knew a girl who was a trust fund kid, and she was very very into RH. So its basically for people who don't understand the value of money and just incorrectly have the association $$$$ = good.
My MIL bought an Ashely couch and had it for 2 years and it broke. She called the warranty line and the employee asked her how much she weighed!!!! Can you believe that!? The audacity!? But apparently their furniture is only rated for 120lbs. So only buy Ashley furniture if only your 3 toddlers are sitting on it.
But 120lbs is very reasonable. Most seating is going to break if someone huge keeps flopping onto it in the same spot. If you're huge, you really need specialist stuff.
Hi Nick, In the 1970s, I worked at The Broadway (Carter Hawley Hale) that was bought out by Macy's. For me as a specialized sales associate it was all about offering quality at a fair price and personalized customer service and great sale events. I knew my customers and overall store merchandise. I curated Men's Night and Back To School fashion shows with catered delights. I did alterations fittings. I polished shoes. I modeled clothes for men buying for wives and daughters. It was old fashioned service with heart. A great brand benefit was credit card coupons, free alterations and gift wrapping. Later they bought out Robinson's May and everything started going remiss. Today the corporation is losing big. All that I had offered for decades doesn't exist. I would've continued to pension but an employee pulled a prank on me, disabling me from working there anymore after progressive product and services research, saving customers money and my joy of building invaluable relationships.
Ugh! Don't even get me started. When we began moving into our new to us home, it was fully furnished (it is a real thing in FL). There was a HUGE brown leather sectional with cup holders in the 12 x 12 living room. It not only devoured the room but when I screamed and made my husband try to immediately remove it to the curb he could not even lift it. The individual sections weighed approximately two tons each. We enlisted help and finally it was sitting at the curb to my delight where I took a photo and contacted the rubbish company who removed it for $100. Those things are the absolute worse.
I live in Florida..Orlando/Winter Park area..where do you but furnished homes in FL?? The Village’s ? Of course it sucks unless you love white people riding around on golf carts yelling ‘white power.’ True sadly.
@@New-bw4kz When do we get a video on those behemoths being dated and gone? I see them in local real estate ads where that and a tv are the only things in a living room. It looks as if they have severely declined in their fortunes and this creature fit in their last house with the huge rooms.
I have some truly unique and modern pieces from West Elm that I love❤❤❤ I have worked Crate and Barrel two different times seasonal. It is the happiest place on earth for adults. I loved working there
Nick, I am there about Restoration Hardware, but--and hear me out--their towels, especially the very large Turkish style towels are worth it. We redid our master bath 8 years ago and bought 4 of those large bath towels, and they are still in great condition. They are huge, they can wrap around anything. Like, if I needed to wrap a body and didn't want to use a rug, I would use these towels (and to be fair, towels are so much cheaper than rugs). I have never found towels as soft and large as the ones at Restoration Hardware, arguably the only thing worth buying from them.
We have a local store that sells the same stuff as William Sonoma, and it’s a million times better. Not because the pricing is better, but because their employees are true experts, and they stand behind what they sell.
I know the feeling. I use W-S as a place I can get my hands on something to thoroughly check it out, before buying elsewhere (often the manufacturer's site). Last year I fell in love with a $$$$ skillet (Hestan Nanobond, bought on loss leader) and I wanted to check out a different pot in the range. As I was in W-S checking it out, a clerk came over to me and said "Is that any good?" I ended up giving her the 5 minute pitch she should have gotten from the store or company trainer. Now, who is selling to who? BTW, I do like that pot, but need to wait until it's on sale for A LOT less than $450.
You nailed it about WS in the 90s. They brought quality brands that only the wealthy and well-traveled knew about into the lives of so many of us. I went to school on their catalogs and it opened my eyes!. Nowadays I think the main value they bring is curation -- we assume that if we shop there we will be offered only quality and occasionally exclusivity. I suppose, given the time vs money tradeoff, that can also be valuable.
I own a denim slipcover sectional from Pottybarn absolutely adore ... however it was built in the the last century. It's been through moves ,dogs, still is in great shape ! Other older pieces I own from PB early 2000 still great as well . Now I look at their goods and wonder what happened??
Arhaus. High prices but they don’t have any of the construction hallmarks that I look for in fine furniture. Same with RH and Crate & Barrel. I look for drawers that have dovetails, full length drawers and a corner blocks on the bottom corners of the cases. I look for upholstered furniture that’s either eight way hand tied or has a drop in doing unit so that I know what I’m buying will last and won’t be sagging in a few weeks.
I think one of the worst things about the expensive marshmallow couches (what a great description) is that when the ugly covering wears you cannot have them reupholstered. A good quality couch that is well constructed can be reupholstered - and consequently will be even better value in the long run.
"Look at all this random crap we have!" I pine for the original Marshall Field's. Macy's destroyed it. As to Williams Sonoma...you're absolutely right. I prefer Sur La Table where the employees actually know what they are talking about and the goods are fairly priced (for me).
Marshall Fields back in the day was amazing! I worked at the downtown store a couple summers in the 70’s. You could get all kinds of beautiful things there.
I'm another fan of SLT! I remember Williams Sonoma used to be very fancy but good, and now it's just like... Well I would rather go to SLT. It's much further away from me, but I find better stuff and even more affordable stuff. For online I also look at Food52. WS just screams suburban upper middle class people who miss pampered chef MLM parties.
I honestly think the bubble 100% leather sofas are some of the most comfortable, easy to clean couches. I don't like the idea of cupholders collecting messes
Great info. I tend to go to estate sales and charity shops for furniture finds. It’s gotten crazy now with the demand for nice or high end used furniture. Furniture was made much better in the past, so if you can find older pieces that work for you, it’s fun and feels like a better deal.
My biggest beef with those leather couches isn’t even how ugly they are (they do have a place in a rumpus room with small kids jumping all over them) but the fact that the “real leather” starts flaking , peeling, cracking after a couple of years. Bald spots all over the place! (I have never actually owned one because of the price point but I see them for sale on Marketplace all the time, claiming real leather but the close ups are an eye sore)
That is exactly why I'm not buying anything leather despite wanting to do an industrial-esque design for my apartment. Brown leather can look nice, but I'm so scared it will become patchy or faded. Also, I live in the south of the U.S., so shorts are what I frequently wear. I don't want to have to constantly peel myself off of my furniture 😂
The thing I can't stand about RH is the scale. I'm an average height woman. Sitting back in an RH sofa, I look like Eloise at the Plaza. My feet don't touch the floor!
I used to like the style of RH back when the Mission/Craftsman furniture was popular, but even then the quality was poor for the price. Truly high end stuff would have had dovetailed joints in all the drawers.
Pottery Barn is also overpriced for what it is. 'Expensive' and 'inexpensive' are, of course, relative terms. I'm not saying it's expensive, just that it's expensive for what it is. Also, Laifen will have to take my Philips Sonicare from my cold, dead hands.
Pottery Barn furniture is built in the U.S. in North Carolina, so the prices will be higher than furniture made in China or other countries using cheap labor. Just something to consider when looking at price points.
Im so tired of all the stores looking exactly the same. Grey and grey again, at least here in Sweden. Why cant we be allowed to chose our own colours and style.
I've been looking around online at houses and considering a move, and as soon as I see that endless gray everything--gray walls, gray floors, gray cabinetry, black and white tiles--I'm smashing that back button and moving on. So sick of that funereal, institutional gray. 😝
You CAN choose your own colours and style. It may cost more upfront but you can choose quality items that you love. In 1997 I hired a designer to help me redecorate my living room, dining room, hallway and sunroom. She had previously done a great job with my kitchen. I had a custom sofa and armchairs made for about $3000. I have since moved house but they are still my pride and joy and are holding up very well. It’s a good idea to plan for the lifetime cost of big items.
Couldn't agree more. We are old house lovers (have restored--not renovated--four so far) and have gone to great lengths to recreate period appropriate colors. Our current project is a 1948 MC Ranch. I've seen so many other homes of this era where the owners strip everything out (I mean EVERYTHING) and replace it with the cheapest low end crap and paint it all grey, greige, or white. What are you left with? A house that appears to be charming from the curb but once inside, it looks just like every other cheaply renovated house---might just as well have been built 15 minutes ago. UGH.
@@gerardacronin334 Well, yes and no. About $5860 today, for reference. Here's the thing: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American moves 11.4 times in their lifetime, which is roughly every seven years. However, the number of times a person moves can vary depending on their age: 18-year-olds: Move twice on average 30-year-olds: Move six times on average 45-year-olds: Move two or three more times on average My family probably is about average, and every move tore down their carefully purchased and beautiful furniture. They gradually left behind a lovely dark wood bedroom set of two double beds and two dressers, a supremely heavy, dark wood, low bookshelf, a lovely dining table with legs that could no longer be stabilized but kept the matching buffet, and shed every armchair and every sofa. I myself during the Great Recession spent a couple years in cheap motels. It wasn't pretty. Was this the life I anticipated? No, it wasn't. I had to give up my beloved desk with shelves on top along with everything else that wouldn't fit in my car. Everything went to auction. Now I have only what I can lift or shove to my place and I anticipate trips to Hospice or Goodwill some day if I can get help, or items out by the dumpster with a sign for free stuff as others have done. My sister, in contrast, still has almost all the furniture she bought as a newlywed, from the people who crafted the items. It is MCM and looks great in her new home. You just don't know how things will pan out. :) For her, spending the money was a good deal.
1) I’m obsessed with the tile in the bathroom during the brand plug, it’s gorgeous. 2) Of course you’re wearing the same shirt in this video as you are in the thumbnail from a year ago, and that’s why we love you 💕
Not that long ago, being a furniture store was easy money. Furniture did not expire (not like grocery) and the 'design' was on a longer term (not like fashion).
Ah, Nick Day. Gets my morning off to a lovely snarky start. Okay, now, what is UP with “memberships” for furniture stores??? I guess if you’re an interior designer who shops for ten homes a year it might make some sense, but don’t those people have far better sources for furniture than RH’s website? I mean, regular people buy maybe one piece a year. Maybe more if they just moved in, but then they’re exhausted and broke and are over it for a while. Who buys a membership???
We once got on the Martha Stewart catalog list and I was astounded. They wanted twenty bucks for some cookie cutters you could get at Walmart for five bucks. I guess these retailer are places for people who won't set foot in a Walmart...?
Soon after purchasing my Home last year, my first (hopefully forever) Home, I promptly began purchasing multiple overpriced pieces of furniture because at the time, I simply did not know better. The Overpriced items were not even all that aesthetically pleasing. I sold nearly everything on Marketplace and started over with my decor journey I much prefer shopping Vintage for my Home decor! 🖤
Thrift stores, estate sales, craigslist, FB marketplace, salvation army, antique stores, garage sales and goodwill. These work well for me. 😂 We also paid somebody to replicate bookshelves we saw at west elm for thousands. Our contractor replicated them and my husband sanded, stained, and varnished them all for 400 bucks. lol
There is ONE thing W-S has that is worth it (IMO). Their dish towels are THE best. They are even the #1 pick on America’s Test Kitchen. I will never use another dish towel.
Yes, good dish towels. I have been disappointed in a set of Jars-France dinnerware and serving dishes that I got at W-S. They partnered with Jars-France and then the line of dinnerware was discontinued by both W-S and Jars-France. I’m clumsy, so now I can’t replace missing pieces and will eventually have to donate these and buy a whole new set (somewhere else). But, I did order some lounge chairs in performance velvet from W-S Home that are holding up very nicely for nearly a decade despite household cats. Who knows?
I understand your point that we can find kitchen appliances on line, or at "cheaper" retailers. I buy my these items at a family-owned store, where a trained staff listen to my needs and way of cooking, discuss with me some alternatives, and, nice enough, never try to sell me the most expensive stuff that I finally do not need. Yes, the item might be more expensive than online, but the experience the staff has is worth it. Never regreted a buy after such a founded advice.
Agreed, and the day I saw my local kitchen store was shutting down was a sad day. When there is no locally owned store, I have no choice but to shop online. So I'll go to a chain store to look at the item in person, then go home and price compare the online retailers.
I have a Crate and Barrel couch (the lounge?) I bought back in 2016. I love it and still use it today. It has a dent in the cushion from my butt because I sit in the same spot but it’s a great couch and so worth the money I spent.
Home Goods - during the pandemic I was in this store and saw a Viking 3-ply saucepan - It was $34.99 and I knew it was $100 at other shops so I bought it. And began my collection. 5 years later - what would have cost me $2,500 I've acquired piece by piece for $880.00. I have the evidence. I fell in love with Williams-Sonoma in 1985 - they were one of the few who delivered. It was like Christmas and the stuff was awesome. These were the Sharper Image years (also love) - sigh. So long ago. I still use WS because it's convenient for holiday gift giving - one stop shopping and sending. I know I'll never be disappointed by both the product and the service. Save in one place and splurge in another. So is my life story !!
Thank you Nick. Thank you for saving us all money and head aches. You make it so much better making a space for oneself. If case no one said so today, you're awesome sauce!
This video provides a valuable insight into the world of home retailing, shedding light on the factors that contribute to overpriced products and questioning their value for money. It's refreshing to see a critical examination of these retailers and their pricing strategies, helping consumers make more informed decisions about where to invest their hard-earned money. By highlighting alternatives and encouraging viewers to seek out better value options, this video empowers consumers to prioritize quality and affordability without compromising on style or functionality. Overall, a thought-provoking and informative perspective on the home retail industry!
Thanks for the honesty as always! In the early 90's, I was in love with a dresser from RA so I saved the money to buy it ($2000) and I still have it. It's probably my best piece of furniture. Really good construction, dovetail cedar drawers, Mission style.
Great idea to do comparative shopping with the Google image search. The white labeled items come in by the huge crates from overseas and sold by many retailers. It’s all in the marketing…😊
Williams Sonoma: only for stuff that they have truly discounted-like floor models they are getting rid of. You can get a good deal on that sort of thing. But regular retail prices-quite high.
I actually find the overpriced retailers to be helpful to see trends/quality/style. I often go to the websites of fancy retailers and look at what they carry and *hint* best sellers. ..than I go shop at ikea and west elm for similair items😂
The only place---and I mean ONLY---a recliner needs a cup holder is at a movie theater. PERIOD. And I'm not even sure about that. I remember the good ol' days when you put your drink on the floor behind your foot. . . .
Among many awesome things I have learned from your channel, I so appreciate you going into detail around the different business models of the home decor industry. It has made me feel really empowered as a consumer to purchase ethically made, high quality furniture I will have for a lifetime. Thanks Nick!
My husband's convinced the only furniture we'll find that is worth our money will be found thrifting via flea markets and secondhand shops. He swears everything they sell now isn't worth the money.
The only place to buy good furniture new is an Amish furniture store! They are expensive but those things will last many generations because it’s all real solid wood done by hand! It’s truly amazing to see the craftsmanship.
There’s junk to be found thrifting, but your husband has a valid point. Much of the vintage furniture is quality, and it just needs some TLC. But that’s not the only place to find quality.
Keep in mind that the Amish are also breeding dogs irresponsibly and tossing away puppies on the compost heap if they don't sell. They are terrible people and I will not buy anything from them until they stop abusing those dogs. Google it if you don't believe me. The way they treat the momma dogs is disgusting.
Love my Amish made kitchen table. If I could afford it my whole house would be Amish furniture. I get it Nick...sometimes they have an English person working it, or cell phones and computers are used ONLY for work. No apps..even Uninstall apps that come on the phone.
I wouldn’t buy anything from the Amish because they are really cruel to their horses. I know, some people don’t care, but I care, I can’t support anyone who abuses the animals they depend on for their livelihood
I bought the CnB slip covered “apartment sofa” in 2005. Still the most comfortable seat in my house. Love napping on it. Ive kept it because there was never any need to replace it. The style is dated for sure, but washing the slipcover has kept it clean and the the cushions have kept their integrity. I am only afraid that it won’t be the same quality when I go to replace it.
I live in Florida, where I have very few choices when it comes to furniture. It’s just one store after the next filled with leather couches with cupholders. I’m originally from LA and have a modern timeless style. I love what I see online, but I refuse to buy a couch that I cannot sit on. Oh, what to do! 😂
Florida also has huge warehouses full of quality furniture people brought down from the northeast and discovered they couldn't fit it in their new Florida bungalows ... or they died, and their kids didn't want to ship it back. You can find some fabulous pieces there.
@@karenk2409 I’m astonished. For the first time in my life, someone has said something to make me kinda wish I lived in Florida! Florida is fine; my heart, however, belongs to the Midwest. (And also I’m scared of hurricanes)
As a hairdresser, i have to say one of the things I like about the look of that hair dryer is that it comes with a diffuser. So many do not! Thats always a plus in my book because then your not messing around with universal attachments.
Williams Sonoma closed in my area but 20 years ago but I went to their cooking classes every Sunday. I LOVE my Staub cookware and it was reasonably priced at the time. There is one piece that I would like to get but it’s triple the price everywhere I look. My Emile Henri pieces are a different story. I see them at places like Home Goods/TJ Maxx/Ross for much less than I paid two decades ago. I agree on RH. Whenever I see their store, I get a vibe of New Orleans vampire moves to the desert southwest🧛
I like your assessments. I shop at Williams Sonoma mostly for table linens. I just like what they have in that department. I also like West Elm - ordered pillows for my outdoor furniture from them.
William Sonoma has the best baking pans ever. The goldtouch pans are seriously worth the money. I only buy one at a time and when I need them because money. But as a baker, the pans are 100% worth the trip.
Fabulous video as always. Cup holder seating is sometimes described as being "simili leather," "vegan leather," "assembled leather" or "bonded leather," but it is basically plastic on paper or cloth backing and will wear out within a year or two. With two cats and a beer budget, we have had much better luck with vinyl for some of our casual seating (no cup holders). Back in the day, my dad had a comfy red vinyl recliner that held up to 4 kids and frequent rough usage with no splitting, cracking or peeling, and vinyl is a material tough enough for commercial use.
Some are actual real leather scraps that are ground up and mixed with glue (bonded leather), which then degrades with oxygen and heat in the environment and disintegrates over time.
I actually enjoy wabdering around a Williams Sonoma store. I don't necessarily buy anything, but there is something about it that is aspirational. I start dreaming about my spacious dream kitchen when I'm in there lol.
When I moved out I went to the brick and couldn't afford anything, and only now realize years later that it gave me a false sense of "wow this must be an amazing store because of the price" until now. I have been brainwashed until this moment. I needed another Canadian to tell me this. Thank you.
My mother loves William Sonoma, and my father loves Restoration Hardware. They live in a house in the PNW that is in no way complimented by either of these brands. I always feel like I need to bring a couple of those toddler harness things when we all go to the mall together. I have a lovely noodle bowl from Crate & Barrel that I've had for ~20 years now. I wish I could get more of them!
I bought a floor lamp from RH back in the day (about 10-15 years ago) where they had affordable products and beautiful curtains. The lamp still looks brand new.
I loved Peir 1 too! The price point was not high, but you could find pieces with personality that were well made. I would rebuy any of the plates and bowls there in a skinny minute if only I could. Shopping at Peir 1 always felt like an adventuee - you didn't know what to expect but knew there were hidden gems.
I miss Pier 1 too. I loved that store. I shopped there for all kinds of home items and loved how you could find some funky pieces if you wanted to. I hope they bring something like that back.
Hello from Montreal, my daughter just bought a couch from Cozy. Nice but a limited selection. My go to is The Bay. One of the last department stores left so I usually go downtown take the elevator to the 9th floor and walk around at least you can sit on these things. I’ve always found well built pieces and on sale. I just bought a house so I’ll be heading downtown looking for furniture, oh sugar I have paint the place first. I like your content and your witty comments. Take care
Hey i heard in one of your older videos that no teenage boys watch your channel! I wanted to tell you your content isn’t lost on us. 😂 I’m a 17 year old straight boy and I have really enjoyed watching your videos since I found you.🎉
This will all serve your well someday when your wife wants to go shopping for furniture
I'm so glad you have design interest & found Nick Lewis. I love his sarcisism & usually agree with Nick's opinions. Cheers!
cool! interior design >
Awesome. Just be sure to find a spouse who also appreciates good taste someday.
We love that for you
Funny story: We have Ashley's in Canada too. It's every bit as bad as The Brick. I knew this. But I was looking everywhere for a walnut colour coffee table and happened to be driving past Ashley's. With extremely low expectations, I stopped in thinking MAAAYBE I'll be surprised and find something not hideous and not $5000. You never know.
The parking lot was EMPTY. I walked in and there were NO other customers in the store. I almost got mauled by the salespeople. I did one quick lap around and confirmed my initial suspicion that everything there is ugly and cheap, so I headed for the door when I was intersected by an older gentleman who worked there and was eager to help. I explained what I was looking for "A walnut coloured modern style coffee table. Veneer is fine but I don't want something that looks ultra cheap."
He let out a big dramatic sigh and said "This is Ashley's. You're not going to find anything modern or tasteful here."
I felt bad for him but I couldn't stop laughing.
😂😂😂 That's why my mom was so upset when the staff was so snooty to her when all she wanted was to look for a kitchen table set. I didn't go in but she said they had a lot of nerve to be so exclusive acting for the type of furniture they sell.
They have stuff that is too generic. Ok for the purpose they serve, but you see one set, you seen them all there.
The sales people at Ashley’s will stalk you around the store. Always just around the corner or just within sight of you and the second you show interest in anything …BOOM…right next to you ….’Oh..that’s a gorgeous piece and would look great in your space’
I've never been inside an Ashley's even though there is one about two miles away. What I see in their ads tells me everything: cheap, generic, all beige.
@@MrSafety619 No salesperson should do that, regardless of what they're peddling.
“That’s a valid criticism. Very valid. Extremely valid. Probably not going to change anything, but valid!”
love the sass :)
If someday I can afford the nicer options he talks about then I know whats good and what to look for so happy to hear the comparisons lol 😊
I used to work in a Bob's Discount furniture warehouse. I met Bob. He is a very short old man with an EXTREMELY powerful handshake and bright blue eyes. He never stops smiling. He kinda feels like a mythical creature.
I have also met Bob he kinda gave me the creeps
I own some discount Bobs couches for my psychotherapy office and they are holding up great. They look good quality, honestly. But they were a price that I could stomach
The Brick in my small-ish city in Ontario had the B and R lights burned out in its sign a few years back and it literally read "THE ICK" 😂😂😂
Some of their furniture is definitely befitting of that
I would love to see some pictures of your house !!
Nick has to open his own home store: he could call it "12:18!" Very catchy and could be a trend!
Wonderful idea!
We don't chase trends
@@12345678abracadabra😂😂😂
Love this!
Great idea: 12:18 ! Very clever! 😅
Department stores have lost a lot of their raison d'etre in the modern era of online shopping. But one good thing about them, is their serious sales. They have the volume for deep discounts when they want to get rid of stock.
As for Williams-Sonoma, I used to snark-read their catalog (back in the days of paper catalogs). The text was as over the top as J Peterman's. Once they had a colander for more than $20 (in the 80s!!) and said, "Finally, a colander you don't have to be ashamed of!" I had not realized that colander shame was a thing, but that made me look at mine, and sure enough, it was full of holes. How mortifying
That's because Elaine Bennis was working late one night on that very catalog, thinking, "how the hell am I gonna sell a $20 colander?" and she came up with the shame thing. 😂😂😂
😂😂😂
I worked for Williams Sonoma in the early 90s at their San Francisco headquarters. Believe it or not, there was an even more upscale and less affordable catalog that was housed under the Williams Sonoma brand, called Chambers. Zero affordable items, so luxury, so much useless stuff. Everything monogrammed. I loved it ❤
Hee hee. I'm still using the plastic colander I bought in the 80s in a Miami Vice pink. Talk about shame.
@@Automedon2 there’s no shame! You’re doing what’s right for the environment by using what works instead of throwing it in a landfill and getting something simply for style.
I would like a video on retailers who have the highest quality furniture and home goods at the lowest price. Or even if it's just brands with the highest quality and lowest price so we know who to keep an eye out for in places like Home Goods/Sense or Target or wherever they are hiding these days.
Take a screenshot of something you like, then put it in Google images or Amxxxx Shop the Look. They price shop for you. Edit: My new trick is finding new model homes with virtual tours. I screenshot something the designer put in them, and then I try to find it for sale. Also great for designer ideas.
I agree with this sentiment. Everything these days is very low quality pressboard (and it's not necessarily cheap!). It's a real struggle to find a decently affordable but quality piece. I recently lucked out buying two nightstands that are 100% maple wood from India, but it was an obscure find. They did not particularly cost more than particle board from wayfair or someplace else. It's extremely hard to find quality anymore.
Consignment shops, Goodwill, estate sales come to mind.
You can find quality made furniture pieces through online Amish (someone else does the website) retailers. The pieces are hand crafted in the USA and made of real wood. Prices are as reasonable as the cheap particle board stuff you can find at an Ashley or similar. For couches, chairs, etc. look up Smith Brothers of Berne out of Indiana. Quality leather and fabric furniture made in Indiana. I have gotten so many compliments on my furniture from there. They sell large and small pieces although we went through a retail store in Kentucky.
Check out Room and Board in the US.
It’s pricey but made in the US with high quality materials. It’ll outlive you if you want it to!
I knew RH was going to be your first choice. The LA showroom is three stories of ‘ONE NOTE’ overpriced gold stuff. You walk the showroom and forget if you’ve been in that room because it all looks the EXACT same. 👎🏾
My brother says the RH flagship stores are like Versailles after a nuclear winter. Not an ounce of color. All ash grey, , charcoal., taupe, putty, brown, white and black. Even the books and artwork in the showrooms are drained of color.
@@GunnarGarness Nailed it! Could not have described it better.
As a former employee, I miss RH from 15/20 yrs ago: colour, texture and lots of interesting items. The items were made in North Carolina and they owned a factory that made all wood furniture there. I still have items from RH that are such better quality. Do not love the direction they went.
@@lk1869 I agree. It used to be so much better. They had a lot of well-made items and actual colors. Muted, tasteful colors, but not all greige. I have a light blue silk quilt I bought there that is really nice and well worth the (on-sale) price I paid for it. Now their stores and catalog are just depressing. They look so bleak and the prices are way too high even if I did want a post-apocalyptic look.
@@lk1869 Yep. My designer friend told me the quality of RH furniture would be better than Room & Board or Crate & Barrel but it seems those days are long gone. RH went all in on super premium pricing and outsourced everything to Vietnam to jack up margins to pay for those flagship showrooms, hotels and restaurants. There is a sameness to everything they sell now too.
Williams Sonoma and Restoration Hardware lost their way when the original owners started selling shares in the business. At inception, both retailers were focused on specific niche markets. For Williams Sonoma, where else could you buy copper pans in the US in the late 1950's - remember that this was before Julia Child on PBS. Similarly, Restoration Hardware started out focused on hardware for older homes. When each of the owners started selling shares, obligations to others started influenceing the directions of the companies. The current "brands" have nothing to do with what initially made these useful resources.
Interesting. I was just wondering about RH's name.
Exactly, even the name says it all.
I loved shopping, or mostly browsing, at Restoration Hardware 20 years ago. They sold gorgeous towel bars and cabinet hardware for traditional homes and Christmas ornaments and specialized cleaning supplies and linens as well as the solid oak furniture.
The last time I went there I thought the power was out. Dim lighting and no color anywhere… 90 shades of gray.
nothing new under the sun, sadly the original owners of anything do get older and the rest is history repeated over and over
I remember RH catalogs from years ago, specifically woodwork you could add to your porch to make it look like old style Victorian but when I had both the house and the money for it, all that was gone, instead they had terribly overpriced and ugly furniture. So sad!
My husband and I recently looked at RH for some new leather furniture for our living room. When I asked the designer there helping us how the furniture was constructed where it was made I realized that RH furniture is nothing special. It's the same as just about anywhere else that sells reasonable quality furniture (kiln dried hardwood frame, sinuous springs, etc). Plus most of the RH pieces are made in Vietnam. The only difference is you are paying for the are their absurdly luxe showrooms and the 25 shades of taupe leather available (seriously, not an ounce of color in the entire flagship store... putty, taupe, grey, white, brown and black). Add in the absurd shipping (750 dollars) and a simple 90" leather 3 seat sofa was pushing $9K.
So we were delighted to discover that a very similar leather sofa at Crate & Barrel was half that amount and shipping was a third the cost plus it was made in North Carolina. So for the same price as we were going to spend for a single sofa at RH we got a new leather sofa, a leather accent chair, a club chair and a new floor lamp from Crate Barrel.
Haha! I had to get my phone serviced at Samsung and was told it would take an hour. Since I had an hour to kill, I was wandering around and accidentially found an RH store (in Manhattan, Chelsea area). Accidentally, because it didn't even register (at first) what 'RH' was (the sign said "RH" and not the full name in an obnoxious "if you know you know" kind of way and the windows were super glossy and obscured). I walked in and immediately was in a sea of beige and brown, literally everywhere, while French jazz (or something) played throughout the store. The workers in the store were very fussy and snobby. I wandered around all of the fancy beige rooms and had sticker shock at all the prices. What bothered me most (other than all of the shades of brown) was how low to the ground everything was. Dining room chair backs were so low that they were flush to the top of the table when pushed in. It looked like an expensive toddler dining room. I guess no one has bad backs in the RH world and never need chairs with actual support!
@@smithtown00 Low the ground and super deep is pretty much all modern furniture these days. My husband and I are in our mid 50's and the last thing I want to do is crawl; out of a 4 feet deep couch thats 12 inches off the ground. (If I wanted that I'd get a futon like I had when I was 20). So the first thing out of our mouths when we went to any store was "show us the simple leather couches that are at least 18 inches off the ground and no more than 3 feet deep". It really narrowed down the choices. Thankfully we are super happy with the Barrett II sofa from Crate & Barrel. Feel well constructed and comfy and didn't cost a fortune (for leather that is).
Good suggestion to get a local craftsman to make something for you. Often it's not as expensive as you might think.
And it's a custom one of a kind peice that fits your space perfectly. I am not in an income bracket that could afford furniture like that but even I can budget for artisan ceramic pieces for the kitchen that illustrate what you are saying. In summertime we have local art festivals that include artisan ceramic and wooden kitchen items that cost the same as mass produced things at some of the higher end stores. I have known people who got custom tables made for very reasonable as well.
Totally agree and if you work closely with your craftsperson, you'll get exactly what you're looking for as opposed to "...well, i guess...good enough" which in the end never is...
@@stefs3460 Fitting the space is a good point also. Our contractor has a good carpenter and he whipped up custom bookshelves with cupboards underneath (using off the shelf doors), and it fits perfectly, looking like it belongs to the house. It cost a bit more than what something similar at IKEA would have cost, but it was still affordable and it'll last forever.
I refuse to buy a couch online, because I have to sit in it before I buy it, I sat in so many couches before I found one I liked and was comfortable for me.
Yeah, I thought I wanted a chesterfield leather sofa, went to ethan allen, tried it, and my feet didn't reach the floor. Very uncomfortable. I ended up getting a sofa in navy blue leather with brass tacks that fit comfortably. Conor, Conway, not sure the model.
A few years back, Williams Sonoma offered a set of nested melamine mixing bowls, with a sort of fluted design, rubbery non-slip gaskets on the bottom, in bright primary colours: $197 for 4. I thought they were lovely. The bright colours would make me smile every time I opened the cupboard. Luckily, a few days earlier I had already bought a set of four nested melamine mixing bowls, with a sort of fluted design, rubbery non-slip gaskets on the bottom, in bright primary colours from Costco for $29.99. Okay, maybe I would have got a thrill from walking around the mall with a plastic shopping bag from WS proclaiming I was besties with Marth Stewart, and I was missing that, but one copes and moves on.
😂😂
I only buy from WS if it’s on clearance.
Over the years it seem that alot of designers, are long gone, people just couldn't afford it. And alot of wealthy people just don't have any taste so they buy because! Prices didn't matter And now they're are more of regular people that want nice things but aren't willing to pay the price .....
Pottery Barn! The quality is horrible and the prices are outrageous. Got fooled from Instagram ads a few years ago and bought some wine glasses that were so expensive and low quality I truly felt scammed. As someone who remembers the days when Pottery Barn was the end-all-be-all of home décor found in the mall, I was honestly shocked by how the mighty have fallen.
I’m kind of surprised Nick didn’t mention PB? I seem to remember a quick mention of it in one of his older videos, but not this one?
And don’t get me started on their customer service. We got a sofa from them about 12 years ago, which I loved and which we still use in our home office. Two years ago we needed a sectional for our new living room and went back to PB. It was a complete nightmare. After a 6 months wait they sent the wrong seat cushions, then sent replacements that were too short. Then they did not see reason that the things were too short. Overall it took an endless string of emails and almost year resolve. Never again.
I remember in the mid to late 90's when Pottery Barn had actual mid century modern inspired stuff and the quality was decent. I bought a platform bed from that that I still have. Now their furniture is dull as can be.
Pottery Barn and West Elm are both William Sonoma brands, so maybe they still count 😂
The last time I was in PB, I was with my friend who was casually shopping for curtains. I was 7 months pregnant at the time, and one of the staff members came to check on us. She was likely in her 50s, and proceeded to body shame me endlessly because my bump was already so big, and told me that I should prepare for a dangerous delivery. Also that if I wanted to keep my figure post baby to start restricting my diet. Granted I’m not big myself and my son was big and dropped early, but damn! Due to embarrassment and hormones, I ended up running out the store uncontrollably sobbing. My husband actually wrote the store an email admonishing them. Haven’t been back in one since.
RH is where you go to grab inspiration from and buy elsewhere. 😂 20,000 for a sectional is ridiculous.
What I don’t understand is why people go there for “inspo”- every single item is unremarkable- it’s not well made, the proportions are strange and ungainly and the colors are as vanilla as it gets- pottery barn is more daring!
If you want inspo go to a museum of design- look to world-class, boundary breaking designers who were at the top of their game- Gaudi, Mis Van Deroe, Frank Loyd Right- or go back through history and look at the decor of historical sites like Versailles or buckingham palace- look to your local history and traditional architecture. Be inspired and then find ways to incorporate thoes ideas into our modern lifestyle- it’s a way to end up with a look that is uniquely your own and is much more chic than RH could dream of being.
@@kellyliptonAre you serious about getting inspiration from Versailles or Buckingham palace , how many average homes do you think those styles would suit ?
It's a shame, RH is so ridiculous expensive, that people can't have the joy to own some of their pieces !! So maybe someday there furniture will be available to everyone,
@@kellyliptonI get it, The problem seems that the CEO,CFO and others !! are more concerned about high profits(money) instead of there designs.its a shame that more people can't enjoy the design and style.. O well....
Years ago my partner and I ordered a dining set from The Brick (not inexpensive) and one of the seats buckled the first time I sat down. I weighed 120 lbs. Their guy came and replaced all of the seat bottoms with pieces of wood, because they all originally had *cardboard.* He told us that he did a LOT of these seat replacements right after people bought these sets. That was everything I needed to know about The Brick's lack of quality.
I tried to shop there once years ago, and the sales person refused to help us because my friend was Black. It was VERY obvious. That's also all I need to know about The Brick, and why *I'll NEVER shop there.*
As a woodworker in the United States, I've visited most mid-price range furniture stores, and Room and Board has the best quality wood furniture among them. The designs are quite simple, but the quality is excellent.
I agree 💯. I've visited their showroom in NYC recently. I was very impressed with the quality of their sofas.
Great to hear!! Thanks
I’m a Realtor and, I have an absolute dread those marshmallow sofas. In photos they have an almost gravitational pull and in person they have all the charm of a sulking brat. When I’m listing, I ask my photographer to keep it out of the picture if he can. If he can’t I usually try to blunt its impact with a couple of throw blankets and a large floral arrangement on the coffee table but honestly, it’s like trying to camouflage an elephant. I know they are undeniably comfy and I don’t fault my clients who love them for that but to my mind they wreak havoc on the eye.
Or as anyone else might phrase it, “ugly as hell” lol
It could be as comfortable as heaven itself, but being that ugly is deal breaker.
It's more comfortable to be naked than clothed, but that doesn't mean we should walk down Main Street in the altogether.
I love this. We must all do our part to rid the world of Marshmallow furniture. They always bring to mind the heavyweight citizens on floating chairs in Wall-E.
This makes me laugh, but I appreciate that you recognize that they are comfy. I'm Mexican and live in a fairly agricultural area, for a section of friends and family I have, a big "we've almost made it" is getting a big, bubble sectional, preferably with reclining component. Those families work so dang hard, they want to come home and be the comfiest the can with the limited time off they have. Plus leather is easy to keep clean lol
@@FlagCutie I work my ass off too, but there's no way.
Williams Sonoma - I am 30 years older than you, and back then WS was the one place to get high quality kitchen gear and some wonderful (if very pricey) ingredients.
Yes it used to be great I think.
We're about the same age then ... I have some very useful pieces I bought from W-S in the 80s and early 90s, back when they mailed out paper catalogs and you dialed an 800 number to order. I have a set of rice bowls that have a great handmade aesthetic, were quite inexpensive, and my adult kids will fight over when I no longer need them.
Now, it's all mass market high end bougey. And expen$ive.
It used to be so nice. Also Sur la Table. My mother shopped at both for years. I get my things on eBay, Etsy, and estate sales. Much better quality for the price.
Williams-Sonoma has great non-terry dish towels and aprons. (I like non-terry dish towels because they don't attract dog hair.). They also have a nice selection of cookie cutters in their stores but so does Old Forge Hardware in Old Forge, NY.
Ooooh, Sur La Table.....those were the days. @@brie1987
Please consider a post explaining : How manufacturers take leather scraps, grind them up, add a binder, spread this on a cloth backing and label the furniture ‘genuine leather’. Then they attach a tag that is the only part that’s real leather. This started years ago when lady’s purses were made with fake leather straps that wouldn’t hold up. Then came furniture. I bought a labeled ‘genuine leather’ side chair for my living room. Within a year, with no one ever sitting on it, the ‘leather’ began to crack and peel away from the cloth backing like healing skin after a particularly bad sunburn. While my older real, solid, full-skin leather couch will last past my lifetime. People don’t know about this rouse and should be alerted.
Also, for anything electrical or mechanical out of China, people should be very careful. Regulations protecting the integrity of items sold are almost nonexistent and the failure rate is very high. I know a appliance salesman at a well-known big box store, who told me that most of the brand new appliances from that part of the world, need repairs before these new items can be put out on the showroom. People deserve quality furniture and appliances that will hold up, not junk that doesn’t last past the warrantee.
Furniture Trainer here: What you're describing is Bonded leather. It's crap. Look for Top Grain leather, with aniline dyes. This type of leather is beautiful and can be pricey but shows scratches and has minimal stain resistance.Performance leather (a smoother look with fewer natural characteristics) is great for families because it usually has a stain resistant lacquer top coat.
@@twerpyloudo u know of a product to re/coat an old bonded leather sofa (we have it in kids gaming area in garage)
@@midlifemom5829 no such luck-- once a bonded leather piece starts to delaminate, it's permanent. Either get a slipcover or replace it with non-bonded leather if you can
@@twerpylou thank u for ur reply! Much appreciated!
what we really need is a video teaching us how to identify that reconstituted leather from the real stuff. That's the real problem. Sell me what you will, and I might buy it, I might not, but I deserve to know WHAT it is I'm buying.
Yeah, I love my Subaru but I don’t want my living room to resemble it
They aren’t just chairs with cup holders, they are chairs with LED lit cup holders. It’ll make you feel like a hens night out in a limo in Vegas!
😂😂😂
I used to love Restoration Hardware before they rebranded as RH. The atmosphere was welcoming and they had beautiful Italian made sheets, towels made in Turkey, curtains, hardware and lamps etc. They were expensive but they often had good sales. Post-rebrand the vibe and products totally changed and prices went from expensive to ridiculous. I haven’t shopped there since.
Oh thank God. I had no idea what RH was. I was a Restoration Hardware junkie back in the day when replacing a china setting or search for brass drawer pulls. 😊 Missed the rebrand. Bullet dodged.
They don't even sell anything in the showroom anymore, but you can buy towels in their outlets.
@@meminionru thanks! I guess I could go to one of their outlets but to be honest I I’m not that eager. I’ve found other places with great towels and sheets so I’m not pining, and I’d rather shop elsewhere. Their showroom vibe just completely turned me off. 😊
Bob retired and store was bought out. The "styles" were often cheesey - but the furniture did cost less. Bob started here in Connecticut- he is a generous man who donates to many local causes. The Bobopedic used to be a great, affordable mattress. Since the company was bought out and plastered across the country, it has really gone downhill (and the original stores were never meant to be high end, so there wasn't much room to go downhill).
Nick, Nick, Nick. You are an articulate, selfless, lovely public servant with this channel, doing an act of good for the Gen Z and younger Millenials growing into their full-fledged adult lives. Where we, as their loving mothers can say over and over "buy quality but only when it's on sale in July," alas our wisdom falls on deaf ears. Wisdom we learned from mothers, aunts and BFFs.
But send them a video from beloved Nick Lewis about the same topic, and they are like, "Wow, Mom, he's so smart!"
Kisses, dear!🎉
“Expensive for ugly...beautiful for cheap, that’s what I’m looking for”! Me too, Nick!
Estate sales and there are some hidden gems like mid mod. Some are kept I. Pristine condition sitting in a living room or storage for ages….more competitive now for second hand pieces
I knew someone whose husband worked at RH to repair items still under warranty. He was CONSTANTLY busy. Didn't buy anything from there because he saw how the pieces didn't hold up at all.
Don'r forget to add "Ralph Lauren Home" - nobody's ever cashed in on middle class anxieties more than old Ralphie.
@arose2783 I don't think Ralph Lauren has been trying to cash in on middle class anxieties at all. He has always sold a dream, an image of a place where you'd like to be, a quality of fabrication that you don't often find, designs from an era that you remembered and loved, and doing that people have responded because it made them feel happy. It was that that made him successful, not a desire to "cash in."
I love Ralph Lauren though
I have some old RH dressers that I bought used for CHEAP and they are great, but I would NEVER buy anything new from there. Or almost anywhere. I live in NYC and there are lots of rich people that buy fancy furniture and then tire of it and get rid of it quick. My Mom got a pretty much brand new Ethan Allen dining room set for $300 from Greenwich, CT - they just wanted it off their hands. It cost more to move ($500) than to buy. So many of these places are not worth the money but you can enjoy stuff from these stores without wasting money by buying things secondhand.
Ethan Allen! My mom did our whole house in EA when they were the RH of high end furniture. I haven’t been in a EA in years. Thanks for bringing good memories back to me
An excellent point! This also helps prevent waste!!
I know! Love used finds
I have some 2002 era RH dressers/end tables and I will never let them go!
I grew up in a small New England town where Bob from Bob's Discount Furniture lived. He had a huge house in an otherwise modest old town, but he funded the town's 4th of July fireworks over the lake for a long time!
Fun fact: there are two Bobs. The Bob who actually owned the store was deemed "ugly," so the retailer hired a Bob with a big personality to appear in all the ads. And the ads were delightful. The store's slogan was COME ON DOWN! Bobs used to be a super local New England store back in the 90s, and we had a spinoff called "Bob's Pit" where we could buy reject Bob's at a discount. Floor models, slightly defective items, ect. When I graduated college and moved out, my dad bought me a $100 one-armed sofa that had once been part of a now-separated sectional.
In my early 20's I knew a girl who was a trust fund kid, and she was very very into RH. So its basically for people who don't understand the value of money and just incorrectly have the association $$$$ = good.
My MIL bought an Ashely couch and had it for 2 years and it broke. She called the warranty line and the employee asked her how much she weighed!!!! Can you believe that!? The audacity!? But apparently their furniture is only rated for 120lbs. So only buy Ashley furniture if only your 3 toddlers are sitting on it.
Well? All furniture isn’t built for massive weight, and that’s a valid question.
But 120lbs is very reasonable. Most seating is going to break if someone huge keeps flopping onto it in the same spot.
If you're huge, you really need specialist stuff.
Y’all are so fat phobic. 120pounds for the average American (5’6”) would be considered anorexic. So if you don’t have anything nice to say, shut up 🤐
If a 3 person couch, 120 lb limit is not reasonable smh!
@@JillCee That's not what it means. It means each 'sitter' must be under 120 lbs.
Hi Nick, In the 1970s, I worked at The Broadway (Carter Hawley Hale) that was bought out by Macy's. For me as a specialized sales associate it was all about offering quality at a fair price and personalized customer service and great sale events. I knew my customers and overall store merchandise. I curated Men's Night and Back To School fashion shows with catered delights. I did alterations fittings. I polished shoes. I modeled clothes for men buying for wives and daughters. It was old fashioned service with heart. A great brand benefit was credit card coupons, free alterations and gift wrapping. Later they bought out Robinson's May and everything started going remiss. Today the corporation is losing big. All that I had offered for decades doesn't exist. I would've continued to pension but an employee pulled a prank on me, disabling me from working there anymore after progressive product and services research, saving customers money and my joy of building invaluable relationships.
Ugh! Don't even get me started. When we began moving into our new to us home, it was fully furnished (it is a real thing in FL). There was a HUGE brown leather sectional with cup holders in the 12 x 12 living room. It not only devoured the room but when I screamed and made my husband try to immediately remove it to the curb he could not even lift it. The individual sections weighed approximately two tons each. We enlisted help and finally it was sitting at the curb to my delight where I took a photo and contacted the rubbish company who removed it for $100. Those things are the absolute worse.
Ugly yet very comfortable
I live in Florida..Orlando/Winter Park area..where do you but furnished homes in FL?? The Village’s ? Of course it sucks unless you love white people riding around on golf carts yelling ‘white power.’ True sadly.
@@New-bw4kz When do we get a video on those behemoths being dated and gone? I see them in local real estate ads where that and a tv are the only things in a living room. It looks as if they have severely declined in their fortunes and this creature fit in their last house with the huge rooms.
That is why it was still there. When something is very heavy, people just leave it behind. It is a FL thing indeed.
So ugly!
I have some truly unique and modern pieces from West Elm that I love❤❤❤ I have worked Crate and Barrel two different times seasonal. It is the happiest place on earth for adults. I loved working there
Nick, I am there about Restoration Hardware, but--and hear me out--their towels, especially the very large Turkish style towels are worth it. We redid our master bath 8 years ago and bought 4 of those large bath towels, and they are still in great condition. They are huge, they can wrap around anything. Like, if I needed to wrap a body and didn't want to use a rug, I would use these towels (and to be fair, towels are so much cheaper than rugs). I have never found towels as soft and large as the ones at Restoration Hardware, arguably the only thing worth buying from them.
One of my towels is 17 yrs old and FINALLY started to fray. I repaired it!
We have a local store that sells the same stuff as William Sonoma, and it’s a million times better. Not because the pricing is better, but because their employees are true experts, and they stand behind what they sell.
Let us know-what is the name of the store? 😊
I know the feeling.
I use W-S as a place I can get my hands on something to thoroughly check it out, before buying elsewhere (often the manufacturer's site). Last year I fell in love with a $$$$ skillet (Hestan Nanobond, bought on loss leader) and I wanted to check out a different pot in the range. As I was in W-S checking it out, a clerk came over to me and said "Is that any good?"
I ended up giving her the 5 minute pitch she should have gotten from the store or company trainer. Now, who is selling to who?
BTW, I do like that pot, but need to wait until it's on sale for A LOT less than $450.
I feel the same way about Sur La Table
You nailed it about WS in the 90s. They brought quality brands that only the wealthy and well-traveled knew about into the lives of so many of us. I went to school on their catalogs and it opened my eyes!. Nowadays I think the main value they bring is curation -- we assume that if we shop there we will be offered only quality and occasionally exclusivity. I suppose, given the time vs money tradeoff, that can also be valuable.
I own a denim slipcover sectional from Pottybarn absolutely adore ... however it was built in the the last century. It's been through moves ,dogs, still is in great shape ! Other older pieces I own from PB early 2000 still great as well .
Now I look at their goods and wonder what happened??
“Pottybarn” gave me a chuckle. Thank you. 😊
Arhaus. High prices but they don’t have any of the construction hallmarks that I look for in fine furniture. Same with RH and Crate & Barrel. I look for drawers that have dovetails, full length drawers and a corner blocks on the bottom corners of the cases. I look for upholstered furniture that’s either eight way hand tied or has a drop in doing unit so that I know what I’m buying will last and won’t be sagging in a few weeks.
I can listen to you indefinitely. The wry self awareness and entertaining insight is unique and awesome.
I think one of the worst things about the expensive marshmallow couches (what a great description) is that when the ugly covering wears you cannot have them reupholstered. A good quality couch that is well constructed can be reupholstered - and consequently will be even better value in the long run.
Good point.
Better for the environment too.
I duct taped the rips until I can afford something decent. For now, it's my Gen X shabby chic look.
@@denisew.4371 Nice 🤣
"Look at all this random crap we have!" I pine for the original Marshall Field's. Macy's destroyed it. As to Williams Sonoma...you're absolutely right. I prefer Sur La Table where the employees actually know what they are talking about and the goods are fairly priced (for me).
Sur La Table also has better taste and a wider range of available colors/styles than WS.
Marshall Fields back in the day was amazing! I worked at the downtown store a couple summers in the 70’s. You could get all kinds of beautiful things there.
Macy's destroys everything it touches. I hate them.
I'm another fan of SLT! I remember Williams Sonoma used to be very fancy but good, and now it's just like... Well I would rather go to SLT. It's much further away from me, but I find better stuff and even more affordable stuff. For online I also look at Food52. WS just screams suburban upper middle class people who miss pampered chef MLM parties.
When you mentioned Marshall Field's- I felt great nostalgia. Many years ago the furniture store was wonderful,.... long gone now.
My guy friend had one of those gross sofas with cup holders in the middle… thankfully he listened & got rid of it
I honestly think the bubble 100% leather sofas are some of the most comfortable, easy to clean couches. I don't like the idea of cupholders collecting messes
Why do American men love these hideous monstrosities?
Great info. I tend to go to estate sales and charity shops for furniture finds. It’s gotten crazy now with the demand for nice or high end used furniture. Furniture was made much better in the past, so if you can find older pieces that work for you, it’s fun and feels like a better deal.
I don't know what anything might be worth , but You are Worth it !!!😊
You are just looking out for us and we appreciate it!
My biggest beef with those leather couches isn’t even how ugly they are (they do have a place in a rumpus room with small kids jumping all over them) but the fact that the “real leather” starts flaking , peeling, cracking after a couple of years. Bald spots all over the place! (I have never actually owned one because of the price point but I see them for sale on Marketplace all the time, claiming real leather but the close ups are an eye sore)
YES - it's usually not the best quality leather.
That is exactly why I'm not buying anything leather despite wanting to do an industrial-esque design for my apartment. Brown leather can look nice, but I'm so scared it will become patchy or faded. Also, I live in the south of the U.S., so shorts are what I frequently wear. I don't want to have to constantly peel myself off of my furniture 😂
@@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley Brown leather is particularly hard to find high quality plus they require a lot of maintenance to look good.
@@celticlass8573Look up the term “bonded leather.” It can be advertised as leather, but it’s not a full grain hide.
Yes, that would be bonded leather. It is like a veneer of leather.
The thing I can't stand about RH is the scale. I'm an average height woman. Sitting back in an RH sofa, I look like Eloise at the Plaza. My feet don't touch the floor!
Or Lily Tomlin's character of long ago: Edith Ann!
I leaned back in one of those sofas. I ended up flat on my back with my feet in the air. I was so embarrassed.
I used to like the style of RH back when the Mission/Craftsman furniture was popular, but even then the quality was poor for the price. Truly high end stuff would have had dovetailed joints in all the drawers.
Same! RH owned the craftsmen factory. I still have a few pieces from back then.
I loved the mission style furniture then.
Pottery Barn is also overpriced for what it is. 'Expensive' and 'inexpensive' are, of course, relative terms. I'm not saying it's expensive, just that it's expensive for what it is. Also, Laifen will have to take my Philips Sonicare from my cold, dead hands.
Pottery Barn furniture is built in the U.S. in North Carolina, so the prices will be higher than furniture made in China or other countries using cheap labor. Just something to consider when looking at price points.
My Sonicare saved my teeth. I will never use anything else, honestly.
Im so tired of all the stores looking exactly the same. Grey and grey again, at least here in Sweden. Why cant we be allowed to chose our own colours and style.
I've been looking around online at houses and considering a move, and as soon as I see that endless gray everything--gray walls, gray floors, gray cabinetry, black and white tiles--I'm smashing that back button and moving on. So sick of that funereal, institutional gray. 😝
You CAN choose your own colours and style. It may cost more upfront but you can choose quality items that you love. In 1997 I hired a designer to help me redecorate my living room, dining room, hallway and sunroom. She had previously done a great job with my kitchen. I had a custom sofa and armchairs made for about $3000. I have since moved house but they are still my pride and joy and are holding up very well. It’s a good idea to plan for the lifetime cost of big items.
Same here in USA. Shades of gray ombré fading to white is big at Ashley furniture and is now trending in home remodel.
Couldn't agree more. We are old house lovers (have restored--not renovated--four so far) and have gone to great lengths to recreate period appropriate colors. Our current project is a 1948 MC Ranch. I've seen so many other homes of this era where the owners strip everything out (I mean EVERYTHING) and replace it with the cheapest low end crap and paint it all grey, greige, or white. What are you left with? A house that appears to be charming from the curb but once inside, it looks just like every other cheaply renovated house---might just as well have been built 15 minutes ago. UGH.
@@gerardacronin334 Well, yes and no. About $5860 today, for reference. Here's the thing: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American moves 11.4 times in their lifetime, which is roughly every seven years. However, the number of times a person moves can vary depending on their age:
18-year-olds: Move twice on average
30-year-olds: Move six times on average
45-year-olds: Move two or three more times on average
My family probably is about average, and every move tore down their carefully purchased and beautiful furniture. They gradually left behind a lovely dark wood bedroom set of two double beds and two dressers, a supremely heavy, dark wood, low bookshelf, a lovely dining table with legs that could no longer be stabilized but kept the matching buffet, and shed every armchair and every sofa. I myself during the Great Recession spent a couple years in cheap motels. It wasn't pretty. Was this the life I anticipated? No, it wasn't. I had to give up my beloved desk with shelves on top along with everything else that wouldn't fit in my car. Everything went to auction. Now I have only what I can lift or shove to my place and I anticipate trips to Hospice or Goodwill some day if I can get help, or items out by the dumpster with a sign for free stuff as others have done. My sister, in contrast, still has almost all the furniture she bought as a newlywed, from the people who crafted the items. It is MCM and looks great in her new home. You just don't know how things will pan out. :) For her, spending the money was a good deal.
1) I’m obsessed with the tile in the bathroom during the brand plug, it’s gorgeous. 2) Of course you’re wearing the same shirt in this video as you are in the thumbnail from a year ago, and that’s why we love you 💕
The way your head moved every time you said, “Bobopedic” is giving me LIFE.
Me too 😂
Nick turned into our very own bobble head
@@Motherhubbard170 😂
Not that long ago, being a furniture store was easy money. Furniture did not expire (not like grocery) and the 'design' was on a longer term (not like fashion).
Ah, Nick Day. Gets my morning off to a lovely snarky start. Okay, now, what is UP with “memberships” for furniture stores??? I guess if you’re an interior designer who shops for ten homes a year it might make some sense, but don’t those people have far better sources for furniture than RH’s website? I mean, regular people buy maybe one piece a year. Maybe more if they just moved in, but then they’re exhausted and broke and are over it for a while. Who buys a membership???
Be still my heart. Nick praised Home Sense. ❤️
To be accurate, he didn’t so much praise them, just said you can find there what you could find at Williams Sonoma, for cheap.
We once got on the Martha Stewart catalog list and I was astounded. They wanted twenty bucks for some cookie cutters you could get at Walmart for five bucks. I guess these retailer are places for people who won't set foot in a Walmart...?
Soon after purchasing my Home last year, my first (hopefully forever) Home, I promptly began purchasing multiple overpriced pieces of furniture because at the time, I simply did not know better. The Overpriced items were not even all that aesthetically pleasing. I sold nearly everything on Marketplace and started over with my decor journey I much prefer shopping Vintage for my Home decor! 🖤
Thrift stores, estate sales, craigslist, FB marketplace, salvation army, antique stores, garage sales and goodwill. These work well for me. 😂 We also paid somebody to replicate bookshelves we saw at west elm for thousands. Our contractor replicated them and my husband sanded, stained, and varnished them all for 400 bucks. lol
There is ONE thing W-S has that is worth it (IMO). Their dish towels are THE best. They are even the #1 pick on America’s Test Kitchen. I will never use another dish towel.
WS has great aprons too.
Yes, good dish towels. I have been disappointed in a set of Jars-France dinnerware and serving dishes that I got at W-S. They partnered with Jars-France and then the line of dinnerware was discontinued by both W-S and Jars-France. I’m clumsy, so now I can’t replace missing pieces and will eventually have to donate these and buy a whole new set (somewhere else). But, I did order some lounge chairs in performance velvet from W-S Home that are holding up very nicely for nearly a decade despite household cats. Who knows?
I agree! Either theirs or Sur La Table.
I understand your point that we can find kitchen appliances on line, or at "cheaper" retailers. I buy my these items at a family-owned store, where a trained staff listen to my needs and way of cooking, discuss with me some alternatives, and, nice enough, never try to sell me the most expensive stuff that I finally do not need. Yes, the item might be more expensive than online, but the experience the staff has is worth it. Never regreted a buy after such a founded advice.
Agreed, and the day I saw my local kitchen store was shutting down was a sad day.
When there is no locally owned store, I have no choice but to shop online. So I'll go to a chain store to look at the item in person, then go home and price compare the online retailers.
So sorry that local stores have to close! I undetstand your concern.
I have a Crate and Barrel couch (the lounge?) I bought back in 2016. I love it and still use it today. It has a dent in the cushion from my butt because I sit in the same spot but it’s a great couch and so worth the money I spent.
Home Goods - during the pandemic I was in this store and saw a Viking 3-ply saucepan - It was $34.99 and I knew it was $100 at other shops so I bought it. And began my collection. 5 years later - what would have cost me $2,500 I've acquired piece by piece for $880.00. I have the evidence.
I fell in love with Williams-Sonoma in 1985 - they were one of the few who delivered. It was like Christmas and the stuff was awesome. These were the Sharper Image years (also love) - sigh. So long ago. I still use WS because it's convenient for holiday gift giving - one stop shopping and sending. I know I'll never be disappointed by both the product and the service.
Save in one place and splurge in another. So is my life story !!
I hate that so much of the furniture is moving online. Shopping in the stores was so fun. It’s like pieces of our reality are fading away.
Thank you Nick. Thank you for saving us all money and head aches. You make it so much better making a space for oneself. If case no one said so today, you're awesome sauce!
I clicked so fast!!!
Also, the Williams Sonoma “Honeycomb Collection” is to die for!!! Still building my collection!!
This video provides a valuable insight into the world of home retailing, shedding light on the factors that contribute to overpriced products and questioning their value for money. It's refreshing to see a critical examination of these retailers and their pricing strategies, helping consumers make more informed decisions about where to invest their hard-earned money. By highlighting alternatives and encouraging viewers to seek out better value options, this video empowers consumers to prioritize quality and affordability without compromising on style or functionality. Overall, a thought-provoking and informative perspective on the home retail industry!
Thanks for the honesty as always!
In the early 90's, I was in love with a dresser from RA so I saved the money to buy it ($2000) and I still have it. It's probably my best piece of furniture. Really good construction, dovetail cedar drawers, Mission style.
Great idea to do comparative shopping with the Google image search. The white labeled items come in by the huge crates from overseas and sold by many retailers. It’s all in the marketing…😊
Williams Sonoma: only for stuff that they have truly discounted-like floor models they are getting rid of. You can get a good deal on that sort of thing. But regular retail prices-quite high.
I actually find the overpriced retailers to be helpful to see trends/quality/style. I often go to the websites of fancy retailers and look at what they carry and *hint* best sellers. ..than I go shop at ikea and west elm for similair items😂
The only place---and I mean ONLY---a recliner needs a cup holder is at a movie theater. PERIOD. And I'm not even sure about that. I remember the good ol' days when you put your drink on the floor behind your foot. . . .
Among many awesome things I have learned from your channel, I so appreciate you going into detail around the different business models of the home decor industry. It has made me feel really empowered as a consumer to purchase ethically made, high quality furniture I will have for a lifetime. Thanks Nick!
My husband's convinced the only furniture we'll find that is worth our money will be found thrifting via flea markets and secondhand shops. He swears everything they sell now isn't worth the money.
The only place to buy good furniture new is an Amish furniture store! They are expensive but those things will last many generations because it’s all real solid wood done by hand! It’s truly amazing to see the craftsmanship.
There’s junk to be found thrifting, but your husband has a valid point. Much of the vintage furniture is quality, and it just needs some TLC. But that’s not the only place to find quality.
@@brookecarrillo3432 If stores get their good furniture from North Carolina, what is going on there, and could we buy direct if we go there?
Thrift stores? Really?
He’s not wrong. Just look for solid wood and good joinery.
Online Amish made furniture is amazing. Custom-made quality furniture, BUT you skip the retailer, so the prices are more affordable.
It tickles me that the Amish have a Shopify store. 😆
Keep in mind that the Amish are also breeding dogs irresponsibly and tossing away puppies on the compost heap if they don't sell. They are terrible people and I will not buy anything from them until they stop abusing those dogs. Google it if you don't believe me. The way they treat the momma dogs is disgusting.
Love my Amish made kitchen table. If I could afford it my whole house would be Amish furniture. I get it Nick...sometimes they have an English person working it, or cell phones and computers are used ONLY for work. No apps..even Uninstall apps that come on the phone.
I wouldn’t buy anything from the Amish because they are really cruel to their horses. I know, some people don’t care, but I care, I can’t support anyone who abuses the animals they depend on for their livelihood
And run puppy mills and there are widespread child abuse charges.
Cup holders in a sofa? That's why the French hate us!
Bonjour! This is true! 😂❤
Mais oui! C'est vrai. 🖤
I thought it was because we helped them in two world wars and nobody likes to need help. :)
The french hate everyone.
LOL! Excellent. Well. And our food!
I always want more videos about what pieces are worth investing more on. Ideally one would invest in everything but it's not always possible
The couches with the cup holders look like puffer jackets. 😅
I always say the furniture looks like the Michelin Man 😂
@@bradc6199 Ooooh, that's a good one!
Car seats.
I agree with you about Crate and Barrel, West Elm.
I have their Andes sofa that's about 6 years old. It still looks brand new.
Like quality of Crate furniture … just ordered a new couch wood base!!
I bought the CnB slip covered “apartment sofa” in 2005. Still the most comfortable seat in my house. Love napping on it. Ive kept it because there was never any need to replace it. The style is dated for sure, but washing the slipcover has kept it clean and the the cushions have kept their integrity. I am only afraid that it won’t be the same quality when I go to replace it.
Haha! Love that “burn bridges” comment.
Chutzpah ,courage,honesty,integrity,forthright…..words that describe you! Thank you Nick…I love your content.
I live in Florida, where I have very few choices when it comes to furniture. It’s just one store after the next filled with leather couches with cupholders. I’m originally from LA and have a modern timeless style. I love what I see online, but I refuse to buy a couch that I cannot sit on. Oh, what to do! 😂
Florida also has huge warehouses full of quality furniture people brought down from the northeast and discovered they couldn't fit it in their new Florida bungalows ... or they died, and their kids didn't want to ship it back. You can find some fabulous pieces there.
@@karenk2409 I’m astonished. For the first time in my life, someone has said something to make me kinda wish I lived in Florida!
Florida is fine; my heart, however, belongs to the Midwest. (And also I’m scared of hurricanes)
@@llamasugar5478 I had a house in Florida for a while. I'm scared of hurricanes, horrible bugs and reptiles, and sinkholes. Not in Florida anymore.
As a hairdresser, i have to say one of the things I like about the look of that hair dryer is that it comes with a diffuser. So many do not! Thats always a plus in my book because then your not messing around with universal attachments.
I bought furniture from Bob's in the mid 90s. The quality then was very good, they used actual wood. I still have four pieces.
I totally agree with you, about these places being overpriced. Their value for me is getting ideas and occasionally splurging on something.
Williams Sonoma closed in my area but 20 years ago but I went to their cooking classes every Sunday. I LOVE my Staub cookware and it was reasonably priced at the time. There is one piece that I would like to get but it’s triple the price everywhere I look. My Emile Henri pieces are a different story. I see them at places like Home Goods/TJ Maxx/Ross for much less than I paid two decades ago. I agree on RH. Whenever I see their store, I get a vibe of New Orleans vampire moves to the desert southwest🧛
I don't know what that vibe is but it's funny.
I like your assessments. I shop at Williams Sonoma mostly for table linens. I just like what they have in that department. I also like West Elm - ordered pillows for my outdoor furniture from them.
I'm surprised Z Gallerie didn't make the list
Oh God yes.
The epitome of tackiness!
I like that you're featuring viewer comments.
Yaaaaaayyyyy my favorite youtuber posted!
I just love how truthful and transparent and just how you’re authentic and I love you for it❤❤
William Sonoma has the best baking pans ever. The goldtouch pans are seriously worth the money. I only buy one at a time and when I need them because money. But as a baker, the pans are 100% worth the trip.
I commented elsewhere that a friend of mine who bakes love their baking stuff.
Fabulous video as always. Cup holder seating is sometimes described as being "simili leather," "vegan leather," "assembled leather" or "bonded leather," but it is basically plastic on paper or cloth backing and will wear out within a year or two. With two cats and a beer budget, we have had much better luck with vinyl for some of our casual seating (no cup holders). Back in the day, my dad had a comfy red vinyl recliner that held up to 4 kids and frequent rough usage with no splitting, cracking or peeling, and vinyl is a material tough enough for commercial use.
I like commercial grade. Tough.
Some are actual real leather scraps that are ground up and mixed with glue (bonded leather), which then degrades with oxygen and heat in the environment and disintegrates over time.
@@653j521 Yes, commercial vinyl is strong and durable.
I actually enjoy wabdering around a Williams Sonoma store. I don't necessarily buy anything, but there is something about it that is aspirational. I start dreaming about my spacious dream kitchen when I'm in there lol.
Me too!
When I moved out I went to the brick and couldn't afford anything, and only now realize years later that it gave me a false sense of "wow this must be an amazing store because of the price" until now. I have been brainwashed until this moment. I needed another Canadian to tell me this. Thank you.
My mother loves William Sonoma, and my father loves Restoration Hardware. They live in a house in the PNW that is in no way complimented by either of these brands. I always feel like I need to bring a couple of those toddler harness things when we all go to the mall together.
I have a lovely noodle bowl from Crate & Barrel that I've had for ~20 years now. I wish I could get more of them!
Toddler harness the parents is my laugh of the day!
I bought a floor lamp from RH back in the day (about 10-15 years ago) where they had affordable products and beautiful curtains. The lamp still looks brand new.
Seeing WS makes me miss Pier 1. That was the first store that made me think in terms of decor. And it smelled delicious. Does WS smell good?
I loved Peir 1 too! The price point was not high, but you could find pieces with personality that were well made. I would rebuy any of the plates and bowls there in a skinny minute if only I could. Shopping at Peir 1 always felt like an adventuee - you didn't know what to expect but knew there were hidden gems.
I miss Pier 1 too. I loved that store. I shopped there for all kinds of home items and loved how you could find some funky pieces if you wanted to. I hope they bring something like that back.
Hello from Montreal, my daughter just bought a couch from Cozy. Nice but a limited selection.
My go to is The Bay. One of the last department stores left so I usually go downtown take the elevator to the 9th floor and walk around at least you can sit on these things. I’ve always found well built pieces and on sale. I just bought a house so I’ll be heading downtown looking for furniture, oh sugar I have paint the place first. I like your content and your witty comments. Take care