Habitude

By Mike

May 22, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this

I’ve always believed you should buy the best you can afford and keep it well maintained. I’m not usually much for buying cheap knock-offs to fill in until the true goal is achieved. But with a $9,000 difference, that does make one pause.

Maybe you could get the IKEA table and splurge on the Knoll chairs?

By Jodi

May 22, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this

A SMART and LOGICAL person would not purchase a dining table for almost $9,400 unless your bank account is overflowing with money. You need to either get that IKEA table or find yourself a “new” less expensive dream table.

We all have dreams, but while gas prices are rising over $4 a gallon and food costs are up - there will be no big ticket purchases in my household.

My neighbor learned the hard way: He and his wife has two nice cars, but just bought a brand-new Lexus truck last month and now his house is being foreclosed in July. Wake up people!

By Mrs. Warren

May 22, 2008 11:57 AM | Link to this

I love how some people diss about purchasing high dollar furniture. Their houses must be full of cheap plywood furniture and cardboard couches. All of which they will keep replacing time and time again.

Katie - save up for the gorgeous piece of furniture history. Some people don’t appreciate historical furniture or heirloom quality furniture like you and I. They’d rather buy cheap stuff that looks like crap in 2 years and keep replacing it. Mass production of cheap items has killed the economy in this country. Walmart is to blame. Now I’m not saying don’t shop at Rooms to Go if that’s all you can afford but when you are purchasing something such as a dining room table that you will have forever and pass down to your children you should get the highest quality possible.

I think it just depends on if you appreciate furniture or not. Some people just don’t get it.

By Kri-ten

May 22, 2008 12:34 PM | Link to this

Mama gets what Mama wants. Get the table: it’ll be a sunk cost by the time you start to worry about it.

By Gaye

May 22, 2008 12:46 PM | Link to this

Chile, you only go around once, save up for what you want. The sense of satisfaction you’ll have from finally getting something you really want, plus the fact that you sacrificed for said item will bring you untold years of pleasure, coupled with the fact that you can tell your grandchildren how you ate Ramen noodles for months (grand kids will say, “what is that, grandma?”) and so on and so forth……

By dreams are nice, but...

May 22, 2008 1:21 PM | Link to this

If you put it on your credit card, that $9k table will cost you over $15k, after interest. The “mama gets what mama wants” crowd are the people who go into foreclosure for not being able to afford their house, car, etc. Save up for it if really you want it. It’s not that hard - all you have to remember is that you’re an adult and don’t need instant gratification like a 5 year old.

By Mr. Buffett

May 22, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this

Mrs. Warren is right. I don’t get it … and neither should you. Why not replace the crap table every year instead of every two, before it starts looking bad. You’ll still be ahead for at least 90 years! And just think of all the tables you can donate to Goodwill over your lifetime—to people who would love your crap.

Also, how long have you really loved this table? Give yourself a year or two with a knockoff, and if the love is still there, we can talk again.

By Mr. Buffett

May 22, 2008 2:33 PM | Link to this

I goofed. You’ll only do better for 60 years. Let’s rethink this.

By KATIE LESLIE

May 22, 2008 3:47 PM | Link to this

Interesting comments! The good news is I’m not going to melt my credit card anytime soon for this table, but I like what Mrs. Warren said — it’s “a piece of furniture history.”

That, and one reader had it right, I would be paying nearly twice as much once the credit card is paid off. Until then, I’m going the cheap route; not the IKEA piece, but an heirloom drop leaf table from my mother. (That’s saving me at least $1,000 to put toward my dream.) It’s not my ideal, but will do the trick for now.

Still curious though, on what do you splurge? Surely Mr. Buffett has his material vices, no?

By Investment

May 22, 2008 3:59 PM | Link to this

I agree with Mrs. Warren. Save up and get the appreciate historical furniture, or art or heirloom quality furniture. You can plan to get it on the annual Knoll sale for 10% off. I bet a lot of people wish that they had purchased a great piece of furniture like this 15 years ago that is now worth thousands more than what it cost back then to buy..

By Tommy

May 22, 2008 5:01 PM | Link to this

…as a designer, I’ve seen that the biggest mistake someone can make is to invest in a beautiful home, then fill it with crap. (ikea)…. fine furniture is an investment; a high-end home with low-end furniture is truly a sign of poor taste…and there’s A LOT of it (Alpharetta)…

By Mr. Buffett

May 22, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this

I’m cheap, myself, and lean toward practical, and to Tommy’s point, I probably have poor taste in many many things. I kind of like IKEA’s stuff, for example, and every time I visit their stores, I’m amazed at the crowds. People seem excited and happy to be there. Shouldn’t that count for something?

I rarely splurge and when I do, I’ve usually tortured myself first. I’ve wanted a big-screen LCD TV for years, but my 32- or 35 incher (can’t recall) refuses to die. So I wait.

You seem to have come up with the perfect solution. Live with something that you hopefully like while you save for something you love and make sure the dream is years-long. I find the chase and the dream are often more enjoyable than the acquisition anyway.

By lisa

May 22, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this

I agree with Mr Buffett. Buy the cheaper table and “live with it”. After a year or two (of saving for the heirloom furniture piece), does the cheaper same style table still meet your needs? Is it functional in your home? And my favorite…can you live with actually USING a table that cost so much? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard (and, to my chagrin, said) ” I can’t use it! I’m saving it for special occasions!” ie: my formal china pattern, used once in 15 years. (Gotta dig that stuff out of storage and use it!) If the table doesn’t meet your needs after a few years, you’ve got a tidy nest egg for something else you have had your eye on.

By Debra

May 23, 2008 8:22 AM | Link to this

Check out craigslist. I’ve seen this exact table listed and it wasn’t plastic nor $9K.

By Debra

May 23, 2008 8:23 AM | Link to this

Check out craigslist. I’ve seen this exact table listed and it wasn’t plastic nor $9K.

By lovelyliz

May 23, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this

I dream of furniture made of wood. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find woods furniture that is made of actual wood and NOT particle board, pressed wood or some other faux wood finish?

Designer fuinture of all sorts can be interesting, but unless it’s going to be around to be given to my yet unnborn children, and I don’t even have any kids yet, there is no way I would spend thousands of $$ on anything.

Back in the day,they made furniture to last even if it wasn’t wood based, but now most of it is junk and that includes the more expensive pieces.

By David

May 23, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this

Get the Table!!!

I think of furniture as props in the movie of our lives. We may move from a home, but we always take our furniture (good or bad)with us. Surround yourself with what you love, because it will enrich your soul for decades to come. A Knoll original over time will appreciate and if you ever decide to sell it there will always be a buyer. Start a Dining Room Fund and hit the 10% off sale. You will experience a euphoria and satisfaction that few furniture buyers ever experience.

By KATIE LESLIE

May 23, 2008 11:05 AM | Link to this

David - you and I should never go shopping together. Sounds like trouble!

To Lisa’s comment - I know exactly what you mean about saving our finer things “for a special occasion.” That said, owning my Saarinen masterpiece would indeed make every day such an event, thus if I ever plop down that much cash for a table, I’m pretty sure I’ll dine at it daily, probably use it for work, and possibly even sleep on it!

Are you digging out that china as we type? Do many of you keep your fineries out of view, or make every day a special occasion?

By Melissa

May 23, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this

There is one on Craigslist for $899…check it out!

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/676406876.html

By Q

May 23, 2008 2:08 PM | Link to this

It’s a lovely table, for sure, but will it go with your china hutch?

By Melissa

May 23, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this

Gone are the days of everything having to match, aren’t they??

By lisa

May 23, 2008 8:56 PM | Link to this

Katie Leslie - To my utter embarrassment, I have discovered that my china is apparently still at my parents house on the southside of town! However, I will bring it back with me next time I go to visit and I promise I will use it. I can dump the carton of take-out chinese food onto a plate - that counts as using it, right? Good luck with the table. Use it in good health! And I do understand the “euphoria and satisfaction” angle, I recently purchased an oriental rug that cost more than my first car and I love it! (Loved the car too but it’s long gone!)

By crawdaddy

May 23, 2008 9:24 PM | Link to this

Katie, do not spend $9K on that table invest the money if you have it. I was in the furniture business for a number of years. If you look around for deals at estate sales and at scott’s antique market you can something that you like and will be a good investment.(something you can sell for what you paid for it) The mark up for furniture is very high. You can do much better buying antiques. You may tire of the trendy table.

By almh

May 23, 2008 10:44 PM | Link to this

You did the right thing by getting your mom’s table. Save up and shop around.
The first time I used my good china was for pizza. Most bone china is more durable then everyday dishes anyway.

By Rod

May 24, 2008 12:16 PM | Link to this

This is why sooooo many Americans have financial problems. Buying beyond your means. Unless you have a 7 figure salary, you don’t need to be buying a $10,000 table.

If you want to spend that much, give it to a charity where needy people can actually be helped.

And, no, for those people who say if you buy it it’ll last for years. Just because something costs $10,000 doesn’t mean it’ll last forever.

By Margaret

May 24, 2008 7:41 PM | Link to this

Drive to North Carolina to see what you can get there. Look at sites like DWR.com for alternatives or check Ebay. Some people buy this sort of thing and then redecorate - so you could get a good price that way. I, too, have tastes exceeding my budget and those are a few ways to get what you want.

By Katie

May 25, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this

When you purchase over priced furniture, who are you really trying to impress, yourself or your friends? You can get quality furniture without paying $9,000 for a table. IKEA stuff is a bit cheap. It puts together great, one time. If you move you may as well throw it out, it doesn’t disassemble and reassemble well. It’s perfect dorm room furniture though.

By Michael

August 12, 2008 10:16 PM | Link to this

Instead of drooling over the fancy catalogs, I found the same exact High End Furniture at Thomaston Furniture Designs. Compare it to the name brands and you can buy two chairs from them for the price of their one. They do great custom work too. Just a wee bit south of Atlanta in Thomaston.

www.thomastonfurnituredesigns.com

By modmom

August 28, 2008 3:50 PM | Link to this

Katie,

I have to wonder about all of these people who are advising you buy a “knock-off”. Have they ever seen a Saarinen table? Because if they had, they would know that it is a work of art. So simple and graceful and complete —- it makes you wonder why no one thought of it before. But that is what art is and what artists do. They bring us beauty. I, for one, value that beauty and believe the artist should be compensated accordingly. Glad you do too!

By Casey

January 19, 2009 4:56 PM | Link to this

May I suggest buying a vintage Burke table. They are virtually indistinguishable from the Saarinen unless you look under the table where you would see screws where as the Knoll does not. Is that difference work a couple $ $$$? I think not. However, I don’t think Burke made the table with the marble top…something to look into.