F4A #8: House Work
Exclusive finds, and an offer you can't refuse
The trees are streaked with red leaves, there’s a cool sweet scent in the air and heating costs are on everyone’s mind – summer break is over, and so is our hiatus! Since the last edition of this newsletter, I’ve been busy: Grad school, a new academic year of teaching, bills bills bills, work work work work work work and a few guides for Dwell on how I find the best bargains and how to extend the lifecycle of your furniture included.
I’d imagine you’ve been the same, wherever you may be. The cost of living, the cost of renting and the cost of the winter has been heavy on the hearts of who-knows-how-many people across the world. In Germany, inflation is reaching new highs not seen my lifetime while the cost of living (and cost of heating our homes) spirals out of control. And here, I’m also not alone: While announcing a Gaspreisbremse (a gas price cap and €200 billion relief plan), finance minister Christian Lindner said Germany was “expressly not following Great Britain’s example”, where the pound sterling “crumbling, kinda in its flop era”, as a friend who knows more about economics charitably explained.
These competing crises hit close to home, often quite literally. Friends are sharing explainers on the relative cost of gas vs. electricity in group chats to help bring down their flat share costs, while others scramble to find new housing amidst markets so hostile that even getting a rejection letter feels like you’ve done something right. People are rethinking their home and how to use it, or where to make it when contracts and tenancies come crashing to an untimely end. Stress levels are high, and the roadmap to safer ground is still unclear.
It’s for this reason that my message requests are also reaching an all-time high: Friends and acquaintances alike have been asking for help sourcing the chair or table or lamps that they need at a price they can afford as belts tighten and wallets close. Here, I’d like to extend the offer once more: If there’s a piece of furniture you need, you can always message me here or on Twitter for shopping advice and help sourcing what you want and what you need. Not sure where to start? Here are the questions I usually ask before starting a search:
What do you want? Is it a shelf for your books, a table for working or for eating, or a bed frame for your kid’s room? Feel free to share any pieces you particularly like even if they’re out of your price range – these are helpful references to have.
Where will it go? Best-case scenario: Mark up your floorboards with masking tape and measuring tape to figure out how big, wide, long or tall a piece can or should be.
Where are you? A city and post code would be ideal, but only share what you feel comfortable. This helps determine the cost of Don’t send me your address – I don’t want it!!!!!
What’s your budget? Feel free to break it down into “what I can spend” and “what I would like to spend”, or just provide a hardline upper-limit.
Can you drive? No worries if not – I can’t either. Shipping furniture nationwide is a common practice in many parts of the world, but if you’re happy to pick something up in a nearby town or borough, the opportunities really open up.
This Meredew sideboard is a classic, with elegant drawer pulls and a refined silhouette. It’s also something of an unexpected gem, and one that is easily overlooked: The vendor has listed it in North Shields as opposed to Newcastle, meaning it’s receiving less footfall than it deserves given its condition and footfall. For shoppers further afield, the vendor notes that they’re happy to arrange delivery across the U.K. for a fee – see for yourself, and buy it for £247.50, down from £495.
I’ll let you in on a secret: Some of the best places to scout for second-hand furniture in the U.K. are in Scotland and Wales. Case in point: Llanelli, Wales is home to some of my favourite finds, with many vendors willing to deliver far past their county lines. The G Plan sideboard above should be proof enough, as its rich patina, warm wood grain and immaculate lines would go for several times the current price point in other parts of the country. Instead, it’s available now for £295 plus shipping.
Elsewhere, some vendors aren’t forthcoming about their ability to deliver or ship products, as is the case with this massive Austinsuite wardrobe in Belper. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try: This piece is striking and stately and probably a bit difficult to move regardless of where it’s being brought. It’s also a steal at £23.80, so I’d recommend calling a few professional movers for quotes – it’ll save your back and your bank to look far afield, and to put in a little time in planning your purchases.
A few other things I’m eyeing this week:
I find this vanity unexpectedly charismatic with its sharp lines – it would look great in a room full of plants, cut flowers and other natural shapes.
This wavy pastel bistro set in Berlin isn’t something for me, necessarily, but it’s got plenty of charm to spare.
The video in this DDR bubble lamp ad is one of the most mesmerising product shots I’ve ever seen, and I could stare at it for years .