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[PA Mom-mom]

@wilma  Dated is in the eye of the beholder. Our furniture consists mostly of family pieces from the 18th, 19th and early 20th Centuries - not really valuable, but full of memories. Our dining room set was my parents' set from the 1930s. It's the Ducan Phyfe style. I reupholstered the chairs myself about 13 years ago. Growing up, we did our homework on that dining room table. My DH refinished it when we got it. Except for the two sofas, all other upholstered and accent pieces were bought from neighbors when they were upgrading or moving.

@FancyPhillyshopper If you ever want to get rid of those Windsor style chairs, let me know! Although, we're getting too old to acquire anything more. Our children don't seem to want much of anything. They seem to appreciate them in our house, but they don't have room for them in their houses.

[queendiva]

I rarely buy new- usually when I move every 10 years or so.

After the divorce the only thing my ex wanted and I definitely did not was the huge dining room set. I bought a new table, chairs and sideboard, all from different sources and made my own set. Classic style. Moved with me to my present home in 2018.

As someone else mentioned, it can sometimes be less $ to replace an item rather than move it. I replaced my huge, old rear-projection TV with a flat screen. Replaced the large computer armoire with a desk and the desktop computer with a laptop. Both were old, with the armoire being a garage sale find. I kept my bedroom furniture from the 80's and replaced the bed. I plan to have the triple dresser and armoire painted to bring it "up to date" and to cover the wear and tear on the dresser and to lighten things up as my bedroom is a dark color. Saving $ by painting the furniture as opposed to replacing the furniture or painting the whole room, which has a cathedral ceiling.

Other furniture that I needed I thrifted: a beautiful mahogany, made in the USA  small kitchen table with 4 leaves, TV stand, pie crust table and pair of end tables all for the living room. All my LR furniture was too big for the new, downsized room except one chair, which I kept.

Items that I replaced because they wore out: pair of upholstered Parson's chairs from the kitchen- no longer comfortable, the cheap-ish sofa was shot after 12 years of daily family use with a La-Z Boy power reclining sofa, and recently my 13+ year old memory foam mattress with the NN TSV hybrid back in February .

I think if you keep upholstered pieces a neutral, solid color you can update with new pillows and/ or throws. Another way to update a room for not a large investment is your wall art. Mine looked great in my previous homes, but was all wrong for this one. I have replaced one piece and will be looking to replace the print over the sofa as the scale is too small for that location. Wall art is one thing I always pass by at thrift stores because it (almost) always looks very dated.

I buy what I like, keep the good investment pieces and replace the accessories as I like. Many new furniture items that are trendy, "fast furniture" will not stand the test of time, which keeps those stores in business.

Same with my cars- I buy late model used luxury vehicles with low mileage and original warranties and drive them until the wheels fall off. Not for 20 years as another poster mentioned- that would be awesome! The brand I prefer changes their styling  infrequently which is a big plus. 

I prefer to see my money grow as opposed to spending it, now more than ever.

[feline groovy]

Re: your thread title, that's a luxury not a necessity - nice if you can afford to, though.

And if you can, do your research; you don't need to mess up your budget to get decent stuff.

[Catiele]

We have nice dated furniture. We change family room couch and chairs when needed. 

[RedTop]

I come from families who bought good furniture once and hung onto it forever; mattresses and box springs, couches, tables and chairs, etc.   Mom is still using the couch she bought in 1964, and has no intention of replacing it.

I am not that way; once something starts showing a bit of wear and tear, it’s out of here.   We have been in this house 39 years, and I am on my 4th living room suite; #5 will be purchased next year.   We replace my husbands recliner every 2 years.   I don’t keep anything long enough for the dated look.

[J Town Girl]

This post reminded me of a furniture salesman that had to deal with many many years ago.  

I was moving into a new apartment that had a very small area for a kitchen table.  I was hoping that I wouldn't have to live there longer than my year's lease.  I didn't want to spend much on the table and 2 chairs because I was not planning on keeping them too long.  

As I was making the purchase I asked the salesman a simple question about the set and he responded by saying "well you know that you aren't buying a very good quality table, if you would spend more money you could get a much nicer set".   That attitude infuriated me so much that I was almost tempted to just walk out of the store.   I was pretty shy but I still managed to say " well if it's such a poor quality table why are you selling it in this store".   He quickly changed his tune and said, oh it's not a bad table just not like that solid oak dining set that you see over in the corner.   

The furniture store eventually went out of business, but I never forgot how he made me feel by acting like I was some lowlife that he was forced to deal with.   

I ended up staying in that apartment for two years and when I moved I gave the table and chairs to a co-worker and she used it in her kitchen for almost thirteen years.  For such a poor quality table it served both of us quite well.

[PINKdogWOOD]

The only furniture we replace is the living room sofa & loveseat. We'll hang onto them for maybe 5-7, I just get tired of them really or want to change the color (they're always leather, it wears better with dogs).

Within the last 5 yrs or so we replaced 2 spare bdrooms of mattresses & springs. No one sleeps on them (well very rarely). Everything else in the house are antiques.

[Mominohio]

I love homemaking and decorating my home more than just about anything else I've ever done. But I'm a person that when I settle on a style and pieces for a room, I'm done for a very long time. I don't get bored with them, I don't tend to fall for the latest thing to come out. 

My wood pieces are lifetime things for me. I have nearly every piece of wood furniture I've ever purchased, and most of them I love as much today as when they were purchased. Any remodeling, like I just did in my kitchen and dining room last year, took into account the color/style of the wood pieces and it was necessary for me to make the new floor, cabinets, counter, paint etc. all work with those wood pieces. 

Upholstered pieces I tend to keep at least 20 years, and those I will tire of by about that time, and want something different, updated, or a change to style I have come to love and want to get into (my next purchases in upholstered furniture are going to go toward colonial as I've been drooling over that for about a decade now!). 

I'm sure many of my room's pieces look 'dated' but I like what I like, and I tend to like it for a very long time. Isn't my husband lucky? LOL

[VaBelle35]

I would not listen to anything a sales person ever says.

They are in sales and they make money through sales.

[spiderw]

I don't follow trends or what's in at the time, I buy what I love and fits my taste. As long as I am happy and comfortable with my furniture I don't have the need to buy new.

I do understand people wanting new and change and if it makes you feel good, that is fine too.  Either way it works!