Sliv

We move over to Summit, NJ in a few weeks and need to buy quite a bit of furniture - sofa, bedroom furniture, beds etc

Looking for any recommendations for where to shop - middle level pricing but happy to spend more on good quality.

In particular and bed/mattress shop recommendations? And do you need a box spring on all beds?!

Thanks

S

Rete

It seems that a lot of Brits love IKEA and there is a huge store in Elizabeth, NJ that you can shop in for everything for your home.

uk_grenada

Ikea is god, just not in the tropics, where they sell insect food.

Pulaski

Ashley Furniture is ubiquitous US mid-level furniture store; the salesmen can be a bit pushy.

Mattresses are mostly sold by mattress specialists that have a wide range of brands and designs. .... Americans seem to like something called a "pillow top", which is like a mattress with a thin but dense quilt sewn on to one side. ..... It makes them curiously soft, and unpleasantly hot in summer as you sink into this padded layer.

Generally speaking, if you buy "a bed" from a furniture store, you're getting a headboard, legs and support for a box spring and mattress, and sometimes a footboard. You then buy a box spring and mattress to put on the bed frame. If you buy a box spring and mattress from a mattress store, as I described above, they usually give you a basic set of legs, so if you arrive without furniture, head over to a mattress store, which usually do same-day delivery, and get your mattress and box spring, then worry about a bed frame later, once you're settled.

Sliv

Thank you this is really helpful.

Vimto

Remember US bed sizes are different to the UK :
Twin: 38” x 75”
Full: 53” x 75”
Queen: 60” x 80”
King: 76” x 80”

CA-NY

We recently bought a new sofa from Raymour & Flanigan and mattress and boxspring from Macy's Furniture Gallery. Bed (frame / headboard) came from Bob's Furniture. Would recommend all. Also Ashley Furniture is worth a look and for mattresses there are lots of branches of Sleepys all over. Also more design led places like West Elm and Crate & Barrel or if you're feeling really $$$ Restoration Hardware! You'll want somewhere like Macy's or Bed, Bath & Beyond for bedding / sheets etc. Hope that helps.

petitefrancaise

Most furniture I would also recommend IKEA. However, mattresses perhaps not. Look at https://www.tuftandneedle.com/mattress for those.

Overstock.com is a good place to look for accessories.

BedBathand Beyond is always worth a look for household stuff.

Costco for good quality sheets to fit your new size beds.

Don't forget Amazon.com with prime membership you'll get your shipping included. I'm about to buy a pool pump from there, it's just about the cheapest for the one I want and will be shipped quickly.

hungryhorace

I found the local Vi-Spring dealer in MA then visited there. I wouldn't go to one of the major chains, but instead deal with a local run firm. You'll find far better quality (though prices may be higher, but hey you're in NJ!).

Avoid IKEA like the plague; they're cheap crap that won't last a year.

petitefrancaise

Good grief, what on earth does your family do to them?

I have a couple of beds, desks, chests of drawers and shelving units that are about 18 years old (22 yrs for the shelving ), that have been moved internationally 2 times and are still absolutely fine.

I bought a corner sofa unit when we moved here based on some comparisons with ?west elm or pottery barn equivalents and it looks great.

The only thing I would say is that some of the furniture is a bit small scale to fit into a large american home.

hungryhorace

For a main bed? They're terrible quality. I work on the assumption you spend 1/3 of your life in bed, so you might as well make it comfy!!

petitefrancaise

frames are ok but I don't like their mattresses. I only bought Ikea mattresses for the kids when they were little and have thrown them away now.

hungryhorace

Exactly! So we agree!

Pulaski

I agree, but there has to be a limit, financially, for most people, at least.

We bought a Stearns & Foster in 2002, which was, and remains, very comfortable despite "conventional wisdom" saying it is past due for replacement. We paid about $2,200 for it, IIRC.

We bought another mattress from a company that claims to make mattresses of quality "comparable to the national brands". They don't.

uk_grenada

Ikea do very good mattresses, i have a vi-spring myself and my daughters have high end ikea, still quite expensive, but 4k for a vi-spring and about 800 for the mattress and pad [both sprung, never saw a sprung pad before] from ikea and they are equally comfortable. However buy cheap ikea, get cheap ikea...