Budget Furniture

Budget furniture, do those words even go in the same sentence?  Hubs' office has been unused since we moved in.  Allowing that room to actually function means 1) buying a desk, and 2) buying a chair.  We have neither.  Luckily, my dad was able to build some storage and bookshelf type furniture for the room.  Aside from that, we haven't had much room in the budget for any office furniture.  Hubs continues to spend his work days at the kitchen table.  Sigh.

When you realize money does not grow on trees (sadly, it does not), you find yourself becoming very creative.  And when you aren't very creative, you find yourself becoming very thrifty.  I'm a big proponent of thrift friendly places like eBay, Craigslist, and O.co.  If I have an idea in mind, I immediately go to those places first to see what similar items I can find.  Most recently, it's been a leather office chair.  My inspiration was drawn from several places, but of course my usual PBR-mode kicked in and was the biggest persuasion.

The Pottery Barn Calais Chair, $799:

Gorgeous isn't he?  But, unfortunately I haven't found that stack of money under my mattress.  I'm constantly making and unmaking the bed in hopes that a big pile of bills falls out on my feet one day.  So far, nothing.  I'll let you know. 

Ballard Design Kingston Chair, $459:

Can you smell the leather and mahogany yet, anyone?  Still though, unfortunately not in my range.  So, how about a normal, functional office chair, like this one from Target, $58.99:

Very budget friendly.  Practical.  Functional.  Seems to have good reviews.  Did I mention the office is on the main floor, front and center, basically the first room you see upon entering the house?  Well, it is.  So, come on guys, who are we kidding.  This chair is anything but aesthetic.  So, the search would have to continue.  Randomly I would check my favorite thrifty places for a suitable chair, knowing maybe it was a pipe dream to actually find a good looking leather swivel.  Until Friday.......

Email listing to hubs, picture included.  Date set to look at said chair.  Chair was good looking.  Comfortable.  Hubs approved, and without a fight ( say what?! ).  Chair came home with us.  Cleaned chair.  Notice that the swivel is the brand Hancock & Moore.  Know nothing of H&M.  Research done.  More research done.  Said thrifty find retails between $1,000-$3,000 new.  WHAT!  (who would ever pay that for an office chair!!) Cost to us? $50.  Mini freak out sesh followed by hyper phone call to hubs.  Followed by mini freak out blog post on inexpensive chair find. 

I'd say that's thrifty.

Said Chair:

 In Office:

Hubs loves it.  I love it.  Hooray for discount sites.  It is absolutely true: one man's garbage, another man's treasure.  Budget furniture, maybe not so impossible after all.