Nov 17, 2005 11:49 pm US/Eastern
'Cheap Chic' Furniture Put To Test
by Kasey Kaufman
BOSTON (CBS4) ―
When it comes to decorating, not everyone can afford top-of-the-line furniture. Stores like IKEA which just opened in Massachusetts are catering to those clients.
And so are some other big retailers known for their bargains. Kasey Kaufman checked out 2 popular stores and put their so-called "cheap chic" furniture to the test.
Lyanne Silva, 20, is decorating her first apartment. She is looking for high style at low prices.
"My furniture is basically stuff that can work until I either have more money or I can beat it up and not worry," says Silva.
When CBS4 caught up with Silva, she was checking out a new Martha Stewart line of furniture at K-Mart.
And other big box retailers like Target want to crack the furniture market as well. Television commercials for Target are all about style and it's new furniture line starts at $49.99. But what are you really getting?
Interior designer, Pat Hazard, went with CBS4 to K-Mart and Target. She says the furniture makes sense for a lot of people, but there are trade-offs.
"The quality is temporary," said Hazard. "But if you are saving to buy an investment piece, it works."
But Hazard warns against buying the furniture online.
"You have to go to the store ... see how the pieces line up ... the drawer pulls out. And in the case of something upholstered, check out the seams and see how it fits," she said.
CBS4 did more than check out the seams. We had Newton custom upholsterer Kostas Konstantinidis examine two comparable chairs from the inside out. One chair was from Target's Milano collection and costs $170. The other from K-Mart's Martha Stewart Everyday collection sells for $200.
Konstantinidis ripped open the chairs and was surprised. He was able to tear the foam rubber stuffing in the K-Mart chair apart with his hands.
"It's very cheap... foam rubber shouldn't rip like this," he said. "Looking at the bottom, you will see there's no springs. After a while, you sit on that piece of furniture and the whole thing will collapse."
As for the Target chair, Konstantinidis found the back frame was made of plywood and some mildew had already gotten into it. He also said the foam rubber was very cheap and will not offer support for very long.
Ultimately, the decision is a personal one. If the chair looks good and the price is right, cheap chic could be the way to go. Just remember, the chair with curb appeal may just end up there.
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