I used to sell new furniture and I was surprised to find the $3000.00 bedroom sets I was selling were attractive veneer over pressed wood. (A corner chipped from the footboard of the bed and exposed the pressed wood.)

I used to be in the antiques and collectibles biz and your best furniture for the money will be from the 1950’s and before. It will be solid wood. The dresser drawers will have solid wood sides, backs, and bottoms. The back of the piece will often be wood, also. They may even have dovetailed construction attaching the sides of the drawers to the front of the drawer. Check out drawers nowadays. The sides and back are not wood, and neither is the back of the piece. They use this cardboardish stuff a lot of the time.

The dining tables will be solid wood, as will the cocktail and end tables. Find a piece with the shape or design you like. You can always spray paint it and/or change out the hardware. One or both of those two steps can completely transform a piece.

I had an incredibly unattractive chest of drawers once-they were in brown and yellow. I was going to get rid of it but before I did that, I examined it. It was superbly constructed-I just hadn’t paid much attention to it because I had found it at a great price and bought it for resale. I re-did it for a child in my family in blue and white with pewter looking Winnie the Pooh hardware (knobs). It looked great.

You can get armoires from the 1940’s that are sturdy and can be used for your TV and other electronics. (Make sure the sides and back can support the strong shelving you need.) Since they are not that old or valuable you don’t have to feel badly about drilling holes in the back (for the cords) or installing shelves. Dealers order this furniture from England in big shipping cartons. Find someone who does that-you can probably get the piece for $150 or less. You can change out the piece later and install bookshelves or as a hanging closet (it’s original use) if you choose to.

Another TV stand option is a sofa table, cocktail table, or chest of drawers. The drawers can be used to store music and DVDs. You can paint it a flat black and put silver or pewter hardware on the drawers for a contemporary look. You can even put a piece of clear glass or mirror on top for more sparkle.

Thrift stores, garage sales, consignment shops and even the curb (you can’t believe what I have found on people’s curbs that they were discarding) are all good furniture options. Think outside the box, look at the lines of the furniture and what it can be, not what it currently looks like. (That’s what paint is for). Avoid cheap furniture-anything of pressed wood or with pseudo wood grain on it.

Note: There are some specific techniques to spray painting:
1-Initially shake the can upside-down for three minutes. I know it is boring but it makes a difference.
2-Do not try to cover the piece in the first coat. Each coat must be light. The first coat will leave much of the original finish showing. Count on at least three coats. Four if it is a surface that will get handled or used a lot. Shake often. If you get impatient and coat it too heavily, it will run. Not attractive and easily avoided with care and patience.
3-Unless it is a small,inexpensive, decorative piece that will rarely get handled, don’t buy the cheapest spray paint at $1.00 per can. There is a quality difference. The more expensive paints have more pigment and cover better.

Good luck with your new place.
You’ll have more success if you don’t worry about furnishing it instantly and take your time looking. Great things will pop up if you are patient.
It does not have to be done in one week or even a month.

If your room seems empty as you are looking for furniture, add a couple of large trees or plants to the space. Tell people you are going for the minimalist look