Make yourself comfortable

By Keith Testa - Jun 10, 2014 | 0 comments

Look what we found while shopping for recycled furniture: Bruno, the one-dog welcoming committee at Furniture Fair of Concord (and yet another business dog!)

An ashtray from the New Hampshire Highway Hotel, at Encore Furnishings.

That’s a golf lamp at Encore Furnishings made of golf clubs and a shade that illuminates you shooting a 134.

This is the mascot at Furniture Fair (and may or may not be for sale).

If you’ve been looking for a device to listen to your Watergate tapes on, Encore Furnishings is the place to go.

We think you need this, Pilgrim.

Sound advice found on the wall at Chuck’s.

Furniture Fair had this old-school record player and radio on display.

Be your neighbor’s worst nightmare with this drum set at Chuck’s Used Furniture.

There were plenty of dining tables and chairs at Furniture Fair.

Cathy Babson at Encore Furnishings took an ugly old table and turned it into this.

Cool stuff, non-living room division. This swank bed at the Furniture Fair with end tables and dresser is, well, swank. There were tons of vintage dressers in great shape there.

This chair ($150) at Encore Furnishings on Broadway may or may not be made of real Grimace hide.

Sometimes you just need an impractically old chair, because it looks awesome. The Furniture Fair ($125) displayed this one.

You need some cool art on the walls, at least for when the in-laws are in town. Plus, this piece at Encore Furnishings was unsigned, so you can pass it off as your own!

We found this awesome powder-blue sectional at Furniture Fair ($600).

Step one when furnishing your space: Find some comfy and funky stuff for the living room. After all, that’s probably also going to become your dining room, and sometimes your bedroom (we fall asleep on the couch at least twice a week.) This reclining chair, with matching reclining love seat, was $100 at Chuck’s Used Furniture.

Recycled furniture shopping tips from a pro

Dan Moore, owner of Furniture Fair of Concord on Manchester Street, hooked us up with some sweet advice to help you find the perfect stuff.

∎ Older pieces are usually made of real wood and not particle board or other cheaper materials that some of today’s furniture is made of.  So even though it’s used, it’ll probably last forever. “You can pay $400 or $500 for a dresser that’s made of particle board, whereas often for less money you can get a higher quality piece,” Moore said.

∎ Don’t worry about small scratches, but keep your eyes open for larger blemishes that aren’t easily repaired. “You can deal with a few scratches, but watch for big chunks of missing veneer or loose veneer,” Moore said.

∎ Perhaps the most important tip – when you’re shopping for certain pieces, measure your space at home first. “Measure your own space and bring a tape measure and your numbers with you,” Moore said.