I've stocked my home (and others) with used high-end stuff from eBay and CL (the latter usually much less expensive and easier to find locally, but for smaller items like cooktops you'll find a better selection on eBay if there's a particular one you're looking for). I regularly see Miele washers, dryers, ovens, and cooktops being sold for dirt cheap on CL by people who just moved into their homes, want something bigger, and have never heard of Miele and think it's a cheap off-brand. Many are unfamiliar with high-end brand names which helps keep prices low; I've scored used 12" and 24"w Gaggenau grills and cooktops for peanuts, a Fisher & Paykel single drawer d/w for $75 that works fine. But yes, check for serial numbers. And if possible, ask to see it running. This is easiest for fridges since you can just plug them in; more difficult for 240v or gas appliances that have already been deinstalled, or dishwashers and washing machines that aren't connected to plumbing. Get the model number of anything you're considering and download the specs, installation, and owner's manuals from the manufacturer's website or elsewhere (usually still available for anything from the '90s onward), and know how old it is. Sometimes I find almost new stuff for sale at half price that's never been installed, bought for a renovation and later found not to fit or be the wrong color. Be sure you have human help, hand trucks, and transportation in place for the larger/heavier items, as well as tools to remove refrigerator doors. Secure the washing machine tub during transportation, with original shipping bolts if available (they rarely are) or makeshift bolts and/or removable strong tape. Remove refrigerator glass shelves and carry them separately and well protected.

My own personal experience with two reclining chairs purchased a few months ago, that look nearly identical in appearance, a Taylor King and a Sherrill (their Motioncraft line) the Taylor King is the superior product. The Sherrill is already faltering in the cushion, is harder to push back, the fabric is bagging on the outside back from reclining, then when raised to chair position, it remains loose in a curving arc from the top of the chair to the base of chair. The fabric is creased on the inside back cushion because the fill flattens when leaned against, causing the fabric to fold over on itself and crease. The nailheads do not line up on the foot rest with the nailheads on the leg as they do on the TK chair. The Sherrill chair, in an entry level fabric, was $1800 on sale, plus tax, delivery. The Taylor King chair was $2400 for leather, included tax, but additional delivery and $140 for a warranty. I wish I had bought the warranty for the Sherrill chair too but it irked me at the time to have to purchase insurance on an expensive chair. Why move up to better quality if it's still expected to fail and it's on you to fork over $200 for a warranty to protect yourself? The stores are forced to do this so they can stay in business having to buy China made products and frankly products made anywhere including the USA that do not hold up. This is not your mama's country anymore. But I digress, frankly, both chairs are hideously expensive. We previously bought two chairs in the $500 range, marked down from $800 (recliners) trying to save that extra 1 to 2K on the high end lines but it was wasted money. After a few months the fabric is literally coming apart with threads dangling and if I slightly move the chair from side to side it actually wobbles. In this range they are mostly imports and the usual junk expected from years of disappointing buying experiences. Everything is likely imported materials, cushions, filling, fabric, thread, etc., the pile is assembled here then marked made in the USA, sad.

decor64 - I'm going to be the devil's advocate here, and I'm sure most people will not agree, but here goes....we lost our house and everything we owned in Hurricane Katrina. Beautiful furniture and accessories that we had collected over 35 years of marriage. Finally, we are building a new home, but there's no way that we could afford to replace what we had, such as Henkel-Harris breakfront, armoires, secretary, etc. Costs have risen quite a bit since we purchased them in the 70's, and our insurance did not come close to making us whole, as they love to say. The only thing high-end that we have purchased is the house! After scouring numerous magazines, articles and websites, we have purchased stylish, but not the most high-end furnishings that will complement our house. Look at it this way, styles change, even classics, so if you haven't invested an arm and a leg into your sofa, and you tire of it, it's a lot easier to change, instead of feeling like you're married to it because it was so expensive. There are not that many high-end furniture places here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but I chose to purchase locally, because businesses suffered as much as residents here. Sorry to ramble. Good luck with your selections.

I agree with all of you: they're definitely Hollywood Regency. And I should recharacterize my own style, which is probably better said to be "*in* transition" rather than transitional. (: I do like clean-lined pieces, and our DR set is very Mission; the adjacent LR combines Mission and Art Deco; and our bedroom, where these chairs would go, is your basic Recovering Graduate Student/Random Wedding Present room. So funky/eclectic would fit in just fine there. And there's just something about these chairs... The room is a long rectangle. The half without windows is for the bed (not a bed per se, but rather mattresses on a metal frame) and the dressers, which are mismatched yard sale finds. On the other side of the room, I'd like to create a sitting/reading area next to the windows, with a gorgeous view of the mountains (by far the nicest thing about the room!). We got a red and tan handloomed Peruvian folk-art rug for our wedding, and that's what we'll use to set off the seating area. Also on that side of the room, framing one window, are some slender dark walnut modern-styled bookcases. And then the part I'd like to replace: a heinously ugly loveseat that a friend gave us, also on that side of the room. I'd much rather find some reading chairs and an ottoman than a loveseat anyway; the room's not that big, and the loveseat makes it a pain to open and close the curtains and shades. I agree these chairs don't look too comfortable, so they're probably not my ideal reading chairs. But they'd be good for draping the bathrobe or pulling into the LR for extra seating. I love the idea of velvet, and maybe even the box-pleated skirt -- hadn't thought of that, cool idea, thank you! I agree that they're great in a pattern, but I don't want lots of patterns clashing in my bedroom, I don't think. What would you think of a tan velvet on the back and the bottom of the seat, and then the top, round seat cushion in something like this: Here is a link that might be useful: I'd use this pillow cover to reupholster the seat...