Furniture Game - Final Update

As Nightrain reminded me yesterday, I have been evading the question of whether I am succeeding at the "Furniture Game" or have failed miserably. As of my last entry, I had spent $295 of my allotted $609 set aside for furniture purchases. Shortly after I started the Furniture Game, my parents contributed $100 in the way of a housewarming gift, bringing my overall budget up to $709. As stipulated in the original rules, I have not included any purchases that were made for Jesse's home office. I have also not included things that we obtained for free (with gift cards left over from our wedding) or small items like hooks, kitchen gadgets, etc.

I have obtained the following "furniture" items since my first Furniture Game post (including a recap of initial blogged purchases):

Kitchen Cart from Ikea: $56

The cart has been a lifesaver not only for providing extra counter space, but also for the storage racks. It's a great help during dinner prep because it means that one person can chop and stir completely out of the way of the person at the stove. After looking at this photo, I realized that I have only oiled a portion of the lower racks. I'll just add it to the list of things to do tomorrow. Or the next day.

Metal Kitchen Shelf, Courtesy of Craigslist: $25

Like the kitchen cart, this shelf has also been worth every dollar spent. I like that all of the pots and pans that I use on a regular basis (particularly in the fall and winter for soups and stews) are easily accessible. The pots and appliances also add a splash of color to an otherwise very white kitchen.

Bed Frame, courtesy of Craigslist: $125

This was another necessary purchase to make our apartment feel more like home. It has been moved and shifted several times over the course of our first month and has caused numerous bruises on my knees and shins. Luckily, we solved the clothes disaster under the bed -- it has now been shoved in a closet, out of sight.

My Orange Chair: $89

Even though it made me sweat in the 98 degree weather in early September, I have used this chair constantly since it was purchased. It has now moved from a corner of the apartment to our new living room area. Eventually, once we get a worthy shade for our tiki lamp (courtesy of Larson), it will make for a perfect chair for reading or working on my quilting projects.

Fairly Honest Bill's Chair & Supplies: $65 for the chair, $67 for refinishing items (new foam cushions, fabric, notions, wood stain)

This $65 chair has turned into quite the project, but well worth the time in my opinion. I have seen similar chairs with fully restored wood finishes and new cushions going for upwards of $400 in higher end consignment shops. Of course, mine isn't a high-end chair, but it does a nice job of looking the part.

Poang Chair from Ikea As-is Room: $99

Finding this chair was a total fluke. I had just stopped in at Ikea for some kitchen hooks and happened to browse through the As-is section. My first choice for a frame would have been a slightly lighter wood, but the cushion was the perfect chocolate brown to offset the other colorful chairs in the living room. The bookshelf pictured is one that we brought with us from D.C.

Billy Bookcases: 2 @ $59.98
We purchased the two tall Billy bookcases this past weekend to hold most of our books. The three smaller bookcases in the middle were brought with us from D.C. It's amazing how much stuff these bookcases hold. I'm also really excited that they blend in enough with the walls to mimic the awesome built-ins that we have throughout the apartment.

End Table, courtesy of Craigslist: $15
I know, you probably think I'm lying, but I really only paid $15 for this awesome end table. As I was driving to the lady's house, it crossed my mind that this might have been a ploy to lure me to a dark alley and take all of my belongings. That thought couldn't have been further from the truth. She was really nice and told me that it was her parent's (they bought it on their honeymoon) and she just wanted to give it to someone who would appreciate it.

Crate and Barrel Wool Area Rug: $149
Totally lame photo, I know, but it's back ordered. Hopefully it will come in the next few days. Unlike the photo, the rug is a nice brown color. The actual cost was $249, but we had a gift card from our wedding.

Step Stool/Office Chair/Kitchen Chair: $24.99
Jesse and I have had a philosophical disagreement on whether I should include our step stool into the equation. He argues that since I have been using it as a chair for nearly 4 weeks, that it is, in fact, a piece of furniture. So fine. I'll include it, but under duress.

So, that brings the total to $835.95 (or $126.95 over budget). So, technically I haven't won the Furniture Game. However, I am not completely devastated since most of you naysayers speculated that I would fail miserably by going at least $200 over budget. Also, the point of the game was to dip as little as possible into our meager income these first couple of months in Portland. I think it's a pretty huge feat to furnish our one bedroom apartment (almost) from scratch for under $1000 -- and to have only $127 in out of pocket costs.

Now that I have a paycheck on the horizon, I won't feel bad about shopping Craigslist for a cute breakfast table and chairs to replace the empty spot left by my my new office desk.