Light weight furniture

[poetry_writer]

I just moved into an efficiency apartment. I love it! Looking for ideas on light weight shelves and furniture as I am unable to heavy life. I really need some space in my tiny kitchen area, and shelves in the living area (its sorta all the same area lol....). I cannot lug anything heavy up the stairs and into my place. thanks!

[Gizmo]

We have some modular shelves a friend gave me- you buy a set of wire frame sides, and there are little circle shaped things to hold the sides together. They are really light but sturdy, and you can build in whatever shape you need. I think it would be easy to get all the little pieces up your stairs.

Edit to add: I was given these, so I have no idea what they are called in stores or where to buy them, sorry :(

[ApatheticNoMore]

What are you looking for besides shelves? I don't want to say it as it is not the greenest (so um check what the thrift store has first ok :), they very well may have this stuff used), but I do think Ikea when I think lightweight furniture - I have some lightweight living room chairs etc.. Even they may be too big for an efficiency though (although they worked in a studio apartment).

[Miss Cellane]

I carried an Ikea dresser into my second floor apartment piece by piece and assembled it on the spot where I wanted it to go. So that may be an option with DIY furniture. I could manage the individual pieces, but not the 95 pounds that the whole box weighed.

Would plastic shelves be strong enough for what you want to store? Lots of the big box stores carry plastic assemble-it-yourself shelves. There's also wire shelving, which is heavier than plastic, but sturdier.

And lots of stores, especially furniture stores, have delivery services. Depending on what you are buying, they bring it into your home, position it where you want it, and take away the packaging.

[herbgeek]

I have the wire shelving that Target sells- very easy to put together and take down, plus the individual pieces are not that heavy. They have the shelves in black, white and chrome I believe.

I saw this one that has a chopping block top that might work in a small kitchen as an extra work surface: http://www.target.com/Honey-Can-Do-Shelf-Rolling-Chopping-Cart/dp/B0030BEPKW/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=wire%20shelf&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-8&qid=1308360312&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Honey-Can-Do%20Shelf%20Rolling%20Chopping%20Cart&node=1038576|1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576|1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_ primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0

[poetry_writer]

Thanks! Great ideas! Loved the chopping block table, i have little counter space.

[creaker]

I carried an Ikea dresser into my second floor apartment piece by piece and assembled it on the spot where I wanted it to go. So that may be an option with DIY furniture. I could manage the individual pieces, but not the 95 pounds that the whole box weighed.

Would plastic shelves be strong enough for what you want to store? Lots of the big box stores carry plastic assemble-it-yourself shelves. There's also wire shelving, which is heavier than plastic, but sturdier.

And lots of stores, especially furniture stores, have delivery services. Depending on what you are buying, they bring it into your home, position it where you want it, and take away the packaging.

I did the same thing. Delivery people put my IKEA dresser in the living room, I opened the box and carried it up one piece at at time and assembled it in the bedroom.

[porcelain]

I have this Ikea Poang rocking chair, it's very comfy and lightweight, and easy to change the look by buying a new pad or putting on a slipcover. http://www.ikea.com/sg/en/images/products/poang-rocking-chair-beige-birch__0093930_PE231539_S4.JPG

[rodeosweetheart]

I love my Poang chairs!!!! I have the brown leather pads, not sure if they still make them, bougth them first month I worked there. Really should get new frames, as these are pretty bad. But SO comfortable, and light as a feather.

My son and his wife just bought one, too. He was sheepish admitting it, as he used to make fun of mine.

[MagicRat]

If you are looking for conventional-looking sofas, lovesseats and chairs, you can get fine items that have styrofoam frames. Yes, the same material used to pack electronic devices.
The basic chair shape is molded out of styrofoam them covered in foam and fabric. Very, very light but look and feel like conventional wood-framed items.

[bicyclist]

IKEA furniture comes recommended by me for its' ease of moving and assembly. The chairs i purchased cam packed flat in boxes and took me less than an hour to assemble. They could save a lot of stress on one's back. I did not see any pieces in their store which would present much of a problem. Look on line or in their catalog!

[Spartana]

You can also look at "indoor" wicker or rattan couchs, chairs, and love seats as they are super light weight and not too expensive. And because the cusions and covers are removeable, you can wash them easily and just change out the covers or cushions when they get worn over time - but the framing will last forever since it is firm and doesn't sag like regular couch springs do. My Mom had a really nice rattan couch with a queen size hide a bed (which made it heavier but not as heavy as a regular couch) and it still looked beautiful after 20 years!

[poetry_writer]

cool ideas! I check the stores locally and couldnt find anything that didnt weigh a ton and cost a ton...:o)..thanks!

[Sissy]

poetry_writer, how cool to move into a tiny space and get things all worked out (or in, lol). Enjoy your new home!

[shawntheweaver]

I would suggest that you check out modular kind of pieces of furniture, and you may check out an IKEA store. Though the quality may vary, but it would be worth looking at especially if you have to lug these up the stairs. From my experience, IKEA pieces of furniture are lightweight and easy to assemble on your own. Avoid buying those Amish-looking furniture, which will have a heavy feel. And besides, you only have a small space, so ensure that your furniture looks light and will give you more space. Zen-like feel of these items should be the key when you look into these.

[herbgeek]

While perhaps a little pricier, LL Bean has some super lightweight furniture that come in pieces. I had bought one of the original sofabeds that didn't come in pieces, but its still very light. They also have a sectional, so you can buy just the right pieces for your place. Its held up pretty well, other than the fabric but that's my cats' fault, not LL Bean's. :)

[catherine]

I have a set of those leaning shelves in my home office, and I LOVE them. Very lightweight and practical (that's not my office in the pic, the the shelves look just like mine) They come in two pieces and are extremely easy to put together

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQo5kTpqqsDl14PIlaUOgbwwEwIRCLBY VCWM_lq9IQkqsFWf4Dr

[larknm]

poetry_writer, I just realized, thanks to your topic, that one of my first frugal decisions was to have no furniture I couldn't lift and move by myself. It's part of wanting to live as if I lived alone, when I have and when I haven't, so that I don't treat anyone else as an extension of myself who should do work just because it's my idea. This has been going on for several decades and has worked out well. This means lightweight materials and things I put together that I can take apart. I got most of it at yard sales--Danish modern couch with washable cushion covers was one of my first acquisitions, desk a door on 2-drawer file cabinets, lightweight metal cot to sleep on, bookcase made from bricks and boards. These days it's simpler--I wouldn't have a bookcase or file cabinet; I don't accumulate or keep enough stuff for them.