April 25, 2023

True home values

Sustainability starts with longevity. Why it is sometimes cheaper in the end to opt for quality and timeless design.

Back then, our grandmother didn't just advise us to use a pine chest of drawers. No, she gave us some more wisdom along the way. One of the wisdoms could not be more up-to-date: buy cheap, buy expensive. She repeated it like a mantra. The old truism has never carried more weight than it does today. In this challenging year, we have once again become aware of our consumption mania. A world where you buy cheap furniture like a pair of shoes.

A look into the past shows us how people used to be more frugal back then. The modern phrase “less but better” was lived every day. A couch was an investment for 20 years. The furniture in the room was made from solid, local wood. What was normal for our grandma – having furniture made, repaired and cared for once in her life – is now often lost. There is nothing more beautiful and worthwhile than asking yourself how robust, adaptable, repairable and sustainable a piece is when buying furniture.

Back then, when we put our Benni in the pine drawer, we realized that longevity has two faces in furnishings. On the one hand, good design never goes out of fashion. Yes, the old dresser is old, but it still fits into our simple interior - and it's always worth a conversation. Aside from the sentimental value, it certainly has aesthetic value. On the other hand, there is a pragmatic component: the experience that everyone has probably already had of moving with furniture from the furniture discounter or pick-up store. The screw becomes loose, the paint peels off, the fabric is no longer there. Repeated assembly and disassembly and missing parts can drive you mad.

Benni's Nest baby bed as a play table

A good piece of furniture, on the other hand, can withstand all moves. It fits into any living style: over time, like a good glass of red wine, you develop your own personal style. A good piece of furniture is suitable for every living situation: from a young family with a baby to a large family with grandchildren. For furniture that is used a lot - especially sleeping furniture and beds - it is worth investing. Here you not only invest in good quality and design but also in something very important: good, deep SLEEP! But that's not all. On good furniture, small scratches always make the piece more beautiful and give it character. Memories and a patina are created. If you want, you can always gently sand the furniture and lo and behold, it looks like new.

Versatile furniture: Benni's Nest children's beds as sustainable and functional furniture

Let's take our Benni's Nest children's beds as an example: a simple piece of furniture made from local wood in the old carpentry tradition in the Waldviertel. Its organic shape adapts to every living situation and every style of living. There is also the functional component: as a baby bed for the first 6 months and then as a bench, side table or chest. In a few years you can use the baby bed for the second child and then later - like a good heirloom - pass it on to your grandchildren. Just like our grandma lived it. This can also be transferred to our other pieces of furniture: the same principles apply to the mini bed and the children's bed. And the nice thing about it: the furniture doesn't need to be screwed or assembled. Our furniture is delivered ready and in one piece.

Benni's Nest children's bed (80x170cm)

Benni's Nest children's bed as a comfortable sofa

Perhaps one more thing that cannot be valued: affording something and saving up for something that you have been dreaming of for a long time brings so much more joy than a cheap impulse purchase. Because here's a little bit of wisdom from our grandma:

“ Quality remains even when the price has long been forgotten .”

Yes – we think our grandma has always been able to listen to us!”