In early to mid twenties I would pay over $2,000 for a Le Corbusier style dining table just because it looked so darn good in the showroom. Right now I wouldn't commit to any furniture without surfing on the web for a few days and visiting a handful of favorite stores to compare prices. I am a proud deal hunter and there's nothing to be ashamed of. Take this Valbonne Chair for example, I paid $20 for the frame, sanded and painted it with a fresh coat of "antique white", and then had it re-upholstered for $95. The fabric originally came in red polka dots with fuchsia hot pink background. Not to make the chair look more juvenile than it already is, I used the flipped side of the fabric in solid fuchsia color. The fabric only cost me $3! So in total, a highly customized chair in my favorite color cost me $118...not bad for my first fixer-upper, eh? I haven't figured out where it will go in the house yet, but hey, it will be there when I finally get to it. :-)
Valbonne Chair in Fuchsia Fabric