How to furnish a home...

We'd like to furnish a 2-brdm/2 bath home with traditional or ranchito-style furniture, comfortable of course. Short of obvious lakeside furniture stores in town or GDL, any suggestions for finding locally made furniture on the lake and even gently used furniture and household items?

Where did you find the furniture and household items you have and like?

Muchas gracias!

I answered you on TOB.

Jubilacion wrote:We'd like to furnish a 2-brdm/2 bath home with traditional or ranchito-style furniture, comfortable of course. Short of obvious lakeside furniture stores in town or GDL, any suggestions for finding locally made furniture on the lake and even gently used furniture and household items?

Where did you find the furniture and household items you have and like?

Muchas gracias!

We moved here a year ago to a totally unfurnished 3 bedroom home. It was not that easy to find suitable furnishings unless you have a long time to do it and lots of cash:/

You can contact Julie and Wayne the yard sale folks and let them know what you are looking for and they will contact you if they come across something you might like. There are a few used stores "bazar's" that carry things. If you are looking for traditional ranchito style it will be more difficult I think because it will take time to find it used. Ocatlan has tons of furniture stores but most of the stuff they have are made of MDF and modern styles. These are the lakeside second hand shops or consignment shops I know of:

Make it Cash - Carretera Pte. 268, San Antonio Tlayacapan, 45920 Ajijic, Jal. This is across the street from the French Bakery and is open 10-4 Monday through Friday (we bought a few pieces here)

Barbaras Bazar - Independencia 7, 45920 Ajijic, Jal. open 10-2 Mon thru Sat

Upscale Resale Bazar - Hidalgo 75, Riberas del Pilar, 45906 Ajijic, Jal. open 9-3 Mon thru Sat

First Cash - 45920, Marcos Castellanos 28, Ajijic, Jal. open 9-8 Mon thru Sat and 10-5 Sundays (I have not been in this store because there is no parking for a big vehicle so not sure what all they have but it is a pawn shop I believe)

Cosmopolitan Bazar - Hidalgo 79A, Riberas del Pilar, 45906 Ajijic, Jal. open 10-3 Mon thru Saturday

Bazar Del Lago - Hidalgo 416, Riberas del Pilar, 45906 Ajijic, Jal. open 10-3 Mon thru Saturday

Its Kinda Bazar and Kinda Not - Hidalgo 100E, Riberas del Pilar, 45906 San Antonio Tlayacapan, Jal. open Tues - Friday 10-3 Not much furniture here usually but you could talk with them perhaps

Gran Bazar - Hidalgo 69C, Riberas del Pilar, 45906 Ajijic, Jal. open 11-4 Mon - Sat and 11-2 on Sunday

Todo Bueno Consignment - Riberas del Pilar, 45906 Ajijic, Jalisco not sure of the hours for them:/

I am sorry but I do not know what might be available in Chapala village:/

If I had it all to do over I would have looked at the shops in Tonala before I bought my furnishings. I also think the more Mexican villages around the lake have more of the traditional furnishings. A friend found a great set of couches and chairs in San Luis Soyatlan for a very modest price and I found some nice stuff in Joctepec so there is lots of homework to do I am afraid:-) The closer to Ajijic you shop the higher the prices will be.

Your search for furnishings should take time and patience in order to be successful. The best selections and prices will not generally be close to a concentration of expats; for obvious reasons. So, get some basics, to start, and then plan on road trips, with a cartop rack, to smaller towns in Jalisco and Michoacan. You will be glad you did.

Tonala has a secton where you can find nice mesquite furniture , Sayula has a pair of brothers that make nice mesquite furniture that they sell in Tonala and Tlaquepaque so just as well go directly to the source.
Ocotlan has a bunch of showrooms of modern furniture. Bazaars here sometimes have interesting pieces.. There is not one place where you can fid everything you may like you have to take your time and shop

And....Don't forget that you are not in Kansas any more. In Mexico, it is still common to have furniture made to your specifications, or to a modification of something that you liked, but wanted in a different size, finish, etc. Artisans are everywhere and prices are very reasonable. Custom furniture is not generally more expensive, as it is quite common in Mexico.

If you find used upholstered quality furniture with good bones but ugly fabric, get it. Having things reupholstered here is relatively cheap compared to NOB and some who have that trade are excellent

Ive got a very sturdy rustic TV stand for sale

But nobody has a sturdy, rustic TV to fit in it........lol.

RVGRINGO wrote:And....Don't forget that you are not in Kansas any more. In Mexico, it is still common to have furniture made to your specifications, or to a modification of something that you liked, but wanted in a different size, finish, etc.  Artisans are everywhere and prices are very reasonable. Custom furniture is not generally more expensive, as it is quite common in Mexico.

There have been many excellent suggestions but yours also made us laugh out loud! Why? Because we DID just move from Kansas City, Kansas!

inthecolumbiagorge wrote:
....so there is lots of homework to do I am afraid:-) The closer to Ajijic you shop the higher the prices will be.

WOW! Thank you to all! There have been so many excellent ideas for us to pursue my wife and I REALLY APPRECIATE the suggestions.

And, inthecolumbiagorge, your final comment about lots of homework to do...your list of bazaars will certainly help. I feel like I just copied your homework and turned it into the teacher already completed!! LOL!!!

Intercasa wrote:Ive got a very sturdy rustic TV stand for sale

Spencer, I sent you a PM. Thanks.

I wanted to add...if you do Facebook there are a couple of good pages for used stuff lakeside.
Beg, barter, buy & sell - Chaplala
Beg, barter, buy & sell - Guadalajara

I have purchased lots of items on both sites:)

Yes.....before 90 people post that they don’t use Facebook...no issues....good for you. If however the OP does these are good places to look daily for items when furnishing a home

I have Facebook but I have no presence on Facebook. I use it strictly for accessing info like the site above and Restaurant menu's etc.

Facebook serves a purpose for me. It helped me find old college buddies and friends. It keeps me in touch with my family and good friends. I belong to a very few groups, like the Beg Barter and a 60s Nostalgia. I limit my friends and who can access me. I guess because of my profile, I don't see those bazilions of fake ads and cons. I still get a lot of junk advertising, but by clicking I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS I managed to keep it down. Yes, the owners and perpetrators should be ashamed and punished for their insurrections, and I mourn the loss of my private information to advertisers. But truth be told, that information was up and out their years before I got into Facebook.

Rustic huh? Those wooden cable spool reels are nice, once they are used and discarded. Plastic five gallon buckets are comfortable, are easy to paint or decorate, throw some cloth on, same as the table. Moving companies are a gold mine of opportunities. For example, those wardrobe moving boxes can be repurposed as a standard wardrobe, with a bit if paint or wallpaper.



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