Feb. 15--You've seen the "look for less" articles in magazines -- featuring clothes that imitate celebrity style for noncelebrity prices. But lookalikes of designer furnishings? You've probably seen those, too; you just might not know it. Familiar retailers -- including Crate & Barrel, Ikea and Target -- offer furnishings that are strikingly similar to those of foreign designers such as Saarinen, Le Klint and Eames.

The difference, of course, is price: A Saarinen dining table sells for $1,200 or more; Ikea offers a similar design for just $149.

Mimicking furniture is possible because designers can have difficulty obtaining copyrights, said Eleanor McKay, an Annapolis, Md., furniture-maker.

Furniture is often considered a "useful object" instead of a copyright-protected artwork, she said.

But even though two pieces of furniture might look identical, experts warn of the potential differences.

High-end furnishings tend to be handmade and are sold with quality guarantees, which is not always the case with inexpensive merchandise.

"Look at the construction details and the types of materials used," said McKay, who owns design company and copycat victim Niermann Weeks.

"Sometimes, you get what you pay for."

Cheap, mass-produced furniture can fall apart within the first five years of its life, said Ken Smith, director of furniture-industry services for Smith Leonard, a North Carolina consulting company.

But maybe you'll be tired of it by then anyway.

"Some people are more than willing to go with something cheaper because it meets a need," Smith said. "Others want something they can be proud of for a long time."

Interior designer John Wilson, manager at CRI Interiors in the Short North, recommends spending more on heavily used items such as bedroom furniture, a lamp or an oft-opened cabinet.

Homeowners, he suggested, could skimp on decorations such as a mirror or cocktail table.

"If something isn't going to be touched very much, you don't need the best quality," he said. "And with anything that's going to be more trendy, it's nice if you can get that at a lower price point."

We found 10 items that will make you see double (except when you look at the price tag).

asaunders@dispatch.com

VS

-----

To see more of The Columbus Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.columbusdispatch.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

NYSE:TGT,

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.