Moving in somewhere new? Bought your first home, and ready to make it completely yours? No matter what your situation, you’re looking for new furniture, and we know the tricks to make it furniture you’ll love forever. No matter what your budget, there are things you’ll have to look for, and things you’ll want. When it comes to your furniture, you’ll need durability, comfort, a good fit, and the right look. How can you figure that out? Learn how to choose the best furniture for you and your home.
Step 1: To the Drawing Board
Your first step is to figure out what you want in each room. Map out your room, whether on your computer or on paper, with the correct dimensions. 14 feet is a very different room than 14 feet 2 inches, so be precise! Once you know exactly what your room looks like, start planning out what you want. If you’ve got a small living room, do you really need two couches? What about a coffee table? How big do you want the television to be? Does it fit beside the fireplace? When you have a realistic look at your room, it’s easier to map out what exact pieces you want in the room, and figure out how they can fit. Once you have a floorplan you like, you can record the measurements of your new list of furniture.
Step 2: Shopping
Armed with your new knowledge that you need exactly two coffee tables, four nightstands and what have you, you won’t get tricked into buying something you don’t need because it looks pretty. You’ve got an exact list of what you want in your room to keep it from being cluttered. If you’ve done things right, you’ll even have a measurement of what you want. That way you won’t get stuck with a couch too small for your space, or buying one that won’t even fit in the front door. Having a concise list of what you need, rather than what colors or fabric you want, will help you get in and get out.
Start looking around at different places, letting the sellers know that you need a couch exactly 80 inches, for example, and refuse to look at ones that can’t fit that need. If you have a workable budget for space, then keep it realistic, and say between a couple of inches width. Know what will and will not work in your room. Since you’ve already mapped out your home, you know what you want, so now it’s time to get it!
Step 3: Customizing
Once you find what you’re looking for, now you can consider colors and fabrics. If you want a sea-themed bedroom, don’t get the bright orange nightstand unless you can repaint it, or have a choice of a different color. You might have to look into getting something reupholstered if you truly fall in love with it, and it really will fit into your floorplan. Aim for simple furniture that will stand the test of time, and avoid the coolest and newest trends. Trends and fads die out quickly, but if you keep a simple and classic look in your furniture, it’ll look great for years to come. After all, you could always just decorate the room with pictures and throw pillows that suit whatever trend. Those are easier to replace!
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