Last Updated on April 15, 2024
Do you know what makes a piece of real estate with a few rooms and kitchens a livable space? No, it’s not furniture, but the right kind of furniture. Furniture brings life to your house and makes it a more attractive and functional place to stay. However, selecting the right furniture can be a challenge, especially if you are seeking both functionality and beauty.
Ideally, a piece of furniture should last for five to ten years, look good, and cater to your requirements. If you are contemplating purchasing new furniture for your home, here are a few tips that would help you select the right furniture for your home.
Table of Contents
Decide on a Budget
Before you step out and start shopping, make sure you determine your budget. Having a budget in mind helps you eliminate out-of-budget items that make your shopping more filtered and efficient. Moreover, overspending on furniture can put you in trouble because you will not have funds to fulfill other requirements. Additionally, if you spend too much on one or two pieces of furniture, you might run out of funds to purchase additional furniture.
The best way to determine a budget for your furniture shopping is to grab a pen and paper and jot down the pieces of furniture you need. Start assessing different rooms to figure out what is missing and what needs to be replaced. Once determining the items required, browse the web to get a vague idea of the cost of items you plan to purchase. After writing an estimated price for al items, total the prices to get the expected value of the whole furniture shopping process.
Edit and Omit
Once you have a list of required items, analyze it to figure out the essential items. If you are on a low budget, you might need to omit a few items from your list. On the other hand, if you are high on budget, you might make a few changes to replace the basic furniture with some fancy pieces. For example, if you are tired of sleeping on your seven-year-old double bed, you can replace it with a more elegant, more comfortable alternative like Billy’s Beds.
Being low on budget can be frustrating, but it is essential to assess honestly and intelligently. Many items can be refurbished; thus, you can give them a new look without spending money to buy a new one. Although purchasing new furniture comes with its set of benefits, refurbishing existing furniture can help you save a significant amount of money. If you want to buy new furniture, you can consider selling your existing furniture to get some extra cash.
Asses the Architecture of Your Home
Before stepping out to shop, take a moment, and evaluate the architecture of your house. Furniture that looks good in a picture might not look identical when you place it in your home. Therefore, have a look at your home’s ceiling, windows, columns, etc. to plan what architecture you want to purchase and where would you accommodate it. If analyzing the design of your home is a hassle for you, contact an interior designer or architect to get assistance and recommendation about what furniture is suitable for your home.
Select a Theme
If you want to enhance the feel and look of your house, you will have to give it an aesthetic look. Determining a theme for your home can be outright helpful as it will not only simplify your shopping process but will give your house a unique look and feel as well. Although determining a theme is not essential, it can transform the entire look of your home.
If you don’t want to spend time selecting a theme, you can purchase general furniture as well. Although it will look elegant and offer you the functionality you desire, it will not provide a unique look to your home, which themed furniture can provide.
If you are unsure about what themes to choose, spare some time to surf the web. Visit websites like Pinterest and Instagram to check new furniture ideas and trends. Some popular furniture themes that you can consider for your home are:
- Traditional
- Bohemian
- Mid-Century Modern
- Industrial
- Zen/Asian
- Coastal/Cottage
- Vintage/Shabby Chic
- Contemporary
- Eclectic
- Rustic/Country
Choose the Correct Fabrics and Materials
Apart from choosing the design and theme, selecting the right materials and fabrics for your furniture is vital. If you are single or a couple with no kids or pets, choosing the correct material type can be easy. However, if you have pets or kids, you will have to consider the color and type of fabric as well. Kids are one of the most frequent users of furniture, and therefore, choosing furniture with non-toxic, easily-washable material is vital. If you have dogs, choosing white-colored fabric can be disastrous, especially if the fabric is not easy-to-wash. In such cases, prefer darker shades of fabric like red, brown, and purple.
Furniture, apart from being a necessity, is also an excellent investment option. A fully furnished home can sell for thirty to fifty percent higher prices than an unfurnished one, and the same equation applies to rent as well. Therefore, make sure the furniture you choose is made of high-quality and durable materials.
Saving money is important, but purchasing cheap quality furniture that wears out and deteriorates overtime is not a wise decision. In general, furniture made of Walnut, Maple, and Mahogany is durable and lasts for at least eight to ten years. If furniture made from these woods is expensive, you can also go for affordable options like Birch, Oak, and Pine.
Plan the Shopping
If you want to carry out a successful, effective, and efficient shopping, planning is crucial. Shopping is an overwhelming experience, and going on shopping without a proper plan can result in wrong decisions, and you might end up either overspending or purchasing the incorrect item. Here are a few tips that would help you plan your shopping day.
- Make a list of different items needed for each room (after editing and omitting as mentioned in the earlier sections).
- Figure out whether you want to shop online or offline.
- If you’re going to buy online, select the ideal retailer that offers quick delivery, and seamless returns and replacements.
- If you want to buy offline, figure out whether you can shop for all the items in one go, or you have to divide your shopping into different days or timeframes.
- Lastly, find out whether you want to shop for all the items from one shop or different shops. If from various shops, would you like to do it in a single visit or multiple visits?
These points are not the standard rule of planning, and you can create your plan as per your convenience. The objective of planning is to organize your shopping so that you don’t end up getting overwhelmed and make mistakes while shopping.
The Ending Note
The right furniture can not only change the look of your home but can offer you comfort and functionality. Moreover, it can be an excellent investment option as it increases the overall value of your house. However, purchasing the right furniture can be a tedious task and requires proper research, analysis, and planning.