How to buy furniture

It can seem a simple task at first, however buying new furniture, whether it’s the quest for a statement piece to finish a room or kitting out a new home, is rarely straightforward. 

The choice can become overwhelming after scouring the internet and/or high street for the perfect coffee table, desk or bookcase. Days and weeks roll by as your Pinterest board becomes more crowded but committing to a final choice can be daunting. Will it be a wise investment? Will the style date? Is it a statement piece or a just fad? 

So, before you give up on the idea completely, we offer up some pointers to help you narrow down your options... 

Need vs. want

Focus on the bigger necessities that bring structure to the space and can inform choices further down the line. Putting in place the essential pieces creates a sense of the room and allows you to identify your priorities. 

You need a desk to work at, a place for the TV on or a storage solution for an ever-increasing record collection; the finishing touches will come further down the line and be easier to identify with the basics in place...

Size matters.

Proportion is key. A sideboard that dwarves a room or a tiny coffee table lost next to a giant sofa will render an entire room irritatingly out of kilter. 

Consider drawing out a floorplan to better understand the restraints of the room and allow for planning the optimum combination of furniture. You are then equipped to narrow down your search based on a set of dimensions, allowing you to focus on realistic options as opposed to a plethora of possibilities. 

And, of course, measure twice. Then measure again.  

Don't attempt a quick fix. 

Purchasing furniture in an to attempt to improve the less-favoured pieces you already own but don't love, only results in more of the same. 

If you own a sofa you dislike, a coffee table in a similar vein or to act a standout contrast won't improve anything. Take the opportunity to curate instead. 

Remove the pieces you don't love from the equation and focus on how you would like to replace them so you ultimately build your style around pieces you want to keep.

A wise investment?

Image: Josh Appel on Unsplash

You get what you pay for. Aim to buy the highest-quality piece of furniture you can afford (within reason); save and invest in well-made, timeless pieces. 

Solid wood furniture will always be a sound investment. Wood is a long-lasting and robust material with innate stability and reliability. This durability ensures that wooden furniture offers sound value for money as well as easy maintenance (waxing, polishing or oiling only need to be carried out occasionally).

If you want a piece of furniture that will last, stand up to the rigours of day to day use, and look beautiful, the real value for money is in solid wood furniture. When you purchase solid wood furniture, you have a piece that will last for decades, if not generations.

  

It shouldn't take forever, but don't rush it.

Take your time. Your furniture will form the backbone of your home; it will make all the difference if you get it right and be a daily annoyance if you don't.

Establish what you need, make sure it's realistic and look to invest wisely.

Stylistically, follow your heart; your own style is born of what pleases your eye and the subconscious themes that unite the individual pieces you are drawn to, will bring your home together.  

Is it love?

Image: Belinda Fewings on Unsplash

 If the answer is no, think again. You shouldn't live with furniture you don't love.