Furniture and home furnishings stores generated about 101.41 billion U.S. dollars worth of sales in 2013, and that number has only continued to rise. Furniture shopping is a chore for some people, but for others, it’s like waking up on Christmas morning to a room full of presents waiting to be opened. If you fall into the first category, here are some tips for furnishing a home to make your furniture shopping experience as pain free as possible.
First, you should try shopping online before setting foot in any actual furniture store. Keep in mind what kind of furniture you’re shopping for. Are you furnishing a home? Are you furnishing a condo? Or are you just planning furniture in a room? Decide exactly what you’ll need and look for that specifically. Once you get a better idea of pricing and style options, you can visit a store, but it may not be necessary if the lowest price you can find is online. The best case scenario is picking out a piece of furniture you like online, seeing it in the store to get a feel for the color, material, and size, and then go back and purchase it at the lower online price. This may be more maintenance, but the potential savings are well worth it.
When it comes to furniture shopping, don’t automatically assume that the big brand names are the best. While you can get an idea for specific furniture pieces and types by looking at the big name websites, you can always find similar pieces from smaller companies that are much more affordable. Remember, though, that lesser known names do not mean lower quality.
Finally, if you’re shopping for a larger piece such as a couch or loveseat, it’s recommended to stick to more neutral colors as opposed to overly vibrant or flashy colors. Not only are neutral colors able to be coordinated with other colors easier, but they can also be sold for cheaper since they’re so popular. If you’re going for a bold color in a certain room of your house, stick to neutral colors for furniture and add color to decor items like pillows, lampshades, and rugs.
Overall, shopping for furniture should be an exciting new experience, not a stressful chore. Just plan accordingly and do your research, and you’ll be all set.
