What I Wish I Understood About Buying Furniture

before I was an interior designer

I was recently talking to one of my friends who bought some new sofas on a whim to replace her old ones, and she was really regretting her purchase. Once she got them into her house, she realized they weren’t quite the right color, didn’t match her rug, weren’t quite as comfortable as she wanted, etc. and our conversation made me realize that this would be a great topic to talk about here.

I understand that hiring a designer isn’t an option for everyone, but I would suggest trying not to figure out all of your big furniture decisions alone. Because furniture purchases can cost thousands of dollars it’s kind of like purchasing a car. When you’re in the market for a car, you do your research, test drive the car, talk to a salesperson, get a second opinion from a friend or family member, etc.) I would suggest to go through a similar process with big furniture purchases—do your research, go check it out in person, talk to a showroom, get an opinion of a friend. Along with this, I think there are 4 main things to pay attention to when you’re about to make a big purchase: style, function, price, and quality.

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style

Having a concept or plan in mind makes it so much easier to source furniture. I suggest planning out the details of each room that you’re wanting furniture for—have a collection of inspiration images and dissect them. Pay attention to the things you like in the images—what’s the sofa arm, what’s the rug, what are the wood tones, etc. After you have a vision in mind for what you want, it doesn’t feel as stressful to buy something because you know exactly what you’re looking for. One of my biggest tips would be to have more of a long game mentality and avoid buying out of desperation (you’ll often have some regret with really impulsive purchases).

A concept board and furniture layout from our Cranberry Lane remodel

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function

How something looks is obviously important, but I would argue that how it functions is more important. Ask yourself a few questions.

• How do you live?

• When you sit in a certain type of furniture, what do you like about it?

• Do you like to sit with your feet up (should you get an ottoman or coffee table)? Do you like a higher or lower back? Do you want arms on chairs? Are you using your sofa for formal seating or watching movies/tv? Anything less than 36” deep is not going to be as comfortable good for watching tv.

I would also think about function in the way that something is going to wear. Some people like a slip cover so that they can remove/wash it and other people would rather spot clean. When it comes to fabric/wear, there’s no “perfect” option and everything is going to wear. Make sure that something wears the way that you want it to and you’ll be happier with your purchase.

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price

My #1 tip when it comes to price is to know what you’re paying for so that you are okay with your purchase. Everyone is taking a risk when they’re buying furniture, but eliminating as many questions as you can (about the piece itself) will make you feel so much more at ease with spending your money. Don’t let sales guide you—find a piece you love and then wait for the sale, but don’t let the sale influence you the other way around. Don’t worry about things not looking totally pulled together right away and remember that if you need to invest over time it’s okay.

Here are a few different options to getting design help at different costs:

• $ - using a showroom to purchase furniture with "free" design help from showroom staff.

• $ - scheduling an hourly consultation with a designer to get answers to questions and guidance on your project.

• $$ - hiring an e-designer to create custom plans for your project.

• $$$ - hiring a full-service interior design firm to help with architectural plans, exterior and interior finishes, furniture selection, etc.

quality

One of my top priorities with furniture is longevity. Quality pieces can be more expensive, but are worth it in my opinion because they’ll last longer. If you’re trying to save on furniture but still want a quality piece, buying vintage furniture is the way to go. Buying vintage furniture can take more time, but it’s worth it—I would also consider reupholstery if you find a good quality piece. Solid wood furniture pieces like chairs, tables, dressers, etc. are easier to spot, but you may have to sit on sofas, beds, etc. to be able to tell if they’re good quality.

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hire us

If you’re going to invest in thousands of dollars that you likely can’t return, it’s not a bad idea to hire a designer to make sure it’s perfect. By spending extra for someone to do the work for you, you’ll get more unique, special pieces that are cohesive and high quality.

Not all design firms will take on just furniture projects but we love to help clients who already have their build nailed down and are just looking for help pulling everything together with furniture.

Right now, we have a few openings for full home furniture projects. Fill out our form here to get in touch, we’d love to help you!