Buying Furniture For your Home
by Nikki Willhite
www.allthingsfrugal.com
Buying furniture can take a big bite out of your wallet. Even
with careful thought and wise shopping, it is a major expensive.
Sometimes it is worth paying a little more money to get a piece
that will last for years, rather than a very inexpensive item that will fall
apart or become hopelessly outdated in a short time.
On the other hand, some people pay outrageous sums of money for
their furniture. Most of us neither want to do that, or have the financial means
to do so.
There are some basic rules you can follow to keep the cost of
buying furniture down, while selecting items that will serve you best for years
to come. There are also factors to take into consideration so that your
furniture stays in good condition, is comfortable for you, and well used.
Here are some guidelines
-Remember the design element of scale. Some sofas are oversized,
and others are small and seem to hug the ground. IKEA is a discount store that
sells a lot of very low furniture. If you have a big room, your will want larger
pieces. Smaller sized furniture looks better in small rooms and apartments.
IKEA manufactures their furniture in Scandinavia, where
dwellings are typically smaller than American sized spaces. Another benefit of
their furniture is that it is fire resistant. You can only find that at two
retailers in the US.
-Another thing to consider when buying sofas is the height of
your family members. You will not be comfortable sitting in a sofa when your
feet do not reach the ground. On the other hand, if your knees are in your face,
the sofa is too small for you. This is why couples should always shop together
for furniture.
-Buy the best quality furniture that you can afford, preferable
used. You can find bargains in the chipped and dented section of many department
stores, as well as in the classifieds. If you have children, your furniture is
not going to remain pristine anyway, and a few scratches are nothing to get
concerned about if the quality is good.
-Keep your large upholstered pieces in a neutral color and in a
classic style. Visit Goodwill to visualize what happens to trendy pieces. Very
few people are comfortable with a lime green or burnt orange sofa in their
living room.
Colors return, but they are in different shades. The hottest
bright green now is a kiwi color. I personally like that color, and have a futon
cover in that shade. When it becomes hopelessly outdated, I hope to just replace
the cover.
When your furniture is in a solid color, it is very easy to
drape an afghan, quilt, or blanket over it to hide worn spots. You can make it
last a lot longer that way.
-When buying wood furniture, as a general rule, the darker the
wood, the more formal it is. Again, if you shop at IKEA, you will notice all
their furniture is casual, and almost all of it is stained in a light color,
like pine or birch.
Wood grain with a lot of red in it, like mahogany, is difficult
to blend with lighter colors. For the most versatility, buy your wood stained in
medium to light shades.
-When you look at the upholstery fabric on your furniture,
remember that it is only as strong as its weakest fiber. When I was taking my
Interior Design classes in college, we tested the fibers in fabric. We pulled
them apart, and ran tests on them for several things, including strength and
durability.
Fabric that is made from several different kinds of fibers will
probably not be as durable as a closely woven fabric made with one material.
These are usually fabrics with a very smooth texture and tight weave.
-Buy pieces that are as versatile as possible. See:
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/shopping.htm
Pieces that can be used in several ways, and in different rooms
of your home, will serve you for years. Buy real wood when possible, and you
have many options to stain and paint over the years as needed.
-Buy furniture you know you will use. Think about the function
of each piece. Be sure you are spending money on something you really need.
-Use multi-purpose pieces whenever possible. If you are short on
space, placing a television in a bookcase is more practical than placing it on a
stand. Use small bookcases for tables, trunks for coffee tables, and bed units
with drawers in the frame for children.
You can also hide a lot of stuff under fabric-covered tables.
You can buy simple cardboard stands, meant to be covered, or make one yourself
by cutting a circle out of plywood and putting it on a sturdy base.
-Finally, remember that mixing and matching is now in full
fashion. You want your room to look like it has evolved over a period of time.
This gives it the character and warmth you do not find in a furniture showroom.
Make good use of furniture that comes to you from all sources.
Reupholstering chairs is not hard, and stripping wood and refinishing or
painting it is a do- it-yourself project.
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Careful
shopping, including buying interesting used pieces, will give character and
personality to your home. It is also fun to be surrounded by items that have
a history or story associated with them, rather than a trip to the local
furniture store.