Top Tips For First-Time Home Furniture Buyers

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Have you lived in rentals up until now? Are you starting your first home? Buying furniture can be an exciting yet daunting experience for first-time buyers. Making a space your own, styling it to reflect your personality and keeping the expenditure within a budget are factors to be considered. It can feel a little overwhelming when faced with many styles and choices. The task of decorating your home can be accomplished systematically. Follow our design and furniture tips to make your experience a calm and enjoyable one. Here are some top tips to get you started.

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Measurements

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We cannot emphasize enough the importance of measuring your rooms before you purchase furniture. Furniture can visually look smaller in an open showroom. It can also be confusing to visually guess the size of a room. Don't just buy the first piece you fall in love with as it may not fit your room later. Or worse still it may be big enough for the room but gets stuck in hallways, up stairways around narrow turns or doorways that it needs to go through. Remember to measure the route the piece of furniture must go through to reach its final destination. Mark out the space that the furniture will take in a room to make sure that it fits comfortably and does not appear too bulky for the room. Figure out how you will arrange your furniture in advance so that you do not land up blocking doors and windows and account for TV placement and shelves. Check out the dimensions on our website and in our showrooms before you make your final buy.  

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Budget

Setting up a budget and prioritizing the rooms you want to furnish first is as important as getting your measurements right. Do a little research before you set a budget. Cheap furniture will not last long and exclusive pieces may be out of your budget. Aim for sustainable, durable and well-crafted pieces that will last you for a long time. Budget pieces may not stand up to heavy use and hold up over time. Be sure to look around until you find the best style for your budget. Remember that good furniture is an investment.  Make a budget and a list and stick to it. 

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Style

Understand your style before you walk into a showroom or browse the web. Search sites like Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration and to discover what resonates with you. Create a board of the various styles that have caught your eye before you make a purchase. Check if the pieces that you plan on buying are cohesive as it is easy to go wrong if you mix and match various styles. Along with styles, explore color combinations, textures and fabrics. Do you have existing pieces that you want to work with? Eliminating styles, colors and fabrics that you simply don't want can help you narrow down your search on what you do. 

Color

When choosing furniture, it is critical to consider the color of the walls. Especially for the living room and bedroom you want a tasteful contrast between the furniture and the walls. Starting with a neutral color palette usually helps you build your design style naturally, it also makes it easier if you decide to change the color of the walls or the soft furnishing later on. Keep the purchase of bold statement pieces or colors last when you are sure that they will enhance the room. Bold colors can be loud and it may not be long before you tire of them, so aim to select soft furnishings and small pieces in bold colors.  

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Lifestyle

Assess your lifestyle. Decide on who and how you will be using your furniture. Choose furniture that is best suited to your needs. This may differ if you have children or regularly entertain. Regular guests will call for a larger dining table and living room furniture than an occasional party. Do you have a pet or are you considering pets in the future? Your choice of furniture may change depending on those answers. Maintenance of your furniture is also an important aspect to consider in your buying criteria. Can you take the time and effort to maintain your furniture or do you need to consider something more hardy with minimal maintenance? 

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Don't be impulsive when buying furniture. Take time the way you would with buying a house or a car. Following the above tips can make your buying process stress-free. Drop in to one of The Furniture Stores if you have any queries as a first-time buyer.