How to Shop for Furniture

Before shopping for new furniture, take a hard look at what you already have – you don’t want to splurge on a gorgeous new sofa that will only throw your current coffee table into sharp relief. As yourself 'what do you love?'. 'What do you wish you could get rid of?'. If you have any furniture you don’t want, don’t try to integrate it into your new design scheme – donate it and start fresh with something you can really enjoy having in your home. If you have a hard time letting go, you may want to hire an interior designer to cast an impartial eye on your furniture.

You may also want to think about cleaning upholstery and carpet – it’ll help you give a sense of what the finished interior will look like, and figure out what can be salvaged and what needs to go. This is also an excellent time to engage in some hard-core decluttering.

Size It Up

One of the most important factors in a furniture purchase is whether the piece will fit in your home. Make sure you know exactly how much space you have to work with. This is another good reason to clear out unwanted furniture before buying new – if you’re tossing that old armchair by the window, you’ve given yourself that much more interior wiggle room.

Measure each potential location carefully, and consider 'flow' as well as square footage. A good strategy is to spread out a sheet or pile pillows or cardboard boxes in the new location so you can get a sense of what it would be like to navigate the room with its new addition in place. Measure carefully when you get to the store, too. If you’re thinking about a modular piece like a sectional sofa or a table with removable leaves, think about whether the expanded version can really be installed in your home.

Not Only in Stores

Conventional furniture stores have to deal with a lot of overhead costs – and they pass those added expenses right down to their customers. You can circumvent these retail prices by shopping online or looking for warehouse sales. These no-frills venues will save you money.

Warehouse locations often have clearance sales with steep markdowns. Warehouse sales can vary, but they’re often seasonal. There are two high seasons for debuting a new furniture line, one in April and one in October, so it’s a good idea to search for deals a couple of months beforehand. Online and warehouse sales may also offer you opportunities to cut down on shipping costs, which can quickly add up - be careful to compare the 'all-in' price of the item before making a decision.

See the Big Picture

When you’re redecorating, it’s important to think holistically – consider how each new option will fit into a unified whole. Otherwise, you might find yourself designing the entire room around one piece of furniture, which will be frustrating rather than fun. A good way to build an interior is to take photographs of each piece you like then upload them to your computer desktop and look at them together rather than in isolation. You can also search the Internet to find ideas for similar spaces and furnituree pieces.

Stay Neutral

For larger pieces – especially a living room sofa or club chair you may keep for years – it’s always best to stick with neutrals. These pieces will age better with changing styles, which can often update interior color palettes by shifting them several shades, and they’ll make it much easier for you to integrate new furniture and accessories that might otherwise not work together. Neutral doesn’t have to mean boring. I like to layer textural contrasts – like wood, metals, glass, ceramics and textural fabrics – to add visual interest to a neutral space.

Buying furniture always takes some time and careful planning, but with these tips, you should be well on your way to a harmonious new living space in no time.

Robert Frank is a local resident and owner of Robert Frank Interiors, a full-service interior design and construction company located in San Marino, California. Robert Frank Interiors works in collaboration with clients to create beautiful, functional spaces that reflect their lifestyles and personalities. Visit us on the web at www.robertfrankinteriors.com.