Check the wood
Whenever you are buying wood furniture, make sure to look beyond the surface. Check the underside of a table or desk. Look inside bureau drawers. Examine the fittings and joinery. This will give you a much better feeling for the quality of the item, and it is especially important if you buy any vintage pieces. It’s equally important that you know your wood types. Generally, wood furniture is divided into three main categories:
- Veneers – convenient option of wood furniture; inexpensive wood base concealed by thin layers of quality wood
- Solid wood – more expensive, typically because the entire piece is made of hardwood.
- Composite wood and particle board pieces – combos of resin, plastics, wood pulp, and scraps of woods; the cheapest type of furniture you can find on the market
Shop seasonally
If you want to save money on outdoor furniture, buy it at the end of the summer. This is when many shops cut their prices to get ready for the winter season. Summer patio furniture can be a good buy if you purchase now. You may need to store it inside over the winter, but you’ll need to do that each year anyway.
Choose neutral shades on large pieces
Neutral shades for the furniture allows homeowners to play with their decorations and accessories. Items bought in shades of grey, white, beige and so on, are ideal if you want to include deep red rugs, colorful vases and vintage paintings.
Try furniture in person
There is a lot of furniture available online, but there is a big disadvantage to shopping this way – you cannot test the furniture in person before you buy. It is much better to shop at a store where you can try the furniture yourself. Sometimes a couch is too hard, a chair makes you sink too low, or the upholstery fabric is scratchy. You can’t tell this from a photo and description online. There is no substitute for trying the furniture in person to make sure it suits you.
Make sure everything works well
When you are testing the furniture, be sure to try all of the functions. Recline that recliner and make sure it operates smoothly. Open every drawer and see that they move in and out easily. Raise and lower the desk chair, and test the mechanism that controls the stiffness. This is especially important for vintage or budget-priced furniture, and can help ensure that you don’t have an unpleasant surprise when you get home.
Sometimes you can get one piece of furniture that can be used in multiple ways. For instance, many people end up using a table as a desk. Others use an armoire to store computer printers and accessories in the top portion, with clothing or blankets below. By considering all of the possible uses when you are shopping, you can make sure that the piece you buy fulfills all of those purposes well.
Not everyone can afford to buy designer furniture from to tier manufacturers. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean you can’t be smart while decorating your home. There are plenty of ways to make your living room feel and look luxurious without investing a fortune. Check out flea markets and vintage shops; invest in a single piece and adorn it with beautiful decorations to make it stand out. Good quality furniture is timeless, so your investment will eventually pay off.