Buying new furniture does not have to be as overwhelming as it seems. Here are some helpful tips the next time you go to make a furniture or rug purchase.
1. Whether replacing an old sofa/chair or buying for a new home, make sure you have the measurements of the room and existing furniture.
- For area rugs you will want to know the size of the room and the area where the rug will be going. If you are not sure how large of a rug you need, take a bed sheet or painter’s tape and lay it out in the area where the rug will be going. Then measure the bed sheet or painter’s tape and you have the size you need. If you are looking to use an area rug under your dining room table, make sure you take into consideration if you want the chairs on the rug when you move them out, or off.
2. Will you be re-painting, re-carpeting? Or adding new window treatments? If you are planning on a total room makeover, then I recommend basing the room around your favorite item. Whether that is the window treatments, the rug, paint, or upholstered fabric. Let your favorite item be the focal point of the room.
3. Figure out how the room will be used. Is this your main family room where you want to curl up on the sofa and watch TV, or will this be a more formal area?
- You may want to use a stain resistant fabric like Hallagan’s revolution or Crypton fabric in an area that will be heavily used.
4. Take a walk from your front door to where the furniture will be placed. Measure all doorways and hallways. Are the entryways cleared? Are there stairs to carry the furniture? If so, is there enough room to turn the piece of furniture?
5. Stage the room. Use painter’s tape or a sheet to lay out the room design. Do a walk through and make sure there is enough space to feel comfortable.
6. Know what theme or style you will be using to decorate.
- Transitional furniture: is known for its traditional styles with modern and old world classics. Unlike modern, transitional focuses more on comfort and practicality of the family house. Transitional color palettes are typically neutral and subtle and may be monochromatic. The best way to incorporate color with this style of decorating is using colorful art and accents, not upholstery or carpeting.
- Modern/contemporary furniture: has sleek, clean lines and usually makes use of whites, greys, beiges, or other neutral color. The overall look will be more eccentric and focussed around art work and abstract accessories. Glass and chrome are easily mixed in.
- Traditional furniture: This style takes inspiration from French and English styles from the 18th and 19th century. Traditional decorating has a warm cozy feeling like casual with rich wood tones.
- Casual furniture is friendly and cozy. Many pieces make use of plaids, small prints, and other patterns. This furniture category has changed over the years from Country, to primitive, to rustic, to farmhouse. This style of decorating is also easy to incorporate antiques. There is also a large color palette of blacks, whites, reds, mustards, and dark rich wood tones.
7. What is your decorating personality. Do you like to change things often? Repaint? Or do you keep the same look for several years.
- Changing your look: Stick with neutral fabrics on your sofa or chairs. You can easily change the look of your room with new pillows, a blanket, wall paint, area rugs and accessories.
8. Lighting: Is your room light or dark? Do you have lots of windows?
- If you have an area that is dark, you will want to take into consideration placement of table and floor lights. Make sure you factor that in when you do your staging layout.
9. If you are decorating a room that will have a television or fireplace, take into consideration what will the main focus be in your room layout.
- Remember, don’t let the walls decide your layout. If you are working with a large room, sometimes having the sofa floating in the middle of the room is the better choice.
10. Remember that you will be using these pieces for years to come. Choose the style and fabrics that fit your lifestyle and personality.