HOME | Buying furniture for your home
SELECTING FURNITURE
This week I moved into my new house in Orange and while there wasn’t any renovation work to be done I did get to buy a few new pieces to tie in with what I already had. Which means… furniture shopping! It also means I have a spot to put my latest chest of drawers purchase. Selecting furniture is something I get asked about a lot and the process of doing so might be longer than you think (or you may have already started down this rabbit warren). There is a lot of criteria to consider before you can hit purchase or swipe your credit card in the showroom. Here is the process I go through before doing this…
1 | Requirements
What is the function of the space? What is working, what is not? Do you find you have nowhere to put your coffee cup when you sit in your lounge room? Are you finding your bedroom is lacking space to put your possessions? Let this be the driver of what you purchase rather than going straight to the solution of “I need a coffee table” as there may be many different ways to satisfy your requirements such as a shelf, wide armed sofa or the like.
If you are stuck start with a list of what you don’t like about the space which will help you use furniture (or other objects) to solve the problem. For example, in the Paddo Pad we had a very small kitchen/living space to work with and we needed to include a space to work from home. The solution was an integrated fridge and wall of joinery that wouldn’t make the space too small and building in a desk and purchasing a chair that complemented the space.
Also consider other options you might have to solve your problems like clever window treatments to control light or artworks or other styling props to create focal points. You might also like to start a Pinterest board or mood board of what you like.
2 | Measure up
Make the most of your space and consider the room as a whole by first drawing a rough floor plan sketch.
Start with the overall width and length of the room and draw a rough outline on a piece of paper. Add the dimension notes on the outside of this. Now come back and add in any features like windows, doors and power points that will effect placement of furniture. You don’t have to be a whizz at floorpans to put together a rough box on a piece of paper to use as a reference as you are working. (If you have a floor plan of your space, half your luck… but make sure you check the dimensions).
Having this rough floor plan will act as a guide throughout the buying process so you can understand what will fit in your space and work together. If you’ve not yet built your home, you may like to consider your floor plan before you get to furniture.
3 | Research
Let the games begin! With so much available out there it can be a very overwhelming task to source pieces of furniture. Beginning with a floor plan you are at least narrowing down what will and won’t fit.
Using your requirements from step 1, I suggest starting with the biggest piece you are going to purchase first eg. a sofa in your living room.
Compare and consider the materials used, lead times, if you need to see samples (fabric etc), what delivery costs will be of your chosen items.
If you are struggling to understand the style you are going to be working within, see my chat with Petrina Turner about finding your interior style.
4 | Buy + install
Now that you have scoured absolutely everything and compared products you know exactly what is available to you, you will be able to hit purchase knowing that you have explored all options and made the best decision.
Don’t forget to check widths or doorways, stairs, lifts etc to make sure you new purchases will fit when they are delivered! Using masking tape can be a really great visual to understand what space a chosen item will take in your room.
Some of my favourite furniture suppliers are:
(If you can tell, I have recently been on the sofa search!)
If it’s all too much and you want to chat a bit more about the space you are looking to buy furniture for, please feel free to book in a free chat with me and I can provide you with a bit of guidance. Happy planning + shopping!