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Buying Furniture For Your Home
by Nikki Willhite
www.allthingsfrugal.com
©1994 Nikki Willhite
Buying furniture can take a big bite out of your wallet. Even
with careful thought and wise shopping, it is a major expensive.
Sometimes it is worth paying a little more money to get a piece
that will last for years, rather than a very inexpensive item
that will fall apart or become hopelessly outdated in a short
time.
On the other hand, some people pay outrageous sums of money for
their furniture. Most of us neither want to do that, nor have the
financial means to do so.
There are some basic rules you can follow to keep the cost of
buying furniture down, while selecting items that will serve you
best for years to come. There are also factors to take into
consideration so that your furniture stays in good condition, and
is both practical and comfortable.
Here are some guidelines
-Remember the design element of scale. Some sofas are oversized,
and others are small and seem to hug the ground. IKEA is a
discount store that sells a lot of very low furniture. If you
have a big room, your will want larger pieces. Smaller sized
furniture looks better in small rooms and apartments.
IKEA manufactures their furniture in Scandinavia, where dwellings
are typically smaller than in the United States. One notable
benefit of their furniture is that it is fire resistant, which is
not the case with most furniture.
-Another thing to consider when buying sofas is the height of
your family members. You will not be comfortable sitting in a
sofa when your feet do not reach the ground. On the other hand,
if your knees are in your face, the sofa is too small for you.
This is why couples should always shop together for furniture.
-Buy the best quality furniture that you can afford, preferable
used. You can find bargains in the chipped and dented section of
many furniture stores, as well as in the classifieds. If you have
children, your furniture is not going to remain pristine anyway,
and a few scratches are nothing to get concerned about if the
quality is good.
-Try and select classic styles for your large upholstered pieces.
Furniture with classic lines is easily slipcovered and looks a
lot better than furniture that must be covered with a one-size-
fits-all slipcover.
-Keep your large upholstered pieces in a neutral color. Visit
Goodwill to visualize what happens to trendy pieces. Very few
people are comfortable with a cut-velvet lime or burnt orange
sofa in their living room.
Colors return, but they are in different shades. The hottest
bright green now is a kiwi color. I personally like that color,
and have a futon cover in that shade. When it becomes hopelessly
outdated, I will just replace the cover.
When your furniture is in a solid color, it is very easy to drape
an afghan, quilt, or blanket over it to hide worn spots.
-When buying wood furniture, as a general rule, the darker the
wood, the more formal the piece. Again, if you shop at IKEA, you
will notice all their furniture is casual, and almost all of it
is very light wood.
Wood grain with a lot of red in it, like mahogany, is difficult
to blend with lighter colors. For the most versatility, buy your
wood stained in medium to light shades.
-When you look at the upholstery fabric on your furniture,
remember that it is only as strong as its weakest fiber. When I
was taking my Interior Design classes in college, we tested the
fibers in fabric. We pulled them apart, and ran tests on them for
several things, including strength and durability. The durability
of a fabric can be ruined by a small amount of weak fiber.
Fabric that is made from several different kinds of fibers will
probably not be as durable as a closely woven fabric made with
one material. These are usually fabrics with a very smooth
texture and tight weave.
-Buy pieces that are as versatile as possible. See:
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/shopping.htm.
-Pieces that can be used in several ways, and in different rooms
of your home, will serve you for years. Buy real wood when
possible, and you will have the option to stain and paint it over
the years as needed.
-Buy furniture you know you will use. Think about the function of
each piece. Be sure you are spending money on something you
really need.
-Use multi-purpose pieces whenever possible. If you are short on
space, placing a television in a bookcase is more practical than
placing it on a stand. Use small bookcases for tables, trunks for
coffee tables, and beds with drawers in the frame for children.
Buy shelving and tables with drawers or baskets.
You can hide a lot of items under fabric-covered tables. You can
buy simple cardboard stands, meant to be covered, or make them
yourself by cutting a circle out of plywood and putting it on a
sturdy base.
-When you select chairs for your dining area, think about how
they will look when you pull them into the living areas of your
home for extra seating.
-Finally, remember that mixing and matching is now in full
fashion. You want your room to look like it has evolved over a
period of time. This gives it the character and warmth you do not
find in a furniture showroom.
Make good use of furniture that comes to you from all sources.
Reupholstering chairs is not hard, and stripping wood and
refinishing or painting it is a do-it-yourself project.
Careful shopping, including buying interesting used pieces, will
give character and personality to your home. Bring in the shabby
and the chic, and make it your own....for less!
About the Author:
Nikki Willhite, mother of three, and an Interior Design Graduate,
is the editor of The Pennypincher E-zine and Tightwad Tidbits
Daily. Visit her at http://www.allthingsfrugal.com.
by Nikki Willhite
www.allthingsfrugal.com
©1994 Nikki Willhite
Buying furniture can take a big bite out of your wallet. Even
with careful thought and wise shopping, it is a major expensive.
Sometimes it is worth paying a little more money to get a piece
that will last for years, rather than a very inexpensive item
that will fall apart or become hopelessly outdated in a short
time.
On the other hand, some people pay outrageous sums of money for
their furniture. Most of us neither want to do that, nor have the
financial means to do so.
There are some basic rules you can follow to keep the cost of
buying furniture down, while selecting items that will serve you
best for years to come. There are also factors to take into
consideration so that your furniture stays in good condition, and
is both practical and comfortable.
Here are some guidelines
-Remember the design element of scale. Some sofas are oversized,
and others are small and seem to hug the ground. IKEA is a
discount store that sells a lot of very low furniture. If you
have a big room, your will want larger pieces. Smaller sized
furniture looks better in small rooms and apartments.
IKEA manufactures their furniture in Scandinavia, where dwellings
are typically smaller than in the United States. One notable
benefit of their furniture is that it is fire resistant, which is
not the case with most furniture.
-Another thing to consider when buying sofas is the height of
your family members. You will not be comfortable sitting in a
sofa when your feet do not reach the ground. On the other hand,
if your knees are in your face, the sofa is too small for you.
This is why couples should always shop together for furniture.
-Buy the best quality furniture that you can afford, preferable
used. You can find bargains in the chipped and dented section of
many furniture stores, as well as in the classifieds. If you have
children, your furniture is not going to remain pristine anyway,
and a few scratches are nothing to get concerned about if the
quality is good.
-Try and select classic styles for your large upholstered pieces.
Furniture with classic lines is easily slipcovered and looks a
lot better than furniture that must be covered with a one-size-
fits-all slipcover.
-Keep your large upholstered pieces in a neutral color. Visit
Goodwill to visualize what happens to trendy pieces. Very few
people are comfortable with a cut-velvet lime or burnt orange
sofa in their living room.
Colors return, but they are in different shades. The hottest
bright green now is a kiwi color. I personally like that color,
and have a futon cover in that shade. When it becomes hopelessly
outdated, I will just replace the cover.
When your furniture is in a solid color, it is very easy to drape
an afghan, quilt, or blanket over it to hide worn spots.
-When buying wood furniture, as a general rule, the darker the
wood, the more formal the piece. Again, if you shop at IKEA, you
will notice all their furniture is casual, and almost all of it
is very light wood.
Wood grain with a lot of red in it, like mahogany, is difficult
to blend with lighter colors. For the most versatility, buy your
wood stained in medium to light shades.
-When you look at the upholstery fabric on your furniture,
remember that it is only as strong as its weakest fiber. When I
was taking my Interior Design classes in college, we tested the
fibers in fabric. We pulled them apart, and ran tests on them for
several things, including strength and durability. The durability
of a fabric can be ruined by a small amount of weak fiber.
Fabric that is made from several different kinds of fibers will
probably not be as durable as a closely woven fabric made with
one material. These are usually fabrics with a very smooth
texture and tight weave.
-Buy pieces that are as versatile as possible. See:
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/shopping.htm.
-Pieces that can be used in several ways, and in different rooms
of your home, will serve you for years. Buy real wood when
possible, and you will have the option to stain and paint it over
the years as needed.
-Buy furniture you know you will use. Think about the function of
each piece. Be sure you are spending money on something you
really need.
-Use multi-purpose pieces whenever possible. If you are short on
space, placing a television in a bookcase is more practical than
placing it on a stand. Use small bookcases for tables, trunks for
coffee tables, and beds with drawers in the frame for children.
Buy shelving and tables with drawers or baskets.
You can hide a lot of items under fabric-covered tables. You can
buy simple cardboard stands, meant to be covered, or make them
yourself by cutting a circle out of plywood and putting it on a
sturdy base.
-When you select chairs for your dining area, think about how
they will look when you pull them into the living areas of your
home for extra seating.
-Finally, remember that mixing and matching is now in full
fashion. You want your room to look like it has evolved over a
period of time. This gives it the character and warmth you do not
find in a furniture showroom.
Make good use of furniture that comes to you from all sources.
Reupholstering chairs is not hard, and stripping wood and
refinishing or painting it is a do-it-yourself project.
Careful shopping, including buying interesting used pieces, will
give character and personality to your home. Bring in the shabby
and the chic, and make it your own....for less!
About the Author:
Nikki Willhite, mother of three, and an Interior Design Graduate,
is the editor of The Pennypincher E-zine and Tightwad Tidbits
Daily. Visit her at http://www.allthingsfrugal.com.
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