You need to use caution and take care while furniture shopping, selecting products that will last you a very long time. Nevertheless, you would not want to spend too much either. In this post I intend to help you by showing you how to be a clever furniture buyer. Yes you have been promoted to a buyer now! Ready?

Think about floor coverings and wallpaper prior to buying furniture. Purchasing furniture that clashes or fights with your space’s design can destroy your overall general decorating plan. If you are looking for an entirely different design, consider changing out your flooring and wallpaper. You might decide to repaint your walls and redo the floors to complement your brand-new, or new to you, furniture but that will only mean spending more money in the long run.

Make sure you have accurate measurements of your space before you decide to bring in new furniture to your home. It is nearly impossible to “just look” at pieces and think they will fit through your doors, in your space or on that one wall, you know the one by the “thing.” If you don’t have accurate measurement you may end up with this beautiful piece of furniture that looks amazing and awesome in our garage because it just will not fit in your newly designed space. Avoid these kinds of problems by doing the work before you go out to buy.

Furniture can be super expensive! This is why it makes a lot of sense to think about buying other people’s gently used furniture. One man’s trash and all, you know? You can find furniture that has been used in another’s home but is still in really great condition from all kinds of places like yard sales, garage sales, Facebook yard sales, craigslist, classified ads in the papers or online. You can always reupholster or refinish furniture if needed. This will allow you to save some money but also get neater pieces to finish out your decorating projects.

Thrift shops are a great place to start. ReStore stores, ASPCA thrift stores, Veteran’s shops, even flea markets are all great places to start. You can find some really great items for even better prices. While smaller side pieces or tables are going to be the mainstay of what you find, larger upholstered pieces like sofas, loveseats and armchairs can be found too. Don’t be afraid to really dig in and see what you can find.

Prior to you purchasing other people’s former furnishings, make sure you consider the condition of the pieces. You really need to look at the pieces and kick the tires, so to speak. Check to make sure the cushions don’t sag or that the filling is all gone from the arms or the seat backs.

Regardless of you buying something new to you or new to everyone make sure you are checking the quality that you are buying. Even on a new piece you don’t want the seats to sag or the filling to fall apart in a month. You need to flip it over and check under the hood to see the quality of construction. Take a look at the legs before you buy it, they should be joined together at the frame and should be heavy enough to support the piece and any extra weight like people or things stored in the drawers or shelves. Also consider the materials it is made of. Metal can scratch floors, so wood is a much better alternative. The legs must be connected to the frame, not just simple tacked onto the bottom.

Finding furniture that is build by using solid wood or metals and not inexpensive pressed wood will allow your new items to last a very long time. And isn’t that after the point of this, to last at least until you get this room decorated completely? The backs of wood pieces should be made of plywood and not cardboard or thin composite wood. Make sure you really give the furniture you are considering a good hard push and tug so you can make sure they are solid and will provide the support you need. You really do not want to be hosting a dinner party and have your guests fall flat on the floor because the side chairs that look amazing with your design style have just crumbled underneath the weight of the bosses wife! Make sure they will support the needs of the piece you are purchasing.

If you have never purchased furniture before make sure you know what you are looking for and what pieces will fit in your space. Remember from earlier to measure your room but also know what you are looking for or what will go in each area of the room. This will all help you from ending up with a trendy piece or really unique things that just are not going to stand the test of time. You do not want to end up with the eyesore coffee table that no one can use because you just couldn’t live without it. Instead think about what kinds of pieces you need to purchase and stay with good classic lines for your design theme that can survive the test of time.

Think about adding “green living” choices to your home. It is wise for the environment, for your home and because there are so many choices out there right now, it makes it easy to find. But make sure you are careful and you a aware of those trying to get one up on you. They can mislead you into believing you are getting something good for the environment but in all actuality it probably isn’t. Do some research online to know what the company stands for, what their best practices are and check to see if they have any certifications from companies like Oeko Tek or FSC. They rate companies materials and manufacturing practices so you can make smart choices in your shopping choices.

Now you can be more confident when it comes to buying good quality furniture for all your decorating projects! I hope you will end up with amazing rooms that tell your story and make you want to never leave your home! It’s time for you to get busy and do the fun part, get out there and get shopping!!!!