One of the best parts of having your own space, whether you are a homeowner or renting, is the ability to decorate however you want. Your choice of furniture is an excellent opportunity to build your own identity in your home, while also creating a comfortable living space. With so many different styles and brands to choose from, it can be overwhelming to shop for furniture. There are several ways you can help narrow down your search.
First, consider the general price range that you are looking for. If you do not want to set prices for individual items, consider setting a range for each of your rooms. To ensure you get the most comfortable and reliable furniture, make sure you are shopping from a reliable brand. Another consideration is whether the furniture company provides the furniture pre-built, or if you are required to assemble by hand. Assembling furniture by hand is often less expensive, but can be difficult or time-consuming depending on the complexity of the piece. Listed below are general furniture shopping considerations and some of the top furniture services available.
Planning Ahead
A common mistake new homeowners make is getting too excited about buying furniture without planning ahead. Planning ahead is not only about setting a budget, but thinking about what you need for your home. A great way to prepare for buying furniture is to design a basic room mockup. When making a mockup, be sure to measure the spaces in your room. You want to measure the ideal space for where you intend to place furniture, as well as your doorways or other entrances. This makes it much easier to plan out how to transport any new furniture into your home, which is especially important if you are purchasing bulky pre-built furniture.
You can also plan ahead by requesting furniture swatches and samples. Compare both the designs and colors with your existing space to find styles that match. This also helps you narrow down your selection, since you can search for specific materials instead of searching through a giant product catalog.
When to Buy Furniture
Another consideration is when you purchase your furniture. This is not always possible depending on move-in dates, but whenever possible, try to plan your purchases around January and July. The majority of furniture stores get new stock in February and August. Stores are under more pressure to clear out their old inventory before these dates, so you are more likely to see reduced prices and sales during these months.
If you want extra savings, ask if there are any floor models available. A floor model refers to a furniture set the store used as a display. Many stores sell these items for less because they are classified as use. While they have seen some minor usage, stores take good care of their display items, so you are not likely to notice any significant wear and tear.
Furniture Assembly
Many people enjoy the satisfaction of assembling their own furniture. However, furniture assembly can be a challenging task, particularly if the furniture is complex or delicate. There are a few things to keep in mind when assembling furniture to help make the process go smoothly. First, it is important to read the instructions carefully and familiarize yourself with all of the pieces. Next, take your time and be careful not to force any pieces together. If a piece does not seem to fit, double-check the instructions to see if you may have missed a step. Finally, once the furniture is assembled, take a step back and make sure that everything looks correct and is sturdy. With these tips in mind, furniture assembly can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Floyd Furniture
Floyd is one of the newest furniture companies, first established in 2013. The goal of the company is to produce more sustainable, environmentally friendly furniture. While the company primarily focused on outdoor furniture during creation, they now have a wide range of indoor options, including sofas, shelves, bed frames and tables. Floyd offers a wide range of customization options for the majority of their furniture, allowing you to change colors and configuration and even install add-on components.
All of Floyd's furniture is shipped in pieces, so you must assemble the furniture directly. All purchases have a 30-day return window, but there is a 10 percent restocking fee. If you order a custom, made-to-order item, the restocking fee is increased to 50 percent.
Dynamic Home Décor
Dynamic has a wide range of furniture to choose from. As one of the largest furniture services, they feature both modern and traditional furniture, with over 80,000 unique items to choose from. In addition to individual furniture pieces, such as sofas, dining tables and recliners, Dynamic also offers affordable furniture sets. Both pre-built and assembly required furniture is sold through Dynamic. One of their most popular features is their price match guarantee feature, ensuring you are never being charged more than necessary if you find an item priced lower at another store.
Maiden Home
Maiden Home is a leading furniture designer for hand-crafted items. Everything created by Maiden Home is a custom order. This means all the furniture is shipped pre-built. If you order from the local, white glove delivery service, the furniture is assembled in your home. A great aspect of ordering with Maiden Home is you can dictate specific sizes for your furniture. The company uses only high-quality materials, including kiln-dried hardwood, premium upholstery and high-resilience foam. Because everything is custom built, Maiden Home is one of the pricier furniture services available. You must also wait longer for the items to arrive, with most furniture sets taking between eight to 10 weeks to complete. The company offers a 30-day return window, with a 10 percent processing fee.
Burrow
Burrow is a great furniture provider if you live in a rented space or frequently move. Burrow specializes in furniture with modular designs. All of the items require assembly, but they are built in a simplified way, requiring no tools to put together. The furniture is also quick to disassemble, allowing you to neatly pack everything up and re-assemble it at your new location. Burrow also offers a fair amount of customization, modeling many of their sets after popular brand-name designers. Custom items are available within a few weeks, and all purchases include free ground shipping. They are also one of the more affordable furniture services.