I remember when I bought my first home and had to furnish it. It feels like yesterday I had just gotten married and was still fairly new to selling furniture at what was then, my parents' home living furniture store. I was so excited to add a black leather Natuzzi couch, loveseat, and chair to my living room, and kept envisioning lounging on them with a good book; whether or not they would actually fit completely flew past me.
I tell my wife of my plan and she looks at me with her head tilted and says, Deepak, have you measured the living room? I don't think all three pieces are going to fit. My dreams shattered in a matter of seconds.
Moving the couches in would have been a painful process for the furniture store's delivery crew, and overall disappointment having to pick out something new. Since I've owned my home and worked in home furniture sales, I've learned: You never want to purchase any furniture without taking the following into consideration!
Know Your Measurements
One of the best ways to ensure your desired furniture will fit in your home is to create a mock floor plan for each room. Theres a little bit of work involved here in the beginning but I found that its one of the best ways to plan furniture placement in any room.
What You'll Need
- A roll of measuring tape
- Graph paper
- A ruler
- A pencil
- 1 or two colored pieces of paper
- Set of scissors
Create your mockups room by room if you are using paper that is on the smaller side. Leave space on the page to account for hallways.
As you measure and sketch your home, be sure to address:
- Wall height and width
- Doorway height and width
- Window height and width
- Nearby hallway and stairway height and width
- The areas around outlets (think about how youll lay out TV consoles and lighting)
Renew and Refresh
One of the best times to renew and refresh your walls or flooring is when you are updating a space with new furniture (assuming you are already settled in a house or apartment). With old furniture out of the way, you can conveniently repaint walls, baseboards, and trims in addition to installing new flooring or fixing a scratch on a hardwood floor (that you've been covering up with a piece of furniture).
Furnish for Your Lifestyle
My wife and I knew we wanted kids fairly soon into being newlyweds and I could not imagine having a white sofa with toddlers. Save yourself time and money by furnishing your home with furniture that fits your lifestyle. If that white couch is a must, add a cover or use a fabric protector to it clean.
Furnishing for your lifestyle extends into other areas of the home. Couples typically find that
queen or king size beds are more comfortable than twin or full size beds.
If you have a lot of belongings, utilize storage solutions to keep everything organized. Add a
chest or two to your bedroom and a
storage ottoman to your living room.
If you're not sure where to begin in making your home furniture purchase,
contact us.
