8 Tips for Buying New Furniture to your Home

Searching for new furniture for your home design? If you’re not sure how to buy furniture or where to look, we can help! Check out the furniture buying tips below to learn how to find quality furniture, discover the best time to buy new furniture, and ensure you get great prices while furniture shopping!

Measure & Measure Again

Do you have room for a sectional and a reading chair? Will that dresser fit between the bed and TV stand? Does the entryway table block the doorway? A go-to piece of furniture advice is to measure more than once! You’ll want to get the dimensions of the room you’re decorating, the size of your current furniture, and the measurements of doorways before you start shopping for anything new.

Make a Room Mockup

Once you’re finished measuring, you can get a better feel for how everything will fit by drafting a plan of how you’ll arrange your room’s layout and the furniture you want to add. Whether you put pen to paper to sketch it out or you prefer to use tape on the floor to stage where furniture pieces will go, this is an important step before you buy furniture—especially if your goal is to not make any returns!

Ask for Swatches

A pro furniture shopping tip is to always get swatches and samples! Regardless whether you’re buying a new loveseat, ottoman, or couch cushions, always request a fabric sample. That way, you can compare it to your wall colors, carpet, existing furniture, and home decor before you make a purchase!

Research Materials Used

Is your coffee table created from pressed wood? Are there flame-retardant chemicals inside your couch? What ingredients are in your wood glue? If you truly want to buy the best quality furniture, it’s crucial to know what kind of materials are used. Particularly if you or anyone else in your household has allergies, researching what’s in the furniture you’re thinking about buying can save you the trouble of serious health problems down the road.

Investigate Furniture Quality

How can you tell if furniture is built to last? Shopping at a quality furniture store with a staff you trust is a good start! Here are some general rules to keep in mind:

    Choose solid wood over veneer or particleboard
    Look for assembly that uses more screws or dowels than glue and nails
    Check quality of springs by feeling how close together they are
    Find couch cushions that are reversible or have coils
    Feel the back and sides of couches and chairs to see if they’re reinforced
    Make sure upholstery matches up at the seams

Buy at the Right Time

When’s the best time to buy furniture? January and July are generally agreed upon as the ideal months to go furniture shopping. This is because most furniture stores get new stock in February and August, so there’s more pressure to clear out old inventory around these times. The right time to buy also depends on what you’re looking for. Searching for a new patio set? Check stores for outdoor furniture between August and September! Need new living room furniture? Purchase a new sofa, TV stand, or any other indoor items from January to July for wallet-friendly finds.

Mix & Match Shapes…

Whether you’re buying furniture for a new house or changing up your current apartment design, what matters most is to have variety in what you buy! Balance your rectangular bed with circular nightstands. Offset a long couch with a triangular coffee table. Diversifying shapes adds visual interest to any room and can even introduce feng shui elements into your home.

…and Sizes, Too

Even with the best furniture brands and trendiest custom pieces, a room won’t be visually appealing if you’re not creating balance. One simple trick is to make sure you’re buying a wide range of sizes. Pair an oversized loveseat with a sleek armchair in your living room. Even out a wide California king bed with a tall armoire in your bedroom. Or balance a minimalist desk with an oversized chair in your home office.