Did you know that there are certain questions to ask when buying furniture that can immensely improve your furniture shopping experience? We understand that knowing what to look for when buying furniture can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you’re unsure of what you truly need in the first place.
We can oftentimes get distracted by the fluffy couches and colorful chairs and forget that furniture is meant to have a function. There are a few questions that should be answered before your furniture can be tailored to fit your personal needs and aesthetic desires.
The furniture experts from Living Designs Furniture are here to share some frequently asked questions about furniture, to better prepare you for your upcoming furniture-buying journey.
1. Why am I looking for new furniture?
This is a great question to ask yourself before you even step foot into a furniture store. Why? Because it can help you to reflect on your current pieces and know what to avoid when buying furniture this time around.
For example, if you bought pieces of cheap furniture that are showing excessive signs of wear and tear, try to purchase pieces that are only made with durable materials. Or if your white linen couch has a large red wine stain, you may want to look into stain-resistant upholstery fabrics like Crypton for your next couch.
Understanding your motives for shopping in the first place can determine how you choose your furniture while shopping and give you a more critical eye.
2. What pieces do I feel are missing from my home?
This is another great question to reflect on: what do you feel is missing from your space? It is common for furniture shoppers to just peruse a store and see what they like instead of analyzing what pieces could bring new life to their space.
Here are some examples of questions that can help you determine what you may be on the lookout for:
- Do you enjoy having guests over but feel you never have enough seating? A sectional sofa or a loveseat can provide great additional seating for your family and guests!
- Does your bedroom look and feel a little plain? Our handcrafted upholstered bed frames create a cozy and visually appealing focal point for any bedroom.
- Does your outdoor area look a little drab? Our teakwood outdoor furniture can turn any patio into a party area!
Understanding what pieces may be missing from your home can help you to curate your shopping list and avoid frivolous spending so that you stay within your budget.
3. What styles of furniture do I gravitate towards?
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to settle for whatever trending styles are stuffed into every basic furniture showroom in town. There are so many different and unique styles of furniture that all achieve a particular look and function. Your home is completely unique to you, so choose a style that reflects your personality and lifestyle!
Living Designs Furniture carries a variety of styles including but not limited to:
Traditional
Looking to invest in staple pieces that will never go out of style? The traditional look is a style that dates back to the 1600s and is still as fashionable as ever in the interior design world today. Traditional furniture features ornate details, classic designs, and soft structures that bring a touch of sophistication to any space. These pieces are typically crafted with bold, rich colors — an ode to their European roots — but can be customized to suit your home’s color palette.
Modern & Contemporary
The term “modern” in the furniture industry is used as an umbrella term to encompass styles such as contemporary, minimalist, and mid-century that all evolved in the 1900s as a response to the modernist movement. This movement prioritized industrialization in all forms, including furniture, meaning that design was more tailored toward function over form. Nowadays, we get to have furniture that is functionally sound and beautiful at the same time.
Our modern and contemporary styles are described as artful and on-trend, pairing soft curves and hard lines for a sleek and streamlined look. If you love a more unique aesthetic, this style is right up your alley.
Transitional
If you want furniture that can blend well into any space, regardless of your home’s current aesthetic, this style is perfect for you. Transitional furniture is described best as versatile and balanced because it incorporates a little bit of everything into its design. It takes inspiration from traditional, modern, and contemporary design elements in a toned-down, more approachable way to create something fresh and contrasting.
For those who are still trying to figure out their personal style, transitional furniture is the perfect investment that you can carry with you for as long as you want! These pieces will fit into any home seamlessly.
Mid-Century Modern
Mid-century modern gained popularity around the 1950s, hence the name “mid-century.” This style was heavily influenced by pop art and futuristic styles, making it a more decorative style than its modern predecessor. Mid-century modern furniture utilizes classic shapes and simple designs and adds the fun twist of tapered details and geometric patterns to create a cozy look that is adaptable to any home aesthetic.
4. What customization features are available?
We’ll let you in on one of our expert buying furniture tips: if the furniture store doesn’t offer customizable furniture, walk away. The ability to customize your furniture is the ability to create a piece that is perfect for your needs and your home.
Here are a few examples of the ways in which we can customize your perfect furniture piece:
- Custom sizing: Your furniture should be made to fit your space. No matter how big, small, short, or tall, we can customize any piece to fit your configuration.
- Custom shape: Circles, squares, curves, oh my! If you have an idea, our designers can bring it to life.
- Custom cushion comfort level: Comfortable furniture should be your top priority when shopping. We offer three levels of comfort for our high-density foam cushions — soft, medium, and firm — to provide you with your perfect feel.
- Custom fabric: With endless color options and textures, choose from a variety of affordable and premium fabrics with special features to fit your lifestyle needs and personal preferences!
- Custom upholstery details: Buttons, nailhead studs, tufting — you name it, we can personalize it. Let your personality shine!
The biggest benefit to customizable furniture is knowing that you invested in a beautiful, quality piece of furniture that you can love forever. Save money without settling! Custom furniture is a cost-effective and sustainable option that the experts at Living Designs Furniture highly recommend.
5. What materials are used to make the furniture?
If you have ever been shopping for furniture and have thought to yourself, “How can you tell if a sofa is good quality?” The answer all lies in the materials. With the rise of fast furniture companies that churn out mass-produced, low-quality furniture, consumers have been settling for cheaply made pieces for years now. What they don’t know is that these inexpensive pieces will need to be replaced every few years, costing you more money over time. Why? Because the materials aren’t built to last.
If you want to ensure that your pieces are quality and worth your hard-earned money, ask the salesperson what materials were used to make the piece. The frames should be made out of solid, hardwood — not plastic or metal — to ensure a strong structure that won’t warp over time. Our fabrics are also hand-selected for their durability and protective properties. What is used to make your furniture matters.
Here at Living Designs Furniture, we handcraft our furniture using only the highest quality materials available from our local and regional suppliers. Our dedication to durability allows us to provide our customers with furniture that is built to last them a lifetime, not just a couple of years.
Living Designs Furniture provides the best furniture for the best prices in Houston
Our experts hope that you utilize these questions to ask when buying furniture so that you can go home with your perfect furniture.
So, what should you consider when buying furniture? It is wise to invest in furniture that fits your configuration and personal style, meets your lifestyle needs in terms of functionality, is made with high-quality materials, and is made by a furniture manufacturer. How can you ensure that the pieces that you are buying fit all of these criteria? By shopping at Living Designs Furniture.
As a furniture manufacturer and retailer, we are able to provide the highest quality furniture in Houston for the best prices — no question about it. Come by our showroom today in Downtown Houston and speak to one of our experts about finding your dream furniture.
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