How to Shop for Furniture

STAFF
Published: April 17, 2008

House of Oak & Sofas
    Have you been furniture shopping lately? The experience may leave your mind swirling with themany choices you can make: Solid Wood, Upholstered, Leather, style and lifestyle ... all of these need to beconsidered when making your furniture choices.

When it comes to decorating your home or apartment, furniture can be a major expense with long-standing impact. It pays to think about what you need, what you want, and what your budget will allow.

GETTING STARTED

Start with a list of your needs room by room. Perhaps you already have some pieces to coordinate with, ormaybe you are starting from scratch. Or, are you replacing long-outdated,worn out furniture?

Evaluate what your needs truly are. Basic seating? A place to sleep? A large table for the family to gather? Or do you have stacks of books and nowhere to place them? Then look at your space and your budget.

Take an honest look at what your needs are and make a list. It is much easier to prioritize from that written list than to wonder aimlessly into a furniture store and have no earthly idea what you are looking for.

After you’ve itemized your needs, browse through decorating magazines, catalogs and Web sites. Hone in on the style or styles you like. Again, advance consideration of the styles that appeal to you will greatly narrow your choices and aid you in finding the right styles for your home.

FURNITURE STYLE AND FABRIC CHOICES

Most furniture falls into one of two style categories, formal and informal or casual. Formal furniture includes such styles as Louis XIV, Chippendale and Queen Anne, originally created for royalty and the wealthy. Informal styles originated in the rural countryside, and were designed by local cabinetmakers. These would include Provincial, Early American and French Country. Each of these styles can be further refined into traditional or contemporary. Traditional styles are most identifiable by the Cabriole legs, claw and ball feet, lyre shaped backs and carved details. Woods tend to be walnut, cherry or teak, and fabrics usually include brocades, damask and silk. Oversized sofas and chairs with deep, fluffy cushions, and durable easy to maintain fabrics exemplify casual.

Contemporary styles include Scandinavian, Modern and Oriental, with wood or laminate. They are identifiable by their sleek overall design elements. Style is also defined by shape, color and texture and is reflected in accessories and floor and window coverings. Home furnishings should make a statement about out your attitude and lifestyle. No one style is perfect for every room or everyone, so buy furniture that you like, whatever your style. Recliners are the “ugly duckling that became a swan!“ Recliners are better than ever; don’t let a designer talk you out of them! True, there was a time when they were ugly, but not anymore!

Today more than ever upholstered furniture is available in a wide range of styles and fabrics. To be a good buy for you, upholstery must be: Priced right. Colored right. Sit right. Right for the room and right for your family.

There is also leather to be considered. Leather is a natural product. Good leather will rarely wear out; but it will change in appearance from week to week. Many people love the natural coverings that change with wear and tear. But you better be clear in your mind with what you can live with when it comes to today’s leather. New methods of tanning and manufacturing also have brought leather into an affordable range for many pocketbooks.

So, now you know what piece or pieces you want and have pinpointed some basic styles that feel “right” for you. It is time to target a budget and begin to furniture shop. As you can imagine, prices vary widely, and are often tied to the quality of the piece. Finding good furniture that works for you involves understanding how pieces are made and then deciding if the quality of the piece will bear up in day-to-day use. Whatever your style, furniture should be comfortable, practical and reflect your tastes.

FURNITURE SOURCES

The most obvious place to look is in your local furniture stores. However, don’t forget estate sales, auctions and consignment stores. Some furniture stores in your area offer complimentary in-home design services to aid you in your decorating choices. When you are ready to start out on your furniture hunt, remember to assess your needs, set your priorities, narrow down the styles you are looking for, target a budget and then enjoy your search for the “perfect” pieces to complement your home. Remember, when acquiring furniture buy only what you love!

House of Oak & Sofas has been selling furniture for over 25 yearsaccording to owner, Merle Wenger. He and the staff there have a combined home decorating and design experience log of over 125 years. Although they showcase over one million dollars worth of furniture in their store, they continue to special order over 50 percent of their sales from their large catalog department. Over half of the furniture featured in the store can be special ordered with special stain options and of course the Flexsteel and Norwalk upholstered furniture galleries feature over 2,000 special-order fabrics. Wenger says, “Traditional furniture stores shy away from special orders and tend to sell what’s in the warehouse, but atHouse of Oak & Sofas, we really try to figure out what the customer likes and if that requires a special order, we go in that direction.“ The store also does not charge a premium price for special ordering and that adds to the reasons they have become one of the leading furniture retailers in the Shenandoah Valley.