How to Choose Furniture for Your Home

When homeowners buy new furniture, they typically only consider two factors when making their final decision: price and design. Although these are important, they are not the only factors that homeowners should be considering when deciding how to furnish a space. Many people are unaware of what these other factors they should consider and end up purchasing furniture that doesn't fit in their homes.

If you are struggling to find the perfect furniture for your living room, bedroom or any other space in your home, follow our three simple tips on how to choose the right furniture to create a cohesive and comfortable space.

1. Pick an Appropriate Theme

Before you start looking for specific pieces of furniture, the first thing you should do is pick an appropriate theme. Instead of approaching each individual room in your home separately, you should pick a design style and apply it to every room in the house to create a cohesive design. By choosing a theme, you make it that much easier for yourself to choose furniture that compliments each other. You need to make sure that every piece of furniture in your home complements each other, and picking a central theme is the easiest way to do that.

There are a variety of design styles you can choose from. For example, a contemporary theme includes pieces of furniture that are metallic and angular. On the other hand, a casual style will include pieces of furniture that give off a cozy and naturalistic feel with simple accessories incorporated. Whichever style aesthetic you choose is up to you but making sure that your space is consistent between rooms is important as it makes it easier for you to choose pieces that complement each other.

2. Pay Attention to Textiles and Textures

After you have picked an overarching design style and begin shopping for furniture, the next thing you should consider is what each piece of furniture is made out of. The textiles and textures of a sofa, chair or bedroom set are an extremely important factor that every homeowner should consider. This is because certain textiles and textures last longer than others. For example, furniture made out of nylon, olefin, and polyester tends to last longer than furniture made out of cotton, linen, and wool. Purchasing furniture that will last as long as possible should be your number one priority when choosing furniture, given how expensive some pieces can be. The textiles and textures are a great indicator of how long your furniture will last.

3. Consider the Layout of Each Room

The third and final factor to consider is the layout of each room. The dimensions, lighting, interior design, and spacing of each room are extremely important to keep in mind. For example, it would make little sense to purchase large furniture for a small room or small furniture for a large room. You want to make sure that the size of the furniture fits within the dimensions of the room that you are putting it in. Additionally, try to make sure that the pieces of furniture purchased can fit together without being overcrowded.

While price and design are important factors when furnishing a home, there are other important factors that need to be considered as well. You should also be considering what the furniture is made out of, whether or not it compliments other pieces in your home, and if it fits within the dimensions of the space you are trying to create. As long as you keep these three factors in mind the next time you furnish a new home or redecorate your current space, you will end up creating the perfect home.

Setting up your first home involves a whole lot of planning—from deciding the colour theme to buying the right products, to placing them in the right place...there's much to consider. Shopping for furniture tops the (stress) list of every new home owner. While it is exciting to do up your home, you need to give some thought before deciding which furniture pieces to invest in. Factors like utility, budget, space and of course aesthetics are key. We share some tips to help you decide what's best.

Expert Tips for Buying Furniture

A good approach is to target and work on spaces where you spend the most time—the living room and bedroom for instance. “Always go by the size of the space before deciding on the proportion of the furniture piece. Keep the background palette in mind while choosing the colour tone. To achieve a harmonious and calm space, make sure that various elements complement each other, even if they belong to different styles,” say Monica and Hardesh Chawla of Essentia Environments.

A Comfortable Couch

A stylish couch or a lounger with ample proportions ensuring comfort, is a perfect choice for a living room, in a medium to large size home. You can choose to accessorise it with cushions and throws. Sectional sofas work well for small apartments and studios. “A sectional sofa is a must for the living room. It is compact in size yet comfortable, and is appropriate for both formal and informal gatherings. Apart from being functionally efficient, it is also cost-efficient,” say Priyanka Khanna and Rudraksh Charan of 42mm.

A Soft-Edged Bed

Always choose a bed that is ergonomically designed so that you can have a good night's rest after a busy day. An ideal bed is one that is fully upholstered and does not have any hard edges. A bed equipped with a storage unit doubles its purpose, making it more suitable for compact apartments. “Avoid having delicate finishes to your bed as it will be hard to maintain and will soon start showing the run-down,” says designer Aparna Kaushik.