3 Things to Consider Before Visiting Furniture Stores

If you're looking for new furniture for your home, how do you know where to start? With so many furniture stores and types of furniture, the choices may seem overwhelming. First, narrow down what type of furniture you'd like, decide if you're interested in shopping at a smaller, local store or a large chain and if you're looking for custom furniture or something that's already been manufactured.

Traditional Vs Contemporary Furniture Stores

First, decide what style furniture you'd prefer. It's a good idea to decide if you're planning on redoing an entire room or if you're just updating the look of a few pieces. Also, look at the rest of your home - you may not want to design a bedroom using heavy, dark, traditional furniture if the rest of your home is done in a modern style.

If you're unsure what type of furniture you like, look to interior design magazines for inspiration. You can cut out photos of rooms and furniture sets to bring in to the furniture stores. This way you'll be able to show the salesperson what you like and they can guide you to a starting off point when looking for new furniture. With a little guidance, you'll be able to put together a beautiful room, even if you don't know a lot about the differences between traditional and contemporary furniture styles.

Local Vs Chain Furniture Stores

If you live in a larger town or city, chances are you'll have many furniture stores to choose from. Many cities have both locally-owned, smaller stores and large national or regional chains to choose from.

Both local and chain furniture stores have their positive and negative points. A local store may employ furniture designers, as opposed to simply hiring salespeople. Because local, small stores often focus on personal customer service, the employees may have greater knowledge about furniture styles and trends. On the other side, a local store may not have as large of a selection - they may only have a few sofas to choose from, for example.

Large chain stores often have a large selection and many styles of furniture. They're usually available for 'one stop shopping,' meaning you could outfit your entire home with a visit to one store. The problems with these stores are that their size can make them impersonal, employees may not be up-to-date with the latest styles and trends and they may not have any furniture design experience.

Custom Vs Ready Made Furniture

Furniture can also be custom-built or ready made. If you've been looking around furniture stores and just can't find what you're looking for, consider having a custom furniture designer create something one-of-a-kind just for you. You'll be able to choose every aspect of the furniture, from the textiles, wood type and stain and the style. Custom made furniture can take a long time from design to completion, but it will be worth the wait if you decide to go that route.