Maybe this post should be entitled “When you don’t have many options for furniture shopping”. That is the case for everyone who lives in my small town. But even if you have dozens of options or only two . . . if you don’t enjoy the experience I have a few tips for you!
Here are three real-life tips for anybody who starts sweating bullets before they even pull in the parking lot:
1- Go with a plan! Furniture shopping should start well in advance with a furniture plan, or space plan as it is sometimes called. It is easy to measure out your room so you will know what pieces will fit. I had a client once who had a very proactive husband. Apparently, our planning was taking too long and he wanted a sofa NOW. Well, yesterday even. So he went out, bought a giant sectional, picked it up in his truck and brought it to the house. After several attempts he couldn’t even get it down the stairs to the TV room. When he found out he couldn’t return it, I converted him to patience-ism. It’s worth it to get out your measuring tape and do a few calculation.
2- Know what color you’re looking for. If you already have a pillow or a piece of art as your inspiration piece then take it shopping with you. I always recommend selecting furniture before painting your walls. But if you are like Deb (another client) and had your walls painted first, then take a good-size piece of poster board painted in your wall color. Compare it to the sofa you are looking at to see if they relate well. Remember, they don’t have to match. They just have to play nice together.
3- Do some preliminary online shopping. Especially if you haven’t been to the furniture store in the last 6-9 months, this will help you understand what things cost. Once I overheard an older couple in a very nice furniture establishment. After some quiet bickering between the two of them an unsuspecting employee asked if they needed any help and the man began to question him on prices then started in on negotiations. Would you take XX dollars instead? I don’t think that generally ends well. However, if you work with a designer sometimes you can land a discount on large items or you have the peace of mind knowing what you choose will fit AND look great!
