Decorating your home can be a refreshing and enjoyable experience. Whether you are moving into a new house or just want to update your space, buying furniture online can be a smart and time-saving solution.
With a wide variety of choices available, you can now give your home a brand-new look without the hassle of visiting multiple stores. From cozy bedroom furniture like bed frames, headboards, bedside drawers, beds & bedding, to modern living room furniture like sofa sets, modular lounges, coffee tables, or chaise lounges, everything you need is just a few clicks away.
Let us explore how you can make the most of your furniture shopping and transform your home into a stylish and comfortable place to live.
Things to Keep in Mind While Choosing Furniture
Know Your Room Size
Before you start scrolling various furniture websites, you should be first aware of the available space in your home. So, start by measuring your space carefully. Note the size of the room, doorways, and ceiling height. This will help you avoid buying furniture that is too big or too small for your space. You can even sketch a basic layout to see where each item will go. Proper planning prevents overcrowding and helps you create a balanced room.
Think About Style and Comfort
Furniture should not only look good, it should feel good too. Pick designs that match your taste, whether you prefer traditional, modern, or a mix of both. Choose materials that are soft yet strong, especially if you have pets or children at home.
Consider Functionality
We will recommend you to go for furniture that not only serves your daily needs but can also serve multiple purposes if required. It is a great thinking to choose multifunctional pieces (like sofa-cum-beds or storage ottomans) in smaller spaces. Also, ensure the furniture fits the room’s purpose like you have to look for durable materials for high-traffic family rooms.
Focus on Quality
Well-made furniture lasts longer. Look for strong frames, smooth finishes, and solid materials. Even if it costs a little more at first, quality furniture saves money in the long run by avoiding the need for frequent replacements. You can look for easy-to-maintain materials that will lower your tasks in the future.
Choose Smart Options
Today, many people also consider the essential impact on their budget and design of what they buy. If possible, you should choose furniture made from responsibly sourced wood – it makes a difference.
Tips to Buy Living Room Furniture
Invest in a Stylish and Comfortable Sofa
The sofa set is often the first thing people notice in your living room. It is where you relax, entertain guests, and spend time with family. Whether you prefer a 3-seater sofa, a corner sofa, or a chaise lounge, make sure it offers both comfort and style.
Look for features like soft cushions, supportive seating, and fabric that are easy to clean. If you own a medium to large living room where seating is the main focus, adding a sofa is the best option for you. In case of a compact living room, opt for a loveseat or a small sectional to save space.
Add a Functional Coffee Table
Despite the size of your living room, it is a coffee table that not only completes the look of your living room but also adds convenience. It is easiest trick to choose a simple design that suits your sofa and the rest of the room. If you enjoy entertaining, consider a coffee table and extra seating, like stools. The smaller living room owners can go for rounded or nesting tables to maintain openness.
Consider Modular Lounge or Chaise Lounge
For those who like flexible seating, a modular lounge or chaise lounge can be a great addition. These offer both comfort and style while allowing you to rearrange pieces based on your needs. They are ideal for creating a cozy corner or lounging with a good book.
Bedroom Furniture Buying Tips
Beds and Mattresses
Your bed is the most important piece of furniture in the bedroom. When buying furniture, look for bed and mattress packages that offer good value and ensure a perfect fit. The mattress should provide the right support for your back, while the bed frame should match your room’s design. Whether you choose a wooden bed frame or an upholstered design, make sure it fits well in your space. For smaller rooms, beds with integrated storage can help you keep things organized without needing extra furniture. And those who need more floor space can get a Murphy bed that stores onto the wall after use.
Bedside Drawers and Storage
Bedside tables or drawers are useful for keeping your essentials nearby. They can hold lamps, books, or your phone and add symmetry to the room when placed on either side of the bed. If you need more storage, consider multi-functional beds and freestanding wardrobes for storing clothes, linens, and larger items. You can use such larger storage units as focal points or room dividers.
Benches can also be useful at the foot of the bed or in corners as they offer hidden storage for items like pillows or blankets while also providing seating. The appropriate combination of these help you make the most of your bedroom space without adding clutter.
Curtains and Bedding
Complete your bedroom look with soft curtains and cozy bedding. Choose neutral shades for a calm vibe or add a pop of color with bold patterns. Soft fabrics like cotton or linen are both stylish and breathable.
Dining Room Furniture Tips
Choose the Right Dining Table
The dining table is the heart of your dining room. Pick a table that matches the size of your space and the number of people in your home. Round tables work well for small spaces, while long rectangular ones are great for larger families.
Comfortable Dining Chairs
Pair your table with comfortable dining chairs that encourage people to linger and enjoy their meals. Padded seats and supportive backs make a big difference in everyday use. If you are short on space, opt for foldable or stackable chairs that can be tucked away when not needed.
Also Read: How to Move Heavy Furniture by Yourself (13 Pro Tips)
Pro Tips for Buying Furniture Online
The Internet has brought everything closer to our fingertips and the retail sector is no exception. While the shopping malls and other brick and mortar stores are not dying off anytime soon, the future of retail is certainly online. That being said, many people are still not sold into internet purchases, especially where furniture is involved. This is because it somehow feels risky with so much that could go wrong.
For example, how sure are you that what you see on the screen is a true reflection of what you’ll receive? How do you tell how well it will fit in your home? But trust us, there is nothing much to worry about. You can be a satisfied online furniture shopper just as millions of others are. Here are some tips to help you buy furniture online the right way:
Find a Furniture Store to Match Your Style
There are many online retailers, such as Amazon, that offer various products from different merchants, covering a broad spectrum of decorating styles. Nonetheless, there are certain online stores that only carry items committed to one niche or style. For instance, Pepperfry offers you a full range of products – from furniture to kitchen appliances- for your home. Likewise, some stores also specialize in contemporary and green furniture or minimal home decor pieces. You just need to identify your sense of style and search for the best online store that matches your personality.
This way you can find the right furniture for your home. For researching online, you may use terms like Classic, Modern, French Country, or Shabby Chic furniture to help you find the perfect online furniture store that suits your style.
Compare the Prices
The best thing about online shopping is that you can compare the prices of similar products in different stores and then purchase one-of-a-kind items at a lesser amount. It is best to do a little comparison on three to five stores offering the type of furniture you want. Note the cost of the products, shipping, and any tax charges, and if the store charges for return shipping or re-stocking.
You can do this for every furniture piece you find to ensure you get the best online deal. It will take some time for sure, but not more than the time you have to spend walking from one store to another. You can even save some extra dollars on your certain purchases, as some websites also offer special discounts or coupons.
Read Reviews
No seller will ever talk ill of their product. The descriptions of each furniture listing on an online store will emphasize the product’s strengths and capabilities. For a more objective opinion though, you need to hear from someone who doesn’t stand to benefit from the item’s sale. Your first stop should be the product’s reviews. In fact, avoid buying any product that doesn’t have plenty of reviews.
Don’t just read the reviews on the online store. Where available, check out the Google and Facebook reviews. Some unethical sellers will try to game the system by falsifying reviews on their site and deleting any negative ones. It’s harder to do that with Google and Facebook reviews.
Every product will have at least some negative reviews but stay away from any piece of furniture that seems to attract mostly negative reviews. This is a red flag.
Read the Return Policy Carefully
None of us purchases an item with the intention to return it. However, a product may be faulty or unsatisfactory in which case sending it back would be necessary. This is especially the case with online purchases since you cannot physically view and test the item before you conclude the transaction.
Reading the return policy can save you plenty of heartaches if the product doesn’t turn out the way you anticipated. Perhaps it doesn’t fit in the space you assigned it or doesn’t complement the rest of your interior décor as much as you hoped it would.
While going through a store’s return policy, look out for the time limit for return, any return fees, and how long it takes to get your money back. Will they cover the cost of return shipping or will you have to hire a removal service provider? Furniture can be costly so it’s best to stick with stores that will have no problem refunding your cash at little to no extra cost to you.
Measure Correctly Before Buying
When you are thinking about buying furniture, you likely already have a clear picture of exactly where you want to place it. That’s why knowing the dimensions of what you are buying is so vital especially when shopping online.
Since you have no way of physically inspecting the item, read through the product description to establish all key measurements. Avoid any furniture piece that has no such data. For furniture that has varying space requirements (such as an extendable table or a recliner) factor in this additional space too. If the product cannot be disassembled easily, confirm that it can pass through the doorway.
Stores With Brick and Mortar Locations
Many online stores also have their brick and mortar locations where you can go anytime to check the furniture in person. This way you can look at the pieces you want before you buy. Sometimes you may like furniture online but when you look at it in the store, you dislike it at a first glance. So, to be sure of your purchase, seeing the furniture before buying can save you headaches down the road.
Another benefit of purchasing from online shops with brick and mortar stores is that they may even eliminate their shipping costs. Many websites with brick and mortar stores allow you to buy items online, then ship them to the store for free pickup, instead of paying extra for the shipping costs. Websites like Walmart, Best Buy, Sears, and JCPenney offer a free website to store delivery. You can even combine your sales coupons with free delivery to get the best deal.
Look for Online Sales
Internet retailers offer big discounts on different festive occasions and holidays. If you are in love with a particular furniture set, you can purchase it around these days at discounted rates. You might have to wait a bit more for your favorite furniture, but the wait will surely be worth it. Many experts even recommend shopping for furniture in January and July for getting the best deals. This is because, the furniture manufacturers usually drop new furniture shipments twice a year, in February and August. Therefore, many online retailers put the old models on sale to make room for the new stock in their warehouses.
Take Note of the Shipping Cost
Most stores list their shipping policy on the ‘About Us’ or FAQ pages. You must thoroughly review each store’s shipping policy before purchasing furniture online. Different stores have different logistic partners such as UPS or FedEx and offer different handling and shipping rates. Some stores may have higher shipping costs or handling charges to compensate for the lower prices they offer on furniture.
Free shipping is not always free! Sometimes, an online retail store may include the cost of shipping in the purchase price while claiming to offer free shipping to attract more customers. It is best to compare prices with other sites. If the furniture costs $100 or $200 more on a website that offers free shipping, the website probably has added the cost of shipping to its prices.
Keeping these tips handy, step out of your comfort zone and make your next furniture purchase online. Do let us know if our suggestions helped.
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