Crazy or Careful Furniture Shopping?

While I was at home with my mother for the holidays, her neighbors asked for my opinion on a very common problem. I immediately thought, “This is a good topic to write about,” as this happens all of the time.

The neighbors had decided to purchase entirely new bedroom furniture. Both husband and wife had been previously married, and neither had purchased really nice bedroom furniture before. They had been putting money away in a furniture fund for a while. Once they had enough money saved up, they went crazy furniture shopping.

They saw me outside taking out the garbage and invited me in to their home. They prepped me for the unveiling. I walked into the room and was shocked at what I saw: an entire room full of furniture, with barely any room to walk! They clearly should have sought some professional help beforehand. They bought way too much furniture for the size of the room.

Believe it or not, this is all too common a problem. Many people--even though they measure the space--lack the spatial awareness to realize what furniture will look like in their space and/or how much space they actually have. My advice to people, my clients included, is to start with the larger pieces first. Then you wait for the deliver and installation. After the initial furniture is in place, survey the room and decide what you still have space for.

In the case of my mother’s neighbors, they should have started with the bed and nightstands, as they anchor one wall and as one piece of furniture. Then they should have surveyed the room and decided what dressers from the furniture collection they could have fit easily into the space.

Most people prefer to buy everything at once instead of waiting and buying furniture bit by bit. If you are not working with a professional, the furniture salesperson will definitely encourage you not to wait!

I realize that this could be frustrating to some people as they just want to have their project finished and over with. The flip side, however, is that buying certain pieces first and waiting before buying the next batch will help make your space more functional and livable. It will also save you a lot of money and frustration in the long run. And that is just good design sense.