Buying furniture is a serious investment – you can’t simply enter a shop, buy a couch and carry it out of the store. To help you conduct the furniture shopping operation, we have prepared a list of 5 things you must consider to have no remorse when the new furniture arrives at your door.
What to do when you have no idea about furniture
If you have no idea what furniture you would like to have at home because you don’t like any style in particular, whether white and minimalistic or rustic and wooden etc., instead of flipping through magazines or scrolling down endless online furniture shops (where all furniture look great), go out and visit a few real furniture shops in your city. It’s better to see things live than online. You will definitely get inspired by the shop displays, often already arranged by interior designers or with furniture experts available in stores to answer your questions. Moreover, you will be able to touch the textures, see the dimensions and colors in everyday light. It’s recommended to play with the furniture a little bit – pull out the drawers, open the wardrobe doors or lie down on the mattress – treat the pieces as you would in everyday life and check if you like the sensation. In order to meet the clients’ needs, VISIONAPARTMENTS introduces the first Lifestyle Shop in Zurich and will soon open two more stores in Berlin and Geneva, where guests will be able to see live the items available in the Online Shop and chat with interior design experts.
Keep space in mind
Maybe it’s stating the obvious but it’s important that it is stressed here – adjust the furniture to the space you have and don’t expect the space to miraculously expand to fit your furniture. Start with taking a closer look at the floor plan and wall measurements. Will the chosen furniture fit into the room? Make sure that there is enough space between items to walk around, especially in high-traffic areas like halls or living rooms. In a best-case scenario there should be at least a 1-meter distance between the furniture pieces. Another thing to consider is how the furniture look together. The pieces should feel proportional to each other. Don’t stifle the charm of your stylish, fragile coffee table with a giant sofa or dominate your bedroom with a bed so big that it doesn’t leave any space for even a petite bedside cabinet. Anja Graf, the CEO of VISIONAPARTMENTS in the interview for FACES magazine, shared some universal advice how to arrange a stylish apartment. She stressed the importance of harmony and compatibility: “The overall concept must be coherent. Colors, shapes, materials, lighting, furniture and pictures must be coordinated to create an unique ambience. To create harmonious interiors always focus on proportions, sizes and the distances between items. Remember about pillows, sofas or curtains that are crucial for creating comfort.”
Wait out the trend
It’s tempting to go for most popular trends like the Scandinavian style (this term was used much too freely for interiors that have nothing to do with the Nordic chic) because they seem omnipresent at the height of their fame. It’s sometimes hard to believe there are other options than a particular style that dominates the shop windows, fairs, exhibitions and overflows lifestyle magazines. However, fashion is fleeting and your interiors stay with you for a couple of years, so don’t follow fashion but your taste. Inform yourself about the full offer of each furniture shop and after you choose a particular piece that matches your interiors and your taste… refrain from purchasing it. If after a few days you still like the idea and the image of that piece of furniture in your room, than go for it – you were meant for each other!
Meet the occupants
Furniture is a functional commodity – even if it’s so beautiful that we consider it a work of art. At the end of the day you will use the designer sofa to snooze in front of the TV (snack crumbles everywhere) or keep a collection of coffee mugs on your white, Scandinavian-style bedside cabinet (damn coffee circles). Let’s face it – you knew it will end this way as we all have our habits. If you know in what way you use the furniture then choose accordingly – a darker upholstery would mask the stains and a decorative tray would protect the cabinet. It’s especially important if you have small children or pets – make sure that the items you choose meet the needs of the occupants.
Think in advance about the delivery
It often happens that the subject of delivery is brought up only after you had already paid for your furniture. Then it might turn out that you have to pay extra for the transport of the items from the store, as there is an external logistic company taking care of it. Sometimes you will have to take out even more cash for somebody carrying the heavy pieces into your home and putting the furniture together. That’s true that some companies offer an all-inclusive service – with the delivery and assemblage included in the price. However, those are praiseworthy exceptions- in general expect additional costs for delivery after the purchase.