High Quality Furniture
Much like a house or a car, purchasing furniture should be done with an eye for quality. Knowing the size of furniture you are looking for, your budget and the type of upholstery is a good start but, it’s important to invest the necessary time in finding and asking questions about the construction process of furniture to ensure it lives up to the task of being in our individual lives.
Your options are seemingly endless – modern, rustic, elegant and minimalist – so make sure you take the time to assess our existing space, and determine what it is you’re looking for, prior to beginning your search.
Some of us require furniture to not only be aesthetically and structurally pleasing, but to stand up to abuse as well. Perhaps you have a young child in the house who adores banging on your coffee tables and cupboards, or a family pet that is constantly knocking things over – these items had better stand up to the trials and tribulations of your lifestyle.
In looking for good quality furniture, you should be investing some time looking at the following:
Practicality
Easy-to-use furniture is a bonus of any purchase. We’ll assume that the furniture you’re buying is going to be used on a daily basis, and so it should be able to be used with confidence and a care-free attitude. Safety and ease should play a role in your decision to buy usable furniture, as should practicality. Make sure there aren’t too many bells and whistle’s associated with your choice, as these can produce headaches for the owners down the road – make sure it’s easily maintainable, and repairable.
Aesthetics
Let’s face it: you’re not going to buy a piece of furniture you don’t like the look of. You’ll be buying furniture that suits your unique tastes and compliments your space. Consider buying furniture with a simple, clean-cut aesthetic; this will help you to match it to other furniture you may have, or pair it with new pieces you purchase in the future. The look and feel of your new purchase should lift the room, and contribute to the energy of the space.
Easily Cleanable
When you’re buying a piece of furniture, gauge what it will be like to clean. This falls into a similar arena as practicality, but serves as a caution to the buyer – make sure it can be cleaned easily. For example, maybe it’s a wooden armoire you’re looking at, and perhaps the intricacies of the woodwork mean you’ll be dusting and detailing the piece constantly. Whereas a hardwood table, or a flat-faced piece of furniture would only require a simple wipe-down every now and then.
Durability
The build quality of the furniture you choose is a direct contributor to its quality. Durable, reliable furniture won’t need constant repairs, touch-ups or maintenance. A good quality piece of furniture should be structurally sound, solid and well-built to ensure its prolonged use over the years. You should feel safe when sitting in, or leaning on the piece, and you shouldn’t be able to recognize any sway, give or flex in it. If you’re buying wood furniture, make sure you know about treating it with special wood oils every so often, especially if it’s intended for outdoor use. Construction processes can contribute or detract from durability as well. In wood furniture, joint construction is a telltale sign of quality, whereas staples and glue tend to represent shoddy craftsmanship.
Design
Good quality furniture needs to be designed and executed with the needs of its users in mind. It should also fit the room it is intended for in terms of special awareness. Also, make sure you buy furniture that’s ergonomically comfortable, and enjoyable to own; what’s the point in owning a fine piece of furniture that hurts your back every time you sit in it? Take advantage of take-away deals wherein you can effectively test out the furniture prior to buying it. Test it in your own space, and ensure that it’s a good fit design wise for your home and your body.