Before you enter any furniture store to make a purchase, give thought to your own lifestyle. I would advise anyone who is ready to buy furniture to sit down and take note of your current surroundings and needs. Keeping in mind the following key factors, you will save yourself time and costly mistakes.

There is nothing worse than finding the right piece of furniture only to find out that it won't fit in your home. Measure the spot in which your piece will be placed. Are there any heating units it will hit, beams that will lessen the height of your room, window treatments you don't want to cover? Take a step back and look for any obstacles that your home has created for you.

Finding out what style you want to bring into your home will take a little homework on your part. Many of you already know that you like a certain style such as country, casual elegance, contemporary, Victorian and so on, but have you really figured out what it is that you like about it? Sit down with several home decorating magazines and tear out pictures that you like. After a while, you may see similarities in the pictures you have chosen. It might be that all of the sofas have rolled arms... the chairs have detailed carvings... the sideboards have straight legs... or that all of the pieces have wrought iron handles. Whatever it may be, looking at photos first can save you a lot of time and frustration.

Color and texture can set the mood of a room. Do you want the furniture to look feminine, masculine, stand out against the wall, or blend into the background? Think about what colors make you feel good and what colors you would rather not see used in your home. Also, color and texture should be an important decision factor if you have children and/or pets. If you have children , and the item you want to purchase will be used by them, consider colors or patterns that will conceal stains along with textures that will take heavy use. With animals, keep in mind the color of your family pet. Is your pet's fur light or dark? Try to look for fabric that will camouflage the shedding in between your regular cleanings. Should you consider a white sofa if your Persian cat is black?

When it comes time to make a purchase, you will see that items are available in every price bracket imaginable. You can get items that look expensive for a great price, but in most cases, you get what you pay for. Higher-priced items will last longer due to the way they are produced. Sofas

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about How to avoid mistakes when buying furniture?
We want to hear your view. Write now!