Part 2 – The Ins and Outs of Furniture

In part 2 of our series we’re starting with where the majority of your budget will be spent, furniture. Furniture is the foundation of your design in any room and will be the most expensive portion of your design budget. When shopping we can get caught up in the excitement of buying and don’t always think through: What we truly need, What we really want, and What will actually fit in our home. So it is important to spend some time first pre-planning your furniture purchases so that you will not overspend, buy something that you don’t need, can’t use, or won’t fit. This step is one of the most important but the most forgotten.

In the living room make your upholstery your impact pieces. If you are afraid to make a color or pattern commitment on a large piece, select the neutral color from your color scheme and put the impact into the pillows and accents. In the living room as well as the dining room, these rooms are more for show than for everyday use. So this is where I would go for the look versus the quality.

In the dining room spend the money on the chairs instead of the table and re-cover the cushions, it is easy and inexpensive to do yourself. An inexpensive table can be given a WOW look with a great floral that won’t break your budget.

The family room and kitchen nook are where we spend our time, so I would invest in the best quality you can afford. If you can’t afford the best sofa, get a good heavy durable fabric and purchase a sturdy nook table and chairs

For your master bedroom I recommend you wait and get exactly what you want, when you can afford it. This is a room where the furniture gets very little wear and tear, so it can almost last forever. Instead of the traditional matching night stand, use a secretary. Place a small chair in front and now your night stand also functions as a desk with additional storage. Use a 30″ round decorative table and a small chair. Plenty of room for the functional bedside items you need, along with a place to sit, write a note and have a cup of tea. Also, do not to buy the whole matching suite of furniture. I know that it’s the easy way out, but having five or more pieces in the exact same style and finish is predictable.

For your secondary bedrooms or accent pieces, consider consignment shops, yard sales and furniture clearance centers. You can find great prices on pieces that might just need a little touch up. If you have children look for pieces that can grow with them, instead of ones that are very juvenile in design.

Let’s go back to our model home example that was designed for $ 15.50 per square foot and look at what the furniture cost in each room and what pieces we purchased. Our overall budget for the home was $ 49,430 and we spent 45% on furniture, so our furniture budget was $ 22,244.

Entry – 1.72% or $383 for a decorative console table.

Living Room – 13.97% or $ 3,107 for a sofa, 2 upholstered chairs, coffee table and 2 side tables. This is a fairly small parlor living room so the furniture needed to be smaller scaled and therefore was less expensive.

Dining Room – 16.80% or $ 3,737 for a wood table, 4 side chairs, 2 arm chairs and a buffet piece. I splurged a bit more in this room since the living room was smaller.

Nook – 3.24% or $ 721 for a 42″ round iron and glass table and 4 iron chairs with upholstered seats.

Family Room – 19.10% or $ 4,249 for a sofa, 2 upholstered chairs and matching ottomans, sofa back table, coffee table and 2 side tables. The room had a TV niche so I didn’t need a TV unit.

Guest Bedroom – 3.33% or $ 741 for a full mattress set, bedside chest and a bistro table set.

Master Bedroom – 23.52% or $ 5,232 for a queen mattress set, wood poster bed, dresser, 2 bedside chests and an iron bench.

Master Retreat – 5.86% or $ 1,303 for a chaise, TV armoire, table and 2 leather arm chairs.

Loft – 8.36% or $ 1,860 for a loveseat, chair, ottoman, TV armoire and a pub table with 2 bar stools.

Girl’s Room – 2.12% or $ 472 for a twin mattress set, dresser and night stand

Boy’s Room – 1.98% or $ 440 for a twin mattress set, chest and night stand

Now do keep in mind that this is a model and we do not spend a lot on the mattress sets, which should be an investment consideration in your budget.

Your furniture is the largest percentage of your budget and are investment pieces no matter how little you may spend on them. Take your time during this step and plan your purchases because they are not items that you will quickly replace or change out. Shop with your budget and inventory list and try not to impulse buy here. If you have an impulse, do it with an accessory piece that should not break your budget. Next in our series will be window treatments.