We have all gone out furniture shopping and have found it a frustrating and overwhelming task. We’re not sure exactly what we are looking for, how much we want to spend, where to go or if what we are buying will really work or fit in the room. Furniture shopping is different than looking for a new pair of shoes, so some pre-shopping time must be spent on putting together a written plan. This way you will be focused on what you want to buy, have confidence in your buying and also not be influenced by impulse buying.
Furniture is the foundation of your design in any room. It will be the most expensive portion of your design budget and one that you will not easily change. Which is why it is so important to have a written plan when starting your shopping. You don’t want to end up buying something you really don’t need or spending your whole budget on one piece and then not be able to finish the room. So let’s start with the first step, planning and arranging.
PLANNING & ARRANGING - When putting together your plan, if you are going to be incorporating existing furniture pieces, it is important to have the room properly arranged with those existing pieces first. If you are lacking pieces to use, borrow from other rooms in the mean time so that you can visually see how the room with be arranged. When arranging a room you need to consider your focal points, room shape, architectural features and elements, traffic flow, and use. The design statement of, Form Follows Function is very true, so your room must properly function first, before you can consider buying new. When you have properly arranged the room, the pieces you will need will automatically present themselves. Write down what those pieces are and what their measurements will be. This now gives you your first step in your shopping list. If you are purchasing all new, you will need to take the time and draw a floor plan and layout the furniture. Sizes can be deceiving when shopping because a large sofa can look small in a 10,000 showroom, but in your 12 x 15 room it could be very oversized. Many styles have large arms, which can amount to an additional 24” on an upholstered piece.
Whether using existing or buying new, one quick check to make sure your furniture is properly arranged in any room, is that the room has adequate lighting. A Trick Of The Trade is that the lighting should fall on at least a diagonal or best a triangular pattern. This insures that there are no dark areas of a room.
BUDGETING – Now that you have your list of furniture pieces, it is time to write out your budget. Keep in mind that, “Budget is not just what we can afford, but what we are willing to spend.” Look at each piece you have written down on your list and think of what you are willing to spend for that piece and then what your budget will allow. As with anything, there are all price ranges for furniture. If you haven’t shopped for furniture in a while, do some research before heading out. If you have Internet access, browse through a couple furniture sites to get a feel for the price ranges of the furniture you are considering. Also, read through the advertisements in the newspaper. 
Another thing to consider when budgeting is quality and use. It is always best to purchase the best quality you can afford, but if you are working on a budget, consider how often the furniture will be used. You can purchase a lesser quality sofa in a living room that is just for show versus your family room. Your coffee table will get more use than a sofa back table. Your kitchen set will get more use than your formal dining room. A couple questions to ask yourself when budgeting for furniture are: Who will be using it? Where will it be used? What will it be used for? How long do you plan on keeping it? and How often will it be used?
PICTURES – With the work steps out of the way of deciding what you need and how much you want to spend, you now can have fun spending time pulling together pictures of furniture pieces you like, fabrics and styles. Gather up decorating magazines, books, advertisements, photographs you’ve taken at models and tag what you like and write why you like it. Maybe it is the style of the piece, the fabric, color, the shape of the arm or the overall feel of the room. Place all of these items in a decorating folder, which you will take shopping with you. This step will help ease your frustration when looking for something in particular and also help the Salesperson at the store in locating for you exactly what you want. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.
SHOPPING – You are now ready to go shopping with confidence on what you need, where it will be placed, what the size will be, and what you want it to look like, because you are going to shop with the following items; your furniture list, budget, your decorating folder of pictures and swatches, samples of your carpet, tile, paint, fabrics, wallpaper and a tape measure. Now all you have to decide is where you are going to go. There are many furniture stores in town with more opening every day. You have already been looking at ads, so start with the store that seems to meet your budget and style. Look in the yellow pages and call a couple stores before you go. You can also consider hiring an Interior Designers to help you shop. They know most store’s styles and price ranges. Interior Designers will charge you an hourly fee to shop, but most will pass on the trade discount provided by the stores that offer them. This alone will save you time and money when you shop.
Along with retail stores, here is a list from my book A Decorating 10! of different places to shop for furniture,
1. Yard Sales
2. Consignment Stores
3. Thrift Stores
4. Hotel Liquidations
5. Model Home Sales
6. Rent-A-Centers
7. Estate Auctions
8. Bankruptcy Sales
9. Unclaimed Items At Storage Companies
10. Clearance Centers
Plus a couple extra – Classified Ads, Trade with a Friend, Garden Centers, Second-Hand Furniture Stores, Swap Meet, Flea Market and Antique Malls.
Shopping for furniture should be an enjoyable and exciting time, not a chore. If you go prepared you will eliminate the frustration and time spent and also be making an informed and smart investment in your home. Happy Decorating!