This week I’ve been looking for alternative pieces of furniture for a client following their feedback. While price is an important element in how I select furniture. There are other factors I take into consideration also. This is how an interior designer shop for beautiful furniture.
Materials in furniture
Last week I wrote about the difference between solid timber and veneer and how to choose between them. But when it comes to furniture there are other materials to consider.
Other materials include glass, metals, a variety of plastics, and natural materials such as marble and terrazzo.
In interior design, materiality matters for a range of reasons. It’s not just about quality and price but about telling the design story.
Certain materials communicate particular interior design styles. For example, walnut timber is synonymous with Mid-Century Modern.
Another example is that marble is synonymous with Luxe interior styles. This is also true for materials such as fabrics.
I had to choose fabric for a custom bedhead for a client. Their interior style is a combination of Scandinavian and Mid-Century Modern.
The fabric options ranged from velvet to linen. For my client’s interior style goal it made more sense to look at linen options instead of velvet.
Reviews for furniture
Sometimes I specify a piece that is low cost but with high reviews. For example a gas lift bed base I selected for a client was only $300.
It makes sense to doubt quality in low cost items but this is where reviews come in handy. This particular piece had over 200, 4.5 star reviews.
I also looked at the materials, price and warranty. If a supplier is prepared to warranty their piece and offer a reasonable returns period, then it’s worth consideration.
In most cases there is a 12 month warranty on pieces. The returns policy ranges from nothing to 30 days. I think this is a good indicator on the quality of the piece.
Price of furniture
Of course price is a key factor an interior designer looks for in furniture. But it’s not just about low cost pieces versus high cost pieces. Mostly it’s about value for money.
For example, a client loved a marble dining table that was around $10,000. It was truly a special piece. From a high end supplier. Made in Italy. With a long lead time.
However, when I showed my client a $1,500 marble dining table he struggled to see the value of spending more.
Especially, as the $1,500 dining table option had solid wood legs, the piece was reviewed well and there was a good warranty and returns period.
Selecting apartment furniture is about being discerning. It’s not just about low cost or high cost but a looking at a range of features to help you make an informed decision.
The starting point for your furniture shopping is understanding your interior style goal and colour scheme. Then I think setting an overall budget. Not a per piece budget. Generally, spend more on the focal piece and by this first using the above qualities as a guide.
