I know many people are unsure about shopping for furniture and homewares online. Despite the number of online retailers selling everything you need for your home. Including blinds and shutters as well as standard furniture such as sofas. It’s easy, less expensive and convenient to buy online and yet so many people hesitate. Here are buying furniture and homewares online tips and tricks.
Knowing your interior style and colour scheme
With all my projects I set an interior design strategy from the beginning. For me an interior design strategy is about deciding and defining your interior style goal and your colour scheme.
This is so important because it can narrow down which online retailers you shop with. For example if you like Scandinavian style you might shop at Interior Secrets. If you like French Provincial you might shop at Early Settler or Provincial Living.
There are modern or generalist furniture and homewares shops both online and in bricks-and-mortar stores. Knowing your interior style goal will reduce your confusion.
Knowing the size of the room
I see it a lot, where people overfill their rooms. I’m not sure why this happens. But from an interior design perspective this is a problem.
An overfilled room cannot achieve cohesion in a space. A room with furniture that is out of proportion with the space or other pieces also lacks balance and harmony.
For a long narrow living room, choose a slim two or three seater sofa. Make sure it is not too deep. Rather than an L shaped configuration.
With the measurements of your room, work out a furniture plan. Knowing where your furniture will be placed is important. Understanding the flow of movement around these pieces is also helpful. This knowledge will aid in safely buying furniture and furnishings online.
Knowing materials for furniture and homewares
The key to buying furniture and homewares online is knowing your materials. The difference between hard wood, veneer, MDF and so on. Similarly, with fabrics such as wool, polyester, cotton and so on.
If you’re unsure about materials, do some research. While an item may be within your budget, check the material to check the quality. Are you buying a low cost item that isn’t durable and therefore will break, scratch, tear or fade easily?
A good test to the items you see online is the warranty being offered. This tells you about the quality of the piece as well as the quality of the retailer.
If the retailer or supplier confidently backs their products with a good warranty, this can assist you in making a furniture purchase. Especially for a large or focal piece of furniture.
It’s always a good idea to email the supplier questions and check the reviews as well.
Colours vary greatly
Everyone sees colours differently. Also, colour appear differently on various platforms and mediums. So wherever possible get a fabric sample. If not read the returns policies to ensure you can return something.
However, change of mind due to colour rather defect might be a challenge to return.
Buying furniture and homewares online can be super easy and rewarding. For me it’s a lot easier than wondering from store to store looking for pieces for clients. More often than not I am happy with the selections bought online and my clients are too. So I hope these tips for buying furniture and homewares online help you get the room of your dreams
