Whether you are planning the decoration of your house, or you want a total makeover and renovate the furniture, you know that you will spend hours taking inspiration from the internet and visiting websites, stores, and furniture exhibitions. And all so that, when your furniture arrives home, it is not exactly what you wanted.
The sofa is a different color than the one you saw on display, the shelf is too low or collides with the door and the dining table leaves no room to pass around it. When you buy a sofa, a dining table, or renovate the bed, the usual thing is to make it last for years. And, if the investment has been high and you do not like the result, you will have to live side by side with them. At least for a while. Follow this decalogue and you will see how you and your furniture become inseparable.
1. Visit and get inspiration
First of all, look for inspiration to help you define what style you want or how you want to mix the elements. Take a walk on the website of El Mueble and use Pinterest and Instagram, two inspirational social networks by nature, to get ideas. Also, visit the pages of the decoration shops that you like.
This will help you get an idea of how much the furniture you like costs and define the budget you want to spend.
2. Plan and define the style
Where will the furniture be placed? There are windows? Doors? And where do they open up? You have to analyze absolutely everything. Also the position of the radiators – if the caps lose all the heat. It also values the size of the room and its appropriate correlation with the furniture. In small spaces, a few large pieces of furniture are better than many and small ones, which will only give a feeling of being crowded. On the other hand, if the room is large, you have more licenses to choose the furniture. Of course, if they are too small the room will seem empty. Getting the size of the furniture right is not that difficult.
3. measure well
If you have to do it a couple of times to make sure, better than better. And much more if the space is small. An inch above or an inch below can be crucial to buy a piece of furniture and not be mistaken.
- In the bedroom: if you want to buy a bed, measure the height of your tables so that they remain accessible when you are lying down. If it is a wardrobe, calculate how open the doors can be (if they are hinged). You do not want to later take surprises and have to redistribute the entire stay.
- In the living room: think that the height of the armrest is key to accessing the side table well, so if you are going to buy a sofa, measure them too. Similarly, you have to take into account the height of the TV: whether you are looking for a piece of furniture for TV or if it is a sofa or an armchair, remember that the screen should be at eye level so as not to strain your neck. Measure accordingly.
4. Don’t look at things you can’t afford
Whoever avoids temptation, avoids sin. So don’t be tempted! If you use web pages to decide how you want your furniture, use the selection filters. Most decoration stores offer the option of choosing a maximum price. There is nothing worse than being infatuated with something you cannot buy. Stick to the budget.
5. Or they don’t fit
Also enter the height, width, and depth parameters. So you can get an idea of the type of furniture that is carried for a space like yours. If you buy in a physical store, make sure to check the measurements. If you do it ‘by eye’ you can be wrong. Being exposed in very large spaces, they deceive the eye and seem smaller than they are. Check the measurements and, if they are not specified, take out the meter!
6. Try everything!
The mattress, the sofa, the chairs, and even the dining room table. Think that they are furniture that you are going to use every day, so it is not recommended to let yourself be carried away by trends or become infatuated with pieces of impossible designs. There is nothing like trying a piece of furniture to ensure your comfort. A sofa with cushions that are too hard, overstuffed, or too low can turn into a torture machine. The same with the dining tables with impossible legs: the ideal is that they do not get in the way of bringing the chair closer.
7. Take a sample home
If you want to buy upholstered furniture, such as an armchair, a sofa or a headboard, for example, it is recommended that you ask (or buy depending on the establishment) a sample of the fabric before choosing. The lights in the store –or with which the photo of the online store has been taken– are different from the ones in your house. The color changes hue depending on the type of lighting that falls on it, so check what that fabric will look like in your home.
8. Test how it will look in your house
Put painter’s tape on the floor – you can also use folios – imitating the size of the piece of furniture that has stolen your heart. This will give you an idea of ​​its surface and if it occupies too much in the room. If it’s a headboard you want, do the same on the wall. Even if you’ve measured before, it’s the best you can do to find out exactly how much space it will take up. This trick is great to check if there is a passage area around the dining table or if the carpet you liked collides with the door when you open it.
9. Check that you can go up the stairs or the elevator
And that fits through the hallway and corners of your house until you reach the room that corresponds to it. Most furniture companies are not responsible if the furniture does not fit in the common areas of your house, so if access is limited, keep this in mind. Take a good look at the purchase conditions to make sure. Perhaps for an extra, there is the option of raising the furniture using a lifting platform to one of the windows of your house.
10. Hire installation or mounting
Even if you enter the door, if you are not too handy, you will suddenly find yourself surrounded by screws, washers, and parts of the furniture that you do not know how they fit. Unless it is very easy to assemble, it is best to hire a professional company to mount it for you. This is especially recommended on wall furniture, such as in the living room.
