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Furnishing a new home is both exciting and overwhelming, whether it’s your first home or you’re a seasoned mover.
Picking out the right furniture is more than just a style consideration – you also need to think about functionality and how to make your homework for you. With this in mind, it’s important to be practical, at least to some extent, when shopping for furniture for your place.
Before embarking on this adventure, here are some key things to keep in mind.
Comfortable Seating
The first and most important tip is to never skimp out on comfortable seating – sofas in particular. These big-ticket items can be expensive, especially if you’re opting for the nicer choices, but investing in quality furniture, especially when it comes to seating, is always worth it.
A sofa is a piece of furniture that should, ideally, last you for years and years to come. With this in mind, do you want to be sitting on the same, hard, uncomfortable loveseat in three to five years? Probably not. If there’s any area where you’re going to splash the cash, it’s here (and your mattress).
A Space for Overnight Guests
You might not think that you’ll be hosting often (and you might not), so what’s the point in having extra sleeping space, right? While this logic is fine, you also know you’ll be regretful when your parents, siblings, cousins, best friends, or other relatives come into town and have nowhere to stay. Nobody really wants to crash on anyone’s sofa, and accommodation is expensive.
This is why creating a comfortable space for your guests is important and worth the investment, even if they only come around a few times a year. If you don’t have an extra bedroom to jazz up for your guests, then pull out sofas are your next best option, and can be extremely comfortable and space-efficient.
A Dining Table
You also don’t want to be eating off your lap on the sofa for every meal – we can guarantee it. However, a traditional six-seater dining set isn’t necessary, especially if you live in a smaller space. You can incorporate a dining area into a small space with ease if you just use a little creativity and inspiration.
Consider the space you have and how you can incorporate a dining table. You might simply add some high barstools to a kitchen countertop, or deck out an entire room for a dining space. It’s entirely up to you, the size of your family, and how often you host people for lunches and dinners.
Shelves and Storage
Finally, make sure to invest in a decent amount of storage solutions, shelves, chests of drawers, ottomans, etc. Big pieces like wardrobes and bookshelves should be a priority, and don’t forget to ensure you have some drawers to hide your junk.
Once you have the basics in place, you can even DIY your kitchen storage or other areas in your home to keep the costs low and the effort minimal.
