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Shopping for furniture might seem like a simple task to some, but the fact is, you might need to do more prep work than you initially expected. Nothing feels worse than buyer’s remorse, and when that remorse is tied to a pricey sofa, sectional, or bedroom set, it can feel excruciating.
Part of helping ensure your satisfaction with any product is knowing what to look for in a product and how that product will be used in your life. Furniture is no different than any product, although it may be larger than most purchases.
While you can drop by a furniture showroom anytime and find the right furniture for your needs, knowing a bit more about what you will need and how you will use it in your home will help keep your buyer’s remorse to a minimum and ensure that your furniture is right for your home.
At Furniture Fair, we want you to enjoy your purchase long after it has been delivered. To help with that, we will list a few steps below that you can take to visit our showrooms in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky as productive and easy as possible.
In this article, you will learn what you should do before a visit to a furniture retailer and what to expect when you visit a furniture showroom. Read on to learn some furniture shopping tips and tricks to know before you go.
When shopping at Furniture Fair, many people do not realize that you can schedule an appointment with a trained furniture expert before visiting the store. How does this help you find the perfect furniture for your home?
Our sales experts are knowledgeable about all the products offered on the showroom floor and can help take you to the best options you are looking for. Furniture Fair isn’t just here to sell furniture; instead, we want to develop a trusted relationship with our customers, and our sales experts want to make sure you love your purchase long after you’ve made it.
From the moment they walk through the door our customers receive the attention and service they deserve. Our sales experts want you to have the best experience possible from the moment you walk in whether you buy from us or decide to shop elsewhere.
If you are the type of person who likes to learn about the features and benefits (or potential drawbacks) of your furniture purchase, meeting with a sales expert will help you understand your furniture better and give you an idea about whether or not the furniture is right for you.
Do you want to create a space that is uniquely your own? Are you looking for a second opinion to help channel your style toward furniture that matches your aesthetic? Consider scheduling a FREE in-home design consultation with one of Furniture Fair’s in-house designers.
Our design consultants have years of training in room planning and interior design, plus the experience necessary to help you design a room or an entire house. Whether you have dining room ideas, living room ideas, or bedroom plans, our expert designers can help.
If you want a hands-on approach to creating your perfect home while also getting advice and design services from an expert designer, a free design consultation may be what you need. Consider getting interior design services to help complete your living space.
One of the most common things that keep people from finding the right sofa is measurements. In addition, making a purchase that doesn’t fit in your space is frustrating, to say the least. Falling in love with a sectional, only to be heartbroken when it doesn’t fit, is an awful feeling.
Help prevent the heartbreak of ill-fitting furniture by measuring your room and measuring for new furniture or furniture you may want to replace. Measuring will prevent headaches during delivery and keep you from having to return the furniture you were already set on having in your home.
You should measure your doorways, hallways, and stairs for the same reason you are measuring your room where the furniture will go. Imagine being excited on the day of your furniture delivery, only to be devastated when your new mattress doesn’t fit through your staircase.
Doorways, hallways, and staircases, especially stairs with landings, are the most common pinch points for furniture deliveries. As funny as it might seem on sitcoms, a stuck couch is much less hilarious when you’ve already paid for the sofa and the delivery.
Find out how wide your doorways are, including the trim, and keep those measurements and other space measurements in mind when looking for furniture. A little measuring now will save you a lot of potential headaches during your delivery date.
You should know the style you want to use in your living room, bedroom, or dining room. Traditional, Farmhouse, Mid-century modern, Bohemian, Glam, or a unique mixture of more than one style might be the right choice for you.
Finding the right style options beforehand can help the sales expert or interior designer point you to the furniture that will be more likely to fit within your aesthetic. Narrowing down what style to search for will save time and make your visit almost effortless.
If you aren’t sure about your style and need someone to bounce ideas off of or help you find the style you are picturing in your head, an in-home consultation with one of our interior designers may be just the thing to help you find what you are looking for in your home design.
If you are a bit more particular about the style and mood you are trying to communicate, a great way to share your vision with a salesperson or designer is to create a mood board. Gather any photos of furniture, color schemes, patterns, accessory images, and style choices that speak to you.
You can do this with just your phone camera, through sites like Pinterest, or even by printing a mood board and bringing it in with you. A mood board can help you, and your salesperson get on the same page quickly and help ensure you don’t buy anything that doesn't match your style.
If you already have a color scheme or furniture that you are working with, bring any samples of the colors, textures, and materials you are working with. Bringing the materials you are already using will be an easy way to ensure your wood stains and patterns match or complement each other.
In addition, having paint samples of your walls, trim, and any other prominent features in your room will help you and the salesperson find furniture that compliments the colors and accents the mood you are already creating in the room.
What better way to ensure that your furniture matches than to compare photos on the showroom floor? You could bring the furniture with you, but that’s not quite possible. The best solution is to have pictures on hand to show your salesperson, especially if you are trying to match or compliment the furniture.
Take photos of the furniture from the front and the three-quarter angle, and note the features such as reclining features or upholstery type. Having reference photos will be easier than remembering just what shade of gray your sofa is.
Don’t just take photos of your furniture. Take some pictures of the room you are looking to decorate. If your camera has a panorama function, try getting a 360° image, so that your salesperson can help you visualize how your furniture will fit.
If you aren’t sure how you should take pictures or would rather have a more tailored room design experience, any of our interior designers would love to meet with you for a FREE in-home consultation where they will gather all the images needed to help with your free room design.
A big part of going into a furniture store with no research is sticker shock. Furniture is a significant investment, and if you are going to be spending a substantial amount of money, whether, through financing or upfront, you need to know if the piece you are getting is worth the price.
Research and compare pricing at other stores and look into the details of the type of furniture you are looking to purchase. Furniture Fair’s Learning Center is an excellent option for information, but you should also research from other sources.
How long you expect to use your furniture purchase may affect your decision. If your son needs a couch for his college dorm, you might not want to pay for the highest quality when a more affordable option lasts for the remaining college years.
By contrast, if you are looking at buying a dining table for your newly renovated home, Investing in higher quality will yield more value over time, especially if you buy solid wood. Make sure you are investing the right amount for the furniture you purchase.
Knowing what features you want in your new furniture can help tremendously. Knowing your preference between reclining or stationary seating can help eliminate half the options in the store and narrow your selection to the best options for you.
Like fabric upholstery or prefer leather? Do you like sofas that sit more shallow, or do you like to lounge in your seat? Knowing your preferred styles can help your salesperson direct you to suitable options for your needs.
The Learning Center is also an excellent option for finding information on solid wood, mattress types, reclining, power reclining, real vs. faux leather, performance fabric, and more helpful articles designed to educate the customer on product features and benefits.
Now that you know a few ways to prepare for furniture shopping, you won’t be blindsided by the many possible options and prices you will encounter. With some research and planning, you can make furniture shopping a great experience.
Remember to schedule an appointment ahead of time and bring measurements of your rooms, hallways, and current furniture. Don’t forget to get photos of your existing furniture and any style inspiration or color palettes you are working with.
Finally, don’t forget to research the features you are looking for and compare the quality and prices out there to ensure you are getting the best value for the price you are paying.
If you haven’t already scheduled an appointment with a salesperson, you can do so here. If you would like to schedule an appointment for a FREE in-home design consultation, you can pick from our list of highly trained experts here.
Hopefully, this article has helped prepare you for a visit to one of our Furniture Fair locations in Cincinnati, Dayton, Northern Kentucky, Southern Indiana, and Louisville. We’ve helped countless people find the right furniture for their dream homes or starter homes, and we are ready to help you find the furniture of your dreams.
