Selecting Furniture

Let’s go furniture shopping!

There is an intriguing idea. Until you consider it. Then it can appear fairly intimidating. The ultimate objective should be to choose timeless items that can be utilized for decades, even if the rooms, placement, location, and orientation of the pieces change in the future.

Here are some tips for selecting durable furniture that you and your guests will enjoy for years to come.

Take the Long and Winding Road Approach

Home design is not stationary. It is a dynamic, living creature that shifts and develops in tandem with your preferences and the way you live your life. Having said that, it is not cost effective or time efficient to make significant changes to one’s house design on an annual basis due to the fact that remodeling and renovations take a lot of time and money. As a result, the interior layouts of homes ought to have designs that are classic enough to last for a long time but adaptable enough to handle fluctuations in the seasons and in fashion.

The same principle applies to the furnishings you have. If you want your living room or family room to be able to accommodate greater party flow or more personal chats depending on the gathering, use items that can be moved around reasonably quickly.

Think about things such as:

• Chairs that can swivel and be moved in order to accommodate discussion or to enjoy the view from a picture window.
• A sufficient number of comfortable light components that can easily be rearranged (poufs and ottomans are examples of these).
• End tables or coffee tables that are on the smaller side and function as movable surfaces.

Consider Size and Shape

You should definitely put money into multifunctional furniture, but you should also make sure that the pieces you buy complement the space in which they are placed. The sense of proportion is very crucial. Your furnishings should always allow for a comfortable flow and provide the impression that the room is more large than it actually is.

As a general rule, you want to leave at least 36 inches of space between the edge of a piece of furniture and an object that is adjacent to it. This allows people to walk and move around the space comfortably. Utilizing graph paper, draw your rooms to scale, and then take these drawings with you when you go shopping for furniture to confirm that any potential purchases would fit nicely.

Think About Materials and Textiles

Your choice of materials and fabrics ought to represent both your way of life and the requirements of the people who will be living in the structure. If you do not have children and do not share your home with anyone else, wear and tear is not as big of a concern for you. However, if you have pets, this restriction does not apply to you. If you have children, dogs, or grandchildren that come to visit you on a more regular basis, you will want to choose furnishings and textiles that can withstand a certain amount of wear and tear.

These days, designers of designer fabric and upholstery provide great prints and designs in high-quality indoor-outdoor fabric. This enables you to enjoy a designer look without having to worry every time a dirty paw or errant chocolate chip comes into touch with the furnishings.

Consider Adding a Few Custom Pieces

The contacts I have built with artists and furniture makers in the Bay Area and beyond are among the most valuable things to come out of my years of working as an interior designer. This is true both locally and beyond the region. Customers are able to purchase bespoke furniture at a price that is significantly more reasonable as a result of this. The design of a space can be entirely reinvented with the addition of custom items.

Pieces of bespoke furniture are perfect for nooks, rooms, or areas that are unusual or difficult to furnish. You can use them to give a certain “look” the finishing touch, or you can utilize them to fulfill the requirements of your individual lifestyle. Maybe you’re looking for the ideal spot for reading or napping, or maybe you want a corner cabinet to store your precious collection of wine openers. A highly personal touch can be added to the interior decor of your house through the creation of a one-of-a-kind piece of custom furniture.

Now that you have a better understanding of how to select furniture, the next time you are in the market for a new piece or pieces remember these helpful tips. And if you get lost along the way, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Hanna Li Interiors will be happy to help guide you to finding the perfect furniture for your home.