How to Choose the Right Furniture ?

Has this ever happened to you? You see a picture in a magazine, or you visit a friend’s home, or you are simply struck by a moment of design creativity; however it happens, you are struck by a clear vision of how to make your home’s interior look the way you always wanted it to look.

Then you go out to put it all together and, instead of a clear vision, your thoughts are clouded by all the options, colours and styles. You can't quite find what you’re looking for and you choose a suite that comes close. It’s very nice, but it’s not entirely “you” and it doesn’t look quite as good as what you had in mind.



You are not alone. Despite knowing what we like, very few of us are really good at interior design or decorating a home, and that makes it difficult to really reflect our unique tastes, personality and style in our home furnishings.

So will you be able to make your home look exactly how you want it to ?

Of course, the answer depends on what you have in mind and your budget, but there are definitely ways to choose furniture that better reflects who you are and creates a more enjoyable and livable home.

• Shop for Colours. It may seem odd, but to create the look and feel you want it is at least as important to have an overall colour combination that works as it is to have a particular piece of furniture. The first thought when you see a piece you like should be about if you can carry the feeling you get from it through the rest of the room with matching colours for accessories, floor coverings and wall paint.

• Colour Combinations. Matching colours can be the toughest part of choosing different pieces of furniture. Colour wheels, which you can find in art supply stores, will help you understand which colours complement each other.

• Colour for Emphasis. If you want the whole room the work together without any emphasis on a particular piece or area, make sure all your colours match and are balanced. If you prefer, you can avoid colour matching by using a monotone approach. Look through interior decorating magazines and it won’t be long until you find a photo of a room that is predominantly one colour.

• Talk to your family and friends. Everyone buys furniture and there’s a wealth of knowledge and experience among the people you know. Talk to them about their furniture purchases. Ask about where they got the furniture, who manufactured it, how well the furniture met their expectations and what advice they would give. It will all help to make your decision easier.

• Look for information and reviews on the web. The internet is a great place to get valuable feedback from people who have gone through the whole process and are willing to share their experiences.

• Be careful not to confuse style with quality. Very often, the latest styles will carry a higher price just because they are new. Higher price doesn’t always mean higher quality.

If, however, you find the most incredible orange couch and you want it as the focal point of the room, leave it as the only orange piece in the room and avoid other bright colours. Even if they are complementary, they will draw attention away from your centerpiece.

While there are many other ways to choose the right furniture to put your personal touch on your decor, when you get the colours right, the rest is much easier.

Submitted by : This article is contributed by Emmanuel Sidney, who is a freelance writer and interior designer. When choosing furniture to bring a design together he likes to use Arrow Furniture.