If you've ever placed an order for a large piece of furniture with a hefty price tag, you're probably all too familiar with what we affectionately call "analysis paralysis." Buying big furniture for the home can be hard to commit to, especially when you're spending thousands of dollars.
What if you don't like it? What if you can't return it? (Though you should always check the return policy first.) What if it's not the right scale for your home? Or what if it sets off an "if you give a mouse a cookie" chain reaction, and you end up changing everything else in the room?
These are all questions I've been asking myself lately as we hunt for a new living room sofa.
How to Decide on New Furniture
Some of those answers are up to you, but I can help with some of the steps I go through when deciding on new furniture. I don't take these big purchases lightly, because they're so expensive and often can't be returned.
I hope this helps you feel more confident in your choice, the way it has helped me.
MEASURE THE SPACE
The best way to know whether a piece of furniture will fit is to measure the space. If you're furnishing a room for the first time, I highly recommend drawing your space on graph paper (or printing a free template), including openings and doors. Then add the furniture to scale.
Leave 30-36 inches for walkways, and space seats 3-10 feet apart for comfortable conversation.
If you want to learn more, search for "space planning" and several helpful sites will come up. West Elm has a free design planner, which I've never used, but you can give it a try.
Since I already had furniture in the room, I used the painter's tape method to outline the sectional we wanted with painter's tape. It helped us picture the space with the new couch and see how it would work with the existing furniture.
We also found that we'll have to move the desk and console table along the walls coming into the living room, but we can shift the console table to the back of the new sofa.
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY
If possible, sit on the chair or couch before you buy it! Lie down on the bed if you can. See the finish on the armoire in person. Whenever it's at all possible, test out a large purchase before you buy it!
Pay attention to the materials too! We already have the same fabric on our old sofa, so we know how it holds up and how it looks in our space.
If you can't see the furniture in person, order a fabric sample so you can see it in your own space!
By the way, the slipcovered sofas from Pottery Barn in canvas wash up like a dream. I love the fabric, and it has held up well even with little kids. I wash it every few months and spot treat any stains, and they've come out beautifully. I've even gotten red ink pen out of the cushions. (We have the twill fabric in parchment.)
Definitely get a sample of the material you're considering from the manufacturer and test it. Spill something on it, then wash it to see how well it holds up.
WATCH FOR SALES
Retailers like Pottery Barn, where I bought my sofa, run a Buy More, Save More sales event for every major sale holiday. I know that during any of those events I can save 30% on a purchase of $3,000 or more, so I won't buy when it isn't on sale.
I usually watch a big-ticket item for up to a year before buying, just to see whether the price drops. If it doesn't go down within a year, I know I'm not going to get a better deal.
Go Ahead and Hit "Buy"
If nearly everything checks out, go ahead and press the "buy" button. No piece of furniture will be THE perfect piece. But if you've had your eye on something for a while and you've done your homework on measuring, testing materials and watching for sales, then go ahead and buy it.
If you want to see the sectional I ordered, check out our new living room reveal. We LOVE it!
Want to Know When to Splurge vs. Save on Home Furnishings?
Click here to read my post about which items I recommend splurging on and which to save on. Hint: one thing to splurge on? A sofa!
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