Furniture shopping can be done in several ways. you can decide to furnish a room or a whole house with new furniture and go shopping for everything at once. Or, you can work with existing furniture by deciding what pieces are still in good shape and useful and slowly replacing them with new pieces that look good with the existing decor. People buy new furniture because they have their first home and need to start fresh furnishing it or someone has moved into a new home and needs to purchase additional furniture to fill it. The most fun reason to shop for furniture is because it is time to redecorate an existing home with pieces the whole family will love.
Shopping In town or Online
When a person or family decides to buy new furniture they have more choices of suppliers than ever before. There are small to large local furniture stores where the buyers walk around the store choosing furniture they like and arranging delivery. Then there are all sorts of online furniture suppliers with wide selections of furniture in stock in warehouses. customers view photographs with descriptions of the furniture. The furniture is ordered to be delivered to the customer's door wherever they live. This furniture comes in many styles from traditional and historic to ultra-contemporary.
The furniture designs use at least 11 styles as inspiration and it is up to the customer to decide which styles of furniture they like. Some people like to have the whole house or apartment be one style with everything color coordinated. Others like a mixture of colors and styles that complement each other but offer a variety of decor. some people like to purchase a whole room suite of matching furniture while others prefer to choose one piece at a time. All shopping styles end up with a nicely furnished room or home if a few decorating rules are followed.
Know The Furniture Styles
If a homeowner takes the time to familiarize themselves with the many furniture styles and their features and origins, it will narrow down the furniture search. Some styles go well together and some do not work well together. By exploring the different styles of furniture, a person will get an idea of what they like and what they plan to avoid. Narrowing down the styles of furniture to shop for makes the choice easier and will help keep a home better coordinated.
Look for these furniture styles:
- Traditional furniture takes its influence from the historic style from the past. Influences can include 18th century English, French country or more formal French, 19th century neoclassical or Victorian, Early American, or earlier classical styles. Art nouveau and other historical styles can also be an inspiration. The traditional style of furniture has great attention to detail and classic elements. Medieval, Greek, Italian, and Renaissance European style elements can also be found.
- Rustic furniture is informal and a little rough around the edges. This furniture may look like it is made with barn wood or weathered wood. Simple details and an individualized look are common. Fabrics are less formal and in more nature-inspired colors.
- Coastal style furniture is made to remind us of beach houses and a relaxed atmosphere. some call this furniture nautical or coastal style because it has some details and design elements inspired by boats or ships. The colors are like the sky, sea, and sand. Simple lines and a lack of clutter define this style.
- Hollywood Regency style is all about glam and drama. This furniture has elegance, curves, and influence from other styles rendered in black, white, metallic finishes, and mirrors. There may be upholstery fabrics in satins, wide stripes, bold geometric designs, and Asian inspired details.
- The industrial design does not fool around with too many details and takes its inspiration from the 20th-century industrial era. There will be exposed metal and wood in simple designs where the function is a key element.
- Bohemian design furniture tends to be more avant-garde and unique with bright colors and rich patterns. There might be metallic accents and an abundance of trims. This is a style for those with a more adventurous spirit. A bohemian style room is achieved with individual pieces rather than matching sets.
- Modern furniture is actually inspired by the 1930s minimalist movement. The furniture is streamlined and simple with geometric shapes, clean lines, and a neutral color palette. Sometimes this style is called midcentury modern which takes its influence from the 1940s and 1950s. Here there are bright pops of color added to the neutral tones.
- Contemporary furniture design describes a lot of style elements that are popular today. Comfort and basic forms are common. Solid, neutral colors are favored over patterns in fabrics. Brite colors are introduced in accent pillows or accent pieces. The lines are simple with more curves than the modern furniture style.
- Transitional furniture is like classic furniture styles with a modern twist. This furniture modernizes the traditional styles to add comfort and simplify the lines. This furniture can be used with traditional or contemporary decor.
- Eclectic furniture style borrows from all sorts of different styles. It is meant to be creative with contrast, rhythm, repetition, scale, and composition that are pleasant.
- Asian inspired furniture design gets its inspiration from India, Korea, China, Pakistan, Japan, and other middle eastern countries. This furniture uses many details and finishes including black lacquers and Asian painted designs. Woods such as teak, ebony, rosewood, pine, and bamboo are used.
Basic Design rules
In addition to knowing the different styles of furniture, a few other design rules should be followed. It is important that the home reflects the personality and tastes of the people who live there. Make sure to incorporate enough storage pieces to avoid a room looking cluttered or messy. Place the furniture carefully to allow for traffic movement and conversation areas. Pick an overall color scheme and decor theme for each room and then choose furniture and accent pieces that follow that theme.
Most importantly, when a room is finished it should be comfortable and welcoming to those who live in the home. The room's functions should be planned in advance and the finished room should allow for those functions.