Furniture for home and office: how to choose and buy well
Furniture is about size, material and lead time
Furniture is rarely bought on impulse, and that is a good thing. A mistake with the size or the material means not just wasted money but a piece that won't fit in the room or won't take the load. So begin with simple steps: measure the space, think about the doors and passages, and decide how often and by whom the furniture will be used.
Also decide whether you need ready-made furniture or pieces made to size. Ready-made pieces you collect quickly, while made-to-order takes weeks, but fits the recess perfectly.
The main areas
By room there is living room furniture, furniture for the bedroom, hallway and bathroom, and kitchen furniture. By type look for sofas and armchairs, beds, mattresses, sliding wardrobes and walk-in closets, tables and chairs.
Non-standard recesses and kitchens usually work out better value and fit more exactly as custom-made furniture. For work there is office furniture, for the yard garden furniture, and for repairs and making your own, furniture fittings.
What to put in your request
- What exactly — the type of furniture and which room it is for.
- Dimensions — width, depth, height or the size of the recess; for a bed, the size of the sleeping area.
- Material — solid wood, MDF, plywood, particleboard, veneer, upholstery (fabric, faux leather, leather).
- Colour and style — with a sample photo, if you have one.
- Mechanism and filling — for sofas and mattresses.
- Ready-made or made to order — and the date you need it by.
- New or used — and what condition is acceptable.
- Delivery and assembly — the city, the floor, the lift, whether you need installation.
- Budget — if you want to name one.
What the price depends on
The price is set by the material: solid wood costs more than plywood, and plywood often more than particleboard. For sofas, the frame, the filling and the folding mechanism matter, and for kitchens the fittings and the worktop. The complexity of the design, urgency and delivery to a higher floor count too.
In mattresses the key things are firmness, the core (independent springs or springless) and the height, which are worth choosing for your weight and sleeping habits. If you have back problems, consult a doctor about firmness.
How to compare offers
Ask each seller for the material of the frame and the fronts, the thickness, the fittings and the filling. Two wardrobes at a similar price can differ greatly in quality. Find out the production time, the delivery terms, whether they carry it up to your floor and assemble it, and the warranty on the furniture and the mechanisms.
For made-to-order furniture, ask for a drawing or sketch, a specification of the materials and a contract with payment stages, and leave the measuring to the maker. See used furniture in person, check the frame for wobble, the mechanism for operation, and for any smell. A typical mistake is not measuring the doors and the lift, and not allowing for the way the wardrobe doors open.
Don't rush a decision because of offers. Ask whether you can see a sample of the upholstery, the front or the wood, and for a sofa whether you can sit on it and test the mechanism. Find out about spare parts and covers: after a few years they become important.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
Instead of going round showrooms, create one request: describe the furniture, the dimensions and your city, and you can add one photo. Sellers and makers reply in the chat: what they offer, the price or what it depends on, the timing, the delivery. They see where their offer ranks and improve their terms to win your request.
The best-value offer is shown first, with reviews of the seller alongside. Contacts stay hidden until you choose an offer, and it is free for the customer. More on the “How it works” page.
