Choosing furniture that suits your space, is a good value and that you and your mate can agree on is sometimes a big challenge. The furniture industry is tougher than ever to navigate due to changes in manufacturing, raw materials, construction methods and styles. All of these factors can produce confusion. Not to worry, there can be a method to the madness.

Make A Plan
The selection process should actually begin long before you hit the shop or showroom floor. The best approach is to carefully evaluate your needs and to consider how you want to use a particular space. The type of furniture should support the specific room functions and the number of people. This applies to interior as well as exterior rooms. It seems simple at first glance, but careful consideration may produce some interesting observations and prevent missteps. For instance, in your family room you need to seat six people. You could simply have a couch, a love seat and a chair; you could choose an L-shaped sectional sofa; or two sofas would be an option. Each alternative produces seating for six, but which is the most appropriate choice for your lifestyle and the layout of the room? Also think about how the furniture will be used. Have you ever noticed that three people rarely sit on a full size couch at one time? It seems no one sits in the middle unless forced to, because it’s awkward and the couch is best used to stretch out for a nap or TV. These questions become part of the design, subjective and functional decisions.

The ideal way to truly assess your furniture needs is to create a floor plan drawing and lay out the furniture in the space. Working with an interior designer or decorator may be invaluable for establishing design parameters and creating a well thought-out plan. Alternatively, start by measuring the room and locating door openings and swings, windows and any architectural features such as changes in floor or ceiling level, columns, etc. Establish focal points in the space such as a fireplace or artwork, and begin assigning placement for the various pieces of furniture that will occupy the room. Be sure to illustrate all furniture at its correct size, and include existing pieces that will be reused. Analyze foot traffic in the space, as it may have a major impact on the overall layout. There are some software programs that may be useful for creating the plan, but many have a learning curve. Unexpectedly, creating a plan may lead to rethinking items on your wish list, as they may not fit well in the room.

Styles And Trends
Color and style are unquestionably the most subjective and high impact decisions to be made when selecting furniture. Although there is always an abundance of offerings, many factors affect the styles that appear in the marketplace. The state of the economy plays a large part in the variety and riskiness of pieces manufacturers will produce. In challenging times, generally the styles available are more mainstream, fabrics less colorful and finishes more generic. Manufacturers may limit inventory, causing fewer products to be available as stock items. All this being factored in, the choices are still plentiful, especially if you are patient and willing to order your furniture. Some companies offer surprisingly short lead times.

Many perennial styles are time-tested and age beautifully if well cared for. Traditional styles, although always available, have given way to more transitional, eclectic, rustic or contemporary offerings. Classic motifs are being updated through changes in scale and finishes such as oversized details and bleached, unfinished woods. The “safe” use of neutral colors in upholstery has dovetailed with our cultural green movement and current environmental consciousness. This has translated to the use of natural fabrics such as linen and cotton, which are frequently accented with easily changeable bold and colorful accessories. Natural stone or finishes that resemble stone are part of the mix. Although the opposite can still be easily found, furniture lines are generally somewhat simpler with less carving and intricacy, as well as physically and visually scaled down. The updated sizing is a good thing, because it seemed for a time that furniture was getting larger while rooms were typically getting smaller.

Quality And Value
Off-shore competition, outsourcing and economic challenges have forced manufacturing changes that have had a major impact on furniture quality and cost. The once robust North Carolina furniture industry has lost an estimated 85,000 jobs. Consequently, much of the furniture available today comes from overseas. There are still strong American companies specializing in producing quality products, but many come with a price tag. A major decision has to be made: is quality or price the most important consideration? I was recently asked if $X was a good price for a certain type of chair. There is no easy answer because it depends on the type and source of wood, joinery, construction, warranty, etc. In certain rooms an heirloom piece or group may be just the thing and the price secondary. For casual furniture a good question to ask yourself is how long you actually want it to last. In several years your tastes may change, but you may not feel justified in discarding expensive furniture.

Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle
Changing technology has forced major reincarnations in some furniture. Think back a few short years ago to the monster size TVs and entertainment centers to accommodate them. Those pieces seem strangely scaled and outdated today. But through a creative rethink and the skills of a good carpenter, they can be modified for updated uses. It’s often just as expensive to reupholster an existing chair or sofa as it is to buy a new one. But if an item is of high quality and structurally sound, it may be restyled and recovered to barely resemble its former self while reducing landfill waste in the process. For the bargain hunter, antiques and one-of-a kinds can be found to suit a particular need that may have a surprising design chic effect. Don’t give your secrets away: by blazing your own trail, you earned your friends’ asking, “Where did you find that?”

Get Out There
Furniture is likely to be a major investment, one not to be considered lightly. It’s wise to do your homework, create those plans and compare choices. If shopping on a budget and you need your purchases to have staying power, choose fabrics and finishes carefully for durability as well as style. Realize in the future, you might not be living in the same house, so avoid purchasing house-specific items. If trendy is the desired look, be aware that short-lived is the nature of trendy, and in a few years you may be looking for something else. Arm yourself with the facts by assessing your needs and creating a wish list, and then go shopping with confidence!

Thanks to Richmond, VA resources:
Pat Stockdon, ASID w/ InDesign, (804) 272-9504
Janet Kay, ASID w/ Virginia Wayside Furniture (804) 740-3124
Andrew Crank w/ Henrico Furniture (804) 272-5505
Shades of Light, www.shadesoflight.com

Laura Holland at Hickory Chair, Hickory, NC www.hickorychair.com

Vicki O’Neal, owner of FORM & FUNCTION, provides commercial and residential interior and landscape design. She is a professional member of ASID, VA Certified Interior Designer (CID), Master Gardener, and a VA Certified Landscape Designer and Horticulturist. The material contained in articles written by Vicki O’Neal is intended for general information only. 804.897.8558. www.form-and-function.us.

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