Consumers say they are after quality in seating, but it is difficult to evaluate quality in a chair or sofa since its ingredients--are built into the piece and cannot be seen.
To maximize chances of finding the quality you seek, consider the following guidelines:
-Shop at reputable retail establishments where store personnel are well informed and able to point out the differences in materials and construction.
-Know some of the factors which go into a good piece of furniture. Among these are a good spring system, a frame made of clear knot-free hardwood re-inforced with dowels, screws and corner blocks, and good quality fiberfill of synthetic or natural fibers.
-When shopping, lift cushions and look at the deck label. Read hangtags. Manufacturers who are proud of their furniture products provide information on filling and other ingredients and the use and care of the item.
-Sit on the furniture to test for comfort. You should not feel springs or framing beneath the cushioning.

Buying furniture can be fun and personally rewarding. Its also an investment !
All you need to do is become a furniture detective looking for as many facts as possible before making this important purchase.
You are making an investment in your lifestyle when you buy furniture. Impulse or desperation can lead to an expensive mistake.
As a furniture detective you want the facts to help you make an intelligent buying decision. One of the best ways of compiling these facts is to evaluate your lifestyle and needs. Then visit reputable home furnishing stores and be sure to ask questions.
Your questions will be based from simple facts in home research.
Ask yourself how you live and how do those who live with you live. some of the important considerations are children, pets, degree of entertaining and how you view the collective lifestyle of the household.
With children, age can determine the type of furniture you will seek. What's the sense of becoming frustrated over formal furniture with a toddler running all over the place? Buy something more practical.
Pets, regardless of how disciplined, can pose problems for furniture. Unless you plan on declawing "Fluffy".
If you entertain guests, your furniture needs are different from households preferring less frequent social activities. How you entertain also has bearing on furniture. Your lifestyle, whether it's formal dining, buffet, intimate cocktail parties or big blowouts, should be considered. Or do you just use the kitchen snack bar?
Do you live formally or casually? How do you use what you have now?
Thinking about all these factors are necessary. Getting ready to buy furniture is really fun when you are prepared.
For instance, if you need a new sofa, the first thing you must do is size up the area where it will be located. Take the proper measurements (length of wall it might be up against, or the room dimensions) and keep a record of them.
Better yet, measure the dimensions of all the rooms in your home and roughly sketch your existing floor plan, or the arrangement of furniture, in a notebook. Bring this when you shop.
Having these facts handy can be valuable if you spot a special buy and are required to make a quick decision. At least you are prepared, providing you have the answers to the other considerations mentioned earlier.
How much money can you afford to spend? If you need basic necessities, then buy them first. Make a plan of purchase for every room, listing the necessities.
Trusting your memory in a furniture store is dangerous. The lighting of the store is different than natural light coming through a window. The color you thought you recalled could actually clash with the fabric of the new sofa your are planning for your living room. So bring a sample, or a small cushion, or an arm chair coverlet.
If you are fortunate enough to be able to custom order your chair or sofa, take the swatch book home to view in the natural light of your home and other furniture surroundings and when its evening- how it will appear with your table lights on.

This page was created on February 8, 1998. Updated 2-4-2000

---

Get a free home page at