The Ultimate Guide To Choosing Homewares
Whether you’re building, renovating or buying a new home there are so many decision to be made. Perhaps one of the biggest is choosing homeware and styling your new abode. For the ultimate guide to choosing homewares and furniture, we’ve put together a series of things to think about to get you on your way.
We strongly recommend browsing through online stores and visiting furniture stores so you can touch and feel products. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with options so instead of rushing, take your time and check out our guide to choosing homewares.
Do your research
It’s always a good idea to research different ideas before committing to one décor style. Check out interior designer blogs or buy some home magazines. Get a starting idea of what styles you like and don’t like.
You can also talk to friends and family who have remodeled their homes. You can ask them what difficulties they had and what they found easy. There are sure to be so many things they say they didn’t think of to begin with. They may have encountered problems and will be able to offer advice to make your process easier.
Consider the size of your rooms
It’s so easy to flick through the pages of a magazine or catalogue and admire the luxurious furniture and home décor. Try to remember that these editorials have the convenience of photoshop and angles that make rooms look larger and more spacious than they are.
Be careful with dimensions and know your measurements when you’re shopping for larger pieces of furniture. Couches, sofas, armchairs, dining tables and larger storage pieces will need to have their own space and not take up every inch of available room. If you’re shopping online make sure you check for dimensions so you can measure up against your area.
You can also put together a little mock up on paper with dimensions and map out how you want your rooms to look. This way you’ll have a list of exactly what you need rather than what you think you need. This is a great time and money saver!
Choose your décor style
All homes have their own style. From the design and layout of the floor plan right through to how the owners have decorated. The pieces of homeware and furniture you choose will shape the style of your home as well. So make sure you don’t go purchasing random pieces that may not ultimately fit with the vibe you’re going for.
You might prefer the eclectic bold and bright feeling of boho style. Or you might like a more rustic vibe through farmhouse styling with crisp whites incorporated. You have so many options and while some décor can effortlessly cross over there are also so many that don’t. Like moody New York blacks and Hamptons white and blues.
If you’re not completely sure what style you want, look at larger pieces first like couches and dining tables. These will start to shape the overall feeling and you can spread out to homewares from there. Here you can consider the practicality of your homewares like storage pieces, extra dining chairs, coat racks or general accent pieces.
Purposefully selecting materials
Naturally personal preference comes into choosing homewares and furniture. Loads of people love the look of timber whereas others prefer as much fabric as they can get. Ultimately the choice actually does make a difference.
If you buy fabric couch you need to make sure you have the products required to keep it clean. If you have timber dining chairs you need to be prepared for dings and dents. Consider who will be using your pieces and what room they’ll be in. Formal living spaces can better cater for special pieces like frames or formal dinnerware. But be ready to commit to cleaning items on display like photo frames or artificial plants.
Always keep budget in mind
It is super easy to flick through a catalogue and select every piece you love or add a hundred pieces of homeware to your online shopping cart. Do you really need all those pieces in reality? It’s a great idea to give yourself a budget – broken down into rooms if possible. A single cushion or throw rug can cost between $20 and several hundred dollars so be ready to keep the reigns on.
A budget doesn’t mean going cheap either. These days there are so many options available and you can find similar themes in a range of different stores. Shop around and make sure you’re not compromising on quality. Otherwise you’ll find yourself replacing these items more often in the end.
The same theory applies with white goods and appliances. Do you need the extra chest freezer in the garage? Do you need that enormous coffee machine or can you get away with a less expensive one? Question what you’re after and create lists to keep yourself in check and on budget.
Once you have your lists and priorities sorted out you will find it so much more enjoyable decorating your new home or completing your renovation. Remember, House & Garden stocks a huge range of beautiful homewares and furniture. We make sure the ultimate guide to choosing homewares remains simple and a great price.
