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Does Furniture Shopping
Give You The Blues?
Do you have a sofa that looks a little worse for wear
but don't know what to do about it? The idea of spending the next several
weekends going from store to store shopping makes you less than
excited? Maybe the last thing you bought looked so good in the store,
but once you got it home, you were disappointed. Don't despair. Buying
new furniture can be a snap if you take a little time to prepare.
First, measure
y our entire room and notate all doors,
openings and windows. One common mistake is to think you'll be able to
judge well enough when you see it. Typically, furniture stores have no
walls and incredibly high ceilings. This often makes furniture seem
smaller than it actually is. This could present a problem if being able
to walk in your room is a priority! Next, get some graph paper and put
your measurements down roughly to scale with all the openings that you
noted. Look at the measurements and figure out what size sofa you need.
A good rule of thumb is about 1/3 of the entire length or width of the
space where you plan to position it. Bring your notes to the store with
you and tell the sales person the size you are looking for or look at
books and focus on the sizes. This will stop you from falling in love
with a sofa that is not a good fit for your room. Once you have the
possibilities that fit, then you can start to consider style and
fabric.
The fabric choice is the other place where many fail, not because they
choose a bad color, but because they think their memory is perfect. It
is worth it to bring a paint swatch with you or else bring a fabric
swatch home to make sure it goes with the carpet or area rug in your room.
Take several choices home if the store will let you. Most will
accommodate if you leave a credit card number. Some may only charge you
if you don't return the swatch. Others will charge you and credit the
charge back when you return the swatch. It may seem like making a trip
for nothing, but it is definitely worth it. A little extra time is a
small price to pay to be sure you make the right choice for something
you will have to live with for the next 10 years.
If the steps above seem annoying or you can think of a lot of things
you would rather be doing than driving up and down Route 22 looking at
sofas and chairs, there is another alternative - Aurora's shop at home
service. We can bring the store to you - fabrics, furniture books, and
rug samples. We will measure the room, do a furniture layout, and even
help you select a new paint color if you would like. The best part is
that it can probably be done in less than 2 hours and you don't need to
leave your house. We also have complete room design packages available
if you are looking for something more extensive. You don't have to go
through another holiday season wishing you'd made some changes, see our
special offer for a complimentary furniture layout consultation.
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Looking for a Quick Fix?
Is you room looking a little tired but your furniture
is in good shape? New pillows and paint can completely transform your
room for a fraction of the cost. Bring your sofa's arm cover to a store
like Home Goods and pick out all the pillows that you like. You can buy
them and return the ones you don't want later.
Next , make a stop at the paint store and
pick out paint swatches that go with several of the pillow sets. You
might even get a few Benjamin Moore sample size containers. When you
get home, try out several different options until you find the look and
feel you want. Return the others to the store. Spend a weekend painting
the room and voilą the next time your
friends come over, it will look like a brand new room!
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