Furniture Shopping & 5 Tips To Stay Out Of Debt While Doing It
Did You Know? “First-time {home} buyers are, on average, 32 years old and make $72,000 a year.” (via)
Let’s not pretend furniture shopping is affordable. I was fooled into believing I could go buy unique furniture pieces that I loved for reasonable prices due to the fairytale that is: INSTAGRAM. On my last move I knew it was time to be an adult & purchase my own furniture. It appears as though everyone else can easily make their home pristine so I should be able to too! Well well well, little did I know you had to be a multi-millionaire to purchase new, quality, unique furniture that you actually liked.
I don’t know how it works across the world, but that’s how it works in America.
Who would have thought 1 single, basic dinning chair would be $500? Not me. I have a new appreciation for fully furnished homes, & Ikea.
Needless to say, I’m glad most of my major furniture shopping is done because it was a fucking gut punch & took a lot of time. I’m here to help, even if you didn’t know you needed it, you do. The new furniture experience will hit you someday too.
The perk to badass new furniture? How your home will make you feel. The energy can change dramatically when you have furniture that you love – trust me. After redoing my bedroom, I realized everything else had to change as well. As painful as furniture shopping is, it’s worth it.
5 Tips For {Affordable} Furniture Shopping
1. Look For Sales
Yes, furniture goes on sale. And even then, it’ll be sickening to pay for, but a sale can make it manageable. I have a Pottery Barn Outlet close to my house & I went OFTEN. One lucky day that I stopped in the store, all sale pieces happened to be an additional 40% off. I ended up getting one of my comfy, white sofas for $100! That’s fucking insane pricing btw. Try shopping for a badass sofa & you’ll feel me. So pay attention to sales & outlet furniture stores, that was as close to finding a gold mine as I can imagine.
2. Discounted & Damaged
I know no one wants damaged or discounted furniture, but sometimes it’s not as bad as you think. For example, our dining table was sitting right next to the exact same dining table BUT one was $400 discounted – Why?? How?? Because the BOTTOM corner of the table had been scratched, you can’t even see it unless you go searching. That tiny scratch saves me $400?! I don’t care if I’m a millionaire, these are deals I’ll never be able to pass up.
I found a huge sofa that was incredibly comfortable, the perfect color, super discounted but missing a center pillow when we were at the Pottery Barn Outlet. The person working there said they don’t sell the pillows individually. Welp, we called the regular Pottery Barn, told them the name of the couch & they order us a pillow! Now we have a huge, perfect, cozy sofa for such a discounted price all because we strategized to make it work! Don’t be afraid of damaged & discounted parts of a furniture store, go looking for them! They’re usually pushed in a back corner, stacked up on top of each other, but dig in! You’ll find treasure.
3. Take Your Time
I can promise, finding all your furniture won’t happen overnight. The most painful part. Patience & precious time. I searched every furniture store, online, sales, 5x through – over the period of several months & I still don’t think I’m done. I refused to settle for something that felt too expensive, for something that didn’t look the way I wanted it to, or cheap crap. I held out on every piece and spent most weekends on the treasure hunt which can mean going into the same stores weekend after weekend looking for the perfect finds! But it will end up saving you money on pieces that you love – patience is key.
4. Stick To Basics
Since furniture is so expensive, buy pieces that are neutral and you can bring to any room or environment. You don’t want to get sick of something a few months after you buy it! Or, what if you unexpectedly move? Furniture doesn’t resell for a fraction of what you purchase it for. So think. That ultra modern sofa that sucks to sit on but looks cool, might get annoying after the first few weeks owning it when you just want to sit down & take a nap. (I’m talking to you Ed by Ellen.) If you go for neutral pieces – you can mix up the look with different pillows or blankets, which is way less expensive than buying an entirely new sofa. Same with table settings, bed frames, ect. The big pieces should stay basic! Go wild on everything else. Which again is why, take your time when you’re purchasing! Don’t get frustrated & buy something you don’t 100% love.
5. Think Outside the Box
I’ve also learned not to fear IKEA. I hunted everywhere for a desk. I wanted a huge, white desk with lots of table space, but not complicated. No unnecessary drawers & bullshit like that, just a basic huge white desk. You’d never believe how hard that was to find by the way. One day I was walking through the dining area of Ikea gathering more knives and noticed a $50 WHITE DINING TABLE. And you better believe that is now my beautiful office desk that I sit at daily, right in my living room. Fits in perfectly. The point is, think outside the box. We had an old table that we sanded & painted to match our living room that now fits in effortlessly. We changed the bedroom by sanding & painting what we had inherited. Our living room didn’t come as an expensive set, I bought each piece separately & made sure they fit cohesively together. All those efforts save big monies!
I’m SO glad my furniture shopping is done, for now! I’m slowly adding decorative pieces but I’m also very about the less is more mindset, so I’m giving away as much as I’m bringing in. Also notice, I didn’t want to do an entire “home tour” with my photo’s because 1. I’m not good at taking photos and 2. I’m not done decorating. But I hope the photos helped give a glimpse of what I’m talking about.
I should also mention, don’t be afraid of “expensive” stores. Remember, you’re looking for good quality furniture that you’ll love for a long time – just follow the tips above when shopping in them!
Where have you had the best luck furniture shopping?
oo! Have you gotten your Vday gifts yet? You saw on instagram story my recommendation for Beauty Counter products? Specifically the lip kits? What a great idea, I’m telling you!
Have a great rest of the week, and please be thoughtful
Xx