Whether you live in a one-bedroom apartment or a sprawling bungalow, you need furniture to turn the house into your dream home. Some furniture like beds and dining tables are essentials while others like occasional chairs and pedestal tables are accent pieces you can keep adding as you switch your décor around with the seasons. Today, you can buy furniture online from some of the best brands in the country as well as international brands. If you were to really compare wood quality and designs, Indian brands are far superior to anything you could import. Irrespective of whether you’re looking at sofas or stools, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Always buy solid wood
If you want your furniture to last you a lifetime, invest in solid wood furniture. It’s a myth that solid wood furniture is expensive. If you were to buy furniture made from pinewood or mango wood, you can easily find budget-friendly pieces. Furniture made from teak or rosewood commands a higher price because the wood is stronger and this furniture will become an heirloom that can be passed down from one generation of your family to another. Know the type of wood the furniture is made from before you add it to your cart. As far as possible avoid furniture made from particle board and MDF. These materials are not durable and have a short lifespan.
When it comes to large pieces of furniture like a dining table, you may find that the description mentions solid wood and ply wood. Large slabs of solid wood may warp with time and hence furniture designers often use plywood as the base for the table top and solid wood to create the frame and legs. This shouldn’t be an issue for smaller pieces of furniture.
Check dimensions carefully
When you buy furniture online, dimensions are more important that designs. Firstly, check the unit of measurement. Most furniture brands mention the length, breadth and height of a design in inches. However, some may also mention the measurements in centimeters. 1 inch is equal to almost 2.5 cm so the variation can be quite large is you use the wrong unit.
Marking the measurements on the floor and walls or using a template of the same dimensions can give you an idea of how the furniture piece will look in your home. This is important for large pieces of furniture like sofas and beds. A sofa that looks grand on the website may overpower your space if you don’t check the measurements beforehand.
Lastly, when you’re sure of the designs you want, check the dimensions against the width and height of your doors to make sure you can get them into your home. Remember the episode from Friends where Ross buys a new sofa and they can’t take it up the stairs – you don’t want that to happen to you.
Make yourself aware of the brand policies
The benefit of shopping online is that furniture gets delivered to your doorstep. However, some brands don’t include the delivery price in their marked price. If you’re buying large pieces of furniture like a sofa and live on the 5th or 6th floor of a building that doesn’t have a service lift, the company may charge an additional delivery fee. To avoid any unpleasant surprises , make yourself aware of the brand’s policies regarding such matters before you place your order. Ensure that they are willing to send a carpenter to your site in case the furniture has a complicated assembly.
Similarly, each brand has a different take on returns, repairs, and replacements. Some brands will accept returns without any questions while others may only offer to repair issues or replace the piece in case of structural defects. Some brands accept returns only for manufacturing defects while others will accept returns even if you just don’t like the way it looks in your home. This is of course not applicable for customized pieces. Most brands do not accept returns for customized pieces.
Check the brand’s warranty and after-sales service to understand how long they take responsibility for the piece after it has been delivered. Ideally, the company should offer a long warranty on the quality of wood while they may offer a shorter warranty on polish and joinery.
When you buy furniture online, you have countless design options before you. It’s the most convenient and cost-effective way to shop. If you’re buying a lot of furniture together or large pieces like a dining table set or a bedroom set, the company may offer an EMI option to spread out your payments over a few months. This lets you do up your home in the way you’ve always dreamt without tightening your purse strings too much. So, are you ready to buy some furniture?
