What are you looking for?
Ask yourself a few simple questions before you leave home to save time, energy, and possibly money. It is easy to be distracted by the myriad of choice. Bearing in mind facts about what you want will help you focus on what you’re looking for.
Consider the following questions:
If you're shopping for furniture
- How many people do you need to seat?
- How will you position sofas and chairs in the room?
- Would a spare bed be useful? – do you need a sofabed?
- Who is going to use the furniture? Will they treat it kindly or will it be exposed to the rough and tumble of family life?
- How often are you likely to want to clean the furniture?
- Do you even want a new sofa? Would you prefer to consider reupholstery, loose covers or simply replacement cushions instead.
If you're shopping for curtains or blinds:
- Do they need to block out light and/or drafts?
- Do you have a radiator below the window? Covering a radiator by floor length curtains can trap the heat behind the curtain and make the room colder.
- How and where are the curtains or blind going to hang. If you're likely to change a track or pole, it's best to do this before new curtains are made.
Talk to your salesperson about options for combining styling with practicalities.
Style
Interiors books and magazines can offer inspiration, but try to think about your style. If you have trouble imagining what you want, think about words that describe other things you like, e.g. pictures, clothes, even music. Make a list of words that describe these things. Some examples are: casual, modern, simple, ornate, textured, floral, classic, traditional, clean, plush, cool, relaxed, funky...
There are no right or wrong answers but your list will help your salesperson to identify the perfect product to fit with your home and your style.
Fabric & Leather Choice
There are three aspects in this choice: design & colour, practicality, and price. Find one that fits all three to hit the jackpot.
- Design & Colour. There are thousands and thousands of beautiful fabrics and many of our suppliers bring out new collections every season. Remember your list and ask to see fabrics that can be described by those words.
If you're trying to match a colour try to take a sample with you, but remember to also check any choice at home before taking the plunge. Fabrics often look very different in different light.
It may be possible borrow a larger Returnable Sample in exchange for a deposit. These can be useful for imagining an expanse of colour or the effect of a large design.
- Practicalities. Is the fabric going to receive a lot of direct sunshine? Is it likely to be handled by grubby mitts or be treated to the odd drop of wine? 'Who is going to be using the sofa/curtains/soft furnishings and how' is best answered honestly now.
Look at and consider cleaning options.
If you need a particularly hard wearing fabric, ask about the fabric's Rub Test. A fabric considered suitable for general domestic use will have a Rub Test result in the region of 20 000 'rubs'. Do not assume that a more expensive fabric is harder wearing: sometimes the opposite is true.
- Price. There are huge variances in the price of fabrics and consequently fabric choice usually influences the overall cost more than anything else. Get an estimate of the fabric quantity required before looking at patterns to enable you to select which fabrics fall within your budget.
Don't forget to consider any extras like arm covers, or curtain lining, tie-backs, fitting, etc.
Size Matters
Take measurements of rooms/windows before you leave home. This is particularly important for getting an accurate idea of cost when shopping for curtains. An extra 30cm of width in the curtain can mean several extra metres of fabric.
Beware of buying a sofa on the spot without a firm idea of the dimensions of your room – sofas often look smaller in a large showroom than they would in your home. You also need to consider how furniture will be delivered. Measure door widths, consider banisters and low ceilings. Before you place an order, discuss access with the salesperson and check the company's policy on sofas which can’t be delivered.
Once you're nearing a decision you may wish to make news paper templates of the area that will be covered by your new sofa(s). This helps you to envisage how the furniture will change your room and ensure that there will be sufficient space to move freely around the furniture once it is in place.
Delivery Schedule
If you need your new furniture or curtains in a hurry discuss this before investing time and energy in making a selection. Some companies can be more flexible on this matter than others.
Likewise, if you're in a situation where the furniture may be ready before you are, e.g. if you're moving house, check the company's policy on storing the furniture.
Other considerations
The arrival of new fabric collections means that others are discontinued each season. You may wish to purchase extra fabric to be used in the event of a stain or tear. Doing this at the time of order ensures that you have the same dye batch and that you won’t be disappointed if your fabric is no longer available.
For sofas and chairs, consider purchasing arm covers – to protect this area of high wear and tear.
And finally...
Happy Shopping. If you have any questions about any of the above points or would like to find out more about how we can help, please do contact us on info@sofamagic.co.uk, by calling 0117 9248383, or by visiting us at Coldharbour Road, Bristol.
