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Originally Posted On: https://ozthings.com.au/blogs/oz-things-blog/12-tips-for-buying-elegant-furniture-for-your-home-in-australia

 

You can’t deny the impact good furniture can have on your home. Despite a rough couple of years brought on by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Online Home Furnishing Market is expected to reach an estimated worth of $1.6 billion in 2023.

Furniture is an essential element that can turn an ordinary house into a home. Whether you’re furnishing your whole home or you’re simply looking to update your home decor in a few rooms, choosing the right furniture is key. Elegant furniture can help you enhance your home’s aesthetic and overall appeal.

If you’re searching for elegant furniture for your Australian home, there are some things you need to understand first. By following these 12 tips and tricks, you can ensure that the furniture-buying process is as smooth and worry-free as possible. Keep reading below to discover further information.

 

1. Define Your Home Decor Style

Before you dive into furniture shopping, it’s important to define your personal home decor style. The reason for this is simple. It will help you save time and narrow down your search efforts by giving you a targeted style of items to search for.

There are many different types of furniture styles available to suit everyone’s specific tastes and decor needs. Some of the most popular styles include:

• Shabby Chic
• Modern
• Contemporary
• Mid-Century Modern
• Art Deco
• Rustic
• Bohemian (Boho)
• Industrial

Once you have a home decor style in mind, it can help you guide your search for the perfect piece of elegant furniture that will match this style. Some homeowners choose to have one unified style throughout their home, while others may opt for different furniture styles for each room.

If you’re not sure about your style or you’re looking for a change, you can peruse home decor magazines for the latest trends to get some inspiration.

 

2. Measure Your Spaces

This tip is vital for buying furniture, especially when shopping for furniture online. Every homeowner’s worst fear is ordering furniture and then finding out that it doesn’t fit when it is finally delivered. Then, you have to begin the often frustrating process of trying to return it.

Therefore, it is vital to ensure you have the proper measurements of the space where you will be placing your furniture. Measure your space at least three times to verify the proper dimensions against the height, width depth, and length of your intended furniture pieces.

It’s a good idea to sketch out a floor plan. You can use blue painter’s tape to mark the outlines on the wall or floor where the furniture will go. Larger elegant furniture pieces like sofas and lounges will require more space.

You will want to measure the distance between other furniture pieces in the room as well to prevent crowding. You will also need to verify that there is space to walk comfortably between furniture pieces if needed.

In addition to these areas, you must ensure that the furniture can fit through all of the necessary doorways, stairways, and hallways when it is delivered. If it doesn’t, you may have to opt for it to come unassembled.

 

3. Choose Room-Sized Appropriate Furniture

According to Architecture and Design, the average house size in Australia is 186.3 square meters or about 2,005 square feet. Newer home builds have a floor size of about 235.8 square meters or around 2,358 square feet. The average Australian home also has 3 bedrooms.

The size of your home’s particular rooms may vary in size based on its unique square meterage. Furnishing a larger room gives you more leeway when it comes to selecting elegant furniture items.

If you are furnishing a smaller room, you will need to take this into account as well when selecting your furniture pieces. When furnishing a smaller bedroom, for example, you’ll want to buy bedroom furniture that will allow you to incorporate other furniture pieces like a wardrobe or bedside tables.

Avoid buying oversized furniture for a smaller space. Doing this can make the room feel even smaller. It can also take up valuable space that can be used for other purposes.

 

4. Research Furniture Materials

Different furniture materials may also play into your home’s overall decorating aesthetic. However, you need to research how different furniture material types can impact your decorating style. Some furniture materials allow for a wider variety of designs and styles to choose from for diverse and elegant furniture home decor preferences.

The choice of different furniture materials can also impact the care and maintenance required for furniture upkeep. For instance, leather furniture provides a beautiful appeal to accentuate your home’s style, but it does require some extra maintenance and care. You will need to take extra care to polish your leather furniture and protect it from punctures and tears.

 

5. Ensure Furniture Quality

The Guardian reports that in 2023, an average of 27% of working Australians are working from their homes either full or part-time. With so much time spent at home, even during work hours, having high-quality and elegant furniture is important.

Buying cheap furniture may seem like it’s saving you money. But this furniture can break and wear down more easily. You will then likely spend more money to replace it because you’re getting what you pay for.

The origin of the furniture is also important in determining quality. A survey found that 67% of Australians believe in buying Australian-made products first. This is due to the quality and reliability of goods like Australian-made outdoor furniture and the support of Australian jobs.

High-quality and elegant furniture will stand up better in durability and appearance over time. It also offers a better home aesthetic. Besides, homeowners work hard and deserve to have nice things as a result of this work.

 

6. Budget for Your Furniture

Budgets are an important aspect of furniture shopping. While it isn’t fun to stay within a budget, it can save you from experiencing buyer’s remorse later on.

Consider how much you want to spend in total on your furniture. Set a maximum you are willing to spend on each item. You should also decide if you’re refurnishing a whole room or just replacing and updating a few key items.

If money is tight, then you might consider spending more to get a higher-end elegant furniture focal piece like a dining room table or a stylish lounge set. You can always fill in with smaller and less essential pieces later on.

When shopping online, you may also be able to split up your furniture payments into more manageable chunks by using services like Zip, AfterPay, and PayPal financing.

 

7. Opt for Functional Furniture Pieces

Functional furniture pieces are stylish and elegant furniture designs that serve a purpose. They often contain elements that allow them to serve multiple purposes within your home beyond just being a piece of ordinary furniture.

One of the most common examples of functional furniture is the handy sleeper sofa. By day, it is a useful furniture lounge. But at night, it converts or folds out into a bed to accommodate guests who may be staying over.

In places in your home where space may be at a premium, having furniture that also doubles as storage can be a big help. For example, an ottoman or coffee table with built-in storage can easily store and keep items out of sight while also maintaining its use as an elegant furniture piece.

 

8. Examine Furniture Comfort

You’re probably going to spend a lot of time using your elegant furniture, so you want to be sure that it will be comfortable. Traditionally, you will need to go to a furniture showroom and sit on the furniture to test it out before you buy it.

When you’re buying furniture online, though, you won’t have the option of seeing and testing the furniture for yourself in person. But one way you can navigate this is by going with brands that you’ve bought before.

If you have a particular furniture name brand or company you know is good in terms of furniture comfort, then you are more likely to go with the same brand in the future, knowing what you are getting.

 

9. Read Furniture Reviews

Another way to ensure you are getting the best high-quality, elegant furniture is by reading online reviews. These reviews come from other customers just like you who have bought the same pieces you’re looking at.

Reviews are often unbiased and honest feedback regarding aspects like a piece of furniture’s comfort, features, color, and value for the money. They can tell you what they liked and what they didn’t like. This is particularly helpful when shopping online for furniture.

By reading online reviews, you can also get a feel for how the company itself handles its customer service aspects. This relates to areas like shipping, product returns and refund policies.

Online reviews are an invaluable tool. They can help you make the right decisions when it comes to buying the best bedroom furniture, living room and dining room furniture, Australian outdoor furniture, and more.

 

10. Try Mixing and Matching Furniture Styles

There’s no hard-set rule that says everything in your home has to be perfectly matching. Homeowners are free to express themselves in whatever way they choose. Homeowners with a more eclectic home decor style aren’t afraid to mix it up with their elegant furniture styles.

Mixing and matching furniture styles gives entertaining in your home a fun and inviting vibe. A living room with post-modern, contemporary, and Art Deco seating options gives homeowners and guests alike the opportunity to gravitate to the style of chair they like the best.

For couples, it allows each person to have the seating configuration they want. If a husband wants something comfortable like a recliner, but his wife wants a tasteful loveseat and ottoman, both individuals can have their needs accommodated with a mix-and-match style.

You can also use different furniture styles for every room. For instance, some homeowners may have different themes for each room in their home. They may have a shabby chic bedroom with an Art Deco living room and a contemporary-themed dining room.

You may also choose different colored furniture pieces to add a pop of color to your home. If you have a more neutral-toned room in your home, you can buy an armchair in jewel tones to give the room a more colorful vibe.

 

11. Consider Customized Designs

If you’ve searched high and low but can’t find just the right furniture piece to meet your qualifications, you may need to consider customizing your furniture instead. Custom furniture designs let you dictate the look and style of your furniture pieces.

With custom furniture, you can choose the colors, finishes, and fabric materials you want. You can also customize the materials that make the furniture itself, such as wood, metal, glass, or stainless steel. For pieces like Australian outdoor furniture, you can choose from elements like Eucalyptus timber, PE wicker, and pine wood based on your needs.

A custom piece puts you in control of creating the ideal aesthetic with your elegant furniture designs. You can even alter the dimensions of the furniture to fit your unique space requirements. By customizing the key features of your elegant furniture, you can create a one-of-a-kind furniture piece to suit your home decor needs.

 

12. Inquire About Shipping and Delivery

Selecting your elegant furniture is only one part of the furniture-buying process. Before you make your purchase, you also need to consider the shipping and delivery factors.

In regards to shipping costs, some items may ship for free, while heavier furniture pieces will require an additional shipping surcharge. Shipping costs are calculated based on weight, furniture dimensions, and the shipping destination.

The time it takes to get your furniture order delivered can vary based on stock, location, and shipping speed. You will also need to verify that the furniture company delivers to your area before you place your order.

 

Shop Elegant Furniture for Your Home at Oz Things Today

You deserve to have a home that is uniquely yours. Elegant furniture can transform your home and help you express your personal home style.

Oz Things is an online-only furniture store that exclusively serves the Australian market. We offer stylish, contemporary, and elegant furniture pieces that won’t break the bank with fast shipping.

Shop our full line of elegant furniture online, or contact us with any comments or questions today.