Tips on Christmas Shopping for Furniture
These days my husband and I do not exchange gifts over the holidays. If there is something large we need, we usually pool the money and buy it, then pretend to look surprised when it arrives. In recent years, our purchases have been more practical than frivolous, and this time around the discussion of bedroom furniture came up again. We’ve had the same suite since we were married, and while it’s held up well we’re wondering if it’s time for a change. Should we get a new set and relegate the current one to the guest room?
If you plan to give your spouse furniture for Christmas, or maybe indulge in a family gift, your first instinct may be to wait until after the holidays are over. This way, you can pack up the tree and decorations, send visitors on their way, then really look around the house to decide where everything goes. If you’ve considered more than one piece there are a few things you want to consider:
1) Do you buy just one piece in a set, or everything that matches? This would depend, I suppose, on whether or not you have the money or the credit to buy an entire bedroom or living room set, and if you are able to move out old furniture in a timely manner. As with other stores, furniture shops are likely to offer good deals on sets, so you may be able to afford to buy everything at once. Don’t stop at the first place you find, however. Take your time and browse all your options, especially if you’re looking for something specific like a style or wood grain.
2) If you plan to redo more than one room, do you get everything at once, or replace rooms as you go? If you have the money to spare, you may be inclined to get the furniture buying out of the way. For us, it seems to take forever to find the pieces we want. Use your judgment and watch your budget.
3) What happens to the old furniture? Do you hang onto it in storage, hand it down to another room in the house, or sell it? When I was young we would inherit things from relatives, and the furniture we kids outgrew were donated to charity. If you need money, you can consider selling, but have a plan.
Above all else, have fun shopping for furniture this holiday season.
