Choosing a New Design for Your Home and Garden

Buying furniture is a complex transaction: unlike regular grocery shopping, you're getting high-priced items that you'll use for years to come and hence quality is imperative to a long service life. On the other hand, you may not know much about furniture making and quality markers; all you know is that the design and colour goes with the other stuff in your living room.

Upholstered furniture presents a bigger challenge because unlike case furniture (wardrobes, tables, desks, dressers etc.), you cannot immediately see and therefore evaluate the internal components' workmanship. This article gives you important aspects to weigh when deciding on quality.

Frame

Sit on the furniture for some minutes and assess how comfortable you are. The armrest height should be at a comfortable level, and the chair should adequately support your frame in various sitting and lying positions. Once you confirm this, check for the following:

• Armrests should be installed sturdily/firmly – no wobbling
• The frame should be rigid – try to lift one corner of the seat and watch out for creaking sounds or sagging
• Ask for the manufacturer's catalogue which details internal components. Sturdy frames should be built from kiln-dried hardwoods
• Confirm that wooden panels/pieces were joined using dowels – pegs connecting pieces by fitting in holes on the pieces
• Corners should be reinforced with glued or screwed-on blocks

Fabric

Higher quality fabric will be more tightly woven, i.e., it should have more threads per unit of area, e.g., square inch. Check also that the backing isn't showing through, and that threads do not separate or slip when exposed to slight pressure. For patterned fabrics, choose those that have been woven with coloured threads rather than being printed on a single side. Try to rub the surface; if the colour or print comes off do not buy. Carry an eraser with you and rub a part of the fabric – if fabric bits come off, the fabric is likely to pill/felt over time. Finally, find out what protective measures have been taken to reduce soiling rates.

Cushions

Your best choice is to get cushions with removable and reversible covers, as these can be washed when they get dirty and turned around to reduce rate of wear on a single surface. Most commonly, high density foam should be used to fill hard cushions, while soft cushions may be filled with synthetic materials such as acrylic fibre and other down-like materials. Springs and down are acceptable depending on the function they serve.

Avoid cushions made from shredded foam as these are uneven and won't maintain shape as well as the former options. Corners should be well filled and defined. Placed side by side, the cushions should snugly fit in their places and be of similar size unless this isn't desired. Ask/check whether the cushions have fabric lining under the upholstery. For more information, see a website such as http://www.furniturenmore.com.au.