How to Buy Design Furniture Online
Design, at its best, makes the functional beautiful. Design breathes life into a kitchen chair, turning it into a stylized version of itself, with clean lines or surprising shapes. Design turns a table into the focal point of a room, a light fixture into an expressive feature.
Bringing design into your life and home can do more than add interest or serve decorative purposes. Buying key pieces of design furniture, as an art collector might buy artworks by master or up-and-coming artists, can sometimes a good investment. Buying design you love is always a bold statement.
The internet makes finding great design easier than ever.
Explore: There is an exciting assortment of online design shops to buy from, not to mention online design magazines to inspire you. You can find great design offered by manufacturer websites, design boutiques-even online auctions.
Take your time looking for the right piece of design furniture online. Browse around see what you like best. If you know what you're looking for, you can search by designer, and then narrow down an online selection to meet your needs. If you don't know exactly what you want, you can start by the type of item-sofa, chairs, decorative element, etc. When something strikes your fancy, try looking for similar pieces, until you find just the right item. A good design shop should have experienced consultants who can help you in your search.
Budget: Decide how much you would like to spend. While an authentic Eames chair is a coveted item for design fans, its price tag might be too high for a budding design collector or decorator. If you love the look of a piece of furniture, try to make a compromise by finding something with a similar aesthetic at a lower price point.
Take Measurements: Take note of the measurements the piece should have to both fit well in its intended location and to fit through doorways and up stairs.
Discover: Before purchasing a piece of furniture by a leading designer, read the details available on the designer or manufacturer. If you're buying for collection purposes, you'll want to educate yourself about the designer of the piece that you've selected. Feel free to ask questions. The same design consultants who can help you with your selection will gladly offer you as much information as possible about the designer and her career.
Experiment: Try to imagine the piece in its future location. Get others' thoughts, email a link to the piece to a friend or colleague for an opinion you can trust. Take advantage of special tools the design website might feature-like style guides or room planners.
Ensure: If you've decided to purchase a piece of furniture by a well-known designer, make sure the seller can verify its authenticity for you. Find out who the licensed dealers are for the product you're purchasing. If you're purchasing a vintage piece, make sure to get a condition report (or inspect the piece yourself, if you can). The condition of the varnish or upholstering is an important factor to consider when making your purchase. You want to be sure that the value of the piece won't be affected by any subsequent refinishing or reupholstering.
Get a shipping estimate. Some design websites offer free shipping, but if they don't you should make sure that the shipping costs fit your overall budget.
Buy: Once you're sure you've found just the right piece of furniture, make sure you're buying from a trustworthy company. Read about the company and their website. Most credible websites provide detailed information about themselves. Make sure the website provides you with verified and secure online purchases. Read what their customers and the press have to say about them. Find out if the company has a reasonable returns policy. When you have done your due-diligence, order the piece and enjoy!