Note to reader: Take this as a guide on how to shop for your home. Whether you are a first-time home owner or moving into your next resale flat this is advice for our VIPs (home owners), from the people who help translate your space into your home.
Research your style. View furniture as an investment, not just a means of convenience.
We’re the generation with the power of internet- so use it to your advantage. Share your views online, read up on forums, pile up articles upon articles researching texture, color, style, movement. Search extensively and you will find a style that speaks to you, that ultimately makes a space your home. It’s a different answer for everyone. The home of a mid-thirties’ bachelor would not look the least bit similar in any sense, to the home of a
married couple with three children. Make your home suit your needs. Explore ideas that are an evolution of today’s design scene; open-space kitchens, feature walls, extend your material usage from using only wood, create home offices or play pens, do whatever that suits your lifestyle as an individual within your household. There’s terrazzo and marble, wooden pin legs and iron bars. You might feel absolutely boggled with such a small space to play with, or perhaps you’ve gotten too large of a space to fill up. Prioritize what makes you different as an individual and you can only build from there.
Consider the lifespan of your furniture.
The fewer times you replace that plastic dining chair, the better. Be aware that every piece of furniture has its own lifespan, and what is accessible on the market now is most commonly made out of materials not designed to make long-lasting furniture. There is no harm with shopping at these well-known brands but my advice is to keep in mind that the assortment of chairs at your dining table will need to serve not only your family members but your house guests as well. After repetitive usage, some of your furniture is bound to give in to the wear and tear that comes with time itself. The next step would be to make a mental note of which furniture pieces will stay with you, no matter if you move to a new place or make your current living space your forever home. There are just some pieces you’d want to invest in; the beds, the dining tables, dining chairs, couches, coffee tables, shelving. Make a list of these items and prioritize what needs to be an investment, rather than a convenience. It will be worth your coin to be rest assured that you won’t be using more than just one set of chairs within ten-fifteen years- now that’s true convenience. Make the one-time purchase, and stick to it.
Remember, specific dimensions make all the difference.
A key point to remember when visiting businesses that mass-produce furniture pieces, is that they come in dimensions that are not custom built to your home. That ten-centimeter difference is all it takes to change the whole aspect of an entire space, and make your bedroom look a little wonky. The bed is too big? Or is the bedframe too small? Or is the cupboard in the corner using up all the space and suddenly there’s little to no wall space for the bookshelf? Understand that there are specific dimensions that meet your requirements. If you live in a BTO, all the more important it is to use space wisely. If you don’t, well, space still needs to be used wisely in a logical and functional way. Don’t underestimate the difference a small gap can make, and carefully curate your home to become a lived-in space that not only makes sense, but is pleasing to the eye.
That’s all there is to it. I wish you luck on your travels. P.S treat this as an adventure.
Photos by Irfan Rosli (@_roniin)
Location: Urban Salvation Main Gallery
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