Buying Furniture
Buy once, fit right, and keep it looking good.
A measured, unhurried path from empty room to delivered piece — measuring, planning, visualizing, understanding materials, and recording the purchase.
Why this matters: Furniture returns are expensive, slow, and often impossible. Almost every regret traces back to scale or material choice.
6 steps · About 2 hours before you buy
- Step 120 minutes
Measure the room properly
Room dimensions, doorways, stairwells, and the delivery path.
Do this: Measure the room and the path in.
A piece that fits the room but not the doorway is a return, not a purchase.
- Step 220 minutes
Plan the layout and clearances
Walkways, seating distance, and how much room the piece really needs.
Do this: Run the conversation area planner.
Clearance is what makes a room feel comfortable rather than crowded.
- Step 315 minutes
See it in your home
Place the actual piece in a photo of your room, to scale.
Do this: Upload a room photo and place the item.
Seeing scale in your own room settles the decision faster than any showroom.
- Step 420 minutes
Understand the materials
How leather, performance fabric, and wood behave over years — especially in Florida.
Do this: Read the material and lifespan guidance.
Material choice determines how the piece looks in year five, not year one.
- Step 5Optional
Know the care before it arrives
Cleaning, conditioning, sun exposure, and humidity.
Do this: Review the care guidance for your material.
Care started on day one is maintenance. Care started in year three is repair.
- Step 6
Add the purchase to My Home
Purchase date, material, room, and warranty details.
Do this: Add the item to My Home when it's delivered.
Recorded purchases turn into timely, specific care reminders later.
Maria's tips
- Tape the footprint on the floor before you buy — it makes scale obvious.
- Ask about the frame and the delivery clearance, in that order.
Common mistakes
- Measuring the room but not the doorway, stairwell, or elevator.
- Choosing a material for looks without asking how it ages in humidity and sun.