Sep 2, 2022

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT FURNITURE

Materials and structure

A couple of things will affect the longevity of the furniture - what they are made of and how. One way of identifying whether a piece of furniture is strong enough is to shake it and see if its joints are loose or moving. That often tells that the piece won't last long in use. The stronger the furniture is supported and the stiffer it feels under a shake, the better it often is constructed.
The disadvantage of stiff furniture is that often they are heavier to lift. That can make cleaning harder if you have many pieces that would require being moved around.

Consider purchasing beds and sofas without legs. This eliminates the space below the furniture and reduces the need for cleaning under it.

In most short-term rentals, the space below the furniture is not needed for storage or any other purpose, so it can be closed as well.

When it comes to materials' moisture resistance, furniture made of particle boards and MDF tends to be the most vulnerable to moisture damage. These types of boards consist of wood chips that are glued together with synthetic resin. They are used, for instance, in tables, cabinets, beds, countertops, etc. When exposed to high humidity or water spills, they can easily expand cracking the surface laminate of the furniture. Most often this happens to kitchen or bathroom cabinets that are in continuous contact with moisture. Hardwood is a stronger option for humid places.

Colors

Colors should be picked according to the size of the apartment, the amount of natural light that comes into it, and the overall style of the interior. Too many colors and prints can easily create a busy and

If you don't know what you want or don't know how to style colors, the best way is to pick two or three colors at maximum and style the whole apartment with these colors. Neutral colors like white, beige, brown, and grey are great options for creating a timeless and easy design for many different tastes. Lighter colors always make the space feel larger, and on the contrary, dark colors can make it feel smaller.

The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing the right color for the furniture is its usage. As much as many of us would love to decorate with only white furniture, we have to think of how to keep them clean. The answer will be in the combination of color and material. If the surface can be wiped clean, such as metal or plastic, you can more freely choose lighter colors. For non-removable upholstery, I would choose darker colors no matter what fabric they are made of. Even leather can stain, especially when it starts to get old and crack.

Fabrics

The use of fabrics that cannot be stained, such as leather, or washable covers is crucial if you wish your place to look high-quality. No matter how expensive and beautiful furniture you choose, if the fabric is dirty, that is the thing that will stand out before anything else.

Leather can be more pricy than other fabrics, but it will certainly last you the lifetime of the furniture and will just get better as it ages. It is easy to keep clean by simply wiping when needed.

If you choose to get furniture with non-removable upholstery, then be aware that you have to clean it most likely after each guest to maintain its looks.

I would advise investing in handy cleaning equipment that can easily remove stains. One of them could be, for example, a handheld steamer. That is a great way to wash your furniture without hard chemicals and long scrubbing. Before purchasing the furniture, just make sure that the fabric can handle a hot steamer.

Besides staining, some fabrics tend to look cheaper and wear out faster than others. What usually look lower quality are those made of synthetic materials, such as polyester.

A higher-quality velvet is often made of cotton or cotton mix, but the lower-quality version might be made of polyester which tends to stretch easier and lose its shape faster than cotton. In polyester, you will often see the marks where you were sitting, and the fibers will follow the direction you pull your hand to. This will immediately give a stained feeling to the fabric even if it was completely clean.

On the left, you see a comparison of a cotton velvet on the top, and a polyester velvet below. You can see that the cotton fabric has a lower fiber length but it is made denser than polyester. Of course, not all polyester fabrics are low-quality but always look closely to see the fabrics before buying.

Space and purpose

Ideally, outdoor furniture should be used outdoors only as they are often coated with weather-protective chemicals and can do harm indoors. Indoor furniture, in turn, may not be suitable outside in changing weather conditions, and therefore should only be used indoors.

In a limited space, multipurpose furniture will come in handy. Before purchasing large and heavy furniture, do some research on the possible alternatives, if there are any. For example, sofas can be turned into beds, murphy beds can be stowed on the wall saving a great amount of floor space, etc.

An example of a multifunctional murphy bed that can be turned into a bookshelf when not used as a bed.

If you know you will be accommodating families, it is smart to make sure that your apartment is safe for kids. Make sure that non of the furniture has sharp corners or materials that can cause damage when breaking, such as glass surfaces. Remember to place breakable or dangerous items out of kids' reach, preferably somewhere up or behind locked doors. This may include vases, soaps and detergents, fire-making equipment from the fireplace, etc.