In any home, furniture is one of the most important objects after the residents. People take great care in designing and planning every room in their house to ensure it truly reflects their personality and values. There are so many different types, styles and themes of furniture that it can be difficult to know what to buy, but this article will help you through any difficult decisions you have to make.

Most Popular Types of Furniture

The days where the only type of furniture you could buy was wooden are long behind us. Nowadays, furniture can be made of almost any material including steel, glass, plastic, marble, leather, granite – the list is almost endless. Because of the wide choice, every room in your house could look different and follow a different theme.

Choosing The Best Furniture

One of the most important factors of choosing furniture is the price tag, which can range wildly between different styles and brands of furniture. It’s worth remember though that a well made piece of furniture will last a lot longer than a poorly made piece so it can be worth spending a bit of extra money and getting something that will last. Always ensure you stick to your budget, regardless of how nice a piece of furniture may be.

Another factor when purchasing furniture is its comfort. It’s sometimes easier to forget that furniture serves a practical purpose and is not only there to look good. All the furniture you buy needs to have a combination of style and of practicality which is often not an easy balance to strike.

Different Needs – Different Furniture

Remember your own personal circumstances when purchasing furniture. For instance, a large glass table would not be a sensible addition to a home if there are young children present. In this case, moulded plastic would probably be suitable as it is less likely to break.

Listen to advice

You are not alone in designing the look of your home. Friends and family will happily help out and offer advice, and if you have enough budget you could always approach an interior designer.

Shopping for furniture can be a bit confusing as there are different kinds of leather, different levels of quality and, of course, different price points. And buying the most expensive furniture doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get the best and longest lasting piece. By being a knowledgeable shopper you can get the best deal possible and find a quality piece of furniture that will always look good, feel comfortable and last forever.

Unfortunately many furniture stores hire people who don’t know that much about the furniture or they’re working on commission and will throw a lot of jargon your way to confuse you. The best way to combat this is by educating yourself and learning something about the terms used when referring to these types furniture.

Top Grain

Leather is not simply the hide of an animal, hides are actually split in two pieces with the outer layer, the part you’d consider the skin, is called top grain leather. Top grain is the best quality and most supple and durable. Look for top grain if it falls within your price range as it’s the better quality product.

Split

Split is the counterpart to top grain as it is the underside of the skin which is on the inside of the animal’s hide. Split is usually pieced together and less durable and more stiff than top grain leather. Split is also usually dyed more heavily which makes it stiffer but its generally the only choice you have if you want an unusual colored piece of furniture.

Aniline Finish

Is a one dye process and little or no buffing and work is done to repair imperfections. Analine finishes are applied to the best pieces of top grain leather as these pieces look the best naturally and in this case it’s the real natural beauty of the hide that you want to shine through.

Semi-Aniline Finish

A semi-aniline finish means the hide has gone through a series of dying and surface treatments. These processes come with benefits and pitfalls. The benefits with a semi-aniline finish are that you can get some great colors and there is more protection from staining and wear so its great if you have children or pets. But semi-aniline is stiffer, less comfortable and won’t develop the great patina that aniline finishes will over time.

Nubuck

Nubuck is a top grain leather that has had the outside surface sanded or buffed to create a nap and a velvet type feeling. Some may confuse nubuck with suede but suede comes from the inside of a leather hide, nubuck is the outside meaning its stronger and more durable. Nubuck is typically expensive but it is one of the most durable types of leather available.

Pull-Up

Pull-up is coated with a heavy wax or oil on the surface which gives the furniture piece a distressed look over time. These pieces are generally very attractive, especially over time but they do tend to have a slippery feel and are susceptible to scratches and faded butt marks.

Match

Be wary of salespeople who toss around the phrase match without fully explaining to you that it means there are actual pieces in the most notable places, but the other spots (backs and underside of cushions) are made of vinyl that is dyed to match. Match is good if you’re on a limited budget and not planning on keeping the piece forever. But if you want a quality piece of furniture that will last a lifetime and will fade and age evenly, match is not for you.

If you know these terms and understand what you’re looking for it will make the leather furniture shopping process much easier and you’re more likely to get the performance out of your leather furniture that you were hoping for. Don’t let the store you’re shopping at try to confuse you with terms, if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed or think something shady is going on, leave the store. You can either go home and research the jargon that you heard so you know what you’re getting or go to a different store where you feel more comfortable. Furniture is expensive and meant to be a long term purchase so don’t feel pressured and rushed and don’t let someone confuse you into purchasing an inferior product.