If you are here for Furniture Shopping 101, you have come to the right place.

I have spent a lot of my career working in retail furniture showrooms such as Ethan Allen, Room & Board, Norwalk and Anthropologie, among many others not as mainstream. Though most of my time was designing spaces for the retailer or the customer, I have acquired a vast bit of knowledge on just about all things furniture. High end, low end and everything in between, each retailer has a story to tell, and a product they know how to sell. The good ones will make sure you fully understand who they are and why they have the best product for you. However, with all of their stories, talk of quality and options, how do you determine what is worth your hard earned money? It’s a lot of pressure deciding on what furniture is worth investing in; will last, what will fit, and will look good for years to come? So before you venture out in to the world wide web or you head to your local retailer to shop furniture, let me arm you with 25 years of furniture knowledge so you can avoid making mistakes both in design and purchasing.

Consider these 20 SUPER TRICKS & TIPS when shopping for furniture.

1. Reputation: Take advantage of Yelp, referrals and reviews. Do your homework to avoid headaches later!

2. Upholstery Cost: Crazy but true, the cost of upholstered items is generally based on the number of arms. The arms on upholstered pieces generally require the most labor. The materials are not nearly as costly as the labor typically. So a room with a sofa and 2 chairs (6 arms) will most likely cost much more than a room with a sectional (2 arms).

3. Casegoods (wood furniture) Cost: Unlike upholstered items, wood furniture such as a dining room table or dresser generally are priced on both materials & labor. Solid hard wood can be expensive based on the species, availability and the costs to transport.

4. Veneer: It is not a bad word anymore! Veneer consists of thin slices of wood that have been glued onto boards and, often times, makes for the most beautiful furniture where the wood species & grain takes center stage. Back in the day, veneer furniture often would peel or warp but with today’s adhesives, veneer furniture should never peel. However, make sure your veneered piece is not laminate but rather real wood and it is glued to wood ply or solid wood- not particle board.

5. Construction: Don’t worry about the construction (ie. 8-way hand-tied, kiln dried) as much as you do on the type of wood it was built with and the quality of the cushions. Yes, construction is important, but many manufactures have their own construction techniques and they work well. A little tip; if you lift up a sofa and it feels heavy, chances are it was made with a hard wood. Same goes for the cushions, a heavier cushion usually means it is made with a dense foam and not just a poly wrap. Typically, a good manufacture will have immediate info on their construction and be quick to share info with you.

6. Bonded Leather: DO NOT BUY BONDED LEATHER- EVER. Advertisers get tricky on this one and will often say “it’s leather,” and I suppose in a round about way it is. Bonded leather is made like paper. Leather scraps are ground up with glue and then heat pressed and colored to make a fabric like leather that comes on a bolt. Unlike real leather, bonded leather will most definitely crack, pull apart at the seams and fade. I would say if you get a good 2 years out of anything in bonded leather, it would be surprising!

7. Particle Board: Stay away from particle board unless it’s just on the back panel (Sorry Ikea Malm lovers). Particle board furniture may be light on your pocketbook, but chances are, it will last a very short time in your home but a very long time in the landfill.

8. Fabric Samples: Yes please! When possible, order or take home multiples and do your own stain testing. You will never really know how a fabric will hold up unless you give it the real life challenges it will most likely face in your very own home. So pour that glass of wine on there, spill your coffee, give it a go with a fresh chocolate chip cookie or even step on it with a dirty cleat. See if you can get it all out with whatever cleaning guide it comes with. Is it really as "family friendly” as they claim it is?

9. Cushions: The hard truth, all cushions on any upholstered piece will break down. Just like your pillow on your bed, those cushions in the family room will eventually flatten. The trick; take them off regularly, fluff or even better, let your kids jump up and down on them with their clean socks on. The more you fluff and get that air back into the cushion, the longer they will last.

10. Investing: Know where to invest more and where to spend less. It’s the age ole’ question; quality over quantity? I would rather have a quality sofa that will last 10 years, then one I will have to change out in 2 years. However, I don’t feel as guilty changing out my throw pillows, lamps or even art every few years. That’s what TJ Maxx is for right?

11. Conditions: Before investing in anything, take note on where it will go and what it will be exposed to. For instance, if you buy a dark red chair and put by the window that gets the most sun, it is most likely going to fade. If you put a leather chair right by the fireplace, the heat will most likely chap your leather. Be good to your furniture and it will be good to you.

12. Measure: Measure and then double measure and then measure how you are going to get it in there. There is NOTHING worse than to wait for your delivery day and then you can’t get that beautiful thing inside your home. So before you go out and shop have all your info ready.

13. Leather vs. Fabric: Consider leather, it will last you 3 times as long as fabric. Do the math when considering how much you are about to spend. However, there are different leather types and it’s important to fully understand what the patina will look like during use and how it should be cared for. Trick: If you have a waxed leather (like a bomber jacket), use a blow dryer on super low to bring the wax back to the surface. It will dissipate any markings.

14. Floor Plan: Take advantage of space-planning websites- often times they come from the places you might be purchasing from. Room & Board & Living Spaces have a program called Icovia that is super user friendly. Other apps for your phone include Room Planner and Home Design 3D.

15. Investing: Stick to the classics where you spend the bulk of your money. Unless your budget is endless, your investment pieces should be relatively “safe” in design. Stay clear of quick trends! Changing out your accessories in a room can cost very little but changing out furniture can cost a ton!

16. Buyer Beware: When it comes from over seas… you are paying for it to come over seas. Add up what you think it would cost to ship it, then add what you think it cost in materials and how and who it was made by? Is it still worth it? Sometimes it is. But just as a rule of thumb, if you buy in the USA, you are supporting the USA.

17. Prepare: Be prepared and organized. Along with your measurements, make sure you have photos of your space, fabric samples, paint colors and know what you need and how much you want to spend. It is easy to get side tracked or just utterly flustered by options. So gather up your samples and data and then set off to shop.

18. Seating: However many seat cushions you have in a room, is how many people are going to be comfortable sitting there, unless you plan on snuggling with your guests. A sectional always seems like a great idea for ample seating until you have dinner guests that are NOT family or close friends. Your husband’s clients do not want to fall into your cozy sectional and rub legs with the host (I hope). If you entertain regularly, consider a 3 cushion sofa and 2 chairs instead of sectional.

19. Cleaning Codes: Get all the cleaning information at the point of sale and keep it handy. Go over it with the whole family and make sure they know where and what to use in case of spills.

20. Be Patient: Good things take time. In today’s industry, manufactures are often working at 1/2 capacity to ensure the safety of their staff and often materials are delayed. I realize we come from an “Amazon Prime” mentality these days, but considering the times, we need to be patient and supportive so our retailers can make it through all of this.

So there you have it, my quick Furniture Buying 101 course. I am sure there are a million other points to talk about, but I would say these are my top 20. I would love to know if there are any other tips you have found helpful. Remember, I am always a phone call away if you need help designing your space. I am always up for a challenge!

If you are ever in the San Clemente area, be sure to stop at SC Furniture and Mattress. Eric & Sophia will take great care of you. Make sure you tell them Sarah says hi!