We loved Grace's suggestion to check Flickr before ordering furniture to get a full picture of what it's like. We've got to admit that we're a little old school when ordering larger pieces (we've had some bad experiences ordering stuff through catalogues!). We prefer to test out a piece in person whenever possible...
How To Abuse Furniture: aka Testing It Out
When I was considering couches from Crate and Barrel, I took a friend with me to test them out. While I don't think the sales people at Crate and Barrel were too happy, we scrambled all over the couches. We sat on the arms and on the backs. We balanced a glass on one arm. We bounced up and down on the cushions. We lay down. We pretended to sleep on them (and I considered it a good sign when my friend passed out for a few minutes and woke up refreshed). In short, we did as much as we could to see if these couches could withstand how they would be used in my house. Later, when they were delivered and my niece and nephew came over and jumped on them, I didn't flinch. I'd tested them out. These couches could stand it and still look good. Considering a bed? Bring a friend and bounce on it. Does it squeak? If it makes noise now, think of the noise it'll make when it's in your home. It's going to be your furniture. Abuse it well before you buy it.
[image: Looking Glass's Flickr, with a Creative Commons License]
Comments (5)
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view animalhouze's profile
Yeah I'm thinking I really need to start moving in that direction. I was actually VERY close to selling my kind of bland WEst Elm couch for the Urban Outfitters fainting sofa I've almost bought for years....Then I looked it up on flickr and saw that while it is very cute it is VERY small. In UO pictures they put it in a completely empty room so you have no idea what the scale of it is. You see the lengths but you dont see that the length includes the giant arms...
Anyways I suggest ESPECIALLY when buying from Urban Outfitters you really look on flickr, the pieces end up looking cheaper in person.
I know my problem is: 1 my West Elm is outside the city and I dont drive. 2. The places that I can go to in the city to look at furniture are outlandishly expensive.
view Sam Kraus's profile
I always like to try out furniture before I buy it. I do exactly what you said in this post. I lie down on the sofas, bounce on them and sit on the arms. So far the few purchases that I havent gotten the opportunity to see have worked out okay (some better than others). I really like the flickr idea for seeing how furniture looks in a room.
view Signe's profile
i think i need a print of that photo.
view pinstripeprincess's profile
Spongy does not even belong in the same picture as Kermit the Frog, much less holding hands with him. Hmph!
view grover's profile