Design 911! Showroom Shenanigans!
Have you ever been victim to “furniture showroom shenanigans?” If so, you are definitely a candidate for Design 911 in my book!
If you are not sure whether you have fallen prey to this or not, let me explain…
You are walking through a football stadium sized furniture showroom, your eyes are big as saucers trying to decide on a new sectional sofa for your family room. The salesperson walking around with you points you to the biggest, comfiest sofa you have ever seen and as you try it out, you almost remove your shoes, curl up and fall asleep on the spot! You + sofa = LOVE and long hours of cuddles with kids. You are sold and cannot wait to get it home. But wait! The moving truck arrives with your new purchase and as they begin to heave it through doorways and around the corners of your home you are horrified to realize that it is much, much to large for your space. It makes all of your other furniture look miniature size! You told the salesperson the size of your room and they assured you it would look amazing! This is what you all, DESIGN 911!!! No natural light, high ceilings, humungous space… It does not mimic your home, much less a normal room at all! Have you been there? I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this story. Clients come into my store, stuck with expensive furniture that is now sitting in their garage or sold at a yard sale. It’s a sad, sad story and one that happen too often in my opinion. Here are the reasons why and how to avoid the Showroom Shenanigans! 1. “Football Stadium Sized Showrooms” don’t equate to the scale of your living room! It is NOT your home! Everything looks smaller in those gigantic spaces! You can’t trust your own eye! Be sure to know the size of your room AND the exact size of the space you want to put your new piece of furniture. This means, you must have a tape measure, and bring it to the showroom with you so you can measure the Goliath size sectionals you are drooling over. Haha, I found this image and it just made me laugh. Sometimes the furniture feels this big when you get it to your house! 2. The lighting is different, as well as the floors and other pieces of furniture your beloved easy chair is grouped with. To an untrained eye, this can get pretty confusing! Most showrooms do not have natural light like your home does. And, while you may have loved those beside tables at the store, you might get home only to realize that the only reason you loved them was because of the way they were grouped with other pieces on the showroom floor. 3. Your salesperson at the furniture store is most likely NOT an interior designer, but a commission based employee who is there to make a sale, not make sure the furniture is the perfect fit for your home. If you are absolutely in love with a dining room table or headboard you have seen in a showroom, bring your interior designer with you to give you an honest opinion about what they think it will look like in your home. Is this the guy you want helping you decorate your home? My guess is no. Beware of salespeople posting as interior designers! I am definitely NOT saying don’t go to furniture showrooms. I have found amazing pieces for myself and clients in many a showroom (and believe you me, I have walked my fair share of showroom floors!). I just go into showrooms armed with this knowledge and a tape measure! And, when in doubt, get a second opinion from a professional! For help with your home or room design please contact us atKimberly@knottinghillinteriors.com and visit our website. Follow Knotting Hill on Pinterest and Facebook.
