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You can easily outfit just about every room in your home (including your outdoor space) with IKEA finds in a variety of finishes. Nevertheless, Hindus who follow Vastu principles around architecture believe that it is inauspicious to buy wooden furniture on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and during the lunar phase of the new moon.

What month does furniture go on sale?

In the U.S., the best months of the year to buy indoor furniture on sale are January and July, since retailers typically begin selling the next season’s furniture in February and August. Though you won’t have face-to-face assistance, tools like a “room builder” and an interactive chat make it easy to find just what you’re looking for from the comfort of your own home.

We Found the Best Places to Buy Furniture for Any Home or Apartment

Ikea

Ikea Kitchen

Buy on Ikea

If you’re looking for budget furniture, IKEA—an internationally recognized Swedish retailer—is the easy answer. Whether you’re dealing with a local artisan or a big box retailer, look for transparency around everything. In most cases, you can browse hundreds, if not thousands, of helpful reviews complete with photos before you pull the trigger. The first known furniture is said to have existed in the Egyptian civilisation about 4000 years ago, though it might have existed in some crude form prior to that. And if you’re overwhelmed by all the options, you can easily order free swatches before you commit.

As an added bonus, shipping is—in most cases—more affordable than other stores with comparable offerings. That said, you'll get full white-glove service, including assembly, placement, and removal of any boxes or packaging.

Ethan Allen

Ethan Allen living room

Buy on Ethanallen.com

Ethan Allen is an affordable American furniture company with a wide range of original, hand-crafted designs for every room inside (and outside) of the house. Just be prepared to pay for shipping if you want the convenience of home delivery. Look for a furniture retailer that makes delivery and returns easy, particularly if you are buying from an online-only retailer and will be seeing your new sofa in person for the first time when it arrives on your doorstep. As of 2020, Pottery Barn has expanded its organic, eco-friendly, and handcrafted offerings, and paid $3 million back to workers through Fair Trade initiatives.

How to Practice Sustainability With Your Furniture

West Elm

West Elm Dining Room

Buy on West Elm

Perhaps one of the most popular choices for millennials, West Elm has a very recognizable mid-century modern aesthetic at a price point that’s elevated, but still largely accessible—particularly for investment pieces like sofas, dining tables, and beds.

West Elm (both a brick-and-mortar and online retailer) is also well-known for responsible practices, including the brand's vast array of organic, hand-crafted, and fair trade-certified items in their large line of inventory.

If there’s any downside, it’s that shipping can be expensive and take quite some time. It will help make daunting decisions about choosing furniture less overwhelming once you have some information that can help streamline your decision-making process and figure out your furniture-buying preferences and priorities. Just note that fabric choices and furniture lines do skew towards Scandinavian sleek and modern. Plus, most items come in a variety of finishes and fabrics, so you’ll feel like you’re getting a custom product.

For shoppers, Crate & Barrel strikes a great balance because it has a very intuitive website, but traditional storefronts are still plentiful.

Though showrooms are vast and have plenty of salespeople who can offer personalized shopping help, shoppers can also take advantage of online offerings for convenience. This retailer has long been a go-to for furniture staples, and for good reason: Stylish but not too trendy, their furniture is well-made and comes at a fair price. In comparison the Greek used much simpler furniture comprising of beds, small tables and small chairs. If the furniture you’re considering buying is second hand, vintage, or antique, ask when it was made (this is often an estimate based on the specialist’s knowledge of furniture styles and periods). The Assyrians and Babylonians are also said to have had elaborate furniture including high backed chairs and foot stools. The retailer offers both low- and high-end items in styles that range from rustic farmhouse to chic and contemporary.

Though you can’t try before you buy the way, you might in traditional showrooms, Wayfair has the benefit of speed (most items ship free in just a few days). If there’s any downside, it’s that the majority of products require self-assembly with varying levels of difficulty. The style suits a broad range of tastes since options toe the line between modern and classic. Her own home is filled with finds from many retailers on this list, including West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, IKEA, and Restoration Hardware.

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DECORATING.

Article

Article leather sectional

Buy on Article.com

Article is an online-only store that offers an array of modern furniture—including leather sofas, marble coffee tables, and upholstered armchairs at fair prices.

Delivery and Returns

Even the most skilled interior designers sometimes get it wrong when trying to select the right furniture for a space. Be sure to check the fine print if you are having furniture delivered to an apartment building on a high floor, or you might end up sitting on your brand new couch on the curb wondering who to call.

Transparency

Increasingly, today’s consumers want to know where the things they buy are made. Ask anything, like “what fabric is right for my new sofa?”, and they’ll help you come up with a solution, plus assist with ordering the item—all free of cost.

What to Look for in a Furniture Store

Knowledgeable Salespeople

Some brick-and-mortar or online furniture retailers and independent shops employ hourly workers who are just trying to pay the bills. Whether it's at the original Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, or PB Teen, you’re sure to find just what you need for your home.

Another perk is their commitment to sustainability and ethically sourced materials. If you see something you love, it’s easy to visit the store to make sure it’s just right. This is particularly the case for custom upholstery, which is more common than you think—most pieces only come readily available in a handful of fabric options.

Restoration Hardware

Restoration Hardware dining table

Buy on Rh.com

Though best known for its robust catalog of high-end and intricately-crafted furniture, Restoration Hardware also has an online extension that features the same upscale finds.