Busting Furniture Myths

For the avid decorator, designing or refreshing a living space is an adventure. But for many of us, it's hard to even know where to start. And it doesn't help that there is a lot of misinformation in the market surrounding furniture buying. So we're here to bust a few common myths.

Myth #1 - Everything should match. 

It used to be far more common that furniture buyers would furnish their whole home from the one retailer or even from the one collection. Nowadays, we are spoilt for choice & so the trend has moved away from 'matching' all furniture, to 'coordinating' all furniture. It is important that there is a consistent flow throughout your home, however this doesn't mean that everything needs to be in the exact same same timber stain or have the same fabric upholstery. Some of the best results are achieved by mixing & matching textures throughout your space using a combination of leather, fabric, timber, metal & stone. If your living area has timber floorboards with natural colour variation, trying using a range of colours from the timber. Or if your space is carpeted, add contrast & colour in your rugs & soft furnishings.

Myth #2 - Leather is better quality than fabric.

Often you can find fabric sofas at a less expensive price range than leather sofas. However this does not necessarily mean that leather is "better" than fabric. There are benefits to both leather & fabric & you should decide which suits your needs best, based on lifestyle factors & personal preference. See our Leather vs. Fabric blog for a more extensive look into this debate. Also remember that fabric sofas will vary widely in price & quality depending on the type of fabric used (natural fabrics tend to be more expensive than synthetic fabrics) and also on the timber frame & inner materials such as foam, dacron fiber & feather.

Myth #3 - All leather is the same.

This brings us to myth number three... all leather is the same. There is no universal method for comparing leather, which makes it difficult to know good quality leather from inferior quality. However there are common grades of leather used in the furniture market. The highest quality leather is aniline or nubuck leather, which will have a soft & supple feel & has the least amount of treatment applied during the tanning process. However because there is less protection in this leather, it may not be suitable for everyday use or for people with children or animals. The most common type of leather in the furniture market is corrected grain cow hide leather, which comes from a natural cow hide. This has a uniform grain stamped onto the leather to give it a consistent feel and is more durable due to the added protection applied during the treatment process. For more information, have a read of our 'Understanding Leather' page for further details. 

Myth #4 - Heavy furniture won't topple over. 

We can't stress this enough, anchor your furniture. Even if an item of furniture feels really solid, climbing children can still be in danger of toppling pieces & the heavier an item is, the more damage it can cause. Larger items of furniture will come with wall anchoring which should always be used according to their instructions. If you find an anchoring kits is missing from your furniture purchase, we have spares on hand or they can be purchased from your local hardware store. More information can be found on our Safety Information page.

Myth #5 - Decorating is expensive. 

Furniture & homewares should be viewed as an investment, but redecorating or furnishing your home does not need to break the bank. Create a budget at the start of your project & decide what your most valued pieces will be. This might be an unbelievably comfortable sofa that you will practically live on for years to come or a dining table that you will entertain & share treasured family meals at. These items may be worth splurging on because of the value you derive from them. Other decorative items, such as wall art & soft furnishings might be changed more regularly, so you may decide to spend less or hold off until there is a sale on these items. But if you take the time to shop, you'll find there are many, many bargains to be found!