Decorating fact: Looking at your furniture should not make you sad. So if your Craigslist couch is sagging, your cheap metal bed frame is one good shag away from collapsing or you’re tired of entertaining friends at a card table, it’s probably time to upgrade. We consulted Marty Boyle, interior designer and owner at Chicago Interiors, to get some hot tips on pieces to turn your apartment into a grown-up home.
HOW MUCH TO SPEND
Couch: Around $2,000, but this varies depending on size, fabric and construction.
Dining room: Expect to spend around $1,000 to fit six to 10 people at your table. Boyle actually recommends investing in quality bar stools or counter stools before springing for a table, because so many Chicago apartments have floating islands. But make sure you order correctly: Counter stools are designed to tuck under the counter, while bar stools are much higher. Bedroom: $800 to $1,500 for a full metal or wooden bed frame. But don’t toss your cheapo metal mattress support just yet. “Upholstered headboards are really in right now,” Boyle said. “You’d still want to invest in a tailored bedskirt.”
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Couch: If you “don’t have kids who want to jump on the sofa,” Boyle said the couch’s frame will hold up a long time. Instead, she recommends upgrading your cushions to down or an internal spring system. “You could even get, let’s say, a very inexpensive West Elm sofa and then go to your local upholsterer, and have them make very, very nice cushions. That’s a better investment.”
Dining room: Boyle recommends hitting up places such as Pottery Barn, West Elm and Z Gallerie for affordable, attractive replicas of super high-end tables. “What you need quality construction in is your dining chairs,” she said, “because those are the things that are pulled in and out, sat on, that need much better function.”
Bedroom: Before you’re ready to invest in a nice frame, make sure you’ve got your mattress game on lockdown.
MISTAKES TO AVOID
>> Do your research on a brand. “I find that people associate a name with quality construction,” Boyle said. While stores like Ethan Allen and Thomasville manufacture all of their own furniture, West Elm, Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel buy theirs from outside vendors of varying quality—hence the differing price points.
>> Don’t be an emotional buyer—that person who buys a piece within 10 minutes based on looks. “You drop $2,500 on a gorgeous sofa—doesn’t even fit in your door,” Boyle said.
>> Think neutral for big pieces. “You can add color with pillows, throws, artwork, lamps, tons of different accessories,” Boyle said. “You do not want to get a hot pink velvet sofa … and then sure enough, you have a husband who hates hot pink in two years.”
SHOULD YOU BUY INSURANCE
Absolutely, Boyle says. This insurance, covered by a secondary company, protect against stains, tears and other defects. If the furniture is damaged after the manufacturer’s warranty expires, it will either allow you to have the piece repaired or will refund your purchase price. “[For] the people who don’t forget they have it and they actually use it, it is worth it tenfold,” she said.
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