Should Your Furniture Be Trendy or Functional?

meeting room with glass walls near sofa

Summary:

  • Choose furniture for function and personal style, not just trends
  • Focus on furniture that fits your daily needs, optimizes space, and adds comfort.
  • Blend functionality with your unique style to create a space that reflects your personality.

Outfitting your new home with furniture or upgrading your current one requires you to consider just how you want your furniture to look. While many homeowners opt for modern furniture design, combining function and fashion, others prefer one, depending on their styles. Should you follow the current trends or opt for functional furniture instead?

New furniture doesn’t come cheap; you want to create a cozy home that reflects your personality and utility. However, the decision requires some consideration. Use these tips to help you choose the type of furniture that best meets your needs. 

Decide According to Your Space and Lifestyle

One of the best ways to determine the type of furniture for your home consists of how much space you’re filling and your preferred aesthetics.

First, consider your household. How many people live with you, and how long will you need your furniture?? If you have a larger household with many children, you need sturdy furniture that can mask potential food and drink stains, while smaller families put trendy furniture at much less peril.

Think also of any pets you have. Cats and dogs can ruin some furniture materials, and if they frequently climb on your couch after time outside, they can transfer dirt or other natural matter onto the materials. If you don’t want to spend time repairing or cleaning furniture, you may want to choose function over design.

Next, consider the space you have to work with. Smaller furniture with less volume can make a small room look larger. Always measure your walls, doorways, and other spaces before purchasing furniture to ensure the ease of placing it in your home.

Create a Design Theme and Stick to It

While deciding between functionality and trendiness, you can also consider your preferred design theme. Homeowners might prefer classic furniture without the decorative features of trendier furniture, while others want the bright colors and glossy surfaces associated with modern-style home decor. In addition, take this time to decide on what colors you want to use in your room, whether you want certain patterns, and if you want the room to center around a central theme.

For example, some homeowners choose a food-related theme for their kitchens, such as lemons or apples, while others want to decorate their living room with two colors and a matching pattern. These decisions can guide you in choosing the right furniture for your space, including the fabric and framing materials.

When you choose your theme before fleshing out your space with furniture, you can order custom furniture that still fits the modern design aesthetic while addressing your ideal theme.

Synchronize Your Furniture With Your Space

When you measured your home for furniture, did you consider the other activities that space gets used for? Your furniture should fit well in your allotted space but also leave room for easy movement. A dining room can double as a gathering space when friends and family visit, while living rooms might be the ideal spot for enjoying after-dinner dessert with coffee. 

While functional furniture may work for properly fitting the space, will it sit the number of friends you anticipate coming to visit? Will your dining table, small and simplistic but still aesthetically pleasing, make sense for the number of family members who come to dinner on Sunday evenings? As with most art forms, choosing furniture requires leaving a little white space for movement and activity.

Don’t Rush Your Choices

While you may feel that you have to fill your home with furniture immediately, taking time can help you avoid spending thousands of dollars on pieces that don’t work how you need them to. Roam your house with photos of the furniture you like and imagine how they would look, then consider how they might fit in if you decide to reorganize the structure of a room. Will the bed frame you like fit on the opposite wall if you decide that’s a better map for the room?

If you choose to use trendier furniture, you also want to consider how long that trend will last. Some design fads come and pass so quickly that manufacturers miss the mark, and homeowners end up with furniture they no longer like and must replace it. If you’re unsure that you will enjoy the same piece of furniture a year from now, wait until you find the piece you’ll love for five or more years.

Create a Balance Between Function and Trends

The advent of custom furniture allows you to create a seamless blend of functional furniture and trendy designs. An easy way to incorporate these themes consists of purchasing furniture that will outlast the current trends and using lighting and modern home decor to highlight present-day fashions. This saves you from committing to furniture that may look dated by the next decade while proving that you have an eye on current home trends.

For example, a simple tan sofa with dark wood arms and legs can last for years, while you can update the throw pillows to change the look. Mixing and matching decor with modern-style furniture designed more for function than trendiness allows you to change with the times in a way that trendy furniture can’t.

Enjoy a Cozy Yet Beautiful Home With Knossos Furniture Design

Creating an ideal home requires carefully planning your furniture. With functional furniture, you can take advantage of present-day trends without committing to them. Knossos Furniture can help you create custom furniture for your home by calling (718) 729-0404 today.

About The Author

Peter Despotopoulos

Hi, I’m Peter Despotopoulos and I am the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Furniture Design Knossos Inc. I have over 14 years of experience in the furniture design industry with expertise in custom millwork, architectural woodwork, cabinetry, built-in units, stone counters, wood or plastic laminate counters, and metal work.

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