Here’s the thing; growing up we watched lots of shows of 20 and 30-somethings living it up and people would always say how unrealistic it was that they lived in these huge apartments. ‘How do they afford it?!’ we’d ask, but also… where did all their furniture come from? Part of growing up means investing in key pieces because, let’s get real, there’s an expiry date for the sofa found on the side of the road.
Getting good furniture doesn’t mean you have to break the bank, but the other consideration is, you don’t need to fill your home with every single piece at the same time. Quality over quantity is key for your furniture. And whilst it might seem expensive at the time, bear in mind these pieces might last you a decade, so it will all pay off in the end. When it comes to investing in furniture, there are two key pieces are worth saving up for from the start.
The Couch
Let’s start with the sofa. It’s the piece of furniture (other than your bed) you probably spend most time in. A good quality sofa can range anywhere from $1500 to $15,000 but whichever end of the spectrum you choose, make sure you have a test drive. There’s nothing worse that getting that perfect looking sofa you found online into your home and realising it’s not comfy (perhaps speaking from personal experience).
The Como sofa from James Lane is a classic all linen look. With its linen slipcover and large cushions, it will never go out of style, and if you’re nervous about an all white sofa, the beauty of the slipcover is that it’s easy to take off and chuck in the wash.
The Hampton sofa from Lounge Lovers is the modern sofa for those wanting a well designed, staple piece of furniture. Again, clean shapes that won’t date, this piece will suit almost any space and last you a few house moves. It also comes in a great range of colours if you want to shake up the safer grey.
If you want something with a bit more of a design edge, the Felix Fold sofa from Globewest is packed with personality and comes in three great colour ways. With it’s slouchy arms that fold over and elevated frame on sleek black legs, it’s a beautiful piece of furniture that is a dream to sit back and relax in.
The Bed
The next piece that is extremely key to investing in is your bed base. Mattresses can be a very personal matter so choose what is comfortable for you there, but the base of your bed helps set the tone in the bedroom. You have a few options here; bed base with a seperate bed head or a full frame.
The Koala Timber bed base is not only great to look at but requires no tools to assemble. In fact it pieces together from a flatpack in about four minutes. With clever storage below and built in space for your cords and cables, this is a very good option for an entry level ensemble.
The Luna Bed from Life Interiors is a grown ups bed without an exorbitant price tag. A sleek timber mid century inspired bed frame with an inbuilt linen bed head is mature without being fussy and also comes in a darker timber and fabric option. If you want to change things up, you can always go a bed base with a seperate bed head. This can be swapped a bit easier if you change your mood down the track.
The Delaktig bedhead from IKEA is a great rattan material if you want a bit more of a coastal vibe or the Boulce Ash bedhead from McMullin & Co. has an amazing textural fabric and comes in a few different shapes.
Finally, if you really want to save up for a dream piece, the Yoko bed base from Sarah Ellison is the ultimate in cool design with its slab base set upon the ball feet. This is bound to impress anyone in the bedroom, at least aesthetically… the rest is up to you.
Of course it takes a lot more to furnish a full house but start on the right foot and invest in these key pieces. Chuck away the roadside couch and crusty mattress, no one wants to be brought home to that. Nice furniture can change your entire mood and as we spend more time at home nowadays, it’s important to make our home as comfortable as possible.
Oh, and buy some lamps, mood lighting is everything.