Posts Tagged ‘Home Decor’

These days, people don’t seem to care about the quality of the furniture that they buy or even lease in some cases. Sole emphasis is mainly on the visual appearence of the piece of furniture that they are interested in and that’s pretty much it. Please note that just because a chair or bedroom set looks good, doesn’t mean that it’s going to last a long time. On average, furniture is designed to last for several years and should be looked upon as an investment in your home. Here are some tips that are bound to help you find quality furniture that will last for years to come. As you will see, quality definitely matters when it comes to getting furniture for your home.

The first step is to do research and lots of it. If you don’t research, than you are going to end up with something you never wanted in the first place. Without research, you are simply wasting your time and not to mention your hard earned money. Where do you begin your research? First step is the internet. Go on google and you will find literally hundreds of websites that have reviews on the furniture you are about to get. Than contact the people who own them and ask them there opinion. Researching today about anything is easier than you can think of. You can always get more information through your local libraries and never underestimate your friends and family – they can sometimes actully offer good advice.

It was the crazy and ‘alive’ movies of Hollywood in the 1930s (Also known as the Golden Age of Hollywood) that sparked the interest of mainstream America into furniture. As soon as people the saw the colorful pieces of Art Deco furniture (Which at that time was considered modern and superior to the present day dull furniture), people jumped on it and demanded more of what they saw in their favorite movies. Manfuacturers soon got busier than before and started working day and night to supply this enormous demand for Art Deco furniture. More importantly, people were now wanting more from their home and office furniture for the first time in recorded history.

Hope you enjoyed that short history lesson. Now lets get back to how to pick out the best piece of furniture for your home. No matter how many books you read on how many people you meet (Even home furniture and design experts), at the end you just have to listen to that inner voice, your gut feeling.

If you instincts approve your choice, than smack that credit card on the table and take that piece of furniture where it belongs, and that is in your home. Now enjoy that piece of furniture to your likes but don’t forget proper care and maintainence will make your experience even more enjoyable.

Urban Outfitters is a popular name in retailing, but it wasn’t until last week that I discovered Anthropologie. If you haven’t heard, seen, or been in an Anthropologie retail location, you are missing an experience, I kid you not.

After returning from the store, I researched some figures that shocked me. Here’s one that had a significant impact on me: the average Anthropologie customer spends eighty minutes in the store per visit. Eighty — that’s one and a third hours on just one trip. How much time do you think the average customer spends with other retailers? Fifteen minutes. That’s an incredible number that should convey loads about the feel of the stores.

Anthropologie was formed to capitalize on patrons of the Urban Outfitters chain who outgrew UA’s fashions. As such, the target customer for Anthropologie clothing is a 30 to 40′ish sophisticated woman with high disposable income. Not a bad niche to target!

Ask ten women what they think of Anthropologie and you’ll probably hear . . . one opinion! Almost unanimously, people love the store, but aren’t crazy about the prices. Granted, they are high, but for good reason. Anthropologie is very selective and exclusive with their clothing lines, and just about everything you find in a retail location is a limited edition run. Heck, they even have some one-of-a-kind pieces!

These items tend to sell out very quickly, leaving mismatched items scattered about, but that leads to an opportunity for shoppers: namely, sales racks. There are a bunch of discounted items if you’re not averse searching, which I’m sure contributes to the average length of stay.

What impresses me the most about Anthropologie clothes is the distinctive styling. Their clothes include a lot of flowery prints, appliques, and delicate details, but look classy and sophisticated at the same time. The impression that I get is that it’s a clothing line for successful women who don’t feel that they have to reveal half of their bodies to look attractive. Home run, I’d say.

For anyone really looking for a deal, you can find discount Anthropologie clothing online – not through the official store, but through other retailers. I can’t imagine that this stuff is wholesale, and with the high turnover in clothing, I would doubt it’s made up of last season’s items either, but the price is right!

Bottom line: if you haven’t yet shopped in an Anthropologie store, find out if there’s one near you. It really is a great shopping experience. But beware of the prices!