7 Furniture Shopping Tips & Terms You Should Know

Shopping for furniture can sometimes feel like learning a foreign language. California King Bed, Top-Grain Leather, 8-Way Hand-Tied Sofa. What does it all mean? End the confusion! Read up on our shopping tips and shop with confidence.

FURNITURE SHOPPING TIPS
1. Do Your Research

Before you even start shopping for your next living room sectional or dream bed, do your research. Make a checklist and decide on your price range, the type of quality, size, proportion and overall style. This will drastically narrow down your search and give you clearer direction during your furniture shopping process.

2. Check Your Measurements

There’s nothing worse than buying furniture and realizing it’s either too big or too small for your room. Measure the dimensions of your space before you visit your favorite furniture store. Then bring a tape measurer with you as you shop to measure your possible purchases.  

3. Is It Cohesive in Style

As trendy as it is to have an accent wall or pops of color in your home, you don’t want your furniture to lack cohesion or consistency. Take photos of your current space to place side by side with your item in question. This way, you’ll get a more accurate reading on whether the piece works seamlessly in your home.

4. Consider Cost and Quality

If you’re wanting a high-quality product at a low-quality price, your shopping experience will become frustrating quickly. For higher-quality items, decide how much you’re willing to push your budget. Or, figure out which furniture pieces you’re willing to buy for a cheaper price and lower-quality materials.

5. Test It Out

It may seem like a given, but make sure you test out your furniture. If you love online shopping it may be a mistake ordering on looks alone. Visit the store and test out the furniture in person. Remember, furniture isn’t something you just look at – it’s a part of your daily life. Lounge on sofas, lay on beds and sit at dining tables before you decide on a purchase. You’ll realize that comfort goes a long way in your decision making.

6. Inspect for Wear and Tear

If you’re planning on buying furniture straight from the sales floor, make sure to do a thorough inspection first. Check for scratches on wood, discolorations on leather and stains on all sides of sofa cushions. Don’t forget to check the bottoms and backs of wooden furniture items as well. 

7. Don’t Forget About Delivery and Assembly

Many times, companies can offer hefty delivery fees. So always leave room in your budget for delivery charges. Finally, decide whether you want to go through the trouble of assembling your furniture. There’s no use in buying a stylish new desk and have it sitting in a box. Sometimes it’s worth paying a bit more for furniture that’s made and ready to use.

Glossary Terms

ACCENT LIGHTING: Decorative lighting, such as lamps, which help create an ambiance

ACCENT WALL: A wall which differs in design or color to the other walls in your room

AMBIENT LIGHTING: Your main overhead lighting which fills the room

CALIFORNIA KING: A mattress that is longer than a king-sized mattress 

CHAISE LOUNGE: An upholstered chair that’s long enough to carry your legs

CONSOLE: A table that is meant to be placed against a wall

CREDENZA: A buffet, sideboard or bookcase with a long flat top

DAYBED: Similar to a futon, daybeds are sofas that can be pulled out and used as beds

DISTRESSING: A technique used for wood or leather that makes the material look more antique-like

EIGHT-WAY HAND TIED: Often used for high-quality sofas and chairs, eight-way hand-tied is a process of tying twine eight ways to further support the springs

FINISH: Treatments applied to leather or wood which make it more durable or change the color, Ex: polishing, painting, antiquing, dyeing

GRAIN: The natural pattern, texture and color of wood when cut horizontally across the trunk

FULL GRAIN LEATHER: Leather that comes from the top layer of the cow hide, the toughest and highest quality of leather

TOP-GRAIN LEATHER: The second highest grade of leather, softer than full grain leather

GENUINE LEATHER: Also known as Split Leather or Suede, genuine leather is made up of the remaining layers of hide beneath the top layer

BONDED LEATHER :The lowest grade and least expensive type of leather that’s made up of leftover cow hide

LACQUER: A protective varnish/topcoat applied to furniture

LATTICE: An open criss-cross pattern usually used for chairs and headboards

MODULAR: Furniture that can be rearranged into different configurations

OTTOMAN: A footrest that can be attached to a chair or movable and used as a separate chair

PILLOW TOP: The extra layer of cushion on chairs and mattresses which provide extra comfort

RTA: Also known as, Ready To Assemble, RTA means the customer will have to assemble the furniture

SECTIONAL: Sofa sets made up of multiple pieces which can be rearranged or put in an L shape

TAPERED LEG: Furniture legs that decrease in diameter towards the bottom

TAPESTRY: Thick woven fabric with an artistic design, usually used as a wall hanging

TRIM: Decorative details applied to the outside of furniture

TUXEDO: Chair arms that are the same height as the back of the chair

UPHOLSTERY: Furniture, primarily sofas and chairs, covered in fabric

© Weir's Furniture, 1948 - 2024. All rights reserved.
Limited Time. While quantities last.
Ends Monday, December 2nd.
On select mattresses. Ends December 9th.
Get a $300 Weir’s gift card when you purchase a Kluft, Beautyrest Black Series, Beautyrest Harmony Lux Anchor Island, or Stearns & Foster mattress.

Offer ends Tuesday, October 29. See store for details.
Non-returnable. Delivery within 10 days.
Limited time. Limited quantities.

Extra 10% applies to all inventory clearance, as is and sanitized merchandise. Cannot be combined with other promotions. 10% off taken at register. Not valid on previous purchase.
Offer good from September 4, 2024 through October 5, 2024 on combined transactions totaling $1500 during the promotional period excluding sales tax and delivery fees. Additional $100 gift card awarded for $2000 purchase and for every additional $1000 combinable purchase during the promotional period. Gift cards will be available for pick up at the store of purchase (or via electronic email delivery) approximately 105 days after delivery or pick up. This promotion may not be combined with other promotions or special offers.

*Excludes delivery fees, gift cards, as is, sanitized, clearance and sale merchandise.*

Gift cards may not be applied to prior purchases and will expire 90 days after the card is issued. See sales associate for further details.
See store for Weir's gift card details.
Promotion ends September 14, 2024.
Weir’s will pay the equivalent of the sales tax on purchases of $1500 or more. Offer valid on single transactions with $1500 or more of qualifying merchandise purchases. The following are excluded from promotion: Beautyrest Black, Stearns & Foster, Inventory Clearance, Tempur-Pedic, As-Is and Sanitized merchandise. Gift Cards and Delivery Fees are excluded. Not applicable to prior purchases. May not be combined with other promotions.
Custom Order Discounts

Save 10% when you custom order these brands:
Aspen Home Furniture
Bernhardt
Best Chairs (No orders on Kersey Swivel Glider Recliner 5N145 and 5NP45)
Bradington-Young
Hancock & Moore (From 7/12 thru 7/26/24)
HF Custom (Formerly Sam Moore)
Hooker Furniture (Upholstery Only / Excludes Case Goods)
Mayo
Motioncraft by Sherrill
Sherrill (Includes only Plaza, Your Way & 9600 - 9700)
Theodore Alexander

Save 6% when you custom order these brands:
Studio Design Source / Max Home

50% Non-Refundable Down Payment
Discount offered 7/12/24 - 8/19/24 unless otherwise noted
Delivery time frame cannot be guaranteed
On select king beds and mattresses. In stock only.

See store for details. Ends December 2nd.
2024 Semi-Annual Sale & Savings
Save up to 70%
Ends 8/19/24
Special financing for 12 months. Convenient monthly payments available. Ask about our financing options. Credit card issued with approved credit by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. See store for details.
Website Bug Submission
Found something that isn't quite right? Please fill out the fields below to let us know about it!