Guide d'achat

1. Measure first — twice

Before you fall for anything, measure the space it will go and the path it must travel to get there. Note doorways, stair turns, hallway widths, and elevator dimensions. The classic mistake is a sofa that fits the room perfectly but won't fit through the front door.

• Tape the footprint onto the floor with painter's tape to see the real footprint in the room.
• Leave clearance for drawers and doors to open fully.
• Account for walkways — 75 cm (30 in) for main paths.

2. Judge build quality

You can tell a lot in thirty seconds of handling a piece:

• Lift one corner. Solid, well-made furniture has real weight. Featherlight usually means hollow or particleboard.
• Open the drawers. Look for dovetail joints and full-extension, soft-close runners — not stapled boxes on plastic rails.
• Push on it. A chair or table shouldn't wobble or creak. Racking means weak joints.
• Check the joinery. Mortise-and-tenon, dowels, or screwed-and-glued beats staples and visible brackets.
• Look underneath. The hidden side tells you whether the maker cut corners where they thought no one would look.

3. Set a real budget

Think in cost-per-year, not sticker price. A €1,200 sofa that lasts fifteen years is cheaper — and far less hassle — than three €400 sofas in the same span. Spend the most on the things you use the most and that are hardest to replace: the bed, the main sofa, the dining table.

Buy cheap on what changes often (accent pieces, trends). Buy well on what you sit, sleep, and eat on every single day.

4. Match it to your life

Be honest about how the room is actually used. White linen and a toddler don't mix; a delicate glass table and a busy household won't either. Choose performance fabrics, rounded corners, and forgiving finishes if your home is busy — and save the precious materials for the spaces that stay calm.

5. Common mistakes to avoid

Mistake	Better move
Buying for the showroom, not the room	Test colors and scale at home with samples
Everything the same size and height	Vary proportions so the room has rhythm
Ignoring delivery logistics	Measure doors, stairs, and turns in advance
Chasing trends on big pieces	Keep large items neutral; add trend in pillows and decor
Skipping the warranty/returns fine print	Know the return window and what the warranty covers

Brush up on materials