How to accumulate furniture you love: Part 2
Sit down and brainstorm some solutions. Try to imagine what you'd LOVE to see in this space. What's your style? Is it an old pine farm table or a new mahogany Queen Anne? Is it round and cozy or rectangular and traditional? Is it a place where the kids can do homework, or is it something to use only on formal occasions?
Zero in on the look you want, on the style of furniture you love, as well as what will be practical (that is, a huge 12 foot dining room table is never going to fit in your 11x11 dining room).
Buy What You Love
Now, look ahead about 20 years.
Pretend you've had your first choice of dining room tables for all of those years. How did it work? If you went with a formal look, was it your favorite part of the holiday to set the table and sit down for an elegant meal, or did the table gather dust most of the year between major holidays? Or if you decided on a casual style pine table, did your family and friends spend happy hours around it, and does it sport a few memorable dents from homework and craft projects, or was it just too casual? Visualize moving to a smaller home after the kids have grown up. Is that table something you'll want to take with you?
Refuse to 'Settle'
Ok, here's the hard part. Once you've decided what you want, what may still be something you'll love in 20 years, then it's a matter of commitment. First, NOT to buy something for the wrong reasons ("because it's on sale", "my cousin will give us his old table free", "I guess this square one is Ok, even though I wanted a round table"). Resist the urge to settle for something that's not quite right. You're going for the "real thing".
Buy One Piece a Year
Purchase at least one item a year -- Next, commit a portion of your annual budget to at least one yearly purchase of furniture. Learn to wait until you find just the perfect piece. It may take a week, or a month, or even a year to find it. It may take longer than that, but when it's true love, you just know. And you'll be glad you waited. Can you buy more than one piece a year? If your budget allows, go right ahead. It's the idea of finding pieces that are truly "you" rather than any specific time frame of purchases.
Conclusion
Here's the important thing to remember:
If each year you bought at least one quality item of furniture, one painting, or one fabulous accessory -- things you truly love -- you'll be building up a wonderful collection of pieces you adore.
What could be nicer than that for a beautiful home?
