Furniture stores
range from high-priced boutiques to giant outlets.
Depending on what type of furniture you are interested in buying, you may visit a number of different kinds of furniture stores. For some people money is no object. They may have no problem visiting a pricey boutique in Manhattan to find just the right accessory. On the other hand, if someone is looking for a couch that his dog is going to sleep on, he will probably shop at a discount outlet or buy used.
Discount Furniture Stores
Most cities have large furniture outlets somewhere on the outskirts of town. These stores tend to be outside of downtown because the cost per square foot is lower, and these stores can be enormous. The quality of the furniture offered in discount outlets can vary, but the furniture is generally solid. You're not likely to find either high-end custom made pieces or utterly cheap, substandard pieces. Keep an eye out for sales as you can save a lot if you go at the right time.
Cabinetmaker Showrooms
Custom cabinetmakers build hardwood furniture to a customer's specifications, as well as limited-run production pieces for general sales. Many cabinetmakers have a publicly accessible showroom, sometimes attached to their shop, where you can see the work they do. Commissioning a cabinetmaker to build a piece just for you will cost you more than buying a piece off the floor. If you have the money and are looking for something unusual, it may be the only way to get it. Furniture built by independent craftspeople tends to be both more expensive and higher quality than what you would buy in the mainstream market.
Boutiques
Boutiques are small stores, often located in city centers where they receive a lot of walk-in traffic. They cater to whimsical purchases, impulse buying and niche markets. In the trendy districts of major metropolitan cities, you can find boutiques offering everything from carved beds to nightstands made of old records to glass-topped coffee tables filled with stones. Boutiques with an artistic bent may blur the line between what is furniture and what is fine art. A boutique is the place to go if you are looking for a piece of furniture that will make a statement as well as fulfill a function.
Online Stores
Many businesses sell furniture online, either to their local area or with the option of shipping. The advantages of finding furniture in an online store include the ability to look at many different sellers without having to travel anywhere, and a nearly endless variety of choices in style. The drawbacks include the inability to touch and experience the furniture firsthand, and the added expense of having your purchases shipped to your home. It may make sense to research furniture sellers online to get an idea of what they sell, and follow this up with visits to their stores and showrooms.
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