JOIN USBefore you take the big leap
Furniture is an important aspect and has to be well thought of before starting your lives with a partner for life, as it is a long-time investment. All the products you buy before your wedding reflects your choices on which a new life will be built. The new furniture should bring the space alive and weave threads of positivity shared by the new couple. One should be focusing on furniture which is comfortable and has value for money. Going beyond basics, it should also express your sense of style and cater to all your needs.
New life, new furniture
When you’re single, furniture shopping can be a mundane task. Your mind is bombarded with a lot of questions like: what size do you need? What will be the cost of it all? Will it affect the monthly expenses? Should I buy or rent furniture for this rented apartment?
Marriage is a game changer as when you get hitched, it’s not just about your comfort alone. It involves your partner’s choices to create an equal balance in your married life. Setting up a home with your better half, involving his/her liking, while making the smallest of decision is a major start. It often necessitates furnishing differently because the same space turns into a new house that has to cater to the needs of two individuals and not just one anymore.
The old furniture will not be right for the new living conditions if a couple plans to move to a larger apartment. Nowadays, due to job opportunities in bigger cities, people moving to urban landscapes meet a different set of barriers while getting hitched. Whatever the situation is, one invests in new furniture that resonates with the requirement of the newly-weds or about-to-wed couples.
Today, couples are making a beeline for furniture stores, seeking a certain quality and wanting to invest in durability and comfort likewise. As tradition would have it, they kick-start their roller coaster ride with planning on unique ways to style their home.
Bedroom first
One of the key things on the radar is a comfortable bed and quality mattress, which according to factors of health must be ergonomically designed. You must upgrade it to a bigger, high-quality mattress because you will be sharing it with a partner now, and you can justify the expense.
Kitchen tales
Apart from this, the kitchen also needs to be redesigned with a lot of storage space and arrangement to place all the new appliances aesthetically without making it look cluttered.
A kitchen is not just a place to cook meals — it’s also a conversation starter space, a gathering spot, an entertainment zone and everything in between.
For the living room
A classic example of a great investment is a two-seater sofa, where you can watch TV together. You can also get a cushioned footstool. Once a bachelor’s favourite furniture item — the recliner — will most probably not find space in your new living room. Because now you have to accomodate a new sofa with a centre table. But if your space allows it, you can retain the recliner too.
You will also have to invest in buying a strong, aesthetic coffee table, where you can sit, relax and work as well. There will be a requirement for additional storage, so a double-door wardrobe is the next most recommended furniture item couples should buy to avoid having those little tussles about ‘my space, your space’.
Dining matters
You spend some of the most important times of your life in your dining room, getting together with friends and family, celebrating holidays and birthdays. It should be a room that makes you happy. If you love to design your space stylishly, you’ll love incorporating the latest decor trends into the room. There are endless options from contemporary to dark wood.
An in-trend dining table set can establish the design theme of the space, so it will be easy to create the kind of dining experience that you want as a couple. One very important product is drawers, which can increase storage space. You have options to add a chest of drawers in the foyer or living room to keep family gatherings organised, depending on the space. It adds an element of finesse increasing the aesthetic value.
Green living
Sustainability should be a major factor when you look for furniture at any stage, especially when you’re starting a new life. The whole idea of sustainable furniture is about reducing the demand on natural resources by ensuring that it is replaced by environment-friendly alternatives, which promote sustainability.
People are looking beyond eco-friendly material by manufacturers and considering the entire eco-system, including the indoor air quality, low-energy consumption, use of chemical-free paints and detergents. All these will not only lead to an eco-friendly world but also towards a healthy lifestyle. Happy designing!
(The author is general manager —design, Godrej Interio )