As a homeowner, you have many choices when it comes to purchasing furniture and home accessories. You can shop online, brave the big box stores, or browse local boutiques. Another option that many buyers overlook are design centers.
Located in many larger cities, design centers are usually large buildings filled with showrooms that cater to the interior design and architectural communities. In Seattle, we have the 156,000-square-foot Seattle Design Center, located in the Georgetown neighborhood.
In the past, many design centers were closed to browsing, unless you were accompanied by a design professional. These days most design centers welcome the public. However, when you are ready to make a purchase, many showrooms require that you do so through a design professional. Even when direct purchase is an option, you may want to work with a design professional anyway. "We require everyone to purchase through a designer to ultimately help you refine your design decisions," writes the Seattle Design Center. "Trying to order custom, made-to-order pieces is a difficult process for anyone who isn’t familiar with shopping through a showroom."
When you walk into a design center, you may notice that the pricing is handled a little differently than in a retail furniture showroom. Some items are tagged with the retail price, while others may have no price tag at all. That's because you are usually looking at a floor sample that can be customized in many different ways. If you are purchasing a sofa, for instance, the price you pay will be based on the upholstery you select, the size of the piece, the legs you select, the fill material in the cushions, trim details, or other factors.
When your designer makes a purchase on your behalf, the price he or she pays (also called the "net price") will typically be 20% to 40% less than the retail price tag. Some designers, especially those who charge an hourly fee, will pass some or all of that discount along to you. Others may charge you full retail. The designer's markup or hourly rate covers services related to the design, sourcing, research, ordering, tracking, receiving, and installation of the pieces. At CRD, we charge our standard hourly rate for design and are usually able to pass our discount along to the client.
Another option to consider when shopping for furniture and home goods are retail designer showrooms. These do offer customization choices, although not quite as many as a to-the-trade design center. You may be able to get a discount if you are working with a designer. The experience is similar to shopping at a design center, but the retail showroom can sell directly to you (the consumer) and arrange for delivery. Here are a few of our favorites:
Traditional home furnishings stores sell directly to the public via retail locations and mail-order. They may be your best bet if you are not working with an interior designer because the trade discount they offer is much smaller than that of a design center or retail design showroom. Some have their own in-house design team, which can help you make selections but typically don't offer the same level of service that a dedicated interior design firm would. Retail stores do offer some degree of customization on upholstered furniture (like choice of textile), but they also sell ready-made pieces that can ship quickly. Retail prices at direct-to-consumer home stores are typically lower than at the more custom options above, but quality can be lower.
When comparing prices, it's important to take a close look at the details: Is the piece made in the United States, or is it a cheap knockoff of someone else's design? For instance, many to-the-trade case goods—cabinets, chests, tables, and other wood furniture—are still made by hand in the United States. Fine Italian furniture purchased through your interior designer will be made in Italy; whereas a similar piece from an online retailer may be made in China, Taiwan, or Thailand to less exacting standards. This is not to say that the less expensive piece may not suit your needs, only that it's important to compare apples-to-apples.
Retail stores that we recommend are:
Room & Board
William Sonoma Home
Crate & Barrel
If your budget is limited (and whose isn't?), how do you decide what to buy where? With any interior design, I recommend starting with a few core pieces that are meant to last. For these, invest in the highest quality you can afford. If you have the budget to shop for custom pieces at a design center, these are the areas I would focus on:
As much as we would love to design a custom space for each of our clients, few people can afford to exclusively shop the design centers. Here are some items that may be best purchased retail.
At CRD, my interior designer colleagues and I love helping clients pull together the perfect look for their rooms. Whether we guide you through the styling and furnishing of your entire home or just help put you on the right path and answer your nagging design questions, we are always happy to help. Please feel free to get in touch to start the conversation.