The average size of the American home has grown tremendously over the past handful of decades. Homes which were once just over 1,000 square feet have swelled to 2,000 square feet and beyond. Despite this supersizing, there are plenty of Americans living in spaces that are less than 1,000 square feet. Many of these dwellings are apartments or condos, and some are the older smaller homes.

Decorating these places becomes a challenge because most mainstream furniture makers design their pieces to fit the larger homes. Just because you have a small space, does not mean you have to forego the wood furniture. With these helpful hints, you can choose pieces that will not only fit but maximize your space.

Tips for Furnishing a Small Space

• Look for multifunction pieces. In a small space, storage is at a premium. Look for furniture that serves a dual purpose, like Amish Furniture Home’s Amies Coffee Table that has drawers and cabinets for storage.  Another option would be the Modesto Lift Top Coffee Table, which has easily accessible space to store TV remotes, magazines, laptops, and other items.  In small bedrooms, with little to no space for additional dressers, the Platform Bed allows for needed storage with drawers that line the base of the bed.
• Consider wall units. Instead of trying to fit multiple pieces in one room, look for a taller and wider case piece that can house your entertainment pieces, books, DVDs and CDs.   This entertainment unit maximizes storage while saving on floor space.
• Utilize corners or hallways.  Choose pieces like the Legacy Corner Cabinet, which will create space out of a difficult to use corner.  Utilizing a wider hallway or entry way for a bookcase or even a sofa table can also provide a place for keys, purses and other items needed on a daily basis.
• Living area turned bedroom space. Futons like the McIntosh Mission not only provide stylish seating space but also a comfortable bed for visiting friends or family members.
• Customize. Most of Amish Furniture Home’s pieces can be customized to fit your space.  This can go a long way in providing the exact amount of storage you need and to fit the space you have.

Once you have picked those specific pieces to furnish your space, another way to keep it looking great is to eliminate any clutter. Clear off flat surfaces and use that extra storage to “find a place for everything”.  The extra effort to put “everything in its place” will go a long way in maintaining the look of your small, but expertly furnished space.

 Renting furniture seems like a viable option in a bad economy that is suffering from a credit crisis. In fact renting home furnishings is usually a losing investment in most circumstances and not an answer to no or bad credit. Investing in high end, solidly built heirloom quality furniture, if only a piece at a time, is a more stable financial decision. In some short term cases renting furniture instead of investing in permanent goods may make sense. Keep in mind this is renting with the intention of it being short term and not rent-to-own. For instance, your company has moved you to a job for a year. Even renting for home staging to sell or events can be financially sound. Instead of buying furniture that expensive movers will haul away in a few months, it very well might make more sense to rent. Mass produced furniture depreciates, while moving, packing and storage expenses keep going up. These situations are not common but do exist so here are a few tips to help educate you on renting vs. owning.

QUALITY VS. AFFORDABLE –

Even in temporary situations you don’t want to buy anything that falls apart. Rental centers are not apt to carry a handcrafted heavy duty finely built maple dining room set but are sure to have press board with photo-finish. Test out the furniture before you rent it. If it feels weak or uncomfortable in the store it will in your home.

BE A SMART CONSUMER -

When renting furniture you are entering in to a contract that is binding. Quite simply, you need to read it and understand it BEFORE you sign it. The details can haunt you and your check book for many months. How much do they require down? What is the agreed upon conditions of returning the furniture? Is there a hidden delivery fee? What is normal wear and tear? Are the items you are receiving pre-rented or new?

Even at a rental store you should be asking what the country of origin the furniture maker is located. Also ask for guarantees and return policies.

WHAT IS THE ACTUAL COSTS? –

Doe sit make more sense to buy used furniture for your short term use than to invest in renting? How many months are you staying in this situation? How much to buy a couch or dining room set? Divide it by the months you are staying and if renting is more then buy. This of course is under the condition that you can pay cash and not have to finance furniture, adding on interest. Consider even buying one good investment piece and supplementing with rental items. You will have something that is yours that makes you feel like your home.

Whatever you decide, whether it is to go all rental, all used or to supplement with one or two pieces of quality furnishings like the Amish create, stay away from rent-to-own centers. The interest rates are exorbitant but are hidden in months of payments that cause the final price to be triple its value. By the time you are done paying these mass produced items are no longer in existence. Also, if you are an apartment or house renter remember that you will be spending a great deal of income on a home and its furnishings that will not be yours. Renting may not be the answer to credit when it comes to furniture

Now that you have accessed your home and lifestyle, documented your usable possessions and determined your desired future environment it is time to consider where to start investing from your “wants list”. Start with the fundamentals, such as where you will sleep, sit, eat and even store your possessions.

DETERMINE A BUDGET: It is far too common to try to get more for less when in fact you are getting less for more. Buying furniture that needs replacement every few years or more is simply a waste of hard earned money. Your best plan of action is to spend your furniture budgets greatest portion on the core fundamentals of your home. In other words, the pieces that you will use day in and day out and that receive the highest level of wear and tear should be considered investments and allocated the highest percentage of the budget.

As you design your budget you will allocate some to the essential list while many pieces can be put aside until another time. Most homeowners accumulate their furniture over a period of two to five years.

A good rule of thumb is:

• Home owner’s furnishing investment should equal no more than one quarter the value of their home.
• A renter’s furnishing should value no more than half a year’s income.

EDUCATE YOURSELF: You wouldn’t buy a car without research so why would you buy a sofa or a dining room set without knowing what to look for? Reading a bit about furniture construction, reviewing consumer guides, assessing various furniture manufacturers and designs and even buying design books and magazines can help you in choosing where to purchase your furniture. A sales staff that takes a personal interest in the long term goals of your home environment is essential. While shopping online opens a literal world of stores to you always review customer comments online and ask for references before buying.

Whether shopping in the real world or the virtual one be certain that the store is available to you with live customer service. Ask about workmanship, materials, guarantees and warranties, design concepts, customization options, delivery expectations and costs, finishes, stain and fabric choices.

Above all, don’t be afraid to ask questions. A salesman who plans on your return business is as vested in your happiness as you are. At Amish-Furniture-Home.com the furniture team is built from the tree harvester to the caring office staff. The integrity runs as deep as the customer loyalty and can be witnessed from the first cut of the carpenter to the last handling by the delivery staff.

The truth is solid wood customized hand made furniture is not inexpensive. The use of quality hardwoods and individual craftsmen adds a cost to each piece not seen in mass produced cardboard framed, pressed board framed and particle board framed bargain furniture. The price difference makes the temptation to buy “bargain” furniture, especially when finances are tight, seem like a reasonable one to give in to. After all, aren’t you saving money on items that you need a lot of? Isn’t being a savvy shopper who is saving money a good thing? When it comes to buying furniture – items that we use and abuse every day – the purchasing of bargain furniture now may not be such a bargain later.

For example take the kitchen table and chairs, items that are heavily used. Unless you have invested in a durable, high quality design then the table and especially the chairs will warp, break and be unusable after only a few years, sometimes less. This not only detracts from the aesthetical quality of your living space but requires replacement over and over again, usually at a higher cost as inflation increases. This is a wasteful practice when considering you could have purchased it one time and it would have lasted both you and several generations.

If you know what to look for in furniture, regardless of your budget, it will help you get the most for your money. Thanks to books and online blogs and websites furniture makers and furniture retailers are willingly sharing their expertise. While it is certainly important to buy furniture that is comfortable, functional, and fits your lifestyle and budget, it is also important to buy quality, well-built designs. By buying even one piece of investment furniture at a time you are saving thousands over a lifetime and insuring estate heirlooms for future generations.

Be a smart and savvy shopper. Educate yourself on the products you are putting your money into. By learning a few tips your next furniture venture will not just be a purchase but a valid investment:

How is it made and where did it come from?
The quality of furniture depends on what it is constructed from and how well it is assembled. Knowing who made it and what their philosophy on furniture construction is can ensure a long term relationship with your investment. 

Also important in this transaction is your retailer. Are they easily reached by phone and email to help with your decisions, orders, delivery and any future repairs? By having a retailer who cares you are adding extra insurance to your investment.  

Furniture Components - What is it constructed from?

Hardwoods – North American hardwoods like maple, oak, hickory and cherry are renewable and natural materials. This is the only building material used in high end Amish furniture.

Particleboard - Wood shavings are held together with a formaldehyde-based resin that emits fumes called outgas. The wood shavings are throughout the board and are visible on both the flat side and the cut side. There is a strong odor, especially when new. Particleboard contributes to indoor air pollution for at least a decade and should be used with caution around young children. This is never used in Amish furniture manufacturing.

Pressboard – Made from smaller wood fibers these boards are held together by a process using pressure and steam. This is a thin, brown board, with one smooth side and one textured side. Common “peg board” is made from pressboard. Pressboard is completely odor-free but low in quality. This is never used in Amish furniture manufacturing.

Furniture Coverings – Is there a wide range of high quality choices?
While texture and color affect the mood and attitude of the room, lifestyle directly affects the choice of fabrics and coverings for furniture. Be sure to select robust coverings like leather or durable fabrics.Take into account who lives in and visits your home before settling on a fabric. Cheaper, low quality fabrics are thin and wear easily and are not stain resistant.

Amish furniture creators have ensured that we can enjoy solid wood Cabin or Lodge designs that will be enjoyed for generations. Furniture for your personal lodge is crafted by the Amish in cabin friendly organic oaks, cherry, maple, hickory and walnut with a variety of stains.

While typically replicating nature and landscapes cabin style ranges anywhere from a rustic shack interior to the grand lodges of the Adirondacks. The common threads that run through these Rustic Cabin Adirondack Lodge looks are true hardwoods, imagination, simplicity, naturally organic, relaxing, comforting, comfortable, welcoming and timelessness.

By studying nature and pre-existing themes in cabin interiors you can easily recreate the lodge look inside your home with or without the timber and chinking on the outside. No matter where the cabin is in North America there are common subject matter used as accessories:

Wood- trees, twigs, logs, birch, pine, solid woods- these are used in furniture and as trim on things like picture frames, vases, bowls, baskets or accessories

Animals- from moose on land to fish in water to birds in the air- what is nature without wild animals

Tools and Sports- The tools and sporting equipment of the region you are emulating displayed as conversation starters

Although cabins and lodges are found from the top of North America to the bottom each region has its own flavor. Even if you do not live in the geographical area you can create the feel by understanding each of their environments and their history. Here are few themes to get started with:

Native American- all across North America various tribes resided and incorporating the art of the people who truly knew the land it makes for environmentally interest impact in design. This theme can be incorporated with any of the cabins but especially Southwestern

Southwest- If you love the Southwest cabins then here is the opportunity to incorporate clay and Mexican potteries, cowboy memorabilia and leather works like saddles and tack or fringes and suede. Wagon wheels and branding irons bring in the outdoors but set up the Wild West Bunkhouse Lodge theme

Pacific Northwest- Buffalo plaids and lumberjack items bring the logging camps cabin home. Fishing themes work well here on the coast by incorporating poles and creels as décor items

Great Lakes- Quilts and loons, snow themes and pine trees indoors. This cabin allows an excused year round Christmas tree in the living area. Fishing is a theme here near the Great Lakes

New England- Maple sugaring buckets or firkins speaks to the theme of the New England cabin along with the beloved blueberry motifs. Handmade quilts alongside Shaker furniture fits well in these cabins

Adirondack- This upstate New York design began here over a century ago. The idea of the grand lodge and camping retreats was inspired and advocated by the rich and famous such as Teddy Roosevelt. This home must have the famed Adirondack chair somewhere.

No matter if your home is an environment of “roughing it” rustic or chic lodge the Amish hardwoods will endure many years of friends and family

The well appointed home without a bookcase, especially a solid wood bookcase handmade by Amish craftsmen, is not truly a welcoming home. While it may seem a bit Shabby Chic to incorporate stacks of books around your home, in reality they are more accessible and better cared for in a strong and handsome hardwood bookcase. While the Internet is an amazing resource, a virtual bookcase so to speak, there is no replacing the smell, feel and imagination triggers of a good book found on a shelf waiting for you on a rainy day. The love of books is infectious and children exposed to them in their daily lives are proven to be more apt to read and do better in school. A home tied together with the love of books and collecting them has a common intellectual thread not easily broken.

While you can buy inexpensive bookcases from mega-stores, these particleboard storage units are doomed to crumble. They develop sway in the shelves and collapse is eminent after a short life. Moisture of any kind cannot be tolerated and the chemicals involved in creating particleboard, a product made of wood shavings held together with a formaldehyde-based resin that outgasses, is not a desirable home furnishing choice. Your indoor air quality is actually affected by placing these items in your home. Not so with a solid wood Amish book case available in hardwoods like red oak, quarter sawn white oak, hickory, maple and cherry.

If you have an empty room, even a dining room that is only used twice a year, convert it into your own personal world of books. The Amish dining room table, long, spacious and sturdy, protected by custom dining table pads, is the most elegant and functional library table in the world. The luxury of a dining room table as a library table is the vast amount of space to spread out papers and books. The spacious Amish table makes it possible to work efficiently alone or in a group. As your family grows more comfortable in your dining room you will be more apt to begin to enjoy it, spending more time and sharing even more meals in your cozy library/ dining room.

Open fronted for easy access or doored with panels of glass for collecting protection, in varying shades of stains and woods, there is always the perfect bookcase for your home. Amish bookcases can actually be designed to match your table or other room’s décor. Is your home a turn of the century Arts and Crafts bungalow? A McCoy series bookcase will bring the Mission style home. The Caledonia series has a sleek modern design with traditional quality that can be handed down to the next generation. Angle in between two Amish bookcases a solidly crafted Amish designer desk and you have a home office for you or your children to work and play.

You’ve wisely invested in your home and lifestyle by acquiring high end Amish furniture that will last a lifetime but did you realize you can include an heirloom Amish timepiece, an alternative to traditional Grandfather Clocks, to match your décor? While still as collectible as antique clocks Amish clocks require less maintenance and have just as much visual impact on a design.

Long before computers and cell phones the most technical thing a person owned was perhaps the clock. For approximately 350 years homes have held the traditional long case clock, often called the Grandfather Clock. Although centuries have past since first designed, the Amish Grandfather tall-case clock can be a timeless focal point of your modern home’s décor that will reward you hourly.

Selecting only one is not easy since they have many designs to choose from, including clocks suited for homes styled in Mission, Craftsman, Arts and Crafts, Adirondack, Lodge, Cabin, Cottage and even West Lake. All available in American hardwoods like red oak, quarter-sawn white oak, hickory, cherry and maple; matching your décor is easy. By selecting the design, the wood and then the stain you can have a custom clock made for your home’s personal style. Do you have the rustic look of the Lodge or Cabin designs? Choose Old Country style with its hickory twig embellishments. Do you have more modern sensibilities? Design a grandfather clock in a dark cherry finish and the straight lines of the Shakers. Especially in modern, sometimes stark designs, a clock can add that touch of hominess you desire.

Amish artistry is highly recognized and sought after and as a designer cabinet clock your money is well invested. While integrity is always a hallmark of Amish craftsmanship, you should select quality timepieces as well as practical. The Amish craftsmen have designed and built solid wood Grandfather Clocks in many styles to last. People can go a lifetime with no real thought over the timepieces in their homes; not realizing a high quality clock is one of their best investments for functional, aesthetic and inheritable qualities. Sculpturally the Amish floor clock is an undisputed piece of art. Created by skilled wood artists these are not just clocks but investments, meant for a lifetime of use, to be handed down as an inherited piece like all Amish furniture.

When it comes time to purchase some real furniture for your home, there are a few things you should keep in mind before you buy. Just like your home is a long term commitment, so is the furniture you place in it. The furniture you buy today will most likely be the furniture you have twenty years from now, so make sure it will look as good then as it does today.

Take a good look at the room you are considering to furnish before you start shopping. Look at the furniture you currently own and determine if you have a certain style of furniture in your home already that you will want to match. Is your current furniture mainly oak, mahogany, maple, or painted? Do you have darker woods or lighter woods? If you want to keep the furniture you already have, make sure your new furniture is of a similar style so that it will make the room more cohesive and finished.

Next, make sure you measure the room and the areas that you are thinking about placing furniture. Also, make sure you measure your door openings and hallways to make sure your new furniture will fit. There is nothing worse than having your new furniture delivered, but not being able to get it through the front door!

Finally, when shopping for new furniture, make sure it is made of quality hardwood, is solidly constructed, and is finished properly with a smooth, flawless stain. If you think about the type of furniture you want carefully and look for pieces that are well built, then you will be able to enjoy your new furniture for many years or decades to come.