Choosing the right furniture for your home

With the wide array of furniture available on the market today, the discussion remains on what best suits one’s home and where to buy genuine and long lasting furniture.
Knowing what you prefer will give you a clear view of the layout of each room and the furniture needed.
Joseph Kato Ddungu, an interior designer, says whether you opt for imported or locally made furniture, you must know where your interest lies and what works best for you.

Size
“The size of your house is a key factor when selecting furniture. However, consider also the beauty, style, maintenance, durability and cost,” says Kato.
According to Florence Nabasaala, of Xing Xing furniture, imported house fittings are beautiful and tasteful but delicate and must be handled with care.

“Imported furniture should not be moved around often to avoid damage. Although most of this furniture can be reassembled, this will call for professional assistance,’’ explains Nabasaala.
You can incorporate glass, wood, metal or woven from both locally made and imported furniture depending on the setting of the rooms and type of family you have. For example, if you have young children, avoid glass furniture that can easily break and harm the children.
Kato tips on how to set up each room.

Living room
For your living room, both local and imported furniture will be a good choice considering the available space in the house. Every living room has a centre of attraction. It is from this very spot that you should start placing your furniture.
“If your living room is small, ensure your choice of furniture is suitable for the existing space. Do away with big pieces and choose to have a single or two simple sofas and a sideboard. Choose a small television stand and fine square imported glass coffee table since having a dining table will over crowd the room,’ says Kato.

With a bigger living room, you can play around with the placement of furniture.
For example, placing furniture in the middle of the sitting room with the television stand as the focal point is one way.
However, if your living room will only entertain irregular guests, then you can opt for more fragile pieces with delicate fabrics.

Dining room
Unlike the sitting room where you can play around with both local and imported furniture, in the dining room one has to be specific on the type of wood used. Opting for hard wood such as mahogany is advisable.
“Tables with removable stands tend to be made out of fibre board, which is not good in the long run. Consider the size of your room when choosing the shape of the dining table. There should be enough walking space after chairs have been put in place.For small dining rooms, an oval-shaped table is a better option. Square tables work best in narrow areas whereas round tables accommodate more space,’’ Kato advises.

Tip
Consider the distance between the stands of your table when selecting a chair. If possible, allow six inches of space between each chair and the table stands. If space isn’t a concern, keep in mind that smaller chairs allow you to fit more people around a table while wide chairs with arms typically provide the most comfort.

Bedroom
Each room will require different furniture as some rooms may be used less frequently. For the master bedroom and guest bedroom, use imported furniture since there is less traffic.
However, for a children’s room for example, use locally made furniture because it will get spoilt easily but can also be replaced or repaired easily.

Bedroom furniture layout

Consider the following:

• The bed is the focal point of the bedroom.
• Find the best wall against which to place your bed and then place additional bedroom furniture around the bed.
• Think about storage, sitting, and working (dressing) spaces.
• Try to avoid placing the bed under a window or where it will obstruct a doorway or walkway through the room.
• Pay attention to how closet and other doors open into the room.
• Ensure you leave enough space to walk around comfortably in the bedroom.
• If built-in closet space is a minimum, consider reserving space for a dresser.

Durability
John Kayemba of Super Furniture Wakaliga, says if one is to consider durability of the product then locally made furniture is better, especially if one is using wood and not glass.
“I use mahogany, the best hard wood when making furniture. Imported furniture gets spoilt easily yet there is usually no chance for repairs,’’ explains Kayemba.

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