Why You Shouldn’t Buy The Furniture Set
Unpacking the idea of the furniture set
09 March 2020 -
Choosing furniture can be overwhelming. Even if you’re an interior designer, it’s no easy feat.
There is so much out there to pick from, so many factors to consider, and as soon as you find one thing you like, you have to think about how it works with everything else.
Enter: the furniture set, a one-way ticket out of the chaos, a shoulder to cry on. We get it; it’s tempting to walk into your nearest furniture store, pick a set you’re okay with, and buy five of everything in the same color. We’re not here to tell you what to do, but we are here to give you our advice and honest opinion, and that is: don’t buy the furniture set!
Interior designer Jaimee Rose said it best when she said, “Design is about layering texture and materials, and it should also tell your story. You are more interesting than a brown microfiber sofa set.”
We sat down with our lead designer, Kelsie Lindley, to unpack the idea of the furniture set and discuss why we avoid it. Here are some of our conversation highlights:
Mixed furniture is thoughtful furniture
Our team agrees that the number one reason people buy furniture sets is probably that it’s easier. And it’s true, it is a lot easier, but it also looks a lot easier.
“There’s something about furniture sets that don’t bring that thoughtful feeling that mixed furniture does.”
Mixing and layering styles of furniture elevates your space by creating the look of an intentionally designed space that took effort and consideration.
Updating your space
Not only is mixing styles of furniture more thoughtful in the form of aesthetic, but also in the investment. If you buy an entire set of the same style of furniture, and then you want to do something different a few years down the road, it’s more difficult to update your space.
Plus, mixing furniture allows you to get away with mixing high and low priced pieces to make your investment pieces stand out while elevating your more affordable pieces.
Your home is your gallery
If you were filling an art gallery with things that represented you or things that you love, would the pieces lining the walls all look the same? Probably not, and neither should the furniture pieces in your home!
We are firm believers that interiors should be a place for self-expression, and even if you’re not an interior designer, you can still collect and curate what lives in your home so that it resonates with you. The truth is, regardless of design rules, meaningful homes are always more beautiful than cookie-cutter ones.
Some exceptions…
There are some exceptions to matching furniture styles and collections; our design team typically applies the rule of two to balance out a room with twin pieces mirroring each other. For example, using two twin nightstands, or even two mirroring couches can be an exception to the mix and match rule. Outdoor furniture is another exception to the rule, as we use all-matching sets most often to create a more laid-back feeling in the space.
From The McGee Home
What are your thoughts about mixing and matching furniture styles?