Thinking of buying furniture online for your home or office? Here is why you may need to reconsider!

Since almost anything can now be purchased or experienced online thanks to apps and technology, it's no surprise that home and office furniture manufacturers are taking advantage of this cost-effective opportunity by offering their products online.?

With our experience in furniture retail and interior design, you may be surprised to learn that there are more drawbacks to purchasing furniture online than benefits. Here are 2 quick reasons why we advise shopping in person.

COLOUR

Take a picture with your phone and upload it to Instagram and before you do, edit the photo. Increase the saturation, brightness, and contrast. Looks amazing right? The water in the ocean has never been bluer. The real-life version is a little less perfect and website catalogs are no different.

Retailers photograph their inventory in a studio setting and edit the images in Photoshop altering the actual appearance—even the retina display on your computer monitor can alter the appearance of the furniture.

ERGONOMICS

This is probably the most important point to consider. How can you buy a chair online without trying it? Everyone has a different body and furniture isn’t a “one size fits all”. Because of this, It’s a personal decision.

When we worked in furniture retail, we would eagerly await the upcoming catalogs for the new season, which contained sneak peeks of the collection. We would be underwhelmed when the pieces arrived, despite the fact that they looked perfect (and why wouldn’t they – they were most likely photographed in a studio and photoshopped to the nines). The colour was off, the fabric was itchy, and the height didn't work.

All that to say, seeing as one of our 5 senses is touch—you might as well use it.

Read 3 more Useful Tips for your next online furniture purchase!