Steer clear of these 5 high-demand furniture picks due to their complex upkeep needs.
Rewritten Article:
Finding the ideal furniture piece for your home can be a pleasure, but sometimes, the enthusiasm for a piece's appearance outshadows its real-life maintainability. Vyanca Soto, the owner and principal designer at Market Studio Interiors, advises that function should always trump style. To help you steer clear of some tricky materials and make better shopping decisions, Soto and Thea Bloch-Neal, founder and lead designer of Curated by Thea, are ready to share five commonly used furniture materials that are a pain to keep nice and what you should pick instead. Let's dive in to keep your shopping list manageable and your home tidy.
- *Thea Bloch-Neal*, founder and lead designer of Curated by Thea
- *Vyanca Soto*, owner and principal designer at Market Studio Interiors
Beware of These 7 Trendy Pieces That Make Cleaning a Hassle, According to Design Experts ## Materials That Are Hard to Take Care of
When shopping for furniture for your home, remember to spare a thought for this list of five materials that might demand more attention than others. While you might still be tempted by these materials, beware!
Unsealed Marble
"Marble is undeniably stunning in its own right, but its porous nature makes it a magnet for spills, stains, and discoloration without proper sealing and regular upkeep," cautions Soto. Go for honed quartzite or porcelain slabs instead, which need less effort to keep looking fresh.
Particle Boards
These types of boards are prone to swelling, cuts, and are vulnerable to pests when exposed to moisture. Soto suggests opting for solid wood or engineered wood like D-HFB for durability and resistance to moisture and pests.
Delicate Upholstery Fabrics (like Silk or Velvet)
These fabrics tend to collect dust and are easily stained. Soto recommends choosing durable fabrics such as microfiber, leather, or wool blends for a more manageable maintenance routine.
Unfinished Solid Wood
While solid wood is hard-wearing, unfinished wood warps and absorbs moisture easily without regular maintenance. In homes where pets and children abound, finished solid wood or engineered wood with protective finishes can save you the hassle.
Raw or Soft Woods (such as pine or reclaimed wood)
These natural materials bring warmth and character to a space, but they dent, scratch, and stain readily. If you're not keen on dedicating extra effort to maintenance, Soto recommends white oak or walnut for their enhanced durability.
When designing spaces for her clients, Soto always takes their lifestyle and daily use of the piece into account. "It's essential to gauge how much wear a piece will experience and how much maintenance the clients are willing to commit to," she notes.
Taking an appreciative yet practical approach to choosing materials for your home will ensure that you can relax in your space without spending all your free time on maintenance.
Selecting the Ideal Materials for Your Space
Though there's nothing wrong with falling head-over-heels for a piece, selecting the right materials for your home requires a sensible, practical mindset. Remember, you'll want your furniture to last, and not to overburden you with time-consuming maintenance.
To ensure that the materials you choose are appropriate for your space, Bloch-Neal advises examining the activities that occur within each room. "For a more formal living room, opt for something delicate and budget-friendly performance fabrics for balance," Bloch-Neal says.
For high-traffic areas like dining rooms, go for chairs with durable fabrics and fewer creases where dirt and food can hide. For guest rooms, feel free to be more playful, while saving your dime for high-quality linens in your bedroom.
If you're head-over-heels in love with a less practical furniture piece, that's perfectly okay. "There's a beauty in the well-loved, worn look of furniture that tells a story," Soto muses. "In less-frequented areas, I might use unsealed marble, which adds character and a bit of whimsy instead of a detraction."
In conclusion, being smart about your furniture choices means making thoughtful decisions, understanding the trade-offs, and ensuring your materials suit the way you live.
Enrichment Data:
- According to This Old House, neglecting to properly seal marble can make it porous, making it hard to keep clean.
- As stated in learn.org, particle boards are made of sawdust and glue, making them susceptible to swelling, cuts, and other damages when exposed to moisture.
- The Spruce Crafts notes that silk is highly delicate and needs careful handling and professional cleaning to prevent damage.
- The Balanced Home suggests that untreated leather should not be exposed to direct sunlight or moisture and must be conditioned regularly to maintain its appearance.
- The Art of Doing Nothing recommends leather, microsuede, and wool blends as durable fabric alternatives to delicate fabrics like silk and velvet.
- In a home, the charm of a furniture piece can be overshadowed by its unfavorable maintenance requirements, recommends Vyanca Soto, owner and principal designer at Market Studio Interiors.
- Unsealed marble, though aesthetically pleasing, can be challenging to keep clean due to its porous nature, according to Soto, and it's better to go for honed quartzite or porcelain slabs instead.
- Particle boards, made of sawdust and glue, are prone to swelling, cuts, and are vulnerable to pests when exposed to moisture, warns Soto, so opting for solid wood or engineered wood like D-HFB is a smarter choice.
- Delicate upholstery fabrics, such as silk or velvet, collect dust easily and stain readily, suggests Soto, and it's more manageable to choose durable fabrics like microfiber, leather, or wool blends for maintenance.
- Unfinished solid wood, while hard-wearing, absorbs moisture easily without regular maintenance, reminds Soto, and it's better to go for finished solid wood or engineered wood with protective finishes for families with pets and children.
- When it comes to raw or soft woods like pine or reclaimed wood, they dent, scratch, and stain readily, recommends Soto, suggesting instead white oak or walnut for their enhanced durability in high-traffic areas.
