If you’re furnishing your home for the first time or redecorating, measuring your space carefully before purchasing is essential. Renters must choose lightweight, portable furniture that will assemble quickly and fit through doorways, stairwells, and other obstacles.
Luckily, online juggernaut Amazon offers many stylish, affordable furnishings that work well in many homes. Consider these pieces to spruce up your living room, bedroom, or home office.
Bookcase
A bookcase is a shelving unit that stores books and other decorative items. It may be freestanding or built into the wall of a room. Some bookcases have doors that can be closed to protect the contents from dust and moisture. Others are open and allow homeowners to choose what to display on the shelves, from hardcover and softcover books to framed family photos, decorative accent pieces, plants, and more.
A wood bookcase with a timeless design, like this one from Castlery, is an excellent choice for anyone who lives in a modern-style home. It has three sturdy shelves that can hold much stuff without feeling overcrowded, and its glass doors give it a slightly vintage feel.
Other shelving units can work just as well in different homes, such as an etagere bookshelf, which features several tiers between two narrow beams. These sleek and lightweight fixtures are popular with people who want to display small trinkets, framed photos, or storage baskets.
If you have a DIY spirit and some time, making your wooden bookcase from scratch is easy. You’ll need a table saw, nails, a hammer, a cordless drill with a combination drill bit and wood glue, and some sandpaper or fine-grit sandpaper (like 220-grit). However, many ready-made options exist at places like Wayfair and Amazon.
Coffee Table
A coffee table is perfect for setting drinks, magazines, and electronics like tablets or remotes. It’s also ideal for displaying decorative objects and trinkets and serves as the focal point of your living room. Depending on your style, you can choose a coffee table from a wide range of styles and designs, from simple to elaborate, to meet your needs.
Before you start shopping, figure out how you’ll use your coffee table and the other furniture pieces in your sitting area, advises Alessandra Wood, VP of style at online interior design service Modsy. “Picking the right one depends on your goals—do you like playing many board games? Then, a table at seat height and easy to clean might work best. Or are you a minimalist who loves the look of modern, sculptural tables? Then a sleek, metal, or marble option might work best for you.”
If you’re looking for eye-catching accent furniture that makes a statement in your home, look to Anthropologie. The retailer’s bold designs add interest to any space. And for the basics, check out Amazon’s specialized home section that features a variety of affordable options that are sure to blend in with your existing furniture. Or, for a truly unique and customized shopping experience, head to Etsy, where you can find artisan and independent sellers offering handmade, vintage, and rustic furniture pieces you won’t find anywhere else.
Sofa
A sofa can seat the whole family for movie night or be a cozy reading spot with your favorite book. It also is a focal point in a living room, and you’ll want to choose one that will fit the style of your space. For example, a bohemian-chic couch from Urban Outfitters might look great in a laid-back apartment but may not be ideal for a freestanding home. A sectional might be better in that case.
Check out designs from online brands for a more tailored, classic sofa. The latter focuses on sleek, modern styles that stand up to wear and tear. Its Napa sofa is made of buttery Italian leather that comes in shades like cognac tan and cocoa brown. It’s available as a standard couch or a sleeper sofa that folds down from the middle for guests.
Other furniture designers to consider include Joybird, which has a rainbow of fabrics for its upholstered sofas and chairs. Its pieces are designed with small apartments and tight spaces in mind. If you’re shopping for a larger living room, a sectional can provide more seating options than a traditional sofa.
Home Depot is a one-stop shop for home decor and repair needs, but it also offers plenty of stylish sofas at an affordable price. For example, its Greta XL sleeper sofa sits directly on the floor for a casual look and adjusts from fully upright to half-upright to flat by clicking through the metal frame’s positions.
Dining Table
The dining table is one of the most essential pieces of furniture in your home. It’s where you eat, family and friends gather for dinner parties, and even where kids do their homework. It’s essential to pick a dining table that matches your design style and will stand up to the use it’ll receive. Luckily, you can find a lot of different types on Amazon. From chairs to tables, you can find anything and everything you need for your dining room on the site.
The online juggernaut also has a specialized home section that features more than just furniture basics. You can find pieces with more personality and flair here, like this modern dining table that combines rustic-chic details with industrial metal elements. It’s available in several finishes, from whitewash and smokey charcoal to pine dark brown. Another plus is that assembly is quick and easy.
If you want a more traditional option, check out this farmhouse table. The unique wood finish and natural grain are sure to add a touch of warmth to your space. Plus, the sliding cabinet doors make it easy to store away items like table linens and silverware.
Check out the e-commerce retailer’s furniture collection from designers and brand names for more high-end options. You can easily shop by group and by type to narrow down your choices. Also, you can find many different colors and fabric options to match your style. Plus, you can always rely on Walmart’s reasonable prices.
