"BLOWOUT SALE" If you're like most of us, you lace
up your sneakers when you hear those magic words, especially
for big ticket items like furniture. But these days so many
stores and their online competitors are offering furniture at
attractive prices that it's hard to know which way to jump.
It may be helpful to think of furniture shopping as a game of
trade offs: Some of the biggest bargains are found online
(the deepest discounts tend to lurk in the clearance section
of chain-store websites). On the other hand, your local retailer
may offer discounted floor samples and personalized service.
Some will even give you free decorating advice in your home.
So where are the best places to look? Real Simple consulted
nine industry experts to find the most promising sources for
bargain furniture. Learn how to nab that elusive real
deal.
A
sofa is the mood-setting piece of any living room
and probably your most important purchase. So
this might not be the place to scrimp.
"Anything under $ 900 and you had better
kick the tires pretty carefully," says Maxwell
Gillingham-Ryan, author of Apartment Therapy.
Europe
by Net has modern sofas
by foreign manufacturers at discounts of about 30 percent.
(www.europebynet.com)
For
upholstery, consider microfiber, which resists stains.
