Furniture forms an integral part of any home and can spruce up a space to look more vibrant. However, not all furniture pieces can last a lifetime.
Whether your furniture is a new piece or an antique upholstered one, it is essential to take a look at furniture at regular intervals and decide whether you should upgrade your furniture or not.
But, unfortunately, furniture does not have clear-cut expiry dates. So how do you know how often you should buy or replace them? Here we have these guidelines that will enable you to decide whether it is time to replace your furniture:
How to Decide When to Replace Furniture?
The lifespan of furniture varies according to age and generally is dependent upon various factors. Some important aspects include the type of materials used and the quality of construction, the extent to which the furniture is used daily, and how good care is taken.
Here are some factors that one can consider before deciding whether one should go ahead with a replacement or not:
Is the piece of furniture broken beyond repair?
Is the furniture no longer comfortable?
Is the furniture safe to use?
Does the furniture have a worn-out look?
Is the upholstery stained and frayed?
Has your lifestyle changed, and does the furniture still fit the same old space?
For instance, furniture needs a makeover depending on various stages of life. Events like marriage, a new addition to the family, or bringing home a new pet can impact the style and design of furniture you require.
Room-wise Tips to Determine Furniture Update Time
You must look out for several signs to decide if it is time to replace your furniture. Let’s take a room-wise look at the signs:
For Living–Room Furniture
The living room is where you showcase your lifestyle to your guests and gather as a family. Hence, the living room furniture tends to have various pieces like accent chairs, sofas, sectionals, recliners, ottomans, bar tops, coffee tables, end tables, occasional tables, and even wicker and rattan furniture.
Depending on the nature of usage and type of use or just to keep up with the latest trend, people often end up replacing living room furniture.
Here are some signs that you should look out for to know when to replace your living room furniture:
Sofas:
Sofas should be comfortable to get in and out and must offer good support to the back.
Check if you have any pain or discomfort when you sink in or get out of a sofa.
This means that the couch does not offer good support for your body and must be replaced.
Check out if the sofa sags in the centre or any stains or tears on the sofa.
Does any part of the sofa’s seating protrude? Then you may want to replace it.
Chairs:
Check if the chairs make a creaking sound and if the furniture is unsafe and dangerous to sit upon.
Ensure the legs touch the floor evenly.
Floor buffers (on the chair legs) must be intact to avoid slipping.
Is the seating area of the chair even?
If the chair is upholstered, is it intact?
Recliners:
Recliners can have a lifespan of anywhere between 6 months to 10 or even 20 years.
Check if the reclining mechanism is still mobile or it moves easily
Ensure the recliner makes no cranking sound or feels fragile upon sitting.
If you think that the spring in your recliner is not efficient you may want to change it.
If the foam does not offer the same old comfort, then it is time to inspect your recliner for change.
Other add-on furniture:
Check out if the living room furniture matches your current style of living. Do not hesitate to change or replace the furniture that no longer fits your taste and lifestyle.
Check if the coffee and centre tables are perfectly polished and don’t show off signs of wear and tear.
Tables must be stable.
If you have lampshades, make sure the lamps are working, and if fabricated, the shade must be tear-free and seamless.
If you have a showcase or cabinet in the living room, ensure it doesn’t show signs of wear & tear or discolouration.
Ensure the side tables are stable and not wobbly. It can cause accidents
The living-room furniture must express you and your family members, reflect your taste, and be filled with the things you love.
Upholstery:
If you have children and pets, the upholstery on frequently used furniture pieces could get thin and worn out faster. In addition, they may be susceptible to tear if ripped by a pet's paw or a sharp end of a child's toy. In these cases, you may consider replacing the furniture if not repairable.
Kitchen / Dining–Room Furniture
The kitchen is arguably one of the most used areas in the house, followed by the dining area. Unfortunately, this means that the kitchen cabinets, island counters get worn out easily by regular chopping, food preparation, frequent pulling of drawers, etc.
Dining sets may also slowly deteriorate over time with exposure to sunlight, stains, scratches and so on. Hence, these may necessitate early replacement.
While most good quality dining sets last for at least ten years, their life expectancy can extend beyond 15 years if they are maintained well. When it comes to wooden furniture, solid wood dining sets last longer than those made of engineered wood or MDF (medium-density fibreboard).
Check out for these signs of replacement:
Check if the tabletop/chairs are warped from moisture.
Check if the tabletop is dented or burnt.
Check if there are any signs of chipping or breaking on the kitchen cabinets, dining chairs or tables.
Check if the table/ chair legs have become uneven or the backrest is shaky.
In MDF cabinets, check if they do not sag over time due to excessive weight.
Bedroom Furniture
The bedroom is another space that is usually used daily. The principal bedroom furniture includes a bed, mattress, dresser, wardrobes, side tables, etc.
An average mattress (whether foam, spring, or waterbed) should last between 5 to 10 years.
Check out for these signs of replacement:
If you find that you wake up every morning with a backache, then it is time to test the strength of the mattress.
As regards beds, check if they make a creaking sound upon moving or are bent at the centre.
Check if the frame of the bed becomes loose or is cracked.
If your bed has drawers embedded, ensure it channelizes smoothly in and out.
Check if the bedroom wardrobe alignment is correct and find it difficult to open and close the doors.
When it comes to the dressing mirror, check if it stays clear and does not look grainy or distorted.
If you have bedroom furniture with decorative laminate sheets, ensure they’re intact and not coming off.
In addition to the above, you may also need to replace bedroom furniture if they find storage space is not adequate.
Bathroom:
The bathroom, albeit doesn’t have furniture as such, but many people opt to have wall cabinets, shelves, sink cabinets, and the like in there. Leaving aside the plumbing fittings, these pieces of furniture can show signs of replacement.
Check if the shelves are stable, attached correctly to the wall to avoid accidents.
Ensure the glass is not cracked or chipped if used on shelves.
The same goes for the mirror. Make sure it’s attached correctly and intact.
Check out the stability of the shelf holders.
Check out for signs of wear and tear in your sink cabinet.
Cracks on some wooden pieces can lead to irreversible damage from moisture.
Check out if the sink cabinet doors open and close smoothly and that water isn’t leaking inside.
If you’ve got a bathroom wardrobe, ensure the wood is not rotting anywhere.
To Sum Up
Knowing when to replace your furniture will give you the confidence to decide the nature and type of furniture to buy next. Hipcouch offers highly curated modular furniture choices and offers furniture customisation and fine-tuning services to suit your lifestyle. Contact us to select the right furniture that matches your personality and lifestyle.