One of the more costly components of owning a home is furnishing it, and if your pocket is already strained from your new mortgage payment or other home repairs, it can seem like a frustrating process. However, the good news is, there are ways to budget shop for furniture. Below are some tips to ensure you get great new pieces for your home while not breaking the bank:

Knowledge: Before you even step foot into a local furniture store, take a moment to gather your thoughts and ideas. Make sure you know exactly what you want, and which furniture pieces you need the most. If you don’t have either a mental list or a written list of what you need most, you will most likely find yourself buying pieces that you don’t necessarily need and therefore spending too much.

Unfinished Furniture: One route you can take is looking into purchasing unfinished furniture. Your local furniture store will most likely offer an array of unfinished pieces, and with a little bit of time and hard work, you could have a completely unique family or dining room, all while saving a little bit of money.

Buy Used or Discount: Primarily buying used or discount furniture instead of new will help you save as well. Your local furniture store may have some assorted used pieces, but you can also look for yard/garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, or public auctions to find unique older pieces. A little restoration work and those pieces can look good as new!

Jaron’s Furniture Outlet has a selection of clearance furniture called “The Heap,” where everything is discounted 20%-80% off of our everyday low prices. Click here to learn more about our clearance center: http://www.jarons.com/clearance-center

Decorating your living quarters is no easy task. With so many various styles and finishes to choose from, diving into the variety of options at hand may seem overwhelming for any newcomer.

Fortunately, the unique factor about this entire process is that the creativity lies entirely in YOUR hands. What style fits you the best? Which style expresses you the most? What colors do you find most aesthetically pleasing? The following furniture styles will help guide you through this rather seemingly tedious process with ease:

Traditional: Stemming from early 16th century European ideals, traditional furniture was intended to mimic many of the royal elegancies from that time period. Known for its hand-carved and stained wood features, carpenters would deeply-carve pieces that radiate the utmost sophistication- after all, many royal families throughout Europe were noted for utilizing this style, and despite its early roots, many people are still found using this style today.

Modern: Offered as a refreshing break from the previous traditional styles, modern furniture marked the start of a new era of design. Heavily influenced by the concept of modernism post World War II, modern furniture originally brought abstract and distinctive styles into homes and apartments throughout the globe, contrary to the classical elements of its traditional predecessor. Instead of wood, a variety of steels and plastics were blended together, ultimately reflecting the breakthrough in technology around that time.

Contemporary: Popular in many urban areas, contemporary style contains many similar features to modern styles, with a twist. Virtually the same materials are highly regarded in both styles, but the idea of minimalism is what sets contemporary style apart. Contemporary design is meant to be simple yet sharp, which means the fewer pieces in a room, the better. Many furniture trends lie in contemporary design, so if you like to keep up to date with style, this may be the look for you.

While there are hundreds of more in-depth and specific styles of furniture originating from each culture in the world, the three described seem to be the most popular among professional decorators and homeowners alike. So, feel free to be creative and use any of these styles in the  manner you desire, and take a look at our online store for some possible ideas. Happy decorating!