Like my co-worker Kim, who successfully became a homeowner last Friday, I recently moved and am in the midst of furnishing my new house. The process has been a roller-coaster of emotions, ranging from the excitement over decorating a house for the first time to the overwhelming panic about the vast range of paint colors and furniture options. Will that rug match the duvet cover in my room? Are Linen White and Eggshell truly different paint colors?
To answer all of my first-time decorator questions, I turned to the best source I had available: the Internet. Like many consumers, I find shopping online an easy way to compare price points, colors, and product styles. What I didn’t know was that many home furnishing sites also offer “idea and inspiration” sections, filled with pages upon pages of ideas for how to complete a room. Some of these sites even allow users to select their style – whether it be classic, contemporary, fashionable or even technology oriented – and receive suggestions about furniture and accessories that match their decorating needs.
Similar to Pinnacle’s IdeaKit™ that suggests new and unique promotional products to fit customers’ marketing plans, these online showrooms inspire users to utilize and combine products in ways they might not have thought of otherwise. Whether or not customers are new to the world of furnishing, these suggestions provide innovative insight while also saving users time and money by allowing them to evaluate options before leaving the house.
After hours of playing around on these sites, mixing and matching colors and fashions to create my ideal room, I was so excited about my new furniture that I simply could not wait any longer to order it. Unfortunately many home furnishing companies do not offer rush delivery at no extra cost, so after my usual Saturday dodge ball game (yes, you read that right… there are dodge ball leagues for adults!) I went to the store to make my purchases. Picking out my items ahead of time made the shopping experience relatively painless and afterwards I came home, relaxed and put my feet up on my nice new ottoman!