The way a home is furnished says volumes about the people who live there. Whether you choose furniture for its functionality or based purely upon aesthetics, the choice says a lot about your personality and lifestyle.

However, sometimes choosing the perfect furnishings for a condo can be harder than you think. Many condos have a few more space restrictions than a full-sized house, and with open-concept floor plans it’s not always easy to find furniture to fit – both physically and aesthetically.

Usually the best place to start is to browse at some of the local furniture stores. This can be a time-consuming process, but when it comes to furnishing your own home look at it as an adventure.

Before you start out, however, it’s important to have the measurements and dimensions of the areas that you intend to furnish. Not all furniture fits, and most furniture is designed with large homes in mind. Another thing to remember is to phone ahead to the places you want to check out, especially if they are specialty boutiques or shops. Before you drive across town it’s best to know their hours of operation. Many specialty shops have specialty hours as well, and it’s better to know them than to be disappointed when you get there. Many new home owners are drawn to displays they have seen in shop windows and will often want to check them out first.

Others tend to gravitate towards large wholesalers or big name furniture companies. Either choice is a good start to your quest for the perfect furnishings.

At La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, salespeople Larry Dash and Cathy Baker see all kinds of customers and requests. They say that although there aren’t as many condo-sized furnishings on the floor, many customers will special order furniture to fit in slightly smaller spaces. “For the most part it’s the sofas that people are looking for,” says Cathy. “A standard sofa ranges from 87 to 90 inches in length, but we can provide the smaller size ranging from 72 to 76 inch sofas.” she says. Although there may not be as many smaller furnishings in store, La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery does offer the retro-looking, smaller framed furniture by fashion designer Todd Oldham. Also providing a whole line of his own fabrics, this fashion designer has received a lot of publicity and so many customers who have seen his line in magazines will visit the store to take a look at this signature line of furniture.

Another company that has seen a trend in customers looking for smaller furnishings is Kiya. Although located in the suburbs, Kiya supplies furniture for a lot of customers with condos in the downtown area. Kiya Manager, Reyaz Nanji says that customers looking for condo furnishings mainly want to maximize space so are usually looking for smaller sofa and chair sets. “Customers are looking for contemporary furniture on a smaller scale right now,” says Reyaz. “Clean lines and dual functions in furniture is really big right now,” he says. Kiya’s most popular sofa right now is the Terry Sofa that measures between 78 and 79 inches in length. The store also offers 300 fabrics to choose from, ranging from leather to nice simple fabrics and colours. With the various fabrics to choose from, and pillows to match or coordinate, the available looks are nearly limitless. “A lot of clients come in with their interior designers,” says Reyaz. “There are 10 to 12 styles shown in store and more that can be ordered from the catalogue. As well, the fabric samples can be taken home to help with the decision.”

Of course, both of these companies offer various other furnishings also, such as unique coffee and end tables, and a wide selection of decorative shelves or stands. In reality, Calgary has virtually hundreds of quality furniture stores to choose from, far more than one person could hope to visit, but homeowners usually have at least a general idea of what they are looking for even before they venture out to look for the perfect sofa, chair, table or dining room set.

Quite often, when people tour show suites, they love the furnishings that are shown right there. In that case it’s easy enough to ask where the furniture came from and find a way to personalize the choice. Some condos even offer the expertise of interior designers to their customers. However, don’t worry if that’s not the case and you think that you’re hopelessly design-impaired, there are hundreds of excellent professionals in the yellow pages that would be more than happy to help you out. Otherwise, trust your own instincts or ask for help from your friendly furniture dealer. Remember, how you furnish your home reflects how you live and who you are, but there really is no right or wrong. CL