If you’re one of the many people who follow the practice of buying gifts for family and friends at Christmas, chances are that you annually find yourself looking for new ideas. Unless you are particularly well organized, and buy things during the year that you know your friends and members of your family like, want, and better still need, you’re probably one of millions who runs around at the very last minute looking for something suitable to buy. If you fit the last case scenario, there’s a good possibility that you often end up buying things that they really don’t need. So here’s an idea. Instead of simply buying “gifts” that have no use or meaning, why not think about buying furniture for Christmas presents instead?
While furniture is essential practical, it can also be pretty or just plain good looking, fitting the preferences of just about anyone.
Before you pooh-pooh the idea, think it through. Perhaps it will change your attitude to giving at Christmas.
Why you Should Buy Furniture for Christmas Gifts
We all need furniture in our homes, and we like furniture that looks good. But once we have bought what we need, it often takes a very long to replace items that become horribly worn and shabby (sans the chic), outdated and even uncomfortable. So many of us simply “make do” with what we have, we just don’t bother to upgrade until we really have to.
For this reason, there is usually something special in the furniture line that you can find to give special people as a gift.
Of course you are likely to be willing to spend more money on a spouse, or even your children, particularly if they are still living at home or setting up their own homes for the first time. But even if your budget is limited, there are many smaller furniture items that you can consider. These range from small tables to quaint storage books, and even wall-hung racks and feature shelves.
Essentially though, the motivation to buy furniture, rather than simply a gift that isn’t going to be used or possibly even appreciated, lies in the idea of focusing on usefulness. And it goes further than this, because apart from being practical, a good quality item of furniture will be something to keep, as well as use. A really good quality piece (whether newly crafted or a well-worn antique) will even increase in value as the years go buy.
What Sort of Furniture to Buy for Christmas Gifts
The type of furniture – both in terms of the item and its style – depend entirely on who the piece is for. While budget will also be an issue, you must be sure that it will fit into that person’s home.
If you are buying something for your husband or wife, it will probably be something that you both really need, a new bed or a mattress perhaps. Or maybe both of you would really appreciate having a new couch in the living room, or even a completely new lounge suite.
The only danger (if it can be called a danger) when buying for a spouse is that you may be tempted to buy what you want, and not necessarily what they want! Since this is a gift, do try to choose something that your “other half” will like as much as you – possibly even more so. For instance, even though you might prefer to replace your living room coffee table with something that is more classy and better looking than whatever it is you are currently using, if your spouse has been complaining of a sore back in the mornings, a new mattress would probably be a more thoughtful and worthwhile Christmas gift – albeit a difficult one to wrap up and place under the tree (if you have one).
If you are buying something for anyone else, particularly someone who doesn’t actually live with you, you will need to be absolutely sure of the type of furniture they both like and need. While furniture makes a practical gift, it can also be relatively costly (well, when compared to shaving cream or biscuits), so you need to be certain it will work for the recipient. If you aren’t sure, for instance, whether your close friend will appreciate the gorgeous (in your eyes) marquetry side table you have earmarked for him or her, ask someone who might know, like a parent, sibling or spouse. Alternatively chat about furniture to ascertain likes, dislikes and wish-list needs of that person, without letting on that you’re plotting the perfect present!
Where to Find Furniture for Christmas Gifts
Buying furniture to give away as a Christmas present is no different to buying furniture for your home at any other time of the year.
You can browse the furniture and appliance shops in your city or town, or you can shop online. Either way there will options for delivery directly to your recipient’s home … adding to the element of surprise. Of course if you want to wrap something up – which is only really possible for smaller items – or perhaps tie a huge bow around it, you’re going to want to take the piece home with you or have it delivered to your home. If the item of furniture is for your husband or wife, and you want to keep it a secret until Christmas day, and you don’t have adequate hiding places, you’re going to have to find somewhere to store it until the last possible moment. This can be a challenge.
One way around the secrecy aspect of keeping furniture gifts hidden until Christmas day is to give a photograph of the item, and then have it delivered on the first shopping day after Christmas. Alternatively ask a friend or, preferably, a neighbor, if you can use their garage or a storeroom on their property where you can “hide” it temporarily. If need be, wrap or decorate your chosen piece of furniture and go visit your friend on Christmas morning to collect it – together with your loving spouse.
Above all, have a very happy Christmas!
