Over the years I’ve managed to become quite the furniture snob (spending too much time hearing about Jade’s design projects will do that to you). But not the snob you’d normally think – instead of trendy designer pieces, I always look for furniture that’s practical and comfortable with a dash of timeless style for good measure, similar to my fashion taste. The materials have to be raw and natural, preferably oak or walnut, which I find is the best guarantee for durability. I always know what to look for in furniture, but if you think having my priorities straight made it easier to furnish my home, you have no idea how wrong you are.

I can still vividly remember moving to our new home – a magical time in our lives. Scratch that. It was a horrible time. We had way too many handymen running around installing floors, blinds and whatnot, when all I wanted was a big comfy couch to spread out on. But oh well, the hassle around the new home made it impossible to find time to go furniture shopping. Thank God for the internet!

As important as picking out the colours for the walls was, I found myself frantically searching for a couch from the reputable home furniture online stores Jade recommended. At that point all I wanted was two things – it should be big enough to sit the growing family and it should be made of fabric. The idea of leather makes me throw up a bit in my mouth. So, I managed to find a nice cushioned contemporary couch that offers the ultimate support for the four of us to snuggle up on film nights. And I slowly started building my furniture collection from there.

Since that day, I’ve bought literally my entire home furniture online. It was simply much more convenient considering I had another baby (and extra chores). But even now, despite being able to find plenty of time to go out, I still love to shop online. I’d trade running from store to store with playing at the park with the boys and Uno any day! Plus, purchasing home furniture online allows you to find the best possible deals within your budget. You can compare stores and prices, and best of all, read customer reviews. Oh, and I can send links to Jade and seek her professional approval. Can’t get better than that!

So, if you plan to go furniture shopping online, I feel like I’ve become enough of an expert to give you some sound advice. It’s not like I’ve never made a mistake and ordered something that didn’t fit my space (looking at the coffee table that was supposed to be in the living room not on the front porch). But this experience has only taught me to always measure the space and check the dimensions listed on the product. Then, double check both measurements. Oh, and if you order pre-assembled furniture, please measure any doorways or stairways it’s supposed to pass through on its way in.

Since you only have photos of the product you want to buy, reading reviews is key to making a purchase you won’t regret. Focus on products that come with lots of comments that vary from each other to avoid getting tricked by phony reviews. After all, it’s the internet and not everything you read there is true. Pay attention to the bad reviews and whether the complainants say how the seller dealt with the issue. If the seller offers money-back guarantee, then it can be worth to make a gamble in certain cases.

Also, never hurry your purchase! Penny pincher me will never forget the one time I bought an ottoman that became 30% off just a week later. What I’m saying is that it’s smart to try and time your purchase around the end of a season, end of year, or some important holiday. Design-wise, 2018 and has brought a lot of beautiful furniture and since it’s already mid-year, you only need to wait a couple more months and get yourself some gorgeous contemporary pieces at half their price. Plus, there are always unbelievable bargains right around Christmas season.

I hope this has helped all the mummies who are pressed for time and plan to do their shopping online. If the world is becoming increasingly digitalized, our homes might as well benefit from all that too.