The top 4 furniture purchases people regret the most

This piece is sponsored by Montgomery’s.

Maybe it’s an investment meant to last for years.

Maybe it’s more of an impulse buy.

Regardless, there are some mistakes many people make when it comes to selecting furniture — and Angela Lantinen has seen nearly all of them.

A design consultant at Montgomery’s, she’s among many experts in the showroom ready to offer complimentary design services to customers.

“Our goal is to help you find the ideal pieces for your home that work with your lifestyle and fit your budget,” Lantinen said. “But while we do this every day, we know most people don’t, so especially when they don’t have some expert guidance, it’s not uncommon to see some buyer’s remorse.”

Here’s a look at her top four furniture purchases people regret the most.

Cost-driven purchases

Price matters. Of course it does.

But when it becomes the only factor driving a furniture purchase, regret can follow.

“I would say that considering price is important, but considering construction materials and the quality is more important,” Lantinen said. “Often, people end up buying something lower-priced, and they end up replacing it sooner because it just doesn’t hold up.”

That’s especially true in homes with children, pets or high-traffic living areas.

“That can wear out a lot faster, and you ultimately end up spending more, so it’s important to know what you’re buying,” Lantinen said.

Her advice: Think about how often the piece will be used, who will use it and how long you expect it to last. A barstool used daily, a family sofa everyone piles onto or a mattress you sleep on every night might not be the best place to simply choose the lowest price.

“Good barstools, good family sofas, the mattress — those are the things we hear a lot,” Lantinen said. “It’s like good shoes or a car. You don’t want to buy cheap shoes.”

That doesn’t mean every purchase has to be top-of-the-line.

Montgomery’s offers a variety of price points, Lantinen said, and the team works with customers to find options that fit their budget.

“I don’t want people to think Montgomery’s is only high-end merchandise,” she said. “We will meet you where you’re at and make it work.”

The key is finding value — not just the lowest ticket price.

“I like to tell people everything in the store is quality,” Lantinen said. “Our merchandisers are intentional about bringing those products in and carefully vet them.”

For shoppers looking for a deal, the newly expanded Montgomery’s in Sioux Falls now includes a dedicated clearance section with its own room, featuring everything from accessories to full furniture pieces.

“That’s a new addition for us, and it has a dedicated section, which is so nice,” Lantinen said. “You can find some great deals there, and we’re constantly adding to that section.”

Recently, she worked with a customer who found a dresser in the clearance area at the right price point. From there, they were able to build an entire bedroom set around it while keeping the project on budget.

Furniture that doesn’t fit the room

This regret can go either direction.

Sometimes, the furniture is too big. Sometimes, it’s too small. Either way, the room feels off.

“Oversized furniture can be a big problem,” Lantinen said. “Sometimes, it can look great in the showroom, and then you get it into the space, and it can overwhelm an area and constrict the flow of traffic or how the room functions and feels.”

A sectional that seems perfect on a showroom floor might block a walkway at home. A dining table might leave too little room to pull out chairs comfortably. A sofa technically might fit but make the room feel crowded.

On the other hand, going too small can be just as frustrating.

“It just may not fit the scale of the room and feel insufficient,” Lantinen said. “If you have a large vaulted ceiling, you want your furniture to feel as grand as your room.”

Scale is one of the most common things shoppers misjudge, she said.

“I don’t know that the average person understands scale,” Lantinen said.

That is where working with a designer can make a big difference. Montgomery’s designers can help create a floor plan, talk through how the room is used and even visit a home to take measurements.

“It’s important to work with a designer to know what size furniture works and to floor-plan to make sure it fits properly,” Lantinen said.

The goal is not just whether a piece can squeeze through the door.

It’s whether the room still feels balanced, comfortable and functional once it’s there.

A bed or mattress that lacks proper support

A bedroom should be the place you rest and recharge.

But if the bed frame, foundation or mattress is not right, regret can show up quickly — and sometimes expensively.

One common issue comes with platform beds, which can be a great option when properly selected.

“Platform beds mean it doesn’t require a box spring, so it can be nice if you’re looking for a new mattress and you don’t have to worry about getting a box spring,” Lantinen said.

But buyers need to understand what is supporting the mattress.

“The biggest thing to consider if you’re looking at a platform bed is to know if your slats are tight enough together or if you have a solid foundation to support your mattress,” she said. “If your slats are too far apart, you’ll have sagging or just not enough support, so over time, it could shorten the lifespan of the mattress and cause frame breakage.”

The mattress itself also should not be a guessing game.

Montgomery’s offers an expertly guided system to help customers pressure-map and determine what level of support is best for them. That can help shoppers make a more informed decision instead of simply choosing what feels comfortable for a few minutes in the store.

Another regret Lantinen hears: not investing in an adjustable base.

“I have one myself, and it helps a lot because I can tell them from experience that it’s worth the investment,” she said.

An adjustable base can help with reading, watching TV, reducing pressure or simply finding a more comfortable sleeping position.

And while support matters most, style matters too.

Lately, Lantinen said she has had many customers looking only for headboards. In some cases, she encourages them to consider a full bed instead.

“A full bed with even a low footboard can create such a more dynamic look and really finish the space rather than just a headboard,” she said. “A complete bed with a footboard, side rails, all that can make a space look richer and more complete.”

Purchases made solely for trend appeal

Trends can be fun.

They also can get expensive fast when they involve your largest furniture pieces.

“I tend to be someone who believes if you get really strong foundation pieces in timeless colors or fabrics, you can really change a space with trends more easily,” Lantinen said.

In other words, go ahead and bring in the popular green, blue or bold pattern — but maybe do it through pillows, art, accessories or accent pieces instead of a major sectional you might want to replace in five years.

“Financially, it can be an investment to change out big furniture pieces every five years, which is probably the time the trends will have moved on,” Lantinen said.

And lately, trends are moving faster than ever.

“With social media and all the content out there, trends are moving rapidly,” she said. “We’re seeing trends come and go faster than ever just because there’s so much exposure to them.”

That doesn’t mean you should avoid personality in your home. It means the best choices are the ones that fit both your style and your lifestyle.

Fabric versus leather is a good example.

Some shoppers later wish they had chosen leather because of how well it can hold up. Others realize they find leather too cold and would have preferred fabric.

“Those are things I hear a lot, which is why it’s important to talk through with a designer how you live prior to making the purchase,” Lantinen said.

And avoiding regret often starts with a conversation.

At Montgomery’s, complimentary design services are available to help customers think through space, scale, quality, comfort, budget and style before they commit.

Stop in the showroom anytime, or begin online here.