Home Building Pointers. Continued
Description
This section is from the book "How To Buy Furniture For The Home", by Forrest Loman Oilar. Also available from Amazon: How To Buy Furniture For The Home.
Home Building Pointers. Continued
Take All Measurements
Take the measurements of all floors and stairways for rugs and carpets, all windows and doors for draperies and all windows for shades. Put in the diagram of each room its color scheme, to better enable the salesman to show what is wanted without unnecessary loss of time. Study locations and spaces of the rooms to intelligently place the desired article of furniture.
If you cannot take these measurements, it is advisable to notify the merchant with whom one expects to deal, and he will send and have them taken, usually, without extra charge. If this is not possible, as in the case of the rural or suburban district, it would be well to engage a carpenter to do the measuring, even though a small charge be asked.
For future telephone calls or other communication, it is well to learn the name of the salesman who waits upon you.
Prepare A List
A house can be furnished at almost any cost desired, owing to the bountiful lines of goods to be had, varying from the very lowest priced to the most elegant and high priced.
Many who have a limited amount of money with which to start housekeeping, go into a store with no idea of what they want or how far their money will go. After the work of selecting the goods is completed and the salesman gets the goods listed, they find they have a great deal more than they can pay for, or that they have omitted a desired article, and therefore find it necessary to cut off of the list something just selected. This is often the case and this time can be saved if one will but use a carefully prepared list of what is wanted.
Those who are limited in funds and want to buy just what is needed until better settled or until more money is available, will find the following list very helpful. This list includes everything but heating stoves, bed clothes, pictures, cooking utensils and laundry tools, as these are usually provided beforehand.
The first column to the left represents a "fair" grade of furniture. A lower grade than these prices represent may be had, but even this "fair" grade lacks quality, and if purchased, ought to be of good, substantial oak, and not of some imitation or soft wood. If one can afford about what the next "intermediate" column represents, the grade will be substantially better, and so on into the "medium" grade, or from that up to a still higher grade, in which quality furniture will be much more in evidence.
The "essentials" then, the first to be looked for, are in the left column, under three grades. Run down the list and it will be seen that everything listed is indispensable. After the essentials are selected, in about the grade one desires, and it is found that the list does not total as much as thought, glance over to the right side to the corresponding column, where the nonessentials are added, and pick out the most desired thing, as a buffet, dressing table, bookcase, davenport, sewing machine, etc, and it will be easy to list the furniture. The total of this list will not vary a great deal from that of any regular furniture stock, and will save time and patience, as carefully selecting furniture is a task not courted by every one.
ESSENTIALS. | NONESSNTIALS ADDED. | |||||
Fair | Intermediate | Medium | Medium | Intermediate | Fair | |
KITCHEN | ||||||
$15.00 | $25.00 | $45.00 | Cook stove | $45.00 | $25.00 | $15.00 |
.75 | 3.00 | 4 | Stool | |||
.70 | .70 | 12 shades | 1.50 | .70 | .70 | |
1.75 | 2.75 | 3.75 | Kiteben table with draw ex | |||
35.00 | 25.00 | |||||
. | 12.00 | 7.50 | ||||
25.00 | 8.50 | |||||
20 yds. linoleum | 30.00 | 12.00 | ||||
Chair | 3.00 | .75 | ||||
$18.20 | $54.25 | |||||
DIN1NG ROOM | ||||||
$12.00 | $25.00 | $35.00 | Table 8-ft. | $35.00 | $25.OO | $12.00 |
8.00 | 18.00 | 6 chairs | 8.00 | |||
1 | 30.00 | Rugs | 30.00 | . | ||
8.00 | 15.00 | 25.00 | Dishes | |||
2.25 | 2.25 | 3 shades | 225 | 2.25 | ||
4.00 | 8.00 | 10.00 | 2 pr. curtains | 1 | 8.00 | |
China cabinet | 35.00 | 25.00 | ||||
Battel | 19.00 | |||||
Side table | 10.00 | |||||
$43.05 | $88.25 | $132.25 | $235.25 | $88.05 | ||
BEDROOM | ||||||
$5.00 | $15.00 | $35.00 | Bed | $35.00 | $15,00 | $5.00 |
2.00 | 5.00 | 1 | Spring | 10.00 | ||
3.00 | 8.00 | 15.00 | Mattress | 8.00 | 3.00 | |
3.00 | 5.00 | Pillows 1 pr. | 1.75 | |||
8.00 | 15.00 | 25.00 | Rugs | 25.00 | 8.00 | |
.70 | 2 shades | .70 | .70 | |||
4 | 6.00 | 1 | 2 pr. curtains | 6.00 | 4.00 | |
10.00 | 20.00 | 35.00 | 35.00 | 20.00 | 10.00 | |
Chiffonier | 30.00 | 15.00 | 6.00 | |||
Dressing table or ladies desk | 25.00 | 15.00 | 8.00 | |||
Chair to match | 8.00 | 5.00 | ||||
Cedar Chest | 15.00 | 8.00 | ||||
chair | 8.00 | 5.00 | 2.75 | |||
Hooker | 9.00 | 6.00 | 3.50 | |||
Costumer | 8.00 | 2.50 | ||||
$34.45 | $72.70 | $136.50 | $253.50 | $141.70 | $67.20 | |
ESSENTIALS. | NONESSENTIALS ADDED. | |||||
Fair | Intermediate | Medium | Medium | Intermediate | Fair | |
$5.00 | $10.00 | $25.00 | Table | $25.00 | $10.00 | $5.00 |
3.00 | 6.00 | 15.00 | Rocker | 15.00 | 6.00 | 3.00 |
5.00 | 9.00 | 20.00 | Rocker | 20.00 | 9.00 | 5.00 |
15.00 | 25.00 | 35.00 | Rugs | 35.00 | 25.00 | 15.00 |
1.05 | 2.25 | 2.25 | 3 shades | 2.25 | 2.25 | 1.05 |
4.00 | 6.00 | 10.00 | Draperies | 10.00 | 6.00 | 4.00 |
5.00 | 8.00 | 15.00 | 2 pr. curtains | 15.00 | 8 00 | 5.00 |
Davenport | 50.00 | 25.00 | 18.00 | |||
Stool | 9.00 | 5.00 | 3.50 | |||
2 chairs | 20.00 | 12.00 | 7.00 | |||
$38.05 | $66.25 | $122.25 | $201.25 | $108.25 | $56.50 | |
These Four Rooms are Luxuries | LIBRARY | |||||
Couch | $50.00 | $25.00 | $10.00 | |||
Bookcase | 50.00 | 25.00 | 10.00 | |||
Table | 35.00 | 25.00 | 9.00 | |||
Rugs | 45.00 | 30.00 | 15.00 | |||
2 shades | 1.50 | 1.50 | .70 | |||
Draperies | 10.00 | 8.00 | 4.00 | |||
2 pr. curtains | 15.00 | 8.00 | 5.00 | |||
Morris chair | 25.00 | 12.00 | 6.00 | |||
Leather chair or rocker | 50.00 | 30.00 | 9.75 | |||
$281.50 | $164.50 | $69.45 | ||||
SEWING ROOM | ||||||
Machine | $45.00 | $25.00 | $20.00 | |||
Chair | 5.00 | 3.00 | 2.00 | |||
Table | 5.00 | 3.00 | 1.00 | |||
Cheval glass | 40.00 | 25.00 | 20.00 | |||
Rug | 25.00 | 12.00 | 9.00 | |||
2 Shades | 1.50 | 1.50 | .70 | |||
Curtains 2 pr. | 6.00 | 4.00 | 2.00 | |||
$127.50 | $73.50 | $54.76 | ||||
Glass | $15.00 | $7.00 | $3.00 | |||
Seat | 15.00 | 8.00 | 3.00 | |||
Umbrella stand | 5.00 | 2.50 | .60 | |||
Rug | 12.00 | 6.00 | 3.50 | |||
Shade | .75 | .75 | .35 | |||
Clock | 50.00 | 25.00 | 15.00 | |||
$97.75 | $49.25 | $25.45 | ||||
DEN. | ||||||
Desk | $45.00 | $25.00 | $10.00 | |||
Chair (Swivel) | 15.00 | 8.00 | 5.00 | |||
Rugs | 25.00 | 15.00 | 6.00 | |||
Curtains | 10.00 | 6.00 | 3.00 | |||
Couch | 45 00 | 25.00 | 10.00 | |||
Cellarette | 30.00 | 20.00 | 15.00 | |||
Smoking cabinet | 25.00 | 15.00 | 8.00 | |||
Stool | 9.00 | 5.00 | 3.00 | |||
Chair | 12.00 | 6.00 | 4.00 | |||
$216.00 | $125.00 | $64.00 | ||||
By totaling the above lists it will be seen by the left column that a person can buy a fair grade of furniture for four rooms for $133.75,an intermediate grade for $258.65, and a medium grade for $445.25 up to any amount, depending, of course, on the number of nonessentials one wishes to include in the list.
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