Cabinet Furniture Buying Guide
Cabinet furniture brings both style and practicality to your home. Whether it's to dine at, store, display or sleep in, we have an unrivalled selection of dining, bedroom and occasional furniture in an array of stunning designs and finishes - including wood, metal, glass, acrylic, marbles and stone.
Our expert sales teams are extensively trained in both product knowledge and best practice to offer invaluable advice when making your purchase. We also have full supplier catalogues to browse through if you can't find exactly what you want.
As with all of our products, the design, build and materials used are specified to our normal high specifications and rigorously tested to ensure they will surpass your expectations and all regulations.
Measuring Up
As previously emphasised in our measuring-up guide, it is essential that your new furniture will fit your room and can be easily delivered into your home. So, please measure up carefully to ensure no disappointment.
If you are having difficulty envisaging whether your new furniture will fit, it is advisable to make a newspaper template to see the amount of floor space it will take up. With wall-units and display cabinets, ensure you also have ceiling clearance, although the base unit can often be sold separately.
When buying a new dining table, make sure there is at least 60cm clearance for the chair when it is out from the table in order to sit comfortably. If space is tight, consider an extending table which allows extra seating when needed. It is important that you have enough space to walk around the furniture, open drawers and doors where applicable. Remember that many ranges come with more than one size of table, unit or wardrobe.
Selecting for Different Rooms
As with fabrics, darker woods will always impose more on a room and, subsequently, are not the best choice for smaller or poorly lit rooms. In such cases, glass and acrylics are a better option, giving the illusion of light and space.
With smaller rooms, we would recommend that you buy a co-ordinating range of matching furniture and, remember, less is more so don't overcrowd the room. Also make the most of all storage options available to help avoid clutter and further diminishing the size of the room. Items such as nests of tables also help in these situations to save on space.
With bedrooms, always remember, if you have considered a bedstead it will be slightly wider and longer than the standard size of mattress that will fit it. If you are purchasing wardrobes, be mindful that many are part-assembled or require assembly to allow for access - we can provide an assembly service if requested at the point of sale.
Wooden Furniture
If you are considering wooden furniture, please note that it will be affected by its environment, especially solid woods. If the atmosphere is very dry and warm, as in conservatories, the wood will dry out and can twist and warp, with joints sometimes widening or opening up in gaps. In such cases, glass or stone finishes are advisable.
Solid woods are also inadvisable in damp environments, such as kitchens and bathrooms, as the woods can swell and expand due to the humidity. You should also avoid placing such furniture on under-floor heated floors.
Most of our woods are solids, sourced from sustainable forests. However, due to the expense of some woods, we also use veneers which help to achieve more reasonable costings.
Veneered furniture often uses a man-made substrate (normally MDF or particle board) for its frame which, together with technology and modern adhesives, means that it is often stronger and more suitable to extremes of temperature and humidity. You often find that the tops of entertainment units are veneered due to the heat given off by electrical appliances. Due to these properties, furniture can often be made from a mixture of solids and veneers. Furniture made using veneers is also much lighter in weight and, therefore, easier to move around.
Nothing is more beautiful than the grains of real wood. It's always best to buy all of your furniture in one batch if you want the colours to be as close as possible, but please note there will always be grain differences and colour variations between different items, reflecting the natural characteristics and individuality of wood. In addition, small knots or burrs may be present in some woods - further exhibiting the natural beauty of timber. Some furniture is deliberately aged and rustic; the distressing and blemishes are intended and are part of its charm.
When selecting a wood finish you should always be aware of its properties and maintenance requirements. It may have a lacquered or oiled finish or, if untreated, just a colourless wax. Furniture with a hard lacquer or wax polish finish should just be dusted with a soft dry cloth and waxed furniture given a coat of bees-wax a couple of times a year. Always try and avoid spray polishes, especially those containing silicones which can build up over time. All surfaces should be protected from heat, liquids and pen impressions by using mats and coasters.
Over time, natural light mellows the colour of wood, thus changing its colour. This is often highlighted on extension leaves, unless the table is left fully extended until the wood has matured. In addition, displayed items such as vases and bowls should be regularly moved around for the same reason.
Metal and Glass Furniture
Metal and glass, and acrylic finishes suit today's contemporary styling. They give the illusion of light and space, and are very low maintenance also being a lot less vulnerable to marking. In addition, they are very easy to co-ordinate. Although they don't have the warmth or character of wood, they are a lot more flexible when you decide to change the style or colour of your room.
Marble and Stone Furniture
If you haven't visited a furniture store for several years, you'll be amazed by our extensive range of stone furniture, including travertine, marbles and granite.
As with wood, no two pieces of stone are ever the same. Colour and shade variations are natural characteristics, as are the tiny holes and blemishes in the surface. Neutral fillers are often used to obtain a smooth finish and disguise marks.
As well as offering you an unrivalled choice of quality furniture, Cousins' stores will also help and inspire you when applying the all-important finishing touches to any furnishing or refurbishment project.
Their furniture collections are displayed in beautifully decorated room sets, showcasing the latest wall coverings from such names as Brian Yates, NoNo Designs, Nina Campbell and Osborne and Little.
All room displays are accessorised and complimented with their own lighting, occasional furniture, pictures and floor coverings. Stylists then complete the look with ceramics, soft furnishings and glassware from leading brands such as Sia, Parlane and Au Maison.
Whether you're looking for a splash of colour or a neutral, textured tone, you will certainly not be disappointed nor short of choice.