We've been very happy with Belfort, both on the service side and the quality side.

I would stay away from Ethan Allen, there quality has gone downhill terribly in the last few years. We have a bunch of furniture we bought from them in 2001, and it still looks beautiful (both upholstery and wood). The stuff we bought in 2007 looks like total crap now, despite the fact that it's all in the same rooms and sees the same use. It just doesn't hold up well at all.

Anonymous wrote:second Ethan Allen. I used their design services and thought it was great. I showed her a bunch of pictures of rooms/looks that i loved and she helped me come up with a design. she helped me pick a paint color. i bought 3 pieces, and supplemented the look from other stores over time. (basset clearance, belfort and my mom's garage.)

Please don't bother with Ethan Allen -- their quality is horrible for their prices and they are living on their reputation before they started importing furniture from China.

second Ethan Allen. I used their design services and thought it was great. I showed her a bunch of pictures of rooms/looks that i loved and she helped me come up with a design. she helped me pick a paint color. i bought 3 pieces, and supplemented the look from other stores over time. (basset clearance, belfort and my mom's garage.)

Bassett

Haverty's

Random Harvest

We're in your shoes right now too. We also had great luck at Belfort. I hate furniture shopping but they were so helpful. Give them your budget and tell them what you need and they will try to help you figure out how to pull it off. We also decided to focus on getting the main living areas functional with furniture first and put off buying wall art for now.

Rugsusa can be good for budget friendly rugs... I've bought from them in the past, and I just bought a few this weekend during their July 4th sale (although in reality it seems like they're always having some "sale" or another).

I like Stickley. Lots of craftsman type furniture there.

Take your time and don't buy everything at once. Go room by room and spend the time figuring out how you want the room to look first. You can get great inspiration ideas from decorating blogs, HGTV, going to stores/showrooms, etc. Sometimes you find a piece you really love and design the rest of the room around that. Also, don't be afraid to mix higher end furniture pieces with less expensive stuff since no one will know. I found a beautiful sofa and chairs at a great sale at a high end furniture store. I got the coffee table a Wayfair and out some really cute accent pieces on it and no one has any idea.

I used Tracey Morris as a paint/color consultant - she is excellent! She's an interior designer on Bethesda, but you can also hire her just for a color consult. She has a great eye and a great sense of what colors work well together in a house.

My builder told me about a place called Greenfront. I have never been there, but have heard from other people who have. May be a good place to buy a few pieces. The Manassas store is 80,000sf (according to the website) and in Farmville, VA they have 12 warehouses. I was my builders house recently and commented on some really interesting chairs that he had...he said they were from there. I am looking for rugs, and I may head down there to get some.

Anonymous wrote:Second everyone who suggested any sort of decorator. You will save money by not making mistakes. Paint can transform a house. For a couple hindered bucks have a paint consultant come to your house and help you with colors. There are many neutral colors that allow you to mix in any future purchases. For art try Goodwill stores in wealthier areas. Often people drop off nice art when they move. Art can make your home. Also photographs

Where would I find a paint consultant?

Second everyone who suggested any sort of decorator. You will save money by not making mistakes. Paint can transform a house. For a couple hindered bucks have a paint consultant come to your house and help you with colors. There are many neutral colors that allow you to mix in any future purchases. For art try Goodwill stores in wealthier areas. Often people drop off nice art when they move. Art can make your home. Also photographs

Thank you everyone. Room & Board is above my price range, but I listed it to give a sense if styles I like. Although IKEA has done me well over the years and I have a lot of IKEA in my current house, we're trying to step up a bit. Great suggestions everyone. Thank you.

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