Stylish furniture is not just what is considered to be fashionable right now. If you browse through magazines devoted to home decorating you will see all the latest trends in furniture, but not all of these trends are stylish. A stylish piece of furniture is much more than a cool, trendy or modern piece. Stylish furniture should pass the test of time, should be of high quality and should also be comfortable to use.

Test No. 1

Styles come and go, but furniture shouldn't. A stylish piece of furniture should be an investment. As such, it should be designed so that it doesn't age and become unfashionable very quickly.

While it isn't always easy to tell if a piece of furniture will pass the time test, there are some basic rules to go by.

Stylish furniture should have a sleek and simple design. Something that is understated and pleasant to the eye will often pass the time test. Any design that is too odd, or sharp, or bold, runs the risk of "getting old" too soon.

Test No. 2

The quality of a piece of furniture is a sign of its stylishness. Always try to balance quality against budget choices. A better quality fabric or material (wood or metal) may cost more now, but will secure a longer lasting, and hence more stylish, piece of furniture.

Test No. 3

The third test for style is a practical one. Any truly stylish piece of furniture must also be useful, practical and comfortable to use. Today ergonomics (or the relationship between you and your environment) plays a vital role in choosing the furniture for your home and office. Ergonomics is a stylistic choice and the more comfortable you are with your furniture the longer life it will have.

Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.stylish-furniture.net on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.