One of the best things in life is choosing new furniture. The type of furniture you choose says a lot about you as a person. You can transform a plain home into one that is welcoming and warm. Your likes and dislikes will influence the type of furniture you buy. Some of you will want to change your furniture frequently. Others are happy to live with the same furniture for years. Your budget will usually determine what you can buy but today there is a wealth of styles, colours, woods and fabrics to suit all budgets. As a general rule, the more expensive the furniture the longer it will last but this doesn't always apply.

If you have young children you will probably need robust furniture that will stand up to wear and tear. On the other hand, retired people are often in a position to indulge their love of fine, delicately constructed furniture. If you dislike classical or traditional furniture you may well prefer modern, contemporary styles or opt for the minimalist look. Those who dislike reproduction furniture often have a love for the real thing, that is, antique furniture which comes with a high price tag.

Whatever your preference, whether it's mahogany, limed oak, yew, pine, cherry wood, teak or glass, your choice will often reflect your individuality. It indicates that you are making a statement about yourself.

Whatever you decide to buy can make your home look smaller or larger which is often worth bearing in mind. This doesn't really matter unless you have small rooms, in which case the lighter the colour of furniture and furnishings the better, as these help to make the room look larger.

Buying furniture gives me a buzz particularly when buying sofas and/or armchairs. There are so many styles, fabrics and colours it can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. Do you want plain, patterned, striped, flowered, velvet, silk, tweed, cotton, leather or chintz fabric? Then again do you want a 2, 3, 4 seater or corner sofa? Perhaps you'd prefer two sofas and no armchairs or a combination of both. Once those decisions have been made you can then think about the style you want - ie traditional, modern, country house style etc. At this point you're almost there ! This is my favourite part - actually getting to choose the furniture after giving it so much thought !

You'll then want to concentrate on other furniture such as coffee tables, occasional tables, lamp tables and maybe mirrors.

Your initial choice of sofas and/or armchairs will have a considerable impact on the rest of the furniture you choose for the sitting room. You'll no doubt want these other pieces to complement each other which can be fun and fascinating to arrange. If your sitting room is small, glass topped coffee, occasional and lamp tables will give a feeling of space and light to the room but can look equally stunning in much larger rooms. In particular, glass topped occasional tables with brass legs usually look extremely good with most furniture.

Next may want to think about furniture for your dining room. Again, the style of your home will influence your decision. If you want your dining room to look elegant you'll very likely consider a classic, highly polished dining table and matching chairs. For a more `homely` look pine may be your choice. If your dining room is large you'll want matching dressers or corner tables to complete the picture.

Your following concern will probably be the kitchen. Most are completely fitted these days so you may only need to buy a kitchen table and chairs. The existing units and counter tops are generally a good indication of the type of kitchen table you need which helps considerably when making a choice. You'll find the range is huge !

Now it's on to the bedrooms where you can let your imagination run riot ! Your first task will consist of selecting the beds if you're furnishing throughout. I'm sure you know the mattress is the most important purchase when making up your mind. This is one item which really is worth spending as much as you can afford for obvious reasons. The better the mattress the more comfortable it will be and the longer it will last. The style of bed you choose will be personal which shouldn't present a problem as this narrows the choice tremendously.

It there are no custom built wardrobes or chests of drawers you'll need to add these to your list of furniture to buy. Once more, the range is endless including rich wood finishes such as mahogany, light limed oak, teak, pine or a white matt finish to name but a few. It's also worth remembering bedside tables. Here again your lifestyle will have an effect on your choices. Very young children or teenagers will be crucial to your decisions.

You may have a conservatory in which case you can't go wrong with pine or white cane furniture plus deep, comfy cushions in whatever colour or pattern takes your fancy.

Should you have a family room, how you furnish it will be dictated by how many people use it and how often. If it's used frequently the furniture you choose obviously needs to be hard wearing. Leather or tweed covered sofas usually work well in addition to being hard wearing and looking good.

For those of you who have a study or office remember that it, too, needs to be and look comfortable. So yet again you'll want to buy the best you can afford. Apart from a good desk and office chair, a really comfortable armchair is always useful and gives a cosy atmosphere. A matching bookcase will be functional as well as attractive.

Finally, the garden! Garden furniture is a must and is now much more comfortable than it used to be. Tables, chairs, sun loungers in matching or co-ordinating fabrics look inviting and create a relaxed atmosphere for the whole family. Last but not least don't forget the canvas garden umbrella and stand.

Oh, I almost forgot! You might like to add a couple of garden benches.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Home Furnishing