We also have realized that we aren't "rental furniture" people. We've found that the cost of rent for 2.5 years is quite a bit more than we would spend to purchase the furniture we'd love to have. We are glad we tried it, because we actually learned things that we can and can't live with and without. I'd definitely recommend short-term rental if you aren't sure what kind of furniture you like or to try out a style that you think you might like before sinking lots of money into purchasing.
What we learned about our tastes and needs:
*we don't have to have a king sized bed and because apartment bedrooms are usually smaller, we would be more comfortable with a queen and could use the extra space.
*we don't like solid headboards. Perry sleeps with one arm over his head and has developed a habit of putting his hand through the rungs of the headboard. We didn't realize this was a big deal, but after having an upholstered headboard, his sleep has definitely been affected.
*while we love the clean lines and look of a modern sofa, we definitely like the comfort level of a more traditional style and we definitely prefer leather to fabric.
*we prefer dining chairs that are comfy and make you want to linger around the table after a meal for good conversation or just for drinks or reading the paper, so fully upholstered chairs with arms are the best for our needs.
*last but certainly not least, we must have a comfortable mattress! We rented a mid-range mattress/boxspring set when we first got here, but we purchased a higher-end, pillow-top mattress.
All of these things, we didn't know were important, turns out that they really are! So, I've spent a little over a week purchasing furniture. I bought some custom pieces and some "off the rack" pieces, but I'm hoping the entire look comes together.
