What You Need to Know Before Buying Furniture

April 8, 2008 — -- Ty Pennington is known around the country as the man that makes homeowners' dreams come true. Now the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" host wants to help you spruce up your home. The Emmy winner has brought his personal style to his new furniture collection and also has started a new quarterly magazine.

Check out Pennington's tips on how to coordinate your home décor and find out more about his furniture line.

There are three major tips you need to know before you purchase a single piece of furniture.

First, know what the furniture is really going to be used for and that requires determining how durable it needs to be. Secondly, think about not only how long it needs to last but also think design-wise and think trend-wise. Will it stand the test of time?

Finally, assess how often you move. If you move a lot then maybe you should buy cheaper furniture. If where you're living is where you're going be for 10 tears, then invest in some good furniture.

With everything I design the line -- whether it's home furniture or bedding -- I always like anything that is versatile and can be used in more than one way. The whole idea behind the line is that people can find what they want, whether it's the color they like or the style.

I try and keep my line a little bit casual so that it fits into any home and can kind of work with other pieces as well. Also, I'm a big fan of wood and anything with an organized feeling. I believe those kind of warm tones gives it that warmth and makes a home feel a little more like a nest. I like things that are comfortable, that people can mix and match at home. This line is affordable so everybody can find something that they like.

It's a really tough time in the home building environment. Everyone is holding on to what they have and they're really trying to make their homes their nests because it doesn't look like anybody's going to be buying or selling for a while. It is a tough time, but I think we'll come out of it.

Here's the thing about real estate: There never seems to be that moment where anyone really loses majorly on real estate. You might break even but I've never really heard of anybody losing. So that's the up side. A home is tangible and real. I think people are focusing on the inside of their nest and making it as comfortable as possible because they're going be spending some time in it.

Find out more about Ty's design ideas at www.reimagineyou.com.