I decided to get an early start on my furniture shopping, and have been stocking up on the essentials I’ll be needing the day I move into my new apartment. Like most cities, Colorado Springs has a number of excellent places to shop for home decor. You have the chain stores, like Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens ‘n Things. Target and Wal-Mart also have reasonably priced home products. And, for the adventurous, you could head to Ethan Allen, Drexel Heritage or a number of other overpriced specialty stores if you enjoy that sort of thing.

I’ve been concentrating on the stores I know best. I’ve picked up some odds and ends at Target and Wal-Mart, purchased my home office furniture from OfficeMax, bought my mattress from Linens ‘n Things, and an entertainment centre and living room package from American Furniture Warehouse. The prices at all of these stores has been quite reasonable. Because I lack a permanent address, my office has been incredibly generous in letting me use some of our vacant space to store my belongings until I move. On that Saturday, Two Men and a Truck will be stopping by to move my items from the office to my apartment.

So, for those who are curious, here’s a sampling of my recent purchases.

Concordia Plasma/LCD/DLP TV Entertainment Centre

The furniture industry needs to speed themselves up considerably. I’ve been looking for an entertainment centre to house my 50″ plasma TV for eons now. It seems just about every entertainment centre/armoire/stand/wall unit is designed for older style “square” — or standard — size televisions. No one has caught on to the widescreen phenomenon, and the product selection is very limited.

On a whim, I headed to American Furniture Warehouse, to see what I could find. The sales staff is salaried, so there’s no ’sharks circling’ when you enter, and there’s no pressure to buy or finance while you’re browsing. The first salesman showed me a rather gargantuan wall unit, which was designed for widescreen TVs, and had an adjustable width to fit any size monster snugly between the two piers on either side. Unfortunately, for me, the thing was about the size of my apartment. I passed.

The next gentleman I bumped into pointed me in the direction I wanted to be headed. I found a beautiful piece, by Concordia Furniture, that was a stand, with integrated shelving. It’s compact, lays flush against the wall, and supports TVs up to 61″ in width. Sold.

Leather Living Room Set

With the centrepiece of the living room now purchased, I had to find a coordinating living room set. I was lucky to spot one. It’s contemporary in design, with supple black leather and rounded, thick wood arms. It looks like a work of art. And at American Furniture Warehouse, the price was phenomenal. I had to buy it. Unfortunately, they can’t postpone the delivery so far in advance. So, alas, I’ve put it on my list for after my move.

Geneva Office Collection

I’ve been a fan of Studio RTA for years. My last two computer desks were manufactured by them, and they have an excellent reputation, clear instructions and their products last for what seems an eternity. When I found their Geneva Office Collection, I was hooked. The sleek black and chrome appearance, and subtle hints of glass, provide a striking complement to my G5’s aluminium profile.

Unfortunately, Studio RTA has discontinued the line. I managed to purchase the last few pieces from OfficeMax, and it’s being delivered tomorrow. Excellent.

And that, for now, is a summary of my shopping adventure. Who knew buying furniture could be so much fun? Or stressful? Or perhaps even overwhelming? I’m not quite sure what to feel, since I’ve watched my credit line diminish significantly over the past few days. But it’s great to know that I’ll have something to put my G5 on, and my TV, and, most importantly, some place to sleep.