In many homes, it’s hard to imagine a family or living room that doesn’t involve a television, and some people even keep televisions in their bedrooms. As the Friends character Joey once asked: Without a TV, what does all your furniture point towards?

Still, enjoying a good telenovela or Monday Night Football game doesn’t mean you have to decorate your house entirely in La-Z-Boys and mini-fridges. In fact, you can use your furniture to completely hide your television when not in use. You know, for when the ladies from the book club come over.

First, throw out that ratty TV stand in favor of some real furniture—namely, an armoire to stash your TV in. Find a piece with a large enough compartment to fit your TV (and a spot for DVD players and such, ideally), with doors that you can close to conceal what lies within. Many armoires nowadays are specifically built to store televisions in, and they come with doors that can slide or fold back against the side walls so as not to interrupt your viewing. Joey from Friends would love that.

Of course, nobody’s going to believe you don’t have a television if you’ve got remote controls and DVDs strewn about. Invest in a couple of classic wicker baskets for storage to complete the illusion.

In home décor, family heirlooms and antique pieces are wonderful ways to add character and class to any room. Investing in a whole set of antique furnishings is beyond most homeowners’ budgets, but it’s possible to achieve the same effect with a couple of smart purchases and design decisions.

To begin, you only need one really great piece of furniture, which you can find online, at antique sales, or maybe even from a relative. This can be a loveseat, armoire, desk, whatever you want—just make sure you enjoy everything about it, from color and pattern to texture and shape.

From here, it’s time to flex your creative muscles. To best showcase your new antique, you want to echo its form, style, and materials in your selection of the room’s other pieces. For example, if your antique was a beautiful leather loveseat with dark wooden legs, you could echo the legs by purchasing a new bookcase of the same material and shade, or even by staining an item you already own.

Find a few more echoing pieces, and you’ll soon have a cozy, traditional room centered around a single antique item.

While working out of one’s house, apartment, or condo isn’t new, the Internet has made the process a lot more practical. When working at home, you can set your own hours, work in your pajamas, and raid the fridge whenever it’s necessary. Another advantage is that you can use set up your workstation however you see fit. Along those lines, here are some helpful tips to buy home office furniture for your at-home workspace:

1. Focus on function over form.

Have you ever used furniture in a traditional office, which looked great but gave you a workout every time you used it? One of the big benefits of choosing home office furniture is that you get to call the shots. So pick furniture that’s practical and comfy for you. For example, does a desk have enough drawers for your needs, and is the height proper?

2. Do the measurements.

Too often we simply eyeball the area where we’ll set up furniture, and then eyeball the furniture to determine if it will fit well. That’s not the way to go about it! Your workstation furniture will be useless if it can’t fit it into the workstation area. That’s why you need to make specific measurements before you start searching online or offline for the furniture. It doesn’t take much time to do it, and ultimately you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches.

3. Check offline before buying online.

While you can find some great deals on the Internet, it’s advisable to examine any home office furniture in person, before making online purchases. There’s something to be said for using this oldie but goodie method for examining functionality and craftsmanship.

4. Make a budget.

While you probably don’t want any plastic furniture in your home office, you likely won’t want to take out a second mortgage, either. As with other types of furniture, the prices can range considerably. So make a budget before you start shopping, and then stick to it! Sure, you could splurge a little if you see some furniture that’s slightly over your budget. But you’ll definitely avoid any long-term debt when choosing a chair, desk, or bookshelf for your home-office.

5. Consider a traditional or contemporary look.

As with any other furniture, you can choose a more time-honored or modern-day look when choosing furniture for your home office. This is your chance to make the calls. Think about what type of look you want to create for your workspace. This can involve the material, design, and shape of the home office furniture.

6. Pick a chair with horizontal and vertical mobility.

The chair is one of the key elements in a set of home office furniture. Make sure that the chair has an adjustable height, rolls on carpeting and hard floors, and most importantly-is comfortable. You’ll be spending a lot of time in the chair, so it might as well be comfy.

If your home is also your office, then you’ll need some furniture. These tips can help you find office furnishings that best meet your needs. Good luck!