You can buy furniture from China without making the trip. With clear specifications, useful product photos, material samples and local support, you can review your options and make key decisions from home.
At Arcaya, we help you find products, confirm details and coordinate suppliers while you stay involved in the decisions that shape your project.
The process starts with a few practical questions: What exactly are you ordering? Which details need your approval? And what should be checked before the furniture ships?
1. Start with what you have
Send us your furniture list, reference images or room plans. You can begin even if some choices are still open.
Along with the look you want, tell us how you plan to use the furniture. For a sofa, that might include the overall length, seating depth, back height, fabric and layout. For a cabinet, it could be storage needs, shelf positions and door clearance.
These details help turn an idea into something a supplier can quote.
| What to share | Details to include |
|---|---|
| Furniture list | Product types, quantities and rooms |
| Room measurements | Layout, available space and furniture positions |
| Reference images | Shapes, colours and details you want to keep |
| Material preferences | Wood, fabric, leather, stone or metal finishes |
| Budget and timing | Budget range and when you hope to use the furniture |
| Delivery location | Country, city and any known access restrictions |
Mark anything you haven’t decided yet. We can work through those choices as the selection develops.
Check access as well as room dimensions. Doorways, lifts, stairs and tight turns may affect which pieces will fit and how they need to be packed or delivered.
2. Use photos and video to look beyond the overall style
A styled product photo is a useful starting point. Once a piece makes your shortlist, ask to see it from more angles and in greater detail.
A remote viewing should cover three areas.
The overall shape
Look at the front, sides and back. Check proportions and how the pieces fit together. For a modular sofa, confirm the size and position of each section, including how the supplier describes left and right.
The details
Ask for close-ups of seams, edges, legs, joints, undersides and visible hardware. For upholstered furniture, discuss the filling and support beneath the fabric. For cabinets, check the internal layout, shelves and drawers.
The moving parts
Watch doors, drawers, extending tops and other mechanisms being used. Ask the person filming to pause or show a particular area again when needed.
Then check how your order will differ from the showroom piece. A different fabric, size, leg or layout should appear in the final specification and quotation.
For seating, describe what feels comfortable to you using furniture you already know. Seat height, depth and firmness give us a more useful starting point than “soft” or “comfortable” alone.
3. Review physical samples for colour and texture
A cream fabric may look grey on your phone. A warm wood finish may feel quite different beside your flooring.
Lighting, photography and screens can all affect how a colour appears. If colour or texture matters to your choice, discuss physical fabric, leather or finish samples as part of the project.
When a sample arrives, look at it in the room where you plan to use it. Check it in daylight and under your usual lighting, alongside the floor, walls and other finishes.
Keep a record of:
- The sample code, material range and colour.
- The furniture item it belongs to.
- Where that material will be used.
- Your approval date and any requested changes.
For example, approving a leather sample should also confirm which parts of the sofa will use it. Natural materials may have variations in grain or tone, so discuss what you can expect before ordering.
Keep the approved sample for later reference. Any proposed material substitution should come back to you for review.
4. Bring every decision together before ordering
During selection, measurements may be discussed by email, fabrics on a video call and colours in a chat. Before an order goes ahead, those decisions need to come together in one clear record.
At Arcaya, specification and quotation review are key steps in the sourcing process.
Your final order information should include:
| Item to confirm | What the record should show |
|---|---|
| Product | Item code, model, quantity and configuration |
| Dimensions | Final measurements and relevant drawing version |
| Materials | Material descriptions, finishes and sample codes |
| Costs | Products, project support, packing, shipping and other applicable charges |
| Order arrangements | Payment stages, estimated production time, checks and delivery scope |
Keep unresolved items marked as pending. Each piece should have a clear approval status.
If you’re working with a designer or several family members, agree who gives final approval. This helps the supplier receive one consistent set of instructions.
5. Agree how production updates will work
Useful updates help you understand what has been completed, what is still underway and whether anything needs your attention.
At the start of the project, agree on the main contact, how updates will be shared and when your approval will be needed.
An update should make clear:
- Which items are in production or complete.
- Which product and detail each photo or video shows.
- Whether any material, size or workmanship issues have come up.
- What decision is needed from you.
- Whether the expected completion date has changed.
If you request a different size, material or configuration during production, the supplier needs to confirm what is possible and how it affects cost and timing.
Record important changes against the relevant item code and update the specification. Ask for confirmation that the revised instructions have been accepted and scheduled.
6. Review problems and corrections before shipping
Checks need a clear reference. The final order, approved drawings and material records should be available to the person inspecting the furniture.
The agreed scope may cover appearance, measurements, quantities, functions and packing. When you review the results, you should be able to see what was checked and which issues remain open.
For example, if a chair arrives at the warehouse with a cracked leg, the record should identify the item, show the damage and explain the proposed repair or replacement. Once the work is complete, any agreed follow-up check should be recorded too.
| Inspection record | What it should explain |
|---|---|
| Affected item | Product code, quantity and problem location |
| Evidence | Photos, measurements or function checks |
| Proposed action | Repair, replacement, remake or further clarification |
| Timing | Any effect on completion or shipping |
| Follow-up | What was checked after the work and what remains open |
Reviewing the furniture while it is still in China gives you an opportunity to raise questions and agree on corrections before onward shipment.
The inspection scope should be agreed in advance so everyone understands what the checks cover.
7. Plan delivery and installation before dispatch
Once the furniture is ready to ship, confirm package counts, item labels and the shipping handover.
Be specific about what happens at the destination. Ask whether the service includes:
- Unloading.
- Carrying furniture inside or upstairs.
- Unpacking.
- Assembly.
- Removing crates, cartons and other packaging.
Confirm who will contact the recipient and how the delivery time will be arranged.
If delivery and installation involve separate teams, coordinate their schedules before the furniture arrives. Share any building access rules or booking requirements early.
On arrival, keep package labels and take photos of the outer packaging and any product issues. Send concerns through the agreed contact so they can be reviewed with the relevant records.
Your remote sourcing checklist
| Stage | What to review | Your decision |
|---|---|---|
| Shortlisting | Product images and proposed configurations | Which pieces to develop further |
| Materials and details | Photos, video and applicable samples | Which details you approve |
| Ordering | Final specifications, drawings and quotation | Which items can enter production |
| Production | Progress reports and proposed changes | Whether to accept changes and their impact |
| Inspection | Findings, corrections and follow-up records | Whether the agreed shipping conditions have been met |
| Delivery | Packing list and delivery arrangements | Who will receive, assemble and check the furniture |
Start your project with Arcaya
Share your furniture list, reference images or room plans, along with your budget, delivery city and preferred timing.
We can help match products, organise specifications, coordinate suppliers and follow production, agreed quality checks and shipping arrangements.
If your designer has already selected the furniture, we can begin with a specification and quotation review. Samples, custom drawings, transport and local installation are confirmed according to your project.
Tell us what you’ve decided and where you need help. We’ll help you identify the next details to confirm.