Posted by Gemma
on October 15, 2026
Ex-display furniture can get you a better piece than your budget would normally stretch to. It can also mean paying close to full price for something with a scuff on it. Which one you end up with comes down to two things: the real saving on that piece, and how straight the seller is about its condition. Here's how to check both.
What ex-display furniture is
Ex-display furniture is furniture that has been on show. In a showroom that means it has been sat on, opened, walked past and moved whenever the floor gets rearranged. Nobody has eaten dinner off it or let the dog sleep on it.
Ex-showhome furniture is the same idea from a different place. Developers furnish a few plots on a new estate as show homes, and once the houses have sold, that furniture needs somewhere to go.
The pieces in our ex-display collection come mainly from our own showroom floor at Buzzards Valley near Tamworth. We list every one as used (showroom) and sell it as seen, because that's what it is.
A Richmond Interiors coffee table on our Tamworth showroom floor, price tag and all.
How much should you save?
Savings on ex-display vary a lot from piece to piece, and a discount only means something if you know what it's measured against. The number that matters is the gap between the ex-display price and what the same piece costs new today. A "was" price based on a recommended retail price that nobody actually charges makes any saving look bigger than it is.
So do the sum yourself. Find the same piece new, from the same shop or another one, and compare. On our ex-display pieces, the crossed-out price is our own price for that item new, so the percentage you see is the saving against buying it new from us. At the moment that runs from a few per cent to around 45%.
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Worked example: one sideboard, two labels Price of the same sideboard new today: £2,000 Ex-display price: £1,700 Real saving: £300, or 15% Show a £2,800 "was" price next to it instead and the label says 39% off, for exactly the same sideboard at exactly the same price. |
A small saving can still be worth having on a piece you've already set your heart on. Just go in knowing the number.
What to check before you buy
Whoever you buy from, these are the things to pin down first.
The condition of that exact piece
A line saying a piece "may show light marks" covers a lot of ground. Ask for close-up photos of the actual item, especially anything that isn't perfect. We'll send them the same day if you ask, and we'd always rather you saw a mark before you bought than found it in your hallway.
The sort of photo to ask for. Chips along the stone edge and scuffs on the front of one of our ex-display coffee tables, shown on the listing before anyone buys it.
Whether it fits, including the way in
Ex-display pieces are one-offs, so there's no swapping for the next size down. Measure the space, then measure every doorway, staircase and tight corner between your front door and the room it's going in.
Whether it's complete
Check that shelves, keys, feet, cushions and fixings are all there. Display pieces get moved about, and small parts can go astray.
How it gets to you
Big pieces need two people and a plan. Ask who delivers, how long it takes and what it costs. With us, delivery to mainland UK is free on orders over £300, larger pieces come with our two-person team, and it usually takes 5 to 10 working days. You can also collect for free from our Tamworth showroom.
Your return rights
Buying online in the UK, you can cancel within 14 days of delivery under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, and that includes ex-display. Some sellers offer a longer goodwill return on new stock that doesn't extend to ex-display, and we're the same: our 30-day change-of-mind return is for unused items, which ex-display can't be.
If you change your mind after delivery, we take the collection cost off your refund, and we tell you what that cost is before you order. Marks we've described aren't treated as faults. Anything we didn't tell you about is covered by the Consumer Rights Act, and if a piece arrives faulty or not as described, we collect it free and refund you in full. It's all set out in our refund policy.
Ex-display or new?
Ex-display is the better buy when you want that particular piece and the saving is worth having to you. Being able to see the exact item before you pay is part of the appeal too.
New is the better buy when you need a particular size or finish, or a set of matching pieces. It also comes with our 30-day change-of-mind return. Most of what we sell online is new furniture from brands like Richmond Interiors and Libra, so if the ex-display piece isn't quite right, the new version is often there to order instead.
Where to buy ex-display furniture
If you've fallen for a piece in a shop, ask whether they'll sell you the display one. Some will, particularly when a range is being changed over. Outlets and clearance centres are worth a look too.
Ours is online in the ex-display collection, with every piece photographed and described, and in person at our Tamworth showroom. Stock changes all the time, because once a one-off sells, it's gone.
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Tables, sideboards and chairs make up most of our ex-display collection right now.
Seeing a piece before you buy
Most of our ex-display pieces are on the floor at our showroom at Buzzards Valley, 37 Shirrall Drive, Drayton Bassett, near Tamworth, B78 3EQ. We're open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sunday 10am to 3pm.
Give us a ring on 0121 270 3390 before you travel so we can check the piece you're after is still there. The showroom also has ex-display pieces that never make it online, so it's worth a wander either way. Plan your visit.
Ex-display furniture questions
Is ex-display furniture new?
No. It hasn't been in anyone's home, but it has been on display and handled. We list ours as used (showroom) and sell it as seen, with its condition on the product page.
Is ex-display furniture worth it?
It's worth it when the saving against the same piece new makes up for possible marks and a shorter return window. Work out the saving on the actual piece.
Can you return ex-display furniture?
Bought online, yes. You have 14 days from delivery to cancel. With us, the collection cost comes off your refund if you've changed your mind, and faulty or not-as-described pieces are collected free with a full refund.
What's the difference between ex-display and ex-showhome?
Where it's been. Ex-display furniture has stood in a showroom. Ex-showhome furniture has furnished a show home on a new development.
Can I see an ex-display piece before buying?
Yes. Call the showroom on 0121 270 3390, tell us which piece you're interested in, and we'll arrange a viewing.
Do you deliver ex-display furniture?
Yes, across the UK. Delivery to mainland UK is free on orders over £300, and larger pieces come with our two-person team. You can also collect for free from Tamworth.
See what's in the ex-display collection now
If you've got your eye on something and want to know more about it, just ask.
Gemma x