Furniture & Home Decor

Here are 10 Great Furniture care tips to help your furniture look its best!

1) To clean the finish on your furniture just use some warm water and mild dish soap. Cleaning furniture with water won’t hurt it, just be careful and don’t soak it though! Use an old toothbrush for hard to get areas. Wipe the dirt off the surface with a soft cloth or paper towels until they come up fairly clean. Then dry off any residual moisture with a soft cloth.

2) After a good cleaning, the best way to protect the finish is to use a good quality soft paste wax. Apply a thin coat as directed on the label. Wait 5 minutes and buff lightly with a soft (shoe) brush or cloth. Wait another 30 – 60 minutes and buff/brush again with a bit more vigor. You’ll see a beautiful shine return to the finish that will last for many months.

3) Keep your furniture out of the sun. The temperature of the summer sun coming through a window can go above 140 degrees! It will cook your fine finishes, fading and destroying them over time and dry out and shrink the wood which will cause cracks.

4) Don’t place your furniture near heating units or vents. This type of dry heat will also cause the wood to dry and shrink, leaving you with cracks. I’d also recommend a humidifier in the drier months to bring the moisture up to the 40 – 45% level.

5) For a quick-fix touch up, use the appropriate color shoe polish on scratches and chips, especially on the feet to make them less visible. Carefully using the correct colored marker first will hide it even better.

6) Whenever polishing the brass hardware, take it off the furniture first. Take your time and carefully remove the hardware and make a note to remember what pieces go back where. Then use a quality metal polish to get it shining again. Once it’s buffed up, put it back on being careful not to scratch the wood surfaces. I recommend that you don’t try to do it all in one sitting. It can be a lot of work, so take a few days doing a few pieces each day instead of getting tired and frustrated with trying to do it all at once!

7) Wood isn’t hungry! You cannot feed furniture. No matter what the advertising says, wood cannot be fed or nourished or enriched with polishes or oils. Once it has a protective finish over it for beauty and protection, the wood is sealed. Polishes and oils will not penetrate it.

There are several ways to remove the white hazy ring or spot that the hot coffee mug or hot pizza box made on your table. The least invasive way is to rub a mild abrasive such as non-gel toothpaste mixed with some baking soda or some cooking oil mixed with ashes. You can rub a small spot using your finger or use a soft cloth on larger areas. Another way which has excellent results is to place a soft cloth or towel over the spot and iron it carefully for 10 – 20 seconds at a time with the iron at a medium setting. Start there and you can always turn the iron up a bit if needed. Always keep the iron moving and check your progress frequently.

9) When shopping for new or antique furniture, look at the back side, inside and undersides of furniture and drawers. Many times it tells you more about quality than looking at the “show” side. The so-called “secondary” woods can speak volumes in the age of the item and the quality of construction.

10) Restoring or refinishing an older or antique piece of furniture to its original glory might seem like a good idea, and many times it is. But it’s important to get advice from someone who is knowledgeable about the item you are considering. You may find that your piece is valuable and maybe it just needs a proper cleaning. Any more “invasive” work should be left to a professional.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Oakley

Garden furniture can make your house look brilliant! Everyone always desires a wonderful home, one that dazzles any visitor but at the same time gives functional benefits to the inhabitants. Making full use of your garden is the first step in doing so! This article aims at providing some information which will help you make the best choice.

Here Are Some Things That You Need To Consider:

Understand Your Need: It is important for you to make sure that you know exactly what you are looking for. An awful lot of money would be wasted if you made a wrong choice regarding your garden furniture. So the first step is to know, what are the possible activities that you would do in the garden? Would it be food, entertainment or leisure or all of them? If so, how many people are likely to be present? Just your family or maybe some close friends as well?

Once you have done this, try coming up with the exact list of tables, chairs and other furniture that you may need. Then try having a good idea where you intend to place this stuff. You may have to modify your initial list. But wait until you come up with a final list of garden furniture. Doing this could save you a lot of money and heartburn.

Look At The Alternatives: There are a few alternatives that you may have to choose from while selecting your garden furniture. The best ones are wood, metal, plastic and woven. Each has its own pros and cons. Be sure that you consider all the relevant aspects before you make a choice. For instance, it should fit the overall style and décor of your garden. It must be able to withstand the harsh weather conditions that it may be subject to on the outside.

In case you require furniture which is flexible as you are going to move it around a lot, try buying lightweight. The success of this part clearly depends on understanding your need. You may have to face choices with regards to style, convenience and functionality. It pays to know what you want more!

Price: An awful lot of people tend to pay more for their garden furniture. This is because it is not very often that we buy garden furniture. So an average person may not have the best idea of what it may be worth. Some amount of research needs to be done. For instance one can try looking up for prices on the internet. These prices tend to be lower than the actual price but will give you a very good estimate of what it ought to be worth. Also if you are buying all your furniture from one outlet ask for some discounts. They may not mind offering some, but be reasonable.

The prices may depend on the some factors as style, features etc. Make sure you compare apples to apples while checking the prices and bargaining.

Durability: It is essential that garden furniture you buy is durable. You may not wish to change it every now and then. And with the amount of money that you may need to spend on it, you may want it to last for a lifetime.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Zea_Taylor

Living room is usually considered as the heart of every home. This is where family members get together; spend time together after a busy day. Most of their chats happen in the living room. Given this fact, it is important that the living room furniture design be patterned on the personality and style of the owner. Moreover, different pieces of furniture are the best elements to materialize these concepts.

How to do this, here’s how:

1. Coffee table

By definition, coffee tables are usually put in the center of a living room. Functional and attractive living room furniture design for coffee tables would entail a design with clean, simple lines in solid wood. This will cope best with natural wear and tear.

Try to avoid glass tables that need constant wiping – unless you enjoy cleaning! Rather than choosing an open-shelf coffee table, buy one with built-in drawers to store magazines and keep clutter out of sight. There is less to dust too.

2. Sofa

Quality sofas are those that have simple back cushions and plain scroll arms. These types of sofas will work best for families and are great pieces in the living room. This simple design will make the items fit for any theme and for any generation all through the years.

Functional sofas should let your feet be able to touch the ground when you are sitting normally. Hence, when choosing sofas, it is best that you check the seat height and see if it is correct. If it is too high, ask to try different seat cushions.

3. Accent chair

In getting accent chairs, make sure that the chair has a solid wooden construction and is well upholstered. After all, nobody would want to have lumpy cushions. Right?

Also, your accent chairs need not much your sofa, although it is important to upholster it in a complementary fabric or one that picks up other colors around the wall or curtains.

Accent chairs tend not to have a removable covers so choose a fabric that is easy to keep clean. For your rebellious streak, indulge in a classic chaise lounge.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Albert_Lee

There are many different methods of learning how to arrange living room furniture and everyone’s method will work in its own way allowing you to have the opportunity to put your furniture in your drawing room the way you want.

You may find yourself bored with the arrangement you currently have going within your living room so why not spice things up a little bit by changing the furnishings around. You wouldn’t expect that by simply changing your furniture around the room will feel livelier, but it actually works.

When rearranging your furnishings you need to consider where your plugins are as this could affect where certain items can go throughout the room. You don’t want to find yourself putting a lamp on a table that doesn’t have a plug in near leaving you unable to plug that lamp in. Also you will want to consider where the windows of the room are and if you have any sills in the drawing room you will need to consider those and what you put near them.

Your common room needs to feel welcoming so don’t place a big piece of furniture in front of the door opening. When people have to navigate around furnishings to get into the living room this makes them feel like they are shut out and it becomes a lot less welcoming so avoid this.

With the common room you will want to consider making a certain piece the focal point of the whole common room, whether it’s a piece of furniture, the television, or if you have a fireplace if that will be the focal point. By having a focal point it directs the person’s eye to a certain piece when they first walk into the room allowing the living room to feel more put together.

Drawing rooms can be a difficult area for arranging as there are many different things that can go into a living room. If you find that you have too many pieces in the room remove some and allow others to fit nicely. There is no need to over clutter your drawing room as you want it to be comfortable.

There is no right way in learning how to arrange living room furniture as everyone does it differently, but you need to ensure that you make the process a fun one. Don’t find yourself getting frustrated because you thought an arrangement would work and it doesn’t so you have to change things around. Plan the arrangement out before you move anything and you’ll save yourself some time in the end to reach your final arrangement.

Thomas B. Chuong is currently writing about topics related to home improvement & decor, personal fitness, and home & garden. Find out more by visiting these sites Grill, and Air Purifier.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_B._Chuong

Red bedroom furniture is a subtle way to add bold color to a room. It also gives you the opportunity to find balance between slumber and warmth. Plus, it’s not just the basic wood furniture that everyone else has. You can still decorate your room even if you can’t paint your walls. Instead, use red bedroom furniture as part of an overall theme or well thought out color scheme.

Use this furniture in a kids’ room. This will revive the old pieces they’ve had for ages and allow them to get funky colors. Plus, it will work for either a boy or a girl. You could even decorate a nursery with this kind of furniture for an unexpected take on a traditional baby’s room. Plus, it will be gender neutral. Just remember to keep the rest of the room calm enough that your kids can still get to sleep.

Tone it down. You might be afraid that this color of furniture is just too daring. However, it’s worth a try and it’s just a little paint right? You can always layer a glaze on top of it. This will make it look almost like expensive wood. You can also distress it for more of a weathered country look. For a Tuscan design style try hand painting black or gold accents onto the piece. This will help you create your own color palette but also gives you the opportunity to break up all of those red colors. You could even decoupage or apply fabric to most of the drawer fronts of a dresser so the red just acts as a frame.

Remember that these are statement pieces. Depending on the size of your room you might not need to paint an entire matching set. This will save you a lot of work and money but also gives your room an eclectic look. It might just take a pair of hand painted nightstands to give your room a feeling of a world traveler. You want to make the pieces you love the center of attention so they don’t become a distraction.

Use this color of furniture in opulent design styles. You might just want to tone down or redo that basic four poster bed you’ve had forever. Depending on the finish it can go rustic or elegant. Applying an unexpected color to even the plainest pieces turns them into something special. Use it as an opportunity to totally redo your space with just a can of paint.

Red bedroom furniture is welcoming and unique. Remember to tone it down through your wall colors and fabric choices so that you still have a calming space. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to add personality to your bedroom.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sara_Gilmore

Mahogany desk is one of the many furniture items which have gained popularity at a rapid pace. Besides these there are other types of furniture available which are made with different kinds of wood. The density and kind of wood used determines the price of the furniture. However the wooden furniture is available at a price range which starts from around a few hundred dollars and goes all the way to a couple of thousand dollars. Since these are not very low-priced pieces of furniture to have it is important to maintain them to make sure they last a very long time. Few of the following tips will help you ensure that

· Furniture polish plays a very important role. Not only does it accentuate the overall appearance but it also makes a protective covering to prevent the furniture from tarnishing or fading in appearance.

· Furniture polish is normally easier to be used by a professional however there are certain domestic remedies as well which are great to keep the furniture good as new. These include olive oil, lemon and candle wax.

· For daily cleaning a damp cloth is ideal for wiping any surface clean. This should be followed by a dry one for finishing the job off.

· One important thing that most people ignore is that they place hot dishes carelessly on wooden surfaces. This creates a permanent mark which is not easy to be removed.

· Direct contact from sun is also harmful for the surface. Ideally according to their style and shape the wooden tables should be placed in a place with neutral temperature away from harsh climatic exposure like from the sun or rain.

· You should be quick to wipe off water or any kind of liquid that may fall on the surface of wooden desks as it harms the wood and spoils its appearance.

With these key points in mind you are sure to gain long lasting benefits from your wooden furniture. Although they are designed to cater for people which either have requirement for a more simplistic furniture or a more sophisticated maintenance is something which can not be ignored at all. So whether it is on a more professional level or just routine up keep, the owner has the most responsibility to ensure that his purchase lasts long enough to get the worth for the price he paid.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Everet

When it comes to Italian furniture, London will arguably have the best options in the UK. Italy is known worldwide for its wine, food and fashion, especially furniture made from the finest materials such as leather. If you have a trendy living space that requires something stylish and modern, furniture with an Italian flair likely will be the best choice.

How to Choose the Right Furniture Store

Italian furniture invokes visions of luxury lifestyle branding so that is the type of furniture store you should seek – some place that offers luxury items for extraordinary living spaces. For Italian furniture, London will have the best selection, but there are one or two things you should look for.

For instance, showrooms fully outfitted with both furniture and accessories helps you visualise what the rooms in your home would look like. You will get plenty of decorating and design ideas with an exceptionally laid out showroom. Of course, what you see in a showroom is only scratching the surface. Look for a furniture store that also has personalised service with consultants on hand. They can not only help you choose your furniture but also design new pieces for you should you want something unique that reflects your individual style and tastes.

Whilst you may know what you like just by looking at the possibilities, an interior design consultant or furniture designer can introduce you to new concepts. The use of light, texture and colour are important and designer consultants can help you incorporate the right concept, incorporating contemporary Italian furniture and various accessories.

The Hallmark of Furniture with Italian Construction

Italian brands offer the level of luxury you want to create for a comfortable, yet elegantly modern living space. Each piece of furniture is painstakingly crafted by hand, using the highest quality materials available. Leather, glass, stainless steel and hard woods are just a few of many materials incorporated into the furniture.

Italian craftsmen have the innate ability to create a contemporary, modern edge while still being practical. The finished product is not only stylish but also functional. In fact, some pieces are modular, meaning you can create your own unique look by choosing seemingly different furniture pieces.

A turnkey furniture store is the best choice if you are starting with a blank living space as your canvas. With a designer consultant, you can take advantage of their expertise, particularly with Italian furniture. London is the best place in the UK to start.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Jenkinson

Modern furniture is a great way to accessorize your home. They are more functional than any other type of home appliance today. But like the traditional furniture designs, these modern items should be properly placed and managed in your homes. If proper placement is achieved, your furniture could look more tidy and attractive.

Let us learn some popular placement tips by reading the sections found below.

Create a Floor Plan

Before moving anything, you have to create a proper floor plan which can efficiently manage your modern furniture at home. Measure the rooms in your home and the furniture that you are planning to move in. If you lack experience in such task, you can use a room planner to create a floor plan easily. The proper placement of furniture can only be determined through floor plans. They are a crucial step in moving or transferring furniture in your homes.

Revolve Around a Focal Point

A focal point is very essential in furniture placement. The focal point is the first one you see when you enter a room or space. This can be a large painting hanging on the wall, a fireplace, a big jar, or a picture window to name a few. Some designers paint one wall with a different color and make this as the room’s focal point. The rest of the room can be accessorized with shelving and artwork to emphasize the focal point even more.

Divide Large Rooms

Large rooms should be separated into different sections. There should be smaller room areas like entertainment and reading rooms. Large rooms have to be divided so the room can be more functional. A suitably arranged room can also result to a tidier place.

Choose Forms of Balance

Modern furniture should be placed accordingly in a room. A symmetrically arranged room is more restful to look at. An asymmetrical room provides visual interest and motion. Home owners usually base the placement of their furniture on these two forms of balance.

Consider the Following Tips

Here are some useful tips to consider:

o Place rugs between furniture to define an area.
o Decide whether to put bigger items first.
o Avoid placing too many pieces against a wall.
o Allow 3 feet of open space for going in and out of a room.
o Remove items which are not necessary since this can only take more space in a room.
o Use chairs and sofas no farther than 10 feet apart. This usually helps save space to accommodate more modern furniture in a place.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vanessa_A._Doctor

Picking out furniture for your office can be one of the best shopping experiences. Not only are you able to start fresh with the design and style of furniture, but you know that the expense is going to be a business deduction. Now is the time to think about what you really want your office to say about you and your business. You also want it to be a space that reflects you, your business needs and what’s important to you. The following tips will help you create the ideal workspace.

Consider Your Space Needs

First think about what you will be doing in this office. Is it just a home office so you don’t have to commute to the main office every day? Or does it have to meet your every office needs? The way you plan to use the space will dictate what you need in the way of office furniture and equipment.

How Much Room Do You Have?

If yours is a very small space, accept that fact up front and look for small, rollaway furniture – like a mobile laptop stand. You’ll also want to invest in a vertical filing cabinet to make the most of your wall space – not your floor space.

Covering Office Basics

Now that you have considered your space needs, you need to fill it. For most businesses, the basics are a desk, chair and filing cabinet. But should that desk be big enough for a computer? And if there’s a computer, do you need a printer? A scanner? If so, then you need to think about a shelf or cart to hold those pieces of equipment. You also need to think about lighting. If your desk isn’t big enough to hold another point of light, then a freestanding lamp might be needed. And if you need to store files, then you need to think about a multi-drawer filing cabinet – vertical or horizontal.

Is Yours a Traditional Business?

Maybe yours is an office where you’ll be creating handcrafted items or artwork. In that case, you may still need a desk to accommodate the business side of your art, but you will also need a table that’s made for your art supplies. You’ll want to look for a comfortable drafting table and chair that are ideal for long hours of detailed work.

Will Your Business Grow?

If your business doesn’t grow, you’re set. But that’s probably not what you want from your business, is it? Let’s hope your business grows, giving you some options to consider now. First, think about if you will be able to find another use for your office furniture? If you move up and out, is there a student in the family who will be able to use the desk and maybe even the filing cabinet? Or maybe you’ll want to sell your furniture. If that’s the case, buy something now that’s sturdy enough to last through one or two owners.

Is the Office Doubling as a Guest Room?

If your answer is no – it will just be an office – then your options are wide open. If you answer yes to this question, then you have some great options. There are plenty of desks, file cabinets and chairs that look like furniture you would find in any room of a house – but they’ll function like office furniture.

First, look for a desk that has a cover you can pull down over the desktop – either a roll-top desk or a secretary desk. Look for wooden file cabinets that can double as a bedside table and will match the desk. As for your chair, choose something that is upholstered, but has wheels.

Are You Trying to Be Green?

If the environment is important to you, then look for lines of office furniture that are labeled Eco-friendly. This is furniture that will help reduce the impact on the environment. Generally, it’s made with at least 50 percent recycled or post-consumer materials. Also, more than half of the product is biodegradable and its materials are 100 percent natural.

Is it a One-Person Office or Are You Sharing Space?

If you’re going it alone, then by all means, decorate as you see fit. But if you have an office mate joining you, spend 10 minutes and find out your co-worker’s preferences. It maybe that individual printers will be needed – or maybe you can share. Look for ways to save on space and equipment.

Are You Expecting Visitors?

If you think clients or coworkers will be dropping by, then you need to plan on a reception space. If your office is just one room, then that may mean just a guest chair. Definitely make plans to make a welcoming place.

What’s Your Budget?

Office furniture comes in all price ranges. The first step is to figure out all that you need. Balance that against your start-up budget and see what you can afford.

Use these ten simple tips and get started on creating your ideal workspace today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=KelyAnn_Rosario

Classic home furniture is elegant or traditional. It doesn’t have to be boring or predictable. These are simply quality pieces that you spend a little bit more money on just because you will get a lot of use out of them. You can also style them in a lot of different ways to make them feel different. Here are a few tips for picking up these kind of furnishings.

When you go shopping for classic home furniture your really going to want to focus in on the overall style of the piece. This is super important simply because the shape is really what determines the design. In this case you want to go with more of a timeless or traditional look. This will keep it from becoming dated quickly. Plus, you’ll always be able to change up your specific design style just by changing out a few pieces in the room. This can really save you a lot of money. You’ll need to find a bridge between the over the top look of theme decor and the clean lines of contemporary decorating. This will give you a lot of design durability.

Another aspect that you want to consider when buying these pieces is to go with a material that won’t easily become dated. You will really want to get a high quality wood. Often times, this is what really makes the piece. Plus it’s a way to add a subtle color palette to your room. This means staying away from more vibrant fabrics and wood tones. You really want to go with something that has an enduring style and then put your personal stamp on it through smaller touches.

There are several different aspects in the classic style. You could go with a classic country, traditional elegant look, or a more casual feeling. It’s just a matter of what the word means to you and how it works within your specific lifestyle. This will really tie in with your overall color palette as well as your price range. For instance if you wanted a classic contemporary look then you could focus on a dark almost black wood. If you want a country look then go with an oak in a medium or light tone. For a traditional beach cottage theme find furniture that has a whitewash look. For a formal feeling you would go with a mahogany tone. There are several different types of classic home furniture; it is just a matter of finding the ones that you can really live with.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sara_Gilmore