Creating your home sanctuary often begins one furniture piece at a time. Fften choosing and purchasing that first piece can cause unwanted and unnecessary stress for the new buyer.
Remember today’s design is all about personal expression and that means that not all furniture has to match, nor does it have to be bought at the same time. Old and new can work together beautifully, modern and traditional can blend together to create a magnificent look. Fine furniture and fun can work together in harmony to create the perfect room for your lifestyle.
Whether you need a recliner for your living room, a desk for your home office, a children’s dresser or something special for your own personal space, your furniture can help you express yourself and serve a purpose.
Before redecorating an entire room or buying a single piece of furniture, determine what type of furniture you think you need, set a budget,and determine your “look.” Check out magazines, Pintrest or HGTV for great and creative furniture ideas and start a swipe file. Next it is always wise to take measurements and sketch a detailed layout of the room you’re furnishing. With the layout, you can narrow your furniture search to items of a certain size and depth. Establishing a budget will help narrow down your furniture search and keep you focused. Set realistic price expectations, based on how long you want the furniture to last and your style preferences.
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Summer Classics Sedona Dining Set with Stone Table 2 Pedestal Bases, 2 Swivel Gliders & 4 Dining Chairs. $7,971
If you plan to redecorate frequently, it is still advisable to purchase the best quality pieces you can afford. It is much easier to change a pillow seasonally than a sofa and more practical also. Looking for something special? Set more money aside for handcrafted furniture. An expensive, well-constructed piece of furniture can really be worth it in the long run, especially if used daily. There are many factors that determine the price point of a piece of furniture. Take a sofa for example. Expect to pay more for sofa fabric that repels soil and water, is a natural fabric or is an exclusive pattern. Inquire about the construction of the sofa. Is is glued or eight-way hand tied? More often than not it is the construction plus the fabric choice that determines the price point.
Here are some basic rules of the road when choosing and buying furniture. Designers often emphasize, good art does not have to match your sofa.
FIND FURNITURE TO FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE
Are you a guy who loves to entertain? Create a mancave for poker nights with the guys. You will need comfy seating, a cool pool table a mini fridge for libations and ambient lighting. Don’t forget the table and chairs, perfect for snacks as well as Blackjack.
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La-Z-Boy Pinnacle Recliner: Nothing makes relaxing more uplifting than the La-Z-Boy Pinnacle Recliner. $799 for select leathers.
Got kids? Create a room they can grow in. Children’s beds and dressers today are often versatile and convertible and can be modified to accommodate your child as he or she grows. Here is a place where knowing how and where to invest your dollars can make a huge impact.
Entertain outside? The backyard used to be for kids and “slip and slide “ but now you can create an entire outdoor room to expand your living space. Many of today’s outdoor furnishings are indistinguishable from those inside but can resist the weather, are comfortable and last a lifetime. Again, invest in the best pieces you can afford and then supplement with inexpensive fun pieces that are easily replaced.
Always consider how much care a furniture piece needs and how much you’re willing to put into its upkeep before making a purchase. Factor in potential post-purchase repair or redesign costs, such as reupholstering, steam cleaning, painting, and re-staining into your furniture budget. No matter how much use furniture gets, you can extend its life with a little tender loving care and attention.
DISCOVER YOUR FAVORITE FURNITURE STYLE
Furniture like fashion comes in many styles and genres. Here is a glossary of the most common furniture styles. Remember “blending” types of furniture when done correctly can add personality and warmth to any home.
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The Lexington ottoman price in beginning grade fabric is $1,050. The Sumatra chair in the beginning grade fabric is $2,190.
Traditional furniture: Traditional furniture has a homey, understated look. It favors balance and symmetry with straight lines, curved details, and furniture and accessories sold in pairs. Fabrics can come in solid midrange tones or multicolor florals that are neither shiny nor too textured. Upholstered furniture looks unfussy and restful with soft, smooth edges.
Contemporary furniture: Contemporary furniture features clean lines, bold colors, and a minimalist, artistic approach. If you’ve had your eye on a bright red armchair, then you’re likely a lover of the contemporary genre. Wood, glass, metal, and stone materials characterize contemporary furniture, as do animal prints, geometric patterns, and natural fabrics, such as wool, cotton, linen, silk and jute. This style avoids fussy florals, fringes and tassles.
Casual furniture: For a more relaxed lifestyle, homey, warm, restful and inviting casual furniture fits the bill. Soft and comfortable casual upholstered furniture is usually oversized, overstuffed and slipcovered. Large-scale and chunky wooden pieces are often made with softer woods such as pine. The casual style favors denim; neutral colors such as tan, gray, beige, or off-white; and darker, earthier tones such as rust, olive, wine and navy.
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Solid cherry table in the Windsor finish with the Manchester hostess chairs. $7,699 for the set.
Formal furniture: Period or antique formal furniture pieces have ornate details, tall, vertical lines, strict symmetry and high elegance. Dark, high-gloss tables, shelves, armoires and hutches made from woods such as cherry and mahogany accent formal settings. Formal upholstered furniture pieces have smooth lines and tightly woven fabrics in opulent fibers such as silk, satin, brocade, velvet or damask. Most also include dressmaker touches such as fringe, tassels, buttons, pleats and gathers.
Arts & crafts style furniture: Arts & crafts furniture, also called Mission-style furniture, has a distinctive, no-nonsense style. The durable and simple wood furniture often has wood slats, straight legs and no decoration. Though relatively plain, it is considered beautifully crafted, highlighting the wood grain in a unique way. For example, Stickley furniture emphasizes high-quality craftsmanship, balanced proportions, deep colors and highlighted wood grains.
Cottage-style furniture: Cottage-style furniture, characterized by a mixture of styles, has a charming, romantic and comfortable feel. Think distressed woods, iron elements, and a mixture of floral and striped fabrics. Nothing really needs to match in the cottage style. Paint or recover your finds to make them fit into your particular “cottage” scheme.
Asian furniture: From low-to-theground coffee tables to bamboo armoires and celadon green ottomans, Asian furniture pieces are going mainstream. Furniture looks are as different as the cultures they represent. Japanese, Korean and Chinese furniture are the most popular.
MAKE YOUR OLD FURNITURE NEW AGAIN
In our disposable society, people often forget that there is another option to replacing old furniture with something brand new. Reupholstering is a way of extending the life of an old piece of furniture by recovering it in new material. Few people realize that much of today’s furniture grade wood is being harvested from rain forests, with much of this wood coming from China and Indonesia. By reupholstering old furniture, you are reusing wood that has already been harvested which is an excellent reason for saving Grandma’s old sofa instead of pitching it into the landfill. Aside from the environmental benefits, there’s also many other advantages to reupholstering an old piece of furniture.
Just Cushions Upholstery & Fabric Gallery»
www.justcushionshhi.com | 843-681-9995
Make your favorite pieces of furniture new again with the fabricgallery and reupholstery services at Just Cushions
Quality craftsmanship: Have you ever tried to pick up an old sofa? Sofas from the 1950 and earlier are extremely heavy because of the solid wood framework inside. Older furniture tends to be more solidly built and are a higher quality product than to the low-to-mid priced furniture pieces being sold today. A solid framework means the chair or sofa will last for many years, unlike many of today’s products which rest on a framework of plastic, soft woods or low quality plywood.
Custom design: Do you have a look in mind for your sofa or loveseat? Selecting a custom upholstery fabric and trim is yet another advantage of reupholstering old furniture. With the thousands of upholstery fabrics and trims available, finding a print that matches your decor is surprisingly easy.
Preserving memories: Of course, there’s also the sentimental attachment of an old piece of furniture, especially one that used to belong to Great Aunt Meg or came down the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon. By reupholstering a family heirloom, it continues to be a usable piece of furniture that family members will cherish.
Saving money: The cost reupholstering Grandma’s old sofa may seem expensive at first, possibly as much as it would cost to purchase a complete living room set from a mass-produced furniture dealer. Take the quality of the piece into consideration. If Grandma’s old sofa is made of a solid walnut frame, compare it to a similar new item made with a solid walnut frame. The cost savings will be significant, plus you’ll have a high-quality product that has already proven it will stand the test of time.
“Reupholstery is a logical alternative to buying new furniture,” said Larry Setola Jr., owner of Just Cushions Upholstery & Fabric Gallery on Hilton Head Island. “Purchasing furniture can be costly and offer limited choices. With re-upholstery you have the option to customize your existing furniture for your current needs. The possibilities are endless and affordable here at Just Cushions.”
