Designing a Traditional Bedroom in 4 Easy Steps Monday, September 17, 2018

Feeling at ease and relaxed in your bedroom is a must for every home. Traditional style bedrooms marry comfortable and classic pieces to create a calm atmosphere. Nothing outlandish, just an elegant space meant to be an escape from the world. Traditional bedrooms are not ostentatious and rely on reproductions inspired by furniture from an earlier time.

A traditional bedroom is not a place to showcase your hot-pink fur rug or funky cat inspired bedding. There is always a way to mix styles, but if you are going for a traditional look, keep elegance in mind. Things like rich wooden furniture with classic lines and quiet details. Edges are soft, smooth, and blend together.

Step 1: Fabrics

From curtains to bedding, think florals, plain colors, muted plaids, understated stripes, and small all-over patterns. Multi-color florals are often a great starting point of a traditional color scheme. An accent chair can be an excellent place to start when choosing your fabrics. A Mila accent chair is the perfect example of how to display personality and still keep to a traditional bedroom design. The pattern is elegant without being bold.

Step 2: Woods

Bringing wooden elements into your bedroom will really capture the traditional theme. Wood is the place to go a bit more ornate with light carving details. The Stanley Bedroom set is a great example of the detail that can be achieved without distracting from the room as a whole. Wood pieces typically have a darker stain, but lighter stains can be used as long as the look remains classic. Look for curved and soft lines as opposed to straight, harsh edges.

Step 3: Seating Area

To really top off your traditional bedroom, you need to create an area for more than sleeping. If you have the room, try to create a seating or reading area. This could be as simple as a Winnsboro Chaise near a window, or an entire furniture set on a cozy rug. If your master bedroom has space, go for a loveseat and accent chair! Steer clear of bulky recliners and opt more for sleek rockers.

Step 4: Finishing Touches

There are so many ways the finishing touches on a traditional bedroom can go wrong. You’ll want to stick to your theme while still showing a bit of personality. A Hillsboro nightstand is a great way to show a bit of flair but still stay true to the traditional style. Its classic curves and beautiful details will make a statement. This Stanley dresser will also add a bit of personality to your space. The detailing is stunning without overpowering the room.

If you keep to these guidelines, the rest of your bedroom will fall into place. Your room could also feature accessories like lamp pairs, plants, mirrors, framed prints, and vases. Symmetry is important in this style, and everything should be balanced in some way. Keep it simple, clean, and slightly formal, and you’ll have a traditional bedroom perfect for relaxation.

The Right Furniture Pieces Will Make Your Farmhouse Kitchen Come to Life Monday, September 17, 2018

Modern farmhouse style takes into account a few cozy features like rustic wood, light colored palette, and vintage trimmings to create a relaxed and perfectly lived-in space. Elements of nature can be found throughout these rustic-country kitchens.

The finishing touches are everything when it comes to the farmhouse style. The devil is definitely in the details. Steer clear of using fake flowers, kitschy signage, and anything over-the-top. Instead, complete your design with these style ideas and you'll be ready to create meals and relax in your space.

Limit Built-Ins

There’s more to a farmhouse kitchen than cabinets. The most beautiful designs typically leave space for non-built in furniture to accommodate your storage needs. A buffet, like the Mason Barn Wood Buffet, is perfect for anything from wine glasses to china. It also serves as an extra countertop if the need arises.

Room for Display

You’ll want to reflect your family in your kitchen design. Family heirlooms, such a jewelry boxes, clocks, and china function as meaningful and sentimental decor pieces. The Isabelle Curio Cabinet can give you a place to show off your family history. However, not all displays have to be so formal. You can simply spread your heirlooms around your kitchen, by taking advantage of tabletop displays.

Embrace Wood

One of the key design elements for a farmhouse style kitchen is rustic wood. This can be reflected in your cabinets and countertops as well as in your accent pieces. Something like the Kennedy Storage Bench is perfect for extra seating in your kitchen space. It’s useful and adds a finishing touch to a breakfast nook or kitchen entryway. The Sandals Accent table can add extra working space and a pop of color. Look to wooden pieces to add authenticity.

Dining Space

Embrace the casual and relaxed vibe of your kitchen with a rustic dining table. For a smaller space try a table with bench seating. A larger space could accommodate this Bolanburg dining set that uses lightly painted wood and natural colors. Even if your formal dining room is separate from your kitchen, try to have some place to eat within your space. A smaller wooden table with mismatched chairs could carve out the perfect breakfast nook.

Keep things simple, natural, and relaxed. A farmhouse kitchen needs to be a place where your family can come together. The space should be inviting and feel lived-in without being cluttered.

Contemporary Furniture Touches to Top Off Your Game Room Monday, September 17, 2018

Game Room Seating

When you have a room that is primarily used for gaming or watching a large screen, seating is paramount. Every seat in your game room has to be “the best seat in the house.”

Sectional sofas are the perfect pieces of furniture to ensure a good look at the screen and a comfy place to enjoy a family game night. For a contemporary design, go for a sectional or sofa with comfy cushions and a solid fabric design. Steer clear of wooden ornamentation and concentrate on furniture that will blend and become part of the game room as a whole. Something like this Wesley Sectional Sofa: it can meld perfectly with any other colors and fabrics in the room.

You’ll also need to consider a table and chairs as part of the design. Look to pub dining room sets like the Tahoe 5-Piece set to keep the atmosphere casual.

Entertainment Center

While video gaming may not be the primary focus of your contemporary game room, it helps to have a quality viewing experience. Your game room may become the place to not only play games, but watch games on your TV. Depending on your needs, you may want to hang your TV on the wall underneath. This entertainment center can serve as a place to set a large TV or just hold the essentials like a gaming console and cable box. It also has the added bonus of being a fire place.

You can also opt for an entertainment center with more storage. The Townser Entertainment Center has room for every entertainment device in your home. It can store multiple consoles, streaming devices, smart home devices, and more.

Storage

The one area you should not overlook is storage. A game room is likely to come with a ton of storage needs. You’ll need a place to put all of your board games, mat games, and drawing games. Each game set is likely to come with many pieces, and some may be rather bulky.

Think about using chests to store board games, like the Sofia Bedroom Chest. It’s not just for the bedroom! It can help keep pieces out of sight. The Maurice Accent chest can help create a space for bulkier items and the Collins bookcase can help keep things nice and tidy when not in use.

Remember to keep things casual and contemporary as you design your space. You want people to feel free to relax and kick back. Game on!

Traditional VS Contemporary Furniture Tuesday, September 11, 2018

When deciding on a style for your home it’s important to realize the subtle differences. Contemporary and traditional are two of the most popular styles for American homes, but these styles don’t complement each other; they actually work against each other. Traditional and Contemporary are two of the few styles that don’t play well together.

Traditional

Traditional furniture really refers to any piece that resembles the styles of the 19th century or earlier. Furniture from this time period tends to be made of dark, heavy wood. The furniture is often large and heavy. Traditional style is still used often, especially in homes and offices in historic buildings. Traditional rooms are not ostentatious but often feel somewhat formal. Furniture pieces are often reproductions or “new takes” on furniture from an earlier time.

Most traditional style homes feature a living room with a sofa, loveseat and two chairs. The space can then be complemented with a coffee table, side tables, ottomans, rugs and more. At least one accent chair will help center the room and help it look like a place for conversation as opposed to watching TV. Wingback chairs are perfect for this décor. A Chesterfield sofa is also a classic piece of furniture that would complement a traditional-style home.

In the bedroom, traditional furniture will mean a quality bed with wooden dressers and drawers. The shaker style is perfect for a traditional bedroom with its lack of ornamentations and emphasis on craftsmanship. A Louis Phillipe bed also works nicely with a traditional theme.

The dining room in a traditional home is generally a separate room, often with some corner cabinets for storage and display. A traditional dining room table will be large and formal. It doesn’t have to be bulky, but instead is normally large enough to accommodate lots of guests. Look for rectangular tables with matching chairs. Bentwood and high chairs with upholstered seats are the most common. If you have space you may also want to consider a buffet table for the dining room.

Contemporary

Contemporary furniture refers to furniture styles that came about after the 19th century. These pieces tend to utilize lighter wood tones, brighter fabrics, and newer materials, like plastic or metal. A contemporary styled home features a focus on clean, light, and functional furniture. Contemporary style is often defined by clean lines with a casual atmosphere, open spaces, neutral colors, and elements and materials inspired by nature. The look hasn’t lost its focus or popularity over the years. Contemporary designs are some of the most sought-after in furniture décor.

If you have an eye for contemporary furniture, you’ve likely noticed that most of it is rather low profile. That means it typically sits close to the ground. Low-profile sofas, chairs, and loveseats instantly seem part of the contemporary design. A good example is this Perth sofa. Make sure the function of the design fits with your lifestyle. If you are sharing the space with someone who has mobility problems, the low-profile nature could create problems.

Bulky furniture will instantly feel out of place in a contemporary home. Look for sleek pieces. Lines can be rounded or sharp depending on the design. Look at this Marshall Bedroom Chest: it is sleek, yet eye-catching. It keeps a low profile while being useful in the space.

Whether you lean towards traditional or contemporary, it’s important to understand these styles are not meant to coordinate. They are hard to mix and match. So, it’s important to pick a style and stay true to the aesthetics.

Complete Your Living Room Look Tuesday, September 11, 2018

You’ve already picked the perfect pieces of furniture for your living room, now it’s time to take it a step further. Completing the look of your living room means adding the personal touches that truly make it your own. This is where your pops of personality can really show. It’s more than just adding a funky rug. Completing the look of your living room will make you feel at home.

• Add Warmth

  Consider adding warmth to your room, literally. A free-standing electric fireplace will not only warm up the temperature, but it will also add an interesting piece to your living room. This Maverick TV stand with a fireplace features sliding barn doors. It’s not just a heater, it can be the center of your living room.

• Tables

  Adding wall tables and side tables to any room can help complete an overall look. Don’t just think about neutral colors. Go for something a little wilder. Something like this green Sandals Accent Table can really showcase your living room’s personality. A table like this could be used between two recliners, or as a small table in your entryway to place your cell phone and keys. Either way, it’s noticeable and will certainly help cement the look of your living room.

• Cabinets

  Your living room can quickly fill with knick-knacks and souvenirs from traveling. A well-placed cabinet can give you various options for displaying your treasures. The top of the cabinet can be used for displaying pictures, vases, and lamps. The inside of the cabinet can be helpful for storing items you want to be kept out of sight, or you can opt for glass doors and have a special place for your most interesting possessions. This Ecko Accent Cabinet is a unique piece in its own right and lets you display all of your special items.

• Curios

  Curio cabinets have long been used for displaying life’s most treasured and fragile hand-me-downs. They are often used to showcase old china, heirloom crystal, and other items that are not used every day but remain close to your heart. Placing a curio cabinet in your living room will help showcase your precious collections and family history. Choosing the right curio cabinet can reveal a lot about your room’s personality. A unique curio or display cabinet like the Dominique Curio cabinet will let people who enter your living room know that you may not necessarily conform to the norms of design, while something like the Isabel Curio cabinet will blend right into a traditional-style home.

Completing the look of your living room with the right accent pieces is really completing the look of your home. It’s all about finding the balance between the design of your space and how you want it to feel every day. Surround yourself with objects that speak to you and make a statement about your personality.

Repurposing Old Furniture Can Make It Feel New Again Monday, September 3, 2018 Upgrading your bedroom set or living room set? Are you reluctant to put the old furniture pieces by the curb because of their special meaning? Don’t worry, you can do something to help them find new life. You can repurpose your old pieces and make them feel new again. Not every repurposing will require elbow grease, some may just need a good cleaning and a new room!

• Chaise Lounger

  Whether it’s a stand-alone chaise lounge or one that’s part of a sectional sofa, these beauties pair function and fashion. They are also timeless, versatile, and can easily go into a living room, office, or bedroom. Sometimes the fabric may need to be updated, but the style of the Chaise lasts forever.

  Consider moving your chaise from the living room to the bedroom. Placing it in a corner, adding a floor lamp, and side table will make a perfect reading nook.

• Low Profile Accent Chairs

  Accent chairs are an American staple. Often patterned and sleek, an accent chair can add a pop of color to any room. If you have a pair of low-profile chairs relocate them to the foot of your bed in the master bedroom. Add a small, narrow table between them and you’ve created a seating area with the unobtrusive feel of a bench.

• Shaker Dresser

  Shaker furniture is a classic for good reason. The simple design and limited ornamentation mean these deceptively plain pieces will never go out of fashion. Remember, they aren’t just for the bedroom. A shaker style dresser can complement a living room, game room or bathroom.

  If you are updating your bedroom furniture, relocate a shaker dresser to the bathroom for storage. Or you can also add the piece to the living room as a place to display pictures and store throw blankets. Just a few nice frames and a vase and an old dresser will feel new again.

• Dining Room Chairs

  Once you’ve updated your dining room, you may be at a loss for what to do with your old chairs. Place one or two in the corners of a large room as accent chairs. This is especially popular with bentwood chairs. Bentwood chairs are strong, lightweight, and have been used in homes since the 1850s. They complement any decor from classic to contemporary.

• Small Dining Room Table

  If you are upgrading from a smaller dining room table to a larger one, don’t give your old table away just yet. Some rectangular shaped tables could make a nice buffet if you have space. Others can find a new home in your home office as a workspace. If you do crafts, consider using the old table as a craft area.

The point is to be creative and work with what you have. The options are endless as long as you keep an open mind!

The Versatile Daybed: A Piece of Furniture You’ll Use Day in and Day Out Monday, September 3, 2018 It’s seating, a bed, and a guest room all in one. A daybed is one of the most versatile pieces of furniture you could have in your home. A daybed is usually a twin bed that has three sides. The look is reminiscent of a deep sofa and just as comfy.

In fact, a daybed and a sofa take up around the same amount of space in a room. When you take into account the frame and back pillows of a sofa, the measurements tend to be the same as a daybed. They are ideal for camps, cabins and cottages where space is limited and sleeping accommodations are at a premium. If using your daybed as a sofa, be sure to choose sturdy pillows that will serve as the back cushions and choose a frame that won’t dominate the room. Some daybeds look more like sofa’s than beds, just look at the Ellie Daybed! If that will be its primary use, just look around until you strike the right balance.

They come in a variety of materials from metal to wood and fit any décor. For a room that will serve multiple functions, like a college dorm or teenager’s bedroom, daybeds are the way to go. They are more comfortable than futons for sleeping but offer a place to lounge without taking up too much space. They are the perfect companion to study groups offering ample seating without having to stretch out on the bed.

Daybeds can also be great for the home office. Many home offices’ have to serve two purposes, office and guest room. The daybed can offer seating and keep the room looking professional and tidy. A daybed can also offer a creative thinker a place to spread out and work, offering a change of scenery from the desk.

The versatile daybed also works well in a game room or toy room. It’s the perfect place to relax and watch a movie or build a fort out of pillows! It also keeps a low profile while offering guests a place to sleep, turning the toy room into another bedroom.

Daybeds can also be a major space saver for a young adult just starting out on their own. A daybed in a studio apartment serves as a sofa and a bed! Saving money and space. Invite friends over to watch a movie then stretch out in your comfy bed after the party ends. Daybeds turn every room into a living room and bedroom.

Most daybeds will accommodate a trundle for added sleeping space and easy cleanup. Many are high enough off the ground to store anything from toys to clothes.

If you have a room that will have to serve multiple functions, a daybed is the way to go. Shop around and find the right look to fit your style. The perfect daybed will add life to any room!

Home Furniture’s Barstool Buying Guide Monday, September 3, 2018 A stool is never just a stool. There are heights, widths, types, and styles consider. Understanding how you will use your barstools is an important consideration before making the investment.

Function: First, where are your new barstools going to live? In a dining room? Outdoors? A game room? Or maybe around a kitchen island? The answer is important. Barstools that go around a kitchen island will need to be measured to fit that island, while those that will be a part of a table set will come pre-measured.

Height: Comfort and space are key to choosing the right stool height for your bar, counter or island. 10 to 12 inches should be allotted between the stool seat and the underside of your counter or table. If you measure from the floor to the underside of the counter, you should be able to select the proper seat height for your space.

Width: Again, comfort is key when it comes to the width of your barstool. The smaller the seat size, the more stools you can fit at your counter. However, it may also be a less comfortable fit. If you want a comfy width, go for a 17- or 21- inch barstool. Allow for at least 6 inches of space between each stool and measure accordingly so you know how many stools can fit comfortably.

Types: Once you understand the space that your barstools will occupy, it’s time to consider the options.

• Wood or Metal

  Most bar stools are either metal or wood. Metal options range from rustic finishes to a more contemporary chromed steel finish. Wood stools can offer a more traditional or vintage look.

• Added Touches

  Many people prefer a well-cushioned seat and comfortable backrest when sitting down for a meal and conversation. Look for stools with a soft seat and arms for a primary dining area.

Styles: There are a few style types to consider before making your decision. Let’s look at a few basics.

• Contemporary

  These may lean towards metal and leather. Plastic and vinyl are also popular contemporary materials for barstools. They can swivel, have backrests, or padding and upholstery, but overall maintain a sleek look. Contemporary stools are sturdy and hold up well to wear and tear.

• Vintage

  Vintage stools will be at home in a farmhouse or country style home. They are simple and straightforward and are made of wood or aged metal. They usually have upholstered seats and come with or without backs.

• Traditional

  Traditional style barstools are typically seen in a more formal setting but can be mixed into several styles. They usually mix muted metal with upholstered seats. They can have backs, swivel, and offer a bit more ornamentation than vintage barstools.

Once you understand the barstools basics, it’s much easier to make an informed decision.