Posted on 25 January 2011
Oak, the widely known deciduous tree has some of the strongest and most durable pieces of wood available. Famous for the waved pattern of its grain and the natural reddish color, it is especially favored for use in flooring and strong furniture, lasting for decades. Woodwork artists have therefore come up with ways to keep the amazingly beautiful pieces looking bright and new as always and therefore the concept of reclaimed oak. Though the word “reclaimed oak” might seem as a cliché word for the environmentally correct and a buzzword for recycle, reuse, and so on, it is important to note that the concept of reclaimed oak is not a shabby chic or fashionable idea, but rather one that has come down through generations. With the challenges the planet and environment are facing today however, it also worth emphasizing the positive attributes of considering the idea. Responsible buying, reduction of waste, preserving nature and keeping the planet green are all concepts worth considering when purchasing any woodwork or oak furniture, being one of the few species of trees to withstand the test of time, should be preserved. This preservation is what has made the reclaimed oak pieces of furniture such jewels to marvel. These strong, traditional and antique products of the hardwood, with some fine touches over time can leave them spackling new. Whether it is for resale, or continued use at home, your reclaimed oak furniture will always attract attention to lookers with its strong ambience and natural reddish color that needs little furnishing. The one thing that stands out about oak, and reclaimed oak furniture is how crisp and smooth it will always look. The bright color of it’s furnish reflects light well, making cleaning it a joy. Oak is easily recognizable and highly respected as wood and with the modern synthetic furniture being reported to contain toxic substances, it is always a safe bet to stick with the old timer. With more stringent controls being taken on restoring the planet’s past glory where oak was in plenty and oak furniture easily available, it is important to take note of how best to make a furniture purchase, whether a bedroom furniture or living room furniture. Considering reclaimed oak is therefore one of the preferred methods where new furniture may not be really necessary. Earth friendly materials for use as restorers are also available in the market and it is therefore easy to work on your old piece of oak. If you’re buying a reclaimed oak piece of old furniture, it is also important to check where the oak has come from, and if not from a legal and sustainable source, keep away from it. In the US, certification for the source of oak is done by the Forest Stewardship Council, FSC, and since most of these precious woodworks such as oak furniture are second hand, be sure to always check their sources. Most importantly however, having oak furniture, whether reclaimed oak, or new, as a living room furniture or bedroom furniture is always a treasure and should be considered as a long term investment rather than an expense.
Posted in Oak
Posted on 02 September 2010
When considering hotel furniture the U.K. hotel owner, whether a large hotel chain or a single owner must think about finding a balance between choosing hotel chairs and tables that are of a quality that attracts customers and encourages them to come again and recommend the hotel to their friends and being affordable enough that the cost of them does not wipe out any benefit that replacing the old hotel furniture may bring. In these toughest of economic times when banks are at their most cautious with new lending this consideration is especially important and many private owners may consider deferring renewals until the economy improves. Many may not be able to – if their hotel furniture is to the point that it is worn out then the owner has little room for manoeuvre – to wait could mean disaster because they will lose their clientele and so their revenue stream. Of course another consideration is that the disastrous U.K. economy has led to a rapid and extreme fall in the value of the GB Pound again every major world currency, especially the U.S. Dollar and the Euro.
While this has had a real negative effect in terms of the cost of hotel furniture from the USA, Europe and the Far East, the positive effect is that U.K residents considering a holiday for their family this year are sure to be aware of how much extra a holiday to any European country will cost them and must have heard horror stories from their friends about how much more a pint or a meal costs now, let along accommodation if they are arranging this themselves. So there will be many potential holidaymakers in the UK planning a British holiday this year rather than a US or European one. So for the coastal trade and established areas of tourism this must be good news this year with rising demand giving the hotel owner the opportunity to enjoy high occupancy and even – heaven forbid – increase their room rates a little.
Right now there is a bewildering range of hotel furniture available. A simple internet search of hotel furniture will bring up many Companies offering anything from the most modern to the most traditional ranges of hotel chairs and tables in wood or steel, fully upholstered or with solid seat. When choosing a style that is right for their hotel the owner can consider the kind of client that they are attracting already and think if they need to keep the style the same or make changes to reinforce the style they have created or make changes in order to attract a different kind of customer. Of course the interior of the rooms must play a part in their choice too, as a hotel with oak timbered rooms is likely to look more than a little strange with modern chrome plated stacking chairs and steel framed tables!
A traditional hotel looks very attractive with wooden chairs for the bar area, with wooden framed bar chairs with some upholstery at least, traditional designs like the ‘Mates’ or ‘Captains’ chairs being favoured. With these, wooden framed tables with turned wooden legs can be bought in a variety of sizes, round, rectangular or square. Because these are made of natural timber they can be finished in any colour from the natural shade of the timber used through to an attractive rich brown walnut, deep red mahogany or dark Jacobean oak colour. So whatever interior style the dining room has, the hotel tables and chairs can be made to complement it.
For the breakfast and dining areas steel framed chairs and tables are often chosen because they offer good strength at a low price and the chairs can be bought as stacking chairs to give the added advantage of being stackable to save space when the room is required for another function. Right now there is fierce competition between Companies selling this kind of chair, so prices are at their lowest for many years. The frames are available made of steel or aluminium which is lighter but carries a premium in terms of price. These chairs are available with a wide choice of colours, the most popular being gold, silver or black. Recently special printed coatings are also available, so a wooden effect can be achieved. With these chairs it is important to remember that when they are stacked they are heavy, so it is necessary to buy a transport trolley so that staff members can move them without risk of injury. These are not expensive and are often given free of charge with a large order of chairs if the customer requests it.
When choosing the hotel furniture for the bedrooms, the most welcoming look is created with real wooden framed beds and drawer units. Once again, since the recession hit, many Companies are competing hard to retain sales so the hotel owner should be looking for good discounts.
The cheapest timbers for bedroom hotel furniture are rubberwood, from Malaysia and China and Sheesham or Thakat wood from India. These are acceptable timbers for furniture use and again can be stained to colours from natural light colour through to dark Jacobean oak. Good medium priced timbers available are Ashwood, Oakwood and Birchwood, all of which can be bought from factories using ecologically sourced timber farms.
For the more exotic timbers like Mahogany, Kingwood, Rosewood and Cedar, deals are available, but the purchaser should consider the effect buying new furniture of this kind has on the remaining rainforests, as these slow growing timbers are very rarely available ecologically sourced and any claims to that effect should be treated with the greatest suspicion.
Posted on 10 July 2010
A sleigh bed has long been regarded as a rather exotic piece of furniture and in some places, it is rather unheard of to have one in the bedroom. Perhaps it’s the cost and the perceived luxury value attached to it or maybe a person who is not familiar with interior design and furnishing will imagine that this piece of furniture belongs solely in the North Pole. Although this is a rather amusing thought, the fact is that a sleigh bed DOES look like Father Christmas’ most preferred vehicle. If you ran your fingers along its ornately carved structure, you will eventually reach the pinnacle of a sleigh bed’s design — its curvy top upon the headboard that is turned either inwards or outwards.
Although the sleigh bed bears historical evidence that it was inspired by the noble French people, it was in America that it became wildly popular in the early 19th century. Interestingly one can also see remnants of the ancient Roman designs on sleigh beds even in the modern world. Traditionally, sleigh beds were carved from deep mahogany wood but today, more contemporary versions are available in the US and other European countries where sleigh beds are no longer considered an opulent form of furniture due to highly competitive prices offered by manufacturers. This meant that more people can afford to enjoy the charm and novelty that come with a sleigh bed!
In the olden days, sleigh beds that bear equally high headboards and footboards are commonplace but now, modern versions have emerged with a slew of diversified designs. If you don’t want an old fashioned sleigh bed to adorn your bedroom, you can choose to purchase one with a lower footboard minus the elaborate curl on the headboard. Perusing a furniture store or catalog, one can find sleigh beds fashioned from cherry wood, light rattan, solid iron and even plush leather. Fully upholstered sleigh beds are also a desired addition to a bedroom but they may cost a little more than your average model.
If you are thinking of replacing your old bed with a sleigh bed, or even thinking of sprucing up a new home with one, find out your room’s measurement before putting down money to purchase a sleigh bed. A sleigh bed can be very bulky depending on the design and while a large room can easily accommodate a Queen or even a King-sized bed, you might have to choose a slightly more compact model minus the intricate outward curls for a smaller room. Remember, unlike conventional beds, a sleigh bed’s headboard will go lean completely flat against the wall so do think about this issue before you rush out to the furniture store with your credit card!
Posted on 17 May 2010
American made toys and furniture are gaining in popularity for a number of reasons. They are well made of safe materials and support American manufacturers. The toys are fun, the furniture is sturdy and attractive, money and jobs stay in the US – everybody wins when you buy American made kid’s furniture and toys!
Quality And Safety
How many times have you bought a toy or piece of kids’ furniture, only to have it fall apart after just a few weeks? Worse, have you ever worried about the safety of the materials that do into these items?
The repeated recalls of Chinese-made toys is frightening and frustrating. How can we be sure that the toys we give our kids are safe? Furniture and toys made in the US are subject to stringent quality control. When you purchase American made toys kids’ furniture, you can be confident that your kids will love them and that they are safe and durable, too.
Fun And Style
You cannot beat American made kids’ furniture for quality and style. There is a vast variety of finishes, styles and looks to satisfy every taste. From outdoor furniture and play sets bedroom furniture, desks, chairs and floor coverings, American-made products will last for generations and look great doing it.
American made toys are some of the “funnest” around. Blocks, sandboxes, pretend furniture, swingsets…don’t you wish you were a kid again? Quality materials, non-toxic paints, finishes and materials and thoughtful designs let your kids’ imaginations run wild — safely.
Socially And Environmentally Smart
Overseas manufacturers are not subject to the same level of environmental regulation as are American manufacturers. Toxic materials are not only incorporated into some of these products, but the manufacturing process itself can pollute the air and water. Workers, too, are often exposed to dangerous chemicals.
By purchasing furniture and toys made in the US, you will help the local and national economy. You can also be sure that the conditions under which the products were produced are safe and workers treated fairly.
It is more important than ever to purchase American-made products. It is a safer choice for our kids, a better choice for our economy and a smarter choice for our environment.
Posted in Kids
Posted on 06 May 2010
Giving your little girls the greatest achievable bedroom may possibly give the impression like an uncomplicated task except that is you have decided to choose the Princess theme for your little princess. As a rule high street furniture stores will stock not so much children’s furniture within their collection let alone themed furniture such as the Disney Princess. One of your best options would probably be to collect a catalogue from an in-store catalogue store such as IKEA or Argos and have a glance through one of them. A further option could be to browse for particular children’s shops and see what variety of furniture they have based a the Disney princess theme.
There are a couple of very lovely websites to find distinctive princess bedroom furniture that will last for a long time. Crayon Castles in Texas offers a mixture of princess bedroom furniture pieces ranging from a bedside lamp to a queen sized princess canopy bed. All of their furniture is made of hard wood and assured for life. You can also get many of their pieces hand painted with your custom design against what the piece usually comes with. You can in reality find a number of pieces under two hundred dollars (£150), but if you want the top of the line beds with some magnificent features like night lights in the posts and tiaras in the head boards you will end up spending above two thousand dollars (£1500) for the queen size version and the mattress and box spring is NOT included, and neither is shipping costs.
If you are struggling to find thoughts of how to plan your little girls ideal princess bedroom have a look at some of the websites intended at the US market for children’s furniture. Our little girl adores the castle design bed with private den below, an idea that I found from unique children’s bed website. Though they DID ship international I preferred to have my daughter’s bed made locally, but only as soon as I had some form of picture of what not only we wanted but would fit into our little princess’s bedroom.
For less than one thousand pounds you can get all new Princess themed bedroom furniture and your daughter can start playing Princess with her friends in her new Pretty Princess bedroom that you have decorated. By adding pink bedding and accent pillows along with her modern furniture she will have a playground she will not want to leave. Sending her to her room for a timeout will maybe be not as useful now though; you will have to come up with something fresh now for that one.
Posted on 01 April 2010
American made kids toys and children’s furniture are gaining in popularity for a number of reasons. They are well made of safe materials and support American manufacturers. The educational toys are fun, the kid sized furniture is sturdy and attractive, money and jobs stay in the US – everybody wins when you buy American made kid’s furniture and educational toys!
Quality And Safety
Parents are concerned about the quality and safety of imported goods, particularly if those products are used by or around their children. American made children’s furniture and toys offer a level of security that is missing from imported items, How many times have you bought a toy or piece of kids’ furniture, only to have it fall apart after just a few weeks? Even worse, have you ever worried about the safety of the materials that do into these kids toys and child sized furniture?
The repeated recalls of Chinese-made toys is frightening and frustrating. How can we be sure that the toys we give our kids are safe? Kids furniture and educational toys made in the US are subject to stringent quality control. When you purchase American made toys and kids’ furniture, you can be confident that your kids will love them and that they are safe and durable, too.
Fun And Style
You cannot beat American made kids’ furniture for quality and style. There is a vast variety of finishes, styles and looks to satisfy parents and children’s taste. From outdoor kids furniture and outdoor swing set / play sets, children’s bedroom furniture, kids desks, child sized chairs and floor coverings, American made toys and furniture will last for generations and look great doing it.
American made toys are some of the “funnest” around. Building blocks, backyard wooden sandboxes or sand boats, pretend kitchens, battery powered kids cars, pedal cars…don’t you wish you were a kid again? Quality materials, non-toxic paints, finishes and materials and thoughtful designs let your kids’ imaginations run wild — safely.
Socially And Environmentally Smart
Overseas manufacturers are not subject to the same level of environmental regulation as are American manufacturers. Toxic materials are not only incorporated into some of these products, but the manufacturing process itself can pollute the air and water. Workers, too, are often exposed to dangerous chemicals.
By purchasing kids furniture and toys made in the US, you will help the local and national economy, support American manufacturing and American manufacturing jobs. You can also be sure that the conditions under which the products were produced are safe and workers treated fairly.
It is more important than ever to purchase American made toys and kids furniture. It is a safer choice for our kids, a better choice for our economy and a smarter choice for our environment.
Buy quality! Support American industry by buying toys made in the US. When you purchase American made kids’ furniture and toys, you can be sure that you’re getting safe, top quality products. Your kids deserve the best so visit AmericanMadeToysNFurniture.com today!
Posted in Kids
Posted on 11 January 2010
Modern Furniture- A Symbol of Elegance:
The furniture techniques that have developed based on the concepts of modernism are called modern furniture. The period of modern furniture if from the late 19th century to the present day period. The distinct feature of the modern furniture is the simplicity that it exhibits. The most important thing that led to the development of modern furniture is the change in attitude of people in viewing the furniture. In the past the furniture were considered to be an ornament but in the modern times the function of the furniture is given more importance. The old furniture mostly incorporated some part of the history in them but the modern furniture displays future and present in them. The modern furniture has evolved from various schools of thought and design such as Bauhaus etc.
Materials Used:
Wood was the material that was mainly used in the old school of furniture. In the modern times a variety of materials is used to make furniture. Materials such as steel, plywood and plastics are being used to make furniture. Steel were first to be used among modern furniture materials and then came plywood and at last plastics.
Steel furniture were strong but were heavy while plywood and plastic furniture were of light weight and practical.
Mingling of Cultures:
The old furniture was based on the European culture. But the modern furniture is based on the African, Asian and Japanese culture. Among these cultures the effect of Japanese culture was more pronounced. The main reason for Japanese culture to gain importance is the practicality that the Japanese culture offers.
Some Examples of Modern Furniture:
Barcelona chair:
This chair was designed by Mies Van Der Rohe and Lilly Reich. It was designed around 1929.this chair was based upon two cultures the roman and the Egyptian culture. This chair was presented by them to the royal family of Spain. This chair is considered to be one of the master pieces of modern furniture history.
Noguchi coffee table:
This table truly combined the cultures of both US and Japan. It was designed by Isamu Noguchi a famous furniture designer. He was a half American and half Japanese. The most striking feature of this table is the simplicity that it exhibits. This table is considered to be one of the most important master pieces of modern furniture history.
Eileen Gray Side Table:
This table was created in 1927 and is considered to be a masterpiece of modern furniture architecture. It was designed by Eileen Gray for her sister. The thing about this table was that it was a height adjustable table. It was basically a bed table and she designed it as her sister liked to have her break fast in the bed. The thing with this table is that it can be used almost any where be it on the terrace, reception, living rooms or in the bedroom. This table is widely remembered for its rational design and practicability.
Transition:
The furniture which was basically made of wood and of a definite shape and style has evolved over the years into a more practical product. But even now people are trying to create furniture of old culture using modern materials. The thing that has made the modern furniture stand out is their strength, practicality and long lasting nature.
Posted on 30 December 2009
This year started good for the home furnishing industry with a successful trade show in Cologne, Germany. The imm Cologne held from January 14 to 20 this year is proclaimed to be a success by its organizers. The said trade show welcomed 1,251 exhibitors from 53 countries. Sixty-six percent of that number came from outside of Germany.
Visitors flocked to Cologne from different parts of the world. According to the organizers of the trade show, there were more than 107,000 visitors who attended the show at one point or another. Of these, over 31,000 are from outside of Germany.
Internationally-known designers have also visited the event. Cory Grosser, an LA-based designer is one of the numerous designers who flocked the event. Grosser said that he has attended the imm Cologne for five years now.
“This event always kicks off the design show season and helps set the tone for the coming year. I meet existing clients, see friends and colleagues in the industry. More than other events, Cologne is well suited for business meetings, I actually met several new clients at the show,” said Grosser.
The designer also pointed out that the event is good way to start the year. He said that it is a good venue for Americans to be exposed to European designs. “Being the first show of the season, US attendees can get a look at the dominant European trends for the upcoming year – especially from the top German design companies,’ said Grosser.
Another American who attended the event is David Morcaski, Chairman of Environmental Design at the Art Center College of Design. Morcaski said he had been attending the trade show for twelve years.
One of the reasons for his coming to the trade show is the blend of different styles from different countries. “I am always looking at how all the components of a fair are put together and what the reaction of the people I come in contact with is,” said Morcaski.
This year, the event was praised by event goers thanks to an organized display floor. At the said event, one can easily find the right home furnishing pieces that they are looking for. Even one can find fireplace screens at the said event.
Morcaski gave a positive review of the event. “I attend four to five trade shows a year and the Design Post does add to the overall interest of the fair. The installation on Kitchens was good. The high end market in the US is greatly influenced by what’s going on in the design side shown here in Cologne. I look forward to next year’s fair. I believe it is a good way to start the year,” said Morcaski.
