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Posts Tagged ‘home decorating’

Underlying Workmanship in Unfinished Furniture

September 29th, 2009 No comments

We all know we could go to the local department store today, get a some assembly required mishmash of wood and particle board, and have ourselves a fairly serviceable piece of furniture within the hour (longer if we’re missing pieces). We also know that desk or entertainment center will probably be broken within the year. You would do better on your investment if you were to find a more expensive, but better made piece that will last you for years to come.

Oak is a good middle of the road wood to go with if you’re looking for something that will last but don’t want to break the budget. There are antique oak pieces dating back hundreds of years ago, so this is a material that’s can easily hold out for a lifetime.

Once you decide on a material, you must then look for the individual piece of furniture. You will have the easiest time finding high quality craftsmanship if you purchase an unfinished piece.

Wood stain and especially paint are often used to cover up mistakes made by the builder. If you choose unfinished furniture there will be nothing to hide the actual build of the furniture, and you will be able to be more discerning in your choice.

Joints are especially important in the construction of furniture. More complex joints, such as dovetail joints, can be a good mark of solid craftsmanship. Be sure that nothing looks loose or poorly connected.

Knots in the wood is also something to watch out for. If these are loose they may come out, leaving an indentation in your furniture. If you are looking for a more rustic look you may prefer this, but if you’d rather have smooth lines stay away from furniture with a great number of knots.

There’s nothing wrong with asking questions. If you are unsure about any component of the furniture you’re considering, be sure to ask. Furniture is a good sized purchase and you have a right to be sure it is what you want before committing to anything.

Finding good quality work is the key to increasing the longevity of your furniture.

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Ideas for Decorating Your Breakfast Nook

August 27th, 2009 No comments

For some reason when people gather in your home, they will probably gravitate towards your kitchen or breakfast nook. For whatever reason, this is where you will spend a lot of your time. Therefore, you want this room to reflect your personal style and compliment the interior design of the rest of your home. Even though the room is small, you have several opportunities for decorating.

The centerpiece of your breakfast nook, the table and chairs, are the first step to creating the perfect look for this room. You can make a big decorating statement with the selection of your breakfast nook set. If you choose a set with benches and a wooden table, then it is obvious you are going for a more country style home. If you choose an aluminum table with a glass top and aluminum chairs then I would expect your home to be quite modern. Whatever furniture you decide on, make sure that it matches the rest of the dcor in your kitchen like cabinets and appliances.

Once you choose the overall style of your kitchen furniture, then you can add touches to it to enhance the aesthetics. Many wooden chairs can be have painted seats or backs that match the color scheme of your cabinets, appliances, and counters. You can order your table with a tile border that matches your kitchen backsplash or you can pain the table with stencils that math those on your cabinets. The stencils can be protected by finishing the table with a laminate.

If you choose not to dress up your furniture with color or design then you can add that splash of color with cushions or placemats. Both benches and chairs can hold cushions of various colors or textures. Placemats can be for everyday specialty use. Everyday placemats will usually be a solid color or texture like the cushions. Specialty placemats can help decorate your kitchen for any holiday.

If you are thinking about selling your home then you might think about decorating your breakfast nook with china. Many people will set up china in their formal dining room to add a touch of color. China often compliments the colors in your counter tops or other kitchen decorations and putting place setting on the table is a nice way to dress up the room.

Another way to add lines and color to your breakfast nook is with curtains. Breakfast nooks are usually equipped with lots of windows so the necessity of curtains gives you the opportunity to add character to the room. Designers will note that kitchens are usually very angular rooms with straight lines. A curved cornice or valence will help to soften the look of the room.

The windows will also help to provide with a natural decorating element, sunlight. Nevertheless, when the sun goes down, you need to think of alternative lighting options. Whether you choose an ornate chandelier or simple spot lights, the lighting fixtures are another opportunity to tie your breakfast nook into the interior design of the rest of the house.

Many homeowners think that the lack of solid wall surfaces means that you cannot hang art in your breakfast nook. This is absolutely not true. The windows provide a large surface where many different types of art can hang. Arts and crafts stores sell decals that you can put on glass and paints that are meant to be painted on glass and that allow light to shine through. In addition, many people hang stained glass art projects with suction cups to windows in order to take advantage of the natural light source.

Breakfast nooks may seem like they do not offer many decorating options, but in fact, they do. By using the elements that you need in the room for functional purpose as decorating tools, you can make quite a statement with your breakfast nook.

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