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Jul 31

Maintenance Tips For Your Lazy Boy Leather Recliner

Posted on Friday, July 31, 2009 in Home Furnitures

Having a Lazy Boy at home can give you the convenience and the comfort at your very own place. You don’t have to go out just to enjoy a seat on a recliner made of leather. It will be the favorite furniture in the household. It is one of those things that we buy to reward ourselves after a long day of hard work and stress. Many people have testimonials about the satisfaction they experienced in their leather recliners. It is one of the furniture that we take a lot of care. One must not take it for granted or else the next thing you know, you recliner will end up in the junkyard.

Of course, things do not last forever. The Lazy Boy, one day, will really have to go when it becomes irreparable. But, there are ways to extend the life of your chair.

Leather is one of the easiest material to care for; this is applicable to all upholstery. If you care for your Lazy Boy recliner properly, it will maintain its look and splendor for quite a long time. Different leathers require different types of care. But here are general guidelines in caring for leather:

• Avoid exposing your recliner to the sun. too much exposure will cause the material to fade.

• Clean the crevices. Dust often accumulates in these areas so vacuum it from time to time.

• Prevent your furniture from cracking or drying by placing them away from intense heat generators like radiators.

• Accidents happen. When you by accident spill on you Lazy Boy, do not rub. Just use blotting motions and put in mind to attend to the spills quickly. Do not let these liquids dry up on your recliner.

• Do not leave newsprints on your Lazy Boy. Especially when your recliner is made of leather, you will be seeing inks of newsprints all over. Now you would not want that, would you?

• Pets. Their furs are just hard to remove and their claws might leave marks on your precious leather recliner. Keep sharp objects away from your Lazy Boy too. Leather may be durable but it will be difficult to repair when it is punctured.

• Test your cleaner first on a hidden area before using it totally on your Lazy Boy. Harsh chemicals will damage your leather recliner.

• Usually, dark-colored leather recliners are easier to maintain as compared to light colored ones.

• The use of slipcovers can also prolong the life of your Lazy Boy.

Utilizing these care tips will surely make your recliner look good as new always.

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Jul 30

How to Recreate French Shabby Chic Style in Your Home

Posted on Thursday, July 30, 2009 in Home Furnitures

One of the current trends in interior decoration is that of the French style “shabby chic” look. This style combines elements of French country house style with elegant design to reproduce a sense of romance into the home. But where does one start with decorating their house – it’s not like your local furniture store will sell such products. To create the shabby chic style, you have to look to independent retailers in order to source some of the French style furniture you will need to turn your plain English home into 1960s French wonderland.

Storage

Wardrobes, shelving and dressers can be sourced in a range of colours and styles. One of the most favoured colours is white as this evokes a classic sense of French chic. Valbonne wardrobes and Chateau armoires are popular choices for clothes storage while château chest of drawers and dressers make ideal storage for nik-naks and household ornaments.

Beds

One of the most chic and luxurious item you can decorate your home with for the French style effect is a French reproduction bed. Back Moulin Rouge style carved beds, a touch of the palace of Versailles with a gold effect bed or elegant French country style Rattan beds are all available. Ultimately, it depends on what aspect of French culture you are looking to evoke and remember – match the bed to the surrounding and the surroundings to the bed. A bed that looks good enough for Louis XVI is going to look particularly out of sorts amongst cheap beech effect chipboard furniture.

Sofas

French style Sofas can generally add one of two effects to a room – either a touch of elegant formality as might be found in the waiting room of a stately home or a rustic and relaxed feel as might be found in a French Gite. Sofas can be gold effect with toile fabric or carved château sofas in white with wicker backing.

Chairs

Along with sofas, it is important to have the right occasional chairs to go with your desks, tables and dressing tables. There are a range of styles available but some of the more popular are Versailles style gold, white and black chairs with (or without) toile fabric upholstery.

Lighting

A wide variety of chandeliers, lamps and lampshades can be purchased to compliment the furniture in the room. Chandeliers range from the reasonably restrained to the thoroughly ostentatious with colours ranging from clear, to black to gold effect. Lamps and lampshades offer more of a boudoir / moulin rouge style effect to a room and add atmosphere to a room with their lighting.

Mirrors

Finally, to finish off transformation of your home into a scene from a Alexander Dumas novel, add a reproduction style mirror to the room. Mirrors are great decoration pieces as they can light up an otherwise dull or badly lit room and also give an effect of space to room that may seem pokey and small. For a front room, consider a classically styled over mantle mirror and for a bedroom a variety of ornate wall mirrors, dressing table mirrors and mirrored armoires are available to lighten up your boudoir. Mirrors come in the small range of colours as with furniture and range from the understated to the thoroughly ornate but all are elegant and stylish in their own way.

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Jul 29

Contemporary Home Office Furniture

Posted on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 in Home Office Furnitures

Any old chair will not do: comfort and support are crucial if you intend to spend a substantial amount of time at your desk. It’s hard to beat a well-designed office chair with height adjustment and swivel mechanisms, but if you have a favorite chair you want to use, make sure it has lumbar support to protect your back, and add a cushion or two if you need extra comfort and height.

Efficient lighting is essential to prevent eyestrain. Tempting as it may be to work in front of a window, it is not the best place for a computer screen. See if an L-shape set up is a possibility, so the computer is against the wall and you can turn to face the window when writing or using the phone. You will almost certainly need extra task lighting after dark to give clear light over the desk without shadows. The light provided by a desk lamp could be too bright or low. Consider an adjustable lamp, or fix spotlights or halogen lights to the wall or a shelf instead.

Look at the position of electric sockets and telephone points, and have more fitted if necessary. Assess the ventilation, too, since a lot of electrical equipment in use can cause a buildup of heat. Although glass-topped tables are attractive, non-reflective work surfaces are best if you are using a computer. Make sure the desk or table is high enough for you to work at without bending.

Your eyes should be level with the top half of the screen when you are sitting at your desk, so alter your chair to suit. A footrest will help you sit correctly. The screen may need elevation too. A slatted or translucent blind is the best window covering for shading the screen from glare.

Home Office Furniture provides detailed information on Home Office Furniture, Discount Home Office Furniture, Contemporary Home Office Furniture, Home Office Desk Furniture and more. Home Office Furniture is affiliated with Wood Office Furniture.

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Jul 27

Bring Summer Into Your Bedroom

Posted on Monday, July 27, 2009 in Home Furnitures

If you live in the north, you know that winter can really be a drag so why not bring summer into your bedroom!

In northern climates when the sun comes out (even if it’s only for a few months of the year) many decor-savvy individuals like to freshen the look of their rooms. Bring summer indoors in full force – without losing the comfortable and cozy furnishings you desire in the cooler months.

How can you transform your bedroom into a summer retreat? It’s easy!

When you think summer, you think light. Light colors, light fabrics. Put the heavy drapery away and make the widows a focal point. While the light is great during the day – especially if you don’t need to turn on interior lights – you may dislike the cavernous black holes that they become late at night. For privacy and appearance, keep up the retractable blinds during the day and put them down at night behind a sheer curtain.

Anther way to fill your bedroom with light is to Use mirrors to capture the sunlight and bounce it around. This doesn’t mean a major change in your decor but you may find moving a large mirror to a different wall will optimize the light reflection in the room. Try it across from a window or on a wall that corners against the window wall for the most light distribution. If you don’t have a headboard, you can try using a large mirror as a headboard simply by putting it behind the bed.

Try moving your furniture around to create a more open space. Make your bedroom feel light and airy even if you have to put away some of the furniture for another time. Moving the furniture into a ‘summer arrangement’ can optimize your space and give it a more airy feel.

If you have a fireplace in the bedroom and normally focus your seating around that, consider turning the seating to face away. You can put a nice fern or other plant in the opening. Think about decorating the mantle with some summery items like shells and a nice large vase of fresh flowers.

You don’t want a too cozy-comfy look in your summer bedroom so get rid of all those fluffy comforters and flannels. If you find that look is too plain, consider buying or making covers for the pillows that compliment your summer scheme. Celadon green, aqua blues, a hit of orange or even nautical navy and white stripes work great. You might also throw in a rattan or bamboo covered pillow (for looks – not comfort!).

Plants can add a summery feel to the bedroom and are great to have around. A large tropical with palm leaves will give an instant injection of summer to your rooms. Adding some colorful cut flowers will add further summer appeal. However, too much of anything is not good. Don’t clutter your rooms with so many plants it feels like a conservatory.

Don’t feel like you have to get rid of everything in your bedroom and start over. Just using a couple of the suggestions above can help brighten your bedroom and give you a taste of summertime in the middle of winter!

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