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How to Find Home Furniture
Identify your personal style
Is it casual, contemporary, country, traditional or eclectic? If you're unsure, look at the items around you to see how they reflect your personality--your wardrobe, your car, your magazines, favorite movies, etc.
Examine your preferences
Make a list of your favorite colors, textures and patterns. Do you prefer bold colors or pastels? Solids, stripes or plaids? Soft, light fabric covers or rich tapestries? Lighter fruitwoods or darker hardwoods?
Consider your lifestyle
Do you plan to have a family or do you already have children? Do you have pets? Are you planning to move soon? These factors may affect the features of the furniture you buy today.
Prioritize your furniture purchases
Decide which items of furniture you want or need most, and buy those first. Then build around them. You don't have to furnish the whole house at once. Are key spaces empty? Are certain pieces worn or in need of replacement? Have you been yearning for a particular item?
Determine your budget
No matter how much or how little you want to spend, you can find good values that suit your style in any price category.
Budget your time to suit your shopping style
Do you enjoy doing lots of research and browsing or are you an on-the-spot buyer? Shopping for furniture can be as easy or involved as you want it to be. You can choose a sofa in an hour for same-day delivery or special-order a custom-designed piece.
Explore available resources
Look to home programs, books, magazines, catalogs, websites and furniture show rooms to provide inspiration. Keep a scrapbook of furniture styles you like.
Take advantage of free services
Many furniture stores offer such benefits as interior-design consulting, room-planning guides, product brochures, etc.
Trust your own judgment
Buy what you like, and don't be afraid to be bold or different. Remember: No one knows what you want better than you do.
Have fun and enjoy the process
Furnishing your home to express your personal style can be one of life's greatest and most enduring pleasures.
Furniture Tip:
It is always a good idea to use a furniture polish on natural wood surfaces to bring out their shine and give them a longer life.
CHECK LIST FOR BUYING WOOD FURNITURE
Doors and drawers fit well.
Drawers have glides and stops.
Drawers glide easily when pulled.
Drawers have dust panels.
Drawer corners are jointed securely.
Insides of drawers are smooth and snag free.
Long shelves have center supports.
Doors swing open easily without squeaking or rubbing.
Long doors are attached with study hinges.
Hardware is secure and strong.
No rough edges on hardware.
Interior lights operate easily.
Entertainment units have hole for electrical cords.
Heavy balanced feeling when table is rocked.
Tables leaves fit properly.
Tables leaves match grain and finish of table.
Finish feels smooth to the touch.(except distressed)
Distressed finish has randomly spaced dark marks.
All woods used for making furniture fall into two categories -- hardwoods and softwoods, but the designation doesn't really have anything to do with how hard or how soft the wood is. "Hardwood" identifies the trees that lose their leaves seasonally and "softwood" refers to those that keep their foliage all year.
Among hardwoods frequently used in making furniture are ash, cherry, maple, oak, pecan, teak, rosewood, walnut, mahogany and poplar. In the softwood category are cedar, cypress, fir, pine and redwood.
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More and more Americans today are looking at their homes as a place of refuge in a stressful world of challenges and economic instability. Now, more than ever, their homes need to be restful and soothing, yet stylish at the same time. Designers have noted that direction as well and have come out with their top 10 home decor trends for 2009.
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