Archive for January, 2009
Wood, Glass and wood laminates are not the only materials available in the market. Ask your dealer for the variety that he has available, and ask him which will best suit your requirements. And read on to be well prepared to take on your dealer’s expert sales talk.
Leather: Suitable for cold climatic conditions, leather offers a class not available to other forms of furniture. Restricted mainly to living room furniture, leather gives a royal look that is smart modern and long lasting as well. Again a word of caution for those with small children – leather furniture is very prone to damage by the likes of blades and knives. A cut with your kid’s play scissors would cost you fairly dear to repair, besides ruining the overall look of your sofa or chair. This is why you will generally find leather furniture at offices, or in the homes of people with grown up children.
Wrought Iron Furniture: Wrought iron is a material that has sturdiness built in along with the surety of a long life. After all, there is nothing stronger that metal. Though the material used in wrought iron is cast iron, which is a rather crudely refined form of the metal and fairly brittle, its strength is more than adequate for your household requirements. Don’t throw it around, however, or you may find yourself making a trip to the welder shop. There also you will have to look for a gas welder as cast iron does not lend itself to ordinary oxyacetylene welding.
Cane Furniture: A good alternative to normal heavy furniture is cane furniture. Available in a variety of designs and shapes, it is a worthwhile investment if you are looking for a decent, cheap alternative. While it may not offer the long life and sturdiness of Amish oak furniture, it is worth investing in if you are looking to change your furniture after a couple of years. Be careful of jutting nails and bang them right back in before they ruin your favorite dress. You could even add a cushion to avoid this eventuality. Cushions are available to suit all kinds of tastes and color combinations, and generally go well with a cane furniture set. Being hand made, cane furniture invariably has some rough edges, as well as the edges tend to chip off after a while, so adding a cushion is actually more of a necessity. Use hand painted cloth covers to add a touch of elegance and exclusivity.
Bamboo: This is a relatively less used form of furniture that has the advantage of immediately drawing attention to your choice. Like Amish made furniture, bamboo furniture is also hand made, and is thus an exclusive piece from the word go. Unlike Amish furniture, however, it will not just fit in anywhere, as by its very nature it is bulky and requires large spaces to give an admirable look. If you are short of space, then bamboo furniture is definitely not for you.
So go ahead and make your decision. Whatever you may decide, make sure you have done adequate market survey before you spend your hard-earned money. That is the way to get the best bargain.
Wicker is a general term that actually describes any type of furniture or object that is woven from natural organic materials. This includes willow. reed. rattan and bamboo. This special type of furniture made of reeds and vines needs a special type of care and environment. Many choose to accessorize their wicker sunroom furniture with stylish cushions and fabrics. These too must be maintained in order to preserve the look of the furniture.
Choosing Cushions for Your Wicker Furniture
Many do not realize that the beautiful layout they see in the ads for wicker furniture often does not include the padding or cushions. Careful examination of the small print usually reveals that cushions must be purchased separately or will only be included for an extra fee. On average. cushions for wicker furniture can be found at any department store with a home decorating section. Should the furniture require a certain size or type of cushion. there are always many options available online. Sturdy fabrics are the best choice for sunroom furniture that will see a lot of use. However. regardless of the amount of use the furniture will see. it is always a good idea to treat the cushions with a stain repellant. Not only will this help the fabric retain its composition. it will make cleaning easier in the off chance that something is spilled on the fabric!
Maintaining Your Wicker Furniture
Be sure to keep your wicker furniture away from sources of dry heat as this will make it brittle. This type of furniture will do best in environments with a certain amount of humidity in the air. The manufacturer’s instructions are the best source for information on how to restore the moisture content of the furniture. In general. the moisture content of wicker can be as easy as a quick rinsing with a garden hose.
To maintain wicker furniture and keep it in the best possible condition. a regular light dusting with the brush attachment that comes with a vacuum cleaner is recommended. Gently following the weave of the wicker will help to remove dust and debris that may have become trapped in the wicker. For heavy build up on arm rests or tabletops. wipe the wicker with a damp cloth that has been soaked in a mild soapy solution; then follow with a clean damp rag to remove any soap residue.
For bamboo furniture. a wax or polish is recommended.
The thought of bamboo furniture conjures up images of beach houses and squeaky chairs for most people, does it for you? Don’t worry, you are not alone in that thought, but with the popularity of bamboo as a commercial and industrial product, the bamboo furniture of yore is slowly becoming more fashionable and comfortable.
Though many believe bamboo to be a tree, it is actually a grass. Yes, it is a grass and a large grass at that. There are several varieties that can encompass vast amounts of land and can grow upwards to eighty feet tall; the more common types used for furniture range in diameter from two inches to seven. While it grows quickly, it does take up to seven years for the bamboo to thoroughly dry out and harden for furniture production.
However, compared to its hard wood cousin that takes around six decades to mature into a size worth harvesting, bamboo is still a better and quicker alternative. Despite being a grass species, bamboo is just as strong as any tree when harvested and treated.
While you may want that beach feeling on your patio or sun room, most people want a stylish, yet comfortable look to their decor. Yes, there are still those Tiki hut styled furniture sets still out there, so don’t worry. You can still build your island oasis off your backyard swimming pool with furniture that looks island authentic; but for those homeowners hoping to add environmentally friendly, eco-centric furniture to their household, welcome to the new world of bamboo furniture.
Bamboo furniture has transitioned well from the old versions, becoming much more refined as the years have gone on. Since bamboo is popular, many companies are invested much more time and energy into incorporating this sturdy, hard wood alternative into their repertoires.
But first, prior to purchasing your new furniture, do some homework. Do not just trust the first product you see. It may not be made of real bamboo, but a plastic press made to look like bamboo. If you are looking for the real thing, research. There are ample amounts of web sites that host bamboo furniture, in different styles, shapes, colors. You can get an entire room suite or just that one piece you have been looking for over the years.
Most individual homeowners will put bamboo style furniture on their back porch, as it feels more like an outdoor style, but bamboo can be utilized indoors as well. Go crazy, think outside the box! You do not have to have bamboo furniture outside; you can bring the island oasis indoors if you want. It is completely up to you and your design ideas.
Bamboo is so versatile that it can be produced in just about every color imaginable and any style, shape or size you desire. All you have to do is research and scout out the different types of bamboo furniture made. Remember, bamboo is pest resistant, so wherever it goes, you will not have to worry about little bugs destroying your new furniture.