Friday, February 23, 2007

People Love Leather Furniture For A Good Reason

People Love Leather Furniture For Good Reason
Bruce Channers

There has to be a good reason why people are willing to pay substantially more for a leather interior in their cars. For probably the same good reason, people are also willing to pay more for leather furniture as opposed to upholstered furniture. Frankly, the fact is that leather is a very appealing fabric that people want to have. A set of leather furniture in the living room isnt just about comfortits also about status.

But owning leather furniture is certainly about more than just impressing your neighbors. One of the biggest single reasons why people choose to spend extra for leather furniture is because it lasts. Typical upholstery will only stand up to constant use for about 5 years before it begins to fray, tatter, and tear. But when properly cared for, leather furniture can last for 20 years or more before needing major repair or replacement. So, while leather furniture may be more expensive, it certainly isnt 4 Xs as much! Therefore, going leather is actually the better economic move AND still will impress your neighbors!

Aside from being a status symbol and very durable, leather furniture is simply great on the skin! If you have ever noticed, leather furniture stays at room temperature. When the temp is high, the leather is very soft and pliable. But, when the room temp dips for any reason, the leather will become more brittle and less pliable. The reason for this is because leather furniture breathes.

Made from animal skins that have pores throughout them, leather furniture breathes through the pores in its surface. Genuine leather will not become sticky in the summer and is one of the most comfortable materials for your skin. So long as the leather furniture is cleaned and conditioned regularly, the leather will also not be brittle in the winter unless temperatures drop far lower than is normal in a household.

Another big advantage of leather furniture over upholstered varieties is that leather itself ages very well indeed. Developing what one might call a weathered look, leather takes on a patina as the years roll past. In fact, leather furniture actually looks better as it ages while upholstered furniture just fades and looks aged.

Of course, leather furniture must be cared for in order for it to age properly and stand the test of time. It is important to keep the pores in the leather free from dust so it is necessary to dust the leather furniture once a week. That way, the leather cleaner and conditioner can get down into the pores and keep the material soft, pliable, and well preserved. Plan on using a leather cleaner 3 times a year or so in order to prevent premature cracking or peeling that results from improper maintenance. But, with proper care, you can continue to impress your neighbors for many years to come while being able to enjoy the soft feel of leather the whole while!

About the Author:
Leather Furniture Hub is an information site that contains links, a directory and other Leather Furniture Information. It can be found at: http://www.leatherfurniturehub.com.

Submitted at: Content-Articles.com - WebSite Content and Article Directory


Wednesday, February 14, 2007

How to configure Living Room Furniture

How to Configure Living Room Furniture
By Stephan Teak




The living room is one of the most important in your home when it comes to style. Here is a quick guide on how to configure living room furniture.



After you finish furnishing your living room, you might look around and realize that it looks dull, boring, or lacks any kind of pizzazz. Instead of rushing out to buy different furniture or more accessories, take a break and think about how to arrange living room furniture in light of the space you have.



It is a simple mistake that many people make when arranging their living room. They often don’t know how to do it correctly. The first thing you should do is find the dimensions of the living room and then draw it out on graph paper. The rule of thumb is that a ¼ inch is equivalent to one foot of the room. Make sure you draw it to scale to get the most accurate measurements.



Step two is to mark anything that would effect your arrangements such as wall outlets, telephone and cable wires, light switches, windows, and doors. Now it is time to whip out your child’s construction paper and make scale paper cutouts of all your furniture. Again, remembering that ¼ inch is equal to one foot on graph paper. Arrange the furniture to the dimensions until a furniture arrangement that you love emerges.



Step three is to figure out the focal point of a room. If you have a fireplace, that will most likely be it. On the other hand, it could be a large sofa with a beautiful painting over it, bookcases, built in shelves with wonderful accessories, or anything that you want to emphasize. Arrange all the furniture to subtly orient towards the focal point. Step four is to make sure all furniture and accessories are the same variance in height. If you have a high chair next to a low table then add a large vase and flowers to the table so they are almost the same height. Do this with all groupings to make the eye flow naturally.



Step five is to set up cozy conversation areas among the groupings by angling two chairs towards each other, or something that would give a natural flow to conversation. Step six is to pull furniture away from the wall to create the conversation centers. Following along those lines, step seven is to position the sofa so it is at a non-perpendicular angle to any walls to create drama. The final step is to allow a minimum of 24 inches for traffic lanes through the room. Lanes will probably meander because of the conversation areas so it is okay to have a few different spots to walk.



Voila, you now have a beautifully set up naturally flowing living room without having to spend a dime on an interior decorator. With this quick guide on how to arrange living room furniture, you should be able to get the feel you want with the minimum of fuss.




Stephan Teak is with FurnitureStoresforYou.com - providing furniture articles.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephan_Teak
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Configure-Living-Room-Furniture&id=442020

Tips on Preserving Antique Furniture

Tips on Preserving Antique Furniture
By Rob Buenaventura




If you happen to be looking for a wonderful investment in the beauty of your home, you should seriously consider antique furniture. This sort of investment, however, doesn’t come inexpensively. As a result, you should take great precautions to properly care for your antique furniture. In addition to the beauty and tradition that is part and parcel of owning antique furniture the wonderful memories that this furniture can evoke as well as the educational value of it make it an even greater investment.



To properly care for your antique furniture you will need to do more than the occasional dusting with a can of Pledge. You must also protect your furniture from the damage that can be caused by environmental effects as well as the climate and amount of activity that it will be subjected to. Kids and antiques are not necessarily great mates.



You may be surprised to discover that ultra violet rays are one of the most damaging things to which you can expose your wood or fabric antique furniture. For this reason it is a good idea to make sure you store your antique furniture far away from windows that allow direct sunlight into the room. Not only will these rays cause bleaching and cracking of the wood they will also cause fabrics to fade over time. Buying heavy-duty drapes can help reduce exposure of this beautiful furniture to harmful ultraviolet rays as well as treating it with furniture oil or wood polish that is specifically designed to protect wood from ultra violet damage.



By keeping the rooms in which you store your antique furniture at a fairly consistent temperature and avoiding excessive or extreme highs or lows you can also extend the life and beauty of your furniture. Extreme temperatures can cause the furniture to rapidly expand and contract resulting in cracked wood. You should also work to avoid exposing your antique furniture to humidity. Humidity creates an environment that is favorable for bacteria to grow in fabric and mold to grow on wood, neither of which are attractive situations for your antique furniture.



By learning the proper care for your antique furniture you can extend its life another century or so and enjoy years of use and beauty from your furniture. There are plenty of online sources from which you can learn a great deal about caring for your furniture be sure to check them out and find out how you can get the maximum enjoyment from your antique furniture.




Rob Buenaventura has worked in the home improvement industry for several years. Learn more about furniture ideas, rustic furniture and other home remodeling ideas at HomeImprovementTouch.com



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Buenaventura
http://EzineArticles.com/?Tips-on-Preserving-Antique-Furniture&id=451653

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Easy Fix for cushions that don't stay in place

BY Richard Ribbing

Do you have a sofa or chair that the cushions are always sliding out towards the front? It seems like you are always adjusting the cushions , and shoving them back into place. I've found a simple solution to this problem.

What you want to use is a non-skid rubberized shelf liner. This material is made by a number of manufactures and can be found at most hardware stores or department stores, pharmacies or supermarkets. It also comes in different thicknesses. I would suggest you get the heaviest thicknesses. This seems to work the best and hold up the longest.

What you want to do, is remove the cushions. Measure the area of the deck, this is the area that the cushions sit on. Measure between the arms, and from the front to the back. Cut a piece of liner this size. Lay the piece of liner directly on top of the deck. Now just replace the cushions. If there is any part of the liner showing on the front, remove the cushions and cut off about 2" of the liner

In most cases this will do the job, and you won't have to be re-adjusting the cushions all the time. This also works well for area rugs, window seats and bench cushions.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Furniture Trends

Furniture Trends


by Jason Cox

Furniture trends don?t really have a drastic change overnight. Mostly the trends are small changes nothing quite big. But they are subtle changes that might surprise you. The latest trends are all about accessorizing.

Furniture trends and designs today a more conservative, the colors are basically the same and so are the styles, which mean that the furniture pretty much stayed the same without many new arrivals or new styles. But there are new accessories that have come out with bold colours and patterns.

The statement in furniture trends today is global, with influences from all around the world. Furniture today is simple and has an international language, from Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, and America.

The international trends express sophistication to tropical luxury. Animal prints have come back into style as well, with leopard to cheetah, skin looks may be used with antique and contemporary furniture, and it can go with anything.

Leather has been around for years and is still popular. Today you can have a collaboration of leather and fabric. Leather has also been as an accent on wooden and fabric pieces. So if you love leather you can still have it with a little more style.

To keep it simple furniture trends today have a mix of everything. Wood is mixed with fabric, or metal, or even glass. There are many new and exotic material such as coconut shells, stone, crushed bamboo, and even fossil stones. Could you have even imagined using those materials on furniture, I wouldn?t.

So there are many choices for those new shoppers, go out and explore the new and exotic looks that can be found! I predict it would be hard to choose from the new unique styles that are out there. Just have a style in mind and go from ther


Article source: ArticlePros.com




About the author

Mitch Johnson is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.curtains-n-drapes.com/ . His articles have also been featured on related sites such as http://www.antiquefurnitureforu.info/ and http://www.artdrawingtips.info/

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Leather Living Room Furniture

Leather Living Room Furniture
By Eddie Tobey




Leather is made from the dressed, tanned hide of an animal. It is used in a wide variety of goods that are manufactured, such as boots, purses and other accessories. It is widely used in furniture, such as sofas, ottomans and love seats.



Leather furniture gives a contemporary look to a living room. It gives an elegant, distinguished look while giving an extravagant feel to the room. Leather sofas and couches are soft and sinuous and have long been a favorite for individuals in quest of true sophistication. A black leather couch has always been viewed as the ultimate in high-end home furnishings, with a lustrous, sophisticated look.Leather has many unique characteristics that make it an attractive choice for sofas, chairs, and other furnishings. When properly cared for, it outlasts traditional upholstery, making it cost-effective for those who wish to use their furniture for many years to come. It retains its softness well and may become supple over time. Top grade leather provides the greatest durability and longevity. People buy it when they plan on keeping the furniture for 20 or 30 years. While leather furniture is expensive, many people are looking at Internet discount retailers for competitive prices. There are many manufacturers who use split- leather, which is not the expensive top grade leather. Hence, faux leather is also becoming more common, as it is affordable.



Though the classic black leather couch remains popular, people are experimenting with new combinations and furniture suites that aren't all one color or style. Each type of leather has specific recommendations for cleaning and maintenance. Leather's durability and soft, supple feel makes it a wise choice for those looking for quality furniture. It is available in many style and design themes. Leather remains a smart choice in upholstery fabric, with greater durability and longevity.




Living Room Furniture provides detailed information on Living Room Furniture, Cheap Living Room Furniture, Discount Living Room Furniture, Contemporary Living Room Furniture and more. Living Room Furniture is affiliated with Upholstered Ottomans.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Tobey
http://EzineArticles.com/?Leather-Living-Room-Furniture&id=429204