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.



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