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Upholstery Fabric – Make the Right Investment

Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017

The Flexsteel Living Room Fabric Ottoman 009C-08 comes with the durable Sunbrella fabric. This statement piece will surely turn heads.ces,

Indeed, a new sofa or chair is a kind of investment. And since it is an investment of sorts, you do not want to second-guess with the material and how it will eventually stand the rigors of day-to-day living. Pick the wrong material and you would be left with permanent stains and snags. Pick the wrong pattern or color and your interior design theme could suffer.

When shopping for upholstery fabric, do not forget to consider your practical needs. Think of your lifestyle and how the piece will be used. These should help you in picking the right material for your seating unit.

Kids and Your Furry Buddies

Wouldn’t it be tragic if you had the loveliest looking sofa and yet you cannot even allow you small kids to sit in it? The great news these days is that there are now plenty of options for upholstery materials. You don’t even have to choose between durability and aesthetics.

Microfiber is awesome for cleaning spilt liquids. It could fade, though, depending on what color you chose. Consider also if the feel of microfiber is something that you would want for years. For an even more durable fabric, choose the basket weave type as it rarely snags.

For people who have kids, pets and for those who love red wine, you can go for faux suede or the weather-resistant Sunbrella fabric.

The Sunbrella fabric is made with UV-stabilized pigments to deliver the most vibrant hues that will not fade. This means that your sofa or upholstered chair remains beautiful throughout the years. It is also very easy to clean.

Sunbrella fabrics also have a wide selection of sophisticated designs and rich textures. This fabric is so durable that it offers a five-year limited warranty.

Pick from our Sunbrella options.

Hancock and Moore Living Room Bradley Sofa 5378

Chic and Luxurious

For people who aren’t worried about kids and pets ruining the upholstery, then you are free to flaunt your chosen luxurious fabric. You can say yes to Tibetan wool, even Belgian linen. Linen is durable but just make sure that you pick the darker colors so that you won’t have to worry too much about stains.

Look Beyond Now

A huge mistake that a lot of people make is that they do not even stop to consider that leather and fabric could age over time. Review the label then ask questions when you visit the showroom. Find out about the fabric material and its maintenance requirements.

Having the answers to these questions, you can then prepare for the maintenance that the sofa or chair requires. Think also, will you still love leather beyond five years? Leather, after all, develops a patina brought about by day-to-day exposure. Are you ready to vacuum regularly and to close the drapes religiously when you go out?

If you’re not ready to go take on these responsibilities, then you can just choose a small piece for now – such as a statement chair. This piece has to have bold patterns and an interesting shade so that eyes will automatically go towards it.

Style vs. Durability

The importance of style and durability when it comes to fabrics is that they can make or break your sofa choice.

Be sure to choose a fabric that complements your home’s design as well as the furniture that you already have. Your choice must be in harmony with the rest of the design elements – you wouldn’t want to be caught with a contemporary piece in your traditional home.

As to durability, know that woven patterns are best as they tend to hold longer with their higher thread counts. Be sure also to choose a fabric based on who will use the seating unit more often.

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Green: The Energizing Interior Design

Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017

FFDM Summer Home: Panel Queen Bed sits beautifully in this ‘green’ bedroom.

Green is one of those hues that strike the eyes in a way that there isn’t a need to adjust. This is a restful color, since it is balanced, it is right in the middle of the color spectrum. Not a lot of people know this yet those who realize this aspect of green appreciate this well-adjusted color.

Back in 2013, a shade of green became the color of the year. Emerald green was quite huge back then, it was successful in succeeding the slot that Tangerine Tango filled the previous year. Because of the vigor that that tinge of orange offered for an entire year, the world wanted to have a sense of serenity the year after. The restoration of harmony and balance was gallantly offered by emerald green.

Healing You with Green

The chief psychological properties that green offers are harmony, balance and peace. This hue can restore and rejuvenate. It can easily give the feeling of a connection with Mother Nature. The right shade of green can also offer a greater sense of luxury and elegance.

The Resonance of Green

Before you decide on using green all over your place, try to ask yourself this important question – does this hue really resonate with you? Using it all because the rest of the interior design industry is going gaga over it at the moment is not the way to go.

Make sure that you pick green because you love this color and you can actually live with it. Begin by surrounding yourself with green at a shade that truly resonates to you.

You can also use classic green combinations such as complementary colors. Red, pink tones, orange and purple are wonderful hues to pair green with. Be sure to veer away from colors that would make green a jarring hue (e.g. yellow and blue).

This does not necessarily mean that you can no longer use blue with green. This all depends on the tone of blue and green that you end up using. Be ready to experiment if you are adamant in using both these colors.

Teaming up green with red also means you are ready to make the green a lot greener and red a lot redder.

Uttermost Lamps and Lighting Cayucos Pistachio Green Lamp 29204-1

The Green Habitat

Using color is all about having a purpose. Define the mood as well as the atmosphere that you would want to create. Decide whether green is perfect for your home. Decide on the proportion, combination, and placement for the colors that you pick.

Keep in mind that every tone has its own psychological property that can be altered depending on the hue that you team it up with. Be careful, though, as there are also negative results when clashing colors are paired.

Now you may be wondering which rooms would marry beautifully with green. Just decide which room needs more refinement, luxury or elegance and that’s the room that could use a bit of green. The foyer, the formal dining area, a reading nook – these are all rooms that should feel more secure, safe and serene with the use of green.

Green could also be an interesting accent wall. The easiest way, after all, to infuse color in a home is through paint. The safest, of course, is to just paint one wall. This is a dramatic choice that will clearly show how much you love green.

Bedding could also use green as an accent color. Say no to lime green in this room, though, as they tend to create a lot of energy.

Green furniture will also pop from a neutral background. Have this piece become the mother green as other pieces become the accessories that will complement.

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Babyproofing Your Home with Baby-friendly Furniture and Stuff

Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017

FFDM Boulevard: This round dining table is perfect for homes with young, active babies.

A baby who’s on the move is a little bundle of joy that’s at a higher risk of getting in trouble. Gone are the days when your baby will just spend almost the entire day sleeping. Now, with more freedom, there is also a greater need to be more aware of the dangers that potentially lurk in every corner of your home.

Babyproofing a home is important in keeping the baby safe. You must take a few rounds in all the rooms and check out areas that are in need of childproofing – the leading ones are the nursery, kitchen, bathroom, even the living room (where the fireplace is often situated).

Burn and Scald Prevention

The fireplace is a pit that could potentially burn an exploring baby. Have this part of your living room fixed with a fireguard. If you have radiators, then you will need to be extra vigilant compared to a home that’s built with fireplaces.

As much as you can, make sure that your baby won’t be taken into the kitchen. If she needs to be there because there’s no one to look after her while you’re cooking, then just make sure that she won’t go near the cooker.

Have her secured in a playpen or the highchair.

Fall Prevention

Safety gates are the best tools to deter falls at the stairs. Have these installed across the doorways that lead to unmanned rooms. Check if the safety gate that you’re buying is in compliance with the BS EN 1930: 2000.

Check that the balusters on your stairs are not too widely-gapped. Stairs must also be free of clutter a hundred-percent each time. Low surfaces such as floor should be free from small objects. Regularly vacuum the living room so that such small items will not accumulate.

Baby toys must also be kept inside a box. Broken toys must be discarded right away especially the ones that have small parts. Better yet, check out the toys that are appropriate for your baby’s age. These are the ones that usually have larger parts.

Strangulation Prevention

If you have to take her with you to the garden, just make sure that you won’t take your eyes away from her. Ribbons, string, polythene bags and plastics should be locked. Even plastic hoses should also be kept away from your child’s reach.

Poisoning Prevention

Be sure to store all medicines, garden products, toiletries and alcohol in a cabinet that’s not easily accessible by younger children.

Outdoors, be sure to remove all the plants and flowers that might be potentially poisonous in your garden, too. Even the harmless-looking berries could cause poisoning.

Bump and Cut Prevention

Furniture should be fitted with corner protectors or – better yet – invest in pieces with round edges. Keep your cutlery, knives, scissors, and pens out of your baby’s reach. Have all drawers and cupboards fitted with locks.

If you’re not about to invest in a new furniture ensemble, then just make sure that you babyproof your existing furniture. There are now babyproofing products that are meant to cover table and chair edges. Called corner guards, check out the different options online. There are also some that come in sticker forms while others are plastic items that can keep the baby from hitting her head.

In the bathroom, there is also a toilet-lid lock that can now be purchased. Electrocution can also be prevented if you purchase outlet covers.

Childproofing the Bedroom

If you’re thinking that your baby is safe in the nursery or the bedroom at all times, think again. Those fluffy comforters are really not a good thing to place inside a baby’s room. This thick bedding can cause suffocation. To prevent SIDS death, be sure to place your baby, on her back, on a tight, firm mattress.

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Sleep Well: How Many Pillows Should You Have In Bed?

Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017

The iComfort® by Serta Accessories Contour Pillow is ergonomically contoured to support both your head and neck.

If you’re having a hard time sleeping at night, it could be because you suspect that you have an insomnia or you simply feel uncomfortable. Most of the time, the problem is as simple as not having ample pillows. A lot of people take these for granted but even if this is the case, they remain to make a huge difference between a restful sleep from one that makes you toss and turn.

Pillows: The Necessary Amount

If you want to achieve healthy sleep, then you need to know that there should be enough pillows for you to remove that angle between your head and shoulder. This varies with every individual and it might take a few experimentations before you even get it right. After all, the level of comfort for one person may not necessarily be the same with the next one.

There are people who are comfortable sleeping even with just one pillow. For you, that might not be the case. Others sleep with large, fluffy pillows; others want the firmer types.

Statistically speaking, here are the numbers of pillows that are widely used –

  • A single pillow for your head
  • A pair of pillows where one goes to the head and the other is hugged
  • A pair where one is for the head while the other is for the feet
  • Three pillows; one for your head, another for your feet and one to support your calves.

A Single Pillow + One or More

Sleeping with just one pillow is a straightforward approach to sleeping. All you need to do is place it under your head, close your eyes, and that’s it.

If you are going to use more than one pillow, just make sure that your neck won’t stay at an angle that is uncomfortable for you. Remember also that using more than one pillow is not a guarantee that you will be sleeping comfortably.

Sleeping with a pair of pillows means you have more pieces to arrange when you sleep at night and when you wake up in the morning. Speaking of having two pillows, never make the mistake of stacking both under your head. This will raise your neck at an odd angle which will cause a stiff neck. If you want a fluffier head pillow, then just use a larger, single pillow.

If you’re a side sleeper, be sure to flank a pillow with your legs. This will provide extra support. If you sleep on your stomach, then be sure to place a pillow right below your hips instead of your head. This is not a healthy sleeping position, though, as it is known to induce a lot of body aches.

Spine Health and Your Pillow

The support of ample pillows is crucial for spinal disorders. The right kind of pillow support can make the problematic spine rest more comfortably. Know that restorative sleep is your body’s chance at healing.

There are different kinds of pillow fillings that also offer different levels of support. An orthopedic, roll-shaped type that is filled with polypropylene capsules is best for spinal alignment. The worst kind of pillow for people with spinal issues is the feather-filled type (100-percent goose down).

The spine is so sensitive and it is always connected to the neck, so, the curving or angle where your neck rests at can make a huge difference on your spine’s alignment. The human neck is slightly curved forward. This is crucial so that the weight of the head is supported and so we can stay upright.

Having a pillow that’s too high could bend the neck abnormally. This could also place the air pipe at a narrow angle, thus, obstructing your breathing. Having a low pillow height, on the other hand, could lead to strained neck muscles.

So go ahead and experiment on the correct height of your pillows.

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Interior Design 101: Visual Links Throughout Your Home

Monday, May 1st, 2017

This Hooker Furniture Home Office Live Edge Etagere is an open shelf that will visually connect the living room to another area in your home.

Every homeowner looks at his or her own home as a place to relax. This is where you eat, spend time with your family, and sleep so you can be invigorated for the next days. But there are also moments when your home could feel like you’re riding the train home. It could look and feel chaotic all because the design or architectural elements don’t seem to agree. This is why visually linking all the rooms in your home is such an important thing to do.

Link with Paint

Effective use of color can harmonize different rooms, not just the adjoining ones. Just picture this – the kitchen sitting beside the dining room painted with a clashing hue. This disunity, believe it or not, could lead to heightened negative moods.

Creating a flow through colors, on the other hand, is the best way to create harmony in your habitat. Sure, this takes time and a tad of research but your efforts will definitely be well rewarded.

First, know about your choices. Find out what kind of effect you would want to achieve with the colors that you choose. Look for ideas on this site or in interior design magazines.

If you’re playing safe or if this is your first time to experiment with paint, then try monochromatic colors. Choose one color then just ask for the different shades of this same color. Neutrals in the gray or brown family are a great start.

Analogous colors can still retain the monochrome while creating more gradation. These colors sit right next to each other on the color wheel so they are safe to use together.

The last option is the use of complementary colors, meaning, you use a warm shade with a cool hue (e.g. a marine palette of blues used against deep shades of orange. This should create an impact that’s difficult to match.

You should also learn to smoothly transition from one color to the next. This means picking a dominant color for your favorite room then going lighter or darker depending on the moods that you need to evoke in each room.

FFDM Brentwood: This Piper Sideboard on the entryway is the rustic color link to the plants by the doorstep.

Link with Dividers

This may be a bit confusing but try to picture a bookcase set between your entryway and the living room. This is especially awesome in an open-plan home. A different floor height for the living room creates the necessary separation while not totally closing off the entryway.

Thick columns can also serve as a divider and connector for the living room and the kitchen. To effectively fuse both rooms, still, just use a half wall between the huge columns. Top this with a lovely granite slab and you can already hold casual breakfasts for everyone or it can simply be the work zone that you’ve been needing.

Windows can also be set up inside your home. A multi-pane window, for instance, can be used to divide the hallway from the living room. Though it may visually appear to divide the room, it also aims to link as both areas are clearly visible. The rooms also feel airier and lighter.

Changes on the floor level could also indicate the change in the room where you’re at but a unified flooring material or color could still unify two separate rooms. An example is when you install a hardwood flooring for both the entryway and the living room. The lowered floor on the living room gives the room a roomier feel.

Lastly, consider having area rugs brought in. These simple floor elements could delineate the living room from the kitchen and the bedroom or the dining room. Having a base color for all area rugs should still be able to unify the different rooms.

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The Wine Cellar Startup Basics

Monday, May 1st, 2017

FFDM’s RayLen Wine Cabinet satisfies both vertical and horizontal bottle storage.

Alright, so you have bottles of wines that you’re not planning on drinking straightaway. What are you planning to do with them? Before you begin setting up a wine cellar of your own, it is crucial to know that not all fine wines can be stored for aging. Majority of wines in the market should be consumed within just a few years that they were made. If you want to collect wines that you would want to mature, then you should consider investing in a professional-grade storage equipment.

For someone who wants just a simple wine cave, here are the fundamentals –

Cool It Should Be

Heat and wine are never best friends.  Wine temperatures that go beyond 70⁰F will inevitably age a wine more quickly and the results are usually far from desirable. This pretty much like cooking wine instead of aging it.

The ideal temperature in any wine cellar is anywhere between 45⁰F and 65⁰. Of course, this is never an exact science especially since the location of your chosen wine cellar will also add to the eventual flavors and aromas of your wines.

If you really can’t help having a slightly higher temperature in your wine cellar, then just be sure to consume the wines stored there within a few years that they were made.

Too Cool Ain’t the Way to Go

While keeping wines cool is a prerequisite, it wouldn’t also be good for them to stay in cold temperatures for too long. You can place wine bottles inside a refrigerator just for a month or two. The lack of moisture inside this appliance could dry up the corks allowing the air to seep through. This will result in damaged wine.

No to Natural Light

It’s time to turn the lights off. Sunlight and other forms of strong lighting are not welcome inside wine cellars. They pose a threat to the wines’ aging. This is also the reason why most wines have colored bottles. The UV rays of the sun can potentially degrade the wine.

It is best to use incandescent bulbs than fluorescent lamps.

A Little Humidity Please

The ideal humidity for wine storage is at 70%. Since dry air can dry out the corks and eventually spoil the wine, it is best to have just a little moisture. Keeping a pan of water in your wine cellar should improve the wines’ condition. Make sure also that you consume the wine within 10 years or you will need to worry about professional storage.

Stanley Furniture Living Room Crosley Sideboard 436-11-06

Horizontal Storage

Bottles are stored on their sides so that the liquid touches the cork at all times. This, theoretically, keeps the corks wet. This storage technique is especially useful where there are no glass, screw caps or plastic corks to stop your wine bottles.

The Basement for a Cellar?

If you don’t have a not-too-damp room such as a basement, then you can always improvise. The simplest racks should be fine to begin with. Don’t even think about storing wine bottles inside the kitchen, the boiler or laundry rooms. These are usually areas that sustain hot temperatures so wander off of there.

Any vacant storage area can actually be repurposed as a wine cellar. This is a location that’s far away from the sun and one that has at least one cooling unit. There are now standalone units called wine coolers that can also be added to your newly set up wine cellar.

If you want to get the best out of this new room in your home, then you just have to install a through-wall cooling unit. Such units can also control the humidity inside the wine cellar.

 

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