Outdoor dining furniture works all year round
By The Home Furnishings Guy | October 20, 2009
Outdoor dining furniture works all year round in most climates. Obviously, if you live where there are extreme winters, outdoor dining isn’t likely EVERY day. But even in serious winter conditions there are stretches of brisk, clear days just about every month that cry out for a serious barbecue grill and picnic table.
If you are lucky enough to have a covered patio area, or sheltered yard or garden space, durable outdoor dining furniture will let you fire up that picnic meal on the grill at a moment’s notice. If you have less shelter from harsh weather, you can still enjoy outdoor dining all year long with a bit of care and common sense.
Wood is an excellent choice of material for outdoor furniture, including dining tables and chairs, stools, and other outdoor eating accessories. But saying “wood,” is like saying “ice cream” — there are many flavors of ice cream and many types of woods to use for that patio, yard, or garden furniture. Look for well-treated (as in stained, sealed, finished, etc.) hardwoods such as alder or mahogany. There is a wood called Brazilian cherry which makes excellent, weather resistant and beautiful outdoor furniture.
If you want the strength and durability of metal outdoor dining furniture with the beautiful look of wood, look around and you’ll find some great options. There are many combinations of aluminum and aluminum alloys, as well as some steel and wrought iron variations, that are shaped into “faux” wood products. Or, simply go with the nicely painted or colored metal furniture on the market. (Ever wonder what “wrought iron” furniture is? Wrought iron was the early alloy ancestor of steel. Its iron that contains less carbon than modern steel and was very “malleable,” i.e., durable and strong but easily shaped.) Many modern metail outdoor furniture pieces are designed to develop a beautiful colored finish as it weathers.
Many people only think about patios when they think of outdoor dining and outdoor dining furniture. If you’re fortunate enough to have a garden area, especially if you’ve set up a garden with appropriate plants enjoyment in every season of the year, consider establishing a dining area in the garden. Garden bridges and benches make a beautiful background setting for a brunch or early dinner outdoors.
As much as possible, purchase your outdoor furniture, including dining furniture, so that it is easily portable and can be stored in a shed or outbuilding if you live where serious winter weather strikes. If you can’t move the furniture indoors when needed, find some durable tarps and covers you can use to protect it.
Outdoor dining furniture really does work year round in most places. Don’t let winter weather — or extreme heat during the summer — keep you from enjoying the pleasures of outdoor dining as often as you can!
Topics: Outdoor Furniture |
Tags: metal outdoor furniture, outdoor dining furniture, Outdoor Furniture, wood outdoor furniture, year round furniture
No Comments »Good wall mirror dresses up any room
By The Home Furnishings Guy | October 20, 2009
A good wall mirror dresses up any room of your house. Indeed, several wall mirrors expand the look — and home decor possibilities! — of every room in your house.
Choosing a good wall mirror, the right wall mirror for you and your home, is not as easy as you might think. There are contemporary mirrors, with clean lines and little ornamentation. Such mirrors are unobtrusive, perhaps almost plain vanilla as home decor goes. If you’re into a minimalistic approach to decorating your walls, that may be exactly what you’re looking for. Other mirrors are more ornate, imitating a vintage or even antique style of framing that highlights the mirror. These wall mirrors add warmth and elegance to your walls. They may call quiet attention to themselves — or they may shout “Look at me!” and dominate the decor of your room. When you’re selecting just the right mirror for your room or all the rooms of your home, make sure you get exactly the style you want. Let your mirrors murmur elegance or shout out your style with flare!
Once you’ve decided on the style and decor you’re seeking to match with a mirror, the process does become easier. What size and shape are you looking for in your mirror? Will it hang discreetly above a dresser or bathroom vanity? Or are you looking for a full-length mirror that let’s you strike a pose, or at least lets you stand up straight for that final primp before you head out of the house.
Once you’ve decided on the type of wall mirror that fits your home decorating style, and the size and shape of mirror that suits you, there are excellent selections in all price ranges, both online and in your local home furnishings stores.There are an excellent selection of wall mirrors at many online merchants, and you might find some excellent buys at eBay and other online auction sites.
Look for something sturdy and durable once you’ve decided on the style, size, shape, and price range that fits you. A good wall mirror can last a lifetime, even become an heirloom you might pass down to future generations. With a bit of care, you can find just the mirror you want to dress up your home.
Topics: Home Decor |
Tags: find wall mirrors, Home Decor, mirror size, room enhancements, wall mirror
No Comments »Tips for finding, hanging your first chandelier
By The Home Furnishings Guy | October 20, 2009
Here are three tips for finding and hanging your first chandelier.
1. Choose a style of chandelier that fits your home decor.
Given their reputation as elegant lighting, chandeliers are often thought of as adding a rich, vintage touch of luxury — perhaps almost “antique” — to mansions and lavish homes. But there are chandeliers styled for log cabins and rustic lodge settings. There are even some durable, beautiful chandeliers made for adding a touch of elegance to the outdoor lighting you use on your patio.
Are you looking for a dining room chandelier, and is that a formal dining area or a more casual family dining area? Is your overall home decor modern, vintage — or perhaps you’ve got that rustic cabin decor look going in your home? Be sure you pick a chandelier that meshes with your style of home furnishings.
Or, if you’re just furnishing or refurnishing your home — why not let the chandelier dictate the sytle of your entire home decor?
2. Consider the practical matters surrounding the size chandelier you are looking for.
You don’t want a chandelier that totally dominates the room you’re putting it in — unless you DO want to focus the decor around your chandelier as the starting point. (See above!) If you’re installing the chandelier in a dining room, make sure that the fixture’s circumference isn’t larger than your dining table. This is for very practical reasons: A chandelier centered above the dining table which is larger in circumferance than the table sets up a situation where diners may actually bump the chandelier when approaching or leaving the table. Not good for the chandelier, or the guests!
It’s also important, regarding fixture size, to consider the stability of the ceiling and underlying rafters where you’re going to hang the chandelier. No one wants the disaster on their hands that may result from an unstable or poorly hung chandelier.
3. Specific details make or break how you hang your chandelier.
Here is a good rundown of the hows and whys of actually hanging that chandelier:
- Hang you chandalier 30-34 inches oer a dining room table in rooms with 8 foot ceileings; center it over the table.
- For ceilings higher than 8 feet, raise the mounting height an added 3 inches for each foot of ceiling.
- In a foyer or entry hallway, make sure you have at least 6 and a half to 7 feed of clearance from the floor to the chandelier. The rule of thumb here is to make sure there is space to reasonably accommodate tall people with tall hats or caps.
It goes without saying that, if you are at all uncertain or uncomfortable with “DIY” chandelier hanging, you should hire a professional And make sure you get a professional electrician and/or other professionals that may be required by building codes in your community.
Topics: Home Lighting |
Tags: chandelier, find chandeliers, hanging chadeliers, home furnishings tips
No Comments »Welcome to newly remodeled home furnishings website
By The Home Furnishings Guy | October 20, 2009
We’ve done some remodeling. To go directly to our newly revamped home furnishings product listings, use the “Merchant Shops” link near the top of this and every page on the site!
Topics: General |
Tags: furniture, home furnishings, remodeled website
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