Furniture design

Getting into the Great Outdoors has never been easier or more relaxing than with outdoor furniture and accessories! Outdoor furniture and outdoor accessories personalize your space; relaxing touches allow you to laze in your outdoor environment, knowing that you are truly 'home'.

Finding out about Outdoor Furniture

Perfect in the garden; as a gathering and sitting area at BBQs, pool parties and get-together; or as your own little oasis in the middle of your backyard, outdoor furniture is social, sophisticated and multi-functional. Available in aluminum, wrought iron, the highest quality teak, bamboo and other woods, you can find outdoor furniture to complete any outdoor living space.

The range of outdoor accessories is staggering. These are often designed to complement your outdoor furnishings. Consider solar-power or electric lights to line a pathway or any number of awnings or other shelter structures on your property. Add candleholders atop your outdoor tables. Pick up picnic accessories, chair cushions, outdoor games ֠no matter what type of luxuries you enjoy indoors, you can enjoy them outdoors, too, with outdoor accessories to fit every taste and style.

Outdoor Sets

In general, there are three types of outdoor sets. All three are made up of tables and chairs, although the types of chairs and size of the tables vary greatly. Patio dining sets are ideal for larger outdoor spaces, such as large patios or back porches. Bistro sets are designed for smaller spaces, such as an apartment balcony. The third type of outdoor set you will find is called a conversation set. Conversation sets often include an outdoor sofa and a few chairs accompanying a coffee table. Conversation sets tend to be larger pieces of furniture and fit most comfortably in big spaces.

Outdoor Lounge Chairs

Outdoor lounge chairs are typically fashioned from metal ֠often wrought iron ֠although synthetic materials are on the rise and offer the sophistication of metal and iron at a reduced cost. Outdoor lounge chairs are also available in hardwood and teak.

Outdoor Benches

Outdoor benches offer seating for 2 or more, depending on the style. Available with and without backs, outdoor benches are designed to accent and blend, and are the perfect accompaniment to furniture already decorating the space. Some people choose not to use benches for seating at all, but instead place an outdoor bench in the garden as a showpiece and setting for their prized plants.

Outdoor benches are available in a variety of materials including concrete, wrought iron, teak and other metals and woods.

Some benches offer the added benefit of extra storage. These benches are usually all-weather safe, and come in neutral-colored plastics designed to camouflage into the background. These benches are great for the garden and pool area, as they provide extra seating and a lovely place to store your stuff.

Final Considerations for Outdoor Furniture

When shopping for your outdoor furniture, think about the space you will be filling and the people who will be enjoying it. Also consider the weather conditions where you live.Outdoor furnishings should fit comfortably into the space, so if you are in the market for something to go on a patio or balcony, be sure to measure the area you want to fill. Is this furniture for BBQs and pool parties, or quiet coffee conversations with intimate friends? Do you experience long, harsh winters where you live, or are conditions generally mild all year long? Answering these questions will give you the information you need to pick the best outdoor furniture to fit your life and your style.

It's a place which will help you unwind after a long day and also help you relax. Hence, it’s of paramount importance that you select the right bedroom furniture.

Your bedroom furniture must reflect your interest and must cater to your own personal needs and requirements. There are many different themes of bedroom furniture that are available today including, garden cottage, traditional, contemporary, transitional, or even exotic.

The Contemporary Bedroom Furniture

Platform beds are quite popular, when it comes to contemporary furniture. In such a bed, there are no footboards to speak of; hence the bed displays clean lines of the bedding which are obstructed by any panel or spindle that is usually present on the footboards. It’s solid, comfortable and has a slatted frame underneath, which precludes the need for a spring mattress.

These beds and the associated furniture are quite popular amongst the young, who want to give a minimalist look to their bedroom. People now-a-days do not want the encumbrance of a large amount of furniture. They are looking for space and as such contemporary bedroom furniture provides a great option for the same.

The Pieces for Your Bedroom

After you select a particular theme for your bedroom, the next course of action would be the selection of the furniture pieces. The most important furniture piece is the bed. King size beds are quite popular these days, however, the size of the bed depends on the size of the room.

The modern homes have built-in storage areas and large closets, which leaves a whole lot of space for the non-traditional furniture in a bedroom. Some popular choices in this regard can be large chairs, love seats, or chaises. You can also think about putting up a small study table or a multi-purpose table in the corner on the room, wherein you can place your computer etc. A hanging bookshelf or a simple bookshelf can also be a good idea. If you are a curio collector or have some personal collectible than a small curio cabinet can help fill up the room and also provide you with a great looking place to display your collectibles.

Some Buying Pointers

While choosing bedroom furniture, you must never ever compromise on quality. Furniture is not something that you buy time and again, so don’t buy cheap. Good quality furniture does not come cheap, so you might just have to shell out a bit of money here. Attractiveness of the furniture can be one criterion, but the durability of the furniture is as important. Give as much importance to the concept of durability as you would give to fine craftsmanship.

Comfort is one of the most important parameters while looking for great bedroom furniture. You might think that visually appealing bedroom furniture is a great buy, what if it does not provide the much needed relaxation for your body. It would be a complete waste.

Mix and Match

It's not necessary that you stick to a particular theme while choosing bedroom furniture. You can integrate two different styles of furniture and your bedroom will still look good. It’s all about your perception and not about what people will think. You can blend in various traditional and contemporary styles in your bedroom. You can mix the beauty of a traditional wall closet with the stark linear symmetry of contemporarily designed bed.

You simply must try out different things and give full vent to your imagination. Nobody is going to comment on the décor or the furniture pieces that are present in the bedroom. It is your own personal haven; you must do with it, as you wish. The right choice of bedroom furniture will make the essential difference to your requirements of comfort and luxury.

Sitting in a cheap office chair the first time feels about the same as sitting in an expensive one. Itӳ comfortable, solid. The question is how will it feel on the ten thousandth sitting? Will that cheap assemblage of plastic, foam, and vinyl even last for ten thousand landings, and what will it look like if it does? Quality office furniture should last for years in a demanding environment without losing its functionality or design. So the buyerӳ job is finding the best quality.

Name brands can be deceiving, because some of the best-known companies make inexpensive office furniture, sold at big-box stores and designed for home offices. It may take a little digging, but highly respected furniture makers are out there, specializing in products for the workplace. Even if these companies are not well known, there are ways to spot them:

Quality Materials
Lumber is divided into dozens of different grades, with furniture varieties at the top. The best hardwoods offer durability and beauty, plus the potential for a well-kept piece to hold or increase its value. Even chipboard and veneers come in different grades with different life expectancies, and metal furniture is not all built the same way either. A bunch of metal tubes screwed together is not the same as solid rails with good welds, although both may be equally shiny. Leather comes in a myriad of different grades, too, but investing in top-grain leather is always worth the cost in durability and lasting impressions. The finish is a place where some manufacturers scrimp, and the finish takes most of the abuse in the office. So the savvy buyer should always go for the best available veneers, stains, and coatings. Simply put, cheap furniture is made from cheap materials.

Craftsmanship
Fine craftsmanship is not some nebulous concept. Itӳ as simple as using the correct upholstery nails instead of a staple gun, or tongue-on-groove construction instead of pegs and nails. Pride in workmanship is the main criteria, not merely high cost, and good construction can often redeem mediocre materials. When buying office furniture, inspect inside the drawers and under and behind the unit - places not visible to a casual glance - to find the telltale signs of shoddy workmanship. Even if the buyer canӴ afford the best, he should learn to spot the worst.

Design and Functionality
Office supply stores usually offer bland furniture designed for the lowest common denominator and budget. Thatӳ why itӳ important to look beyond those outlets to find office furniture with style and innovation. Progressive manufacturers and vendors keep up with changes in office equipment and new discoveries in ergonomics, and they offer a wide variety of styles. A firm that offers creative designs probably goes the extra mile in materials and craftsmanship too.

Antiques may be of many different kinds and of all the antique collectibles and furniture happens to be the most popular and practical choice. Antique furniture is distinct from other categories of antiques in the sense that no one collects the same type of object repeatedly. It means that you would not want to buy and collect only tables or chests and fill up your home with everything the same. However, you may have a specific liking to certain wood or style.

Regardless of your preference, if you are planning to purchase antique furniture, you need to know the basics. In other words, you should have some idea about various styles, techniques of construction, finishes and variety of woods used. You will need this knowledge to determine if a particular piece is original (in its original state without any major changes) or altered (if some major alterations or additions have been made to it.)

Once you are acquainted with the basics, go to as many antique furniture dealers and auctions as you possibly can. When inspecting the merchandise, donӴ hesitate in pulling out drawers, getting down on your knees to look at the underside of tabletops or lifting chairs to have a look at their legs. If you donӴ get down and dirty, you will never learn.

In the beginning, furniture was crafted from solid wood but with improvement in cabinet making techniques, furniture decoration by applying veneers (thin sheets of wood) was developed. This provided an inexpensive method of creating decorative effects from different grains and patterns. It was also an economical technique that made inexpensive woods look like expensive hard woods. Such furniture had a solid body called a carcass that is made of a different, generally less expensive wood, like pine. Some of the woods used in antique furniture are beech, cherry, chestnut, ebony, elm, mahogany, pine, oak, satinwood, walnut etc.

The following features are significant when determining the age, authenticity, quality and worth or price of antique furniture:

I> Color and Patina: Patina is the glow of the wood after years of accumulation of wax polish and dirt. A rich subtle color is also an important characteristic of antique furniture.

II> Proportion: A disproportionate piece of furniture may well be a ԭarriageԠof different parts from different furniture.

III> Construction: Before the late 17th century, furniture was made using mortise and tendon joints and pegs were handmade.

IV> Condition: Do not ignore pieces with marks or blemishes as the wood has not been damaged. A good restorer can undo surface spots. Antique Furniture in it original pristine condition is worth the highest price.

V> Alterations: Altered furniture is always less desirable than the original piece. Telltale alterations include large pieces reduced in size, freshly cut surfaces, plugged holes, repositioned handles etc.

Now that you know what to look for, the question is where to look for antique furniture?

Well, apart from auctions and dealers, you can always check the classifieds section in the paper to see if anybodyӳ selling furniture and go check it out. You might even find a good bargain this way. Also, you will find many sites that sell antique furniture on the internet or you could use the internet to find out where you could go to get good deals on antique furniture.

Are you considering teak furniture for your lawn or other outdoor living space? If so, you shouldnt be so quick to purchase a product. While quite a beautiful piece of work, teak items is available in different qualities and you may just end up with poor quality if you do not know what to look for.

Its not all the same, in other words. How can you know what resources are good products to purchase and which are not worth the investment?

You probably have heard of the ruggedness of teak furniture as well as its beauty. Both of these qualities come directly from the organic product.

There are nature-based oils that are within teak that help it to withstand most elements of nature and in some cases have weathered lightly in over a century of outdoor use. They are resistant to shrinking, swelling as well as rotting and warping. They need little to no upkeep as well.

But, Just A Minute

Before you run off and purchase the teak furniture that you have seen advertised, you should take a little closer look at the product and exactly what grade it is.

Workmanship Is Crucial: The workmanship of the teak is very major to its level. It is normally manufactured with mortise and tenon joinery. But, this can vary between manufacturers. In any case, the workmanship should provide a very snug fit to joints without gaps.

You should keep away from items that have been patched, that is, a timber putty has been used to fill in the gaps and hide whatever is under it. Insure that it will not need to be glued together as this too will weaken it considerably. Handcrafted product will have a fine sanding on the items. It should then be quite suave and not have rough edges to it.

Its Design. The make of teak furniture is also quite important. In its traditional style, it is that of elegance that is fitting to the outdoor settings. It is classic and subtle. You will not want the items that you buy to look like it was furniture from within the house that you brought out. Instead, look for a comfortable style and size that is less modern and more traditional.

Pricing Woes. There is a wonderful range of pricing on teak furniture. But, like most other markets, grade product is not necessarily that which is higher in price, but rather higher in quality.

You will find very pricey teak furniture that is poor in its design and workmanship and you will find lesser expensive product that is high in level. While it is traditionally a more expensively priced product, the more availability of it has helped to lower prices somewhat.

Teak items that is true teak can only be grown in Southeast Asia. It does not grow in tropical lands but in fact needs a much drier climate. Look at where the wood is coming from, the quality of workmanship and the design elements in it to determine if it is worth your investment.