Archive for category Furniture
Soft Furnishings For The Bedroom
The bedroom is a room that should be relaxing and comfortable because it is where you sleep. A bedroom without soft furnishings isn’t going to achieve that. Soft furnishings include the window dressing, bed linen and any fabric accessories that you use to finish the room. The sort of look you want for your bedroom will influence the items you buy, as will your budget.
There are a few areas of the bedroom where soft furnishings are essential. For the windows you need some sort of netting for privacy, unless of course you have the luxury of living in the middle of nowhere. Netting doesn’t have to be anything like your granny may have had but of course if that is the look you want there’s no reason not to have it. Modern netting can have many designs and you should look at a few types to see what you like. There’s everything from lace to voile and plain to embroidered.
Of course just netting at a window may not be enough because it won’t block any light out and most people need darkened rooms to get some decent sleep. There are many types of fabric that can be used for curtains and blinds. Heavy velvet will keep out the cold and light but may not suit the look of all rooms. A calico Roman blind could work for some because blinds are a different style of window dressing from curtains but you really have to look around and see what you like. Home magazines are a good place to get inspiration.
Bedding is really important because you will be in physical contact with it on a regular basis. Try and get the best that you can afford. With sheets, look at the thread count. The higher the thread count, the higher the quality of the product. Sheets can be manufactured from man-made fibres, cotton, a combination of polyester and cotton, or silk. Silk is obviously expensive but feels great on the skin.
If possible, buy your bedding as a set, and make sure that you wash it all together to prevent colours mis-matching over time because one item has been washed more than another. If you want to go for a mis-matched look make sure that it is done well – there is an art to it! The look can be pulled off but it’s not easy.
Whilst window dressings and bed linen is essential for the bedroom, there are optional soft furnishings that can bring a stamp of character or luxury to a room. These are things such as little decorative cushions, bolsters and sequined throws.
If you have enough money, consider getting some seasonal soft furnishings and getting them out at the relevant time of year. A velvet throw is lovely in winter with a few Christmas motif cushions to get you in the mood.
Whilst the furniture in a room gives it structure, it’s the soft furnishings that make it a place that you want to spend time, so buy wisely.
Antique Victorian Chairs – The Perfect Touch For Every Room
Posted on August 5, 2011 | Furniture, Interior Design.
Including antique Victorian chairs in your home decor adds elegance and style. There are many great chairs that can be purchased from modern furniture stores, but none of them can deliver the exact aesthetic that comes from an antique chair from the Victorian era.
Upholstered Victorian chairs are commonly found in auctions today, and once they are restored to reflect their original beauty they are extremely refined and elegant. You can tell immediately that they have a history behind them. They somehow exude the class and elegance that you won’t get from a modern chair.
Upholstered chairs from this time period can easily sell for a hefty price on an auction, particularly if they are still in good condition. This is because they adapt so well to so many different styles of interior decorating. Many people who hire designers want that special touch that none of their neighbours have in their homes, and a good Victorian chair restored to perfection can deliver exactly what they want.
There are also some rather unusual styles of chairs that were created in the Victorian era. For instance, you can find carpet rockers that have pieces of carpeting in the seat and usually in the back as well. The carpeting pieces look a little like magic carpets and the chairs have a very special appeal that comes from their unusual designs.
These chairs were often designed very small so they were used for children. They make unusual additions to modern homes and can easily become a focal point that guests are always asking about.
The exact style of Victorian chair that you select for your home depends largely on where you are going to place it, how much space you want to fill up, and what type of aesthetic you are going for in the overall room.
Spend some time looking into the historical relevance of Victorian era furniture and you will fall in love with the charm of the era. This will give you some background to help you determine what style of chair may be best for your home.
If you decide to make a purchase look around at online auctions and see what is available, what others are bidding on, and what particular types of chairs in different conditions tend to go for. You may also want to find a good pricing guide to help you determine whether the antique Victorian chairs you purchase are worth a bidding war or not.
Keep looking until you find something just perfect for your home. Ideally you want the perfect style and look as well as something in good condition. Make sure it blends well with the other decor. Do some research to ensure it is a genuine Victorian chair, and not a cheap replica.
The charm of antique chairs is so strong that you may find yourself shopping for chairs long after you actually need them. You can completely transform the way your home looks and have a style all your own when you incorporate antiques into your aesthetic designs.