What this Furniture Store Saw at Spring Market Spring market was as crowded as ever. Following pandemic years where fewer people came out, participation went up dramatically. On the other hand, prices are down – YAY! Inventory shortages forced prices up during the pandemic but now warehouses are full and lots of specials are available from the vendors. A great price was found on this solid wood bedroom set featuring light-gray tufted headboard. The queen 5-piece set was $2895 . . . Now just $2195. Note the beautiful detail on the chest, dresser, and nightstand. These gorgeous [...]

Top Design Trends for 2023 The new year always brings new ideas and that is especially true in home design trends.  For the coming year we are seeing a return to earthiness – wood furniture in natural tones, outdoor color hues and earthy looks.  Whoever The new year always brings new ideas and that is especially true in home design trends.  For the coming year we are seeing a return to earthiness – wood furniture in natural tones, outdoor color hues and earthy looks.  Whoever thought those odd colors of the 70’s and 80’s would not return is wrong.  [...]

All About Leather . . . Leather as a covering for furniture never goes out of style. It can be beautiful, durable and comfortable. It can also be expensive. Here’s some guidance on how to choose the best options. The highest quality usually found in furniture is called “top grain” or 100% leather. While it is highly durable, it requires special care to keep it nice. Be sure to research what the manufacturer recommends. It’s easy to find leather care tips and products with a Google search. Be aware that leather furniture is rarely top grain all the way [...]

Observations at High Point Market The semi-annual “big” market at High Point was held in mid-October.  Known as the “furniture capital of the world”,  High Point houses over 1,000 exhibitor show rooms featuring all kinds of furniture, accessories, fabrics, bedding and more.  I usually spend two days visiting the various vendors and don’t even pretend to be able to find my way around. 😊 At every market, companies show designer samples of new items.  They get feedback from the buyers who often place advance orders and then decide which items to add to their line-up.   Sometimes the things I [...]

Popular Design Trends for the 20’s Decade During the last year, many things have changed in how we design our homes. The stay-at-home days driven by the pandemic have caused us to think and act about our surroundings. Work-at-home has been the biggest driver but there has also been an emphasis on home entertainment areas such as theaters and game rooms. How we design these spaces as changed as well. Here are some design trends that have emerged in the last year. Curved Statements Now for a look at the traditional. How about this cream-colored set that [...]

What’s Up with the Furniture Shortage? Several factors resulting from the pandemic and other events have caused many household items to be in short supply. But there are still some things available with reasonable lead times. Here’s what happened. 1. Factories around the world were shuttered as the virus rampaged reducing inventory available. 2. As people stayed home, they became more interested in sprucing up their surroundings – hence the desire for decorating and remodeling. Instead of spending on travel, entertainment, and meals out, families had extra funds to splurge on their living quarters. Sales jumped up and quickly [...]

Why Buy a Rug? Many Reasons – Read on for More There are both practical and decorative reasons for adding a rug to any room.  Here are several suggestions on how to choose. Rugs can be a piece of art on the floor and add zip to any room.  They can often be the inspiration of the room’s entire design.  This is an easy way to select accessories – choose a rug first and build your colors around the inspiration.  The girls are enjoying their beautiful playroom with soft rug-inspired colors. Use rugs to add [...]

Sleeper Sofas – Tacky No More Remember when you visited grandma and slept on that pull-out sofa that had a metal bar across the center? No matter how you turned over, that bar was there . . . all night long. Today’s sleeper sofas tell a different story. Many fold down easily so that you are sleeping on the sofa surface. Others pull out from underneath the base. Most importantly – they are decoratively attractive. Here is one covered in genuine leather that features a power recliner chair and built-in blue tooth audio system along with a pull-out queen [...]

POPULAR DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2021 There’s a great emotional lift when you bring something new into your home.  Heaven knows we all need that now.  As we continue to spend more time in doors – both Covid and winter created – why not do some redecorating.  Here are some design trends that are hot right now. Furniture with Curves Curves come in different shapes but all of them lend a calming effect to interior décor.  With a refined architectural design, rounded furnishing designs bring freshness.  In neutral colors they evoke peace but can bring excitement when executed in brilliant [...]

Home Décor: Mixing Patterns and Colors like a Pro Have you ever walked into a room that has many different colors and patterns yet looks totally pulled together?  It’s not as hard as it looks and here are some tips to do it easily. Start with a single object that has colors you love.  This can be a rug, a painting or a chair with a colorful pattern.   Build all the other items in the room around these colors.  Try to match the colors as closely as you can.  If there’s a pillow or rug sample you can take [...]