Glass in Furniture

Nowadays, furniture is not just functional, it is a statement about taste, lifestyle, and personality. As such, the materials we choose to furnish our homes need to be carefully selected to reflect our ideals. A material that has become more popular in recent years is glass, which is now widely used for all types of furnishings, from doors and shelves to counters and tables. The creativity put into glass pieces can be colorful and extraordinary, and yet, these pieces remain functional and comfortable for everyday use. Here are some benefits to using glass furniture at home:

Aesthetics

Glass furniture can be as simple or as colorful (i.e. stained glass) as you desire. Regardless, as a material, glass adds brightness into a room and makes it feel lighter. Its transparency allows light to bounce off its edges and spread across its surface, expanding its boundaries, and making a room feel larger and more spacious (perfect for small spaces!). It also pairs perfectly with other materials - its compatibility applies to wood and metal but can also include items made of leather and gilt bronze.

The simplicity of glass does not take away from its elegance or versatility. Even a standard-looking table made of glass looks delicate and radiant. It can fit nicely in any interior space, from living rooms to offices.

Durability

Unlike furniture made of wood or metal, glass can be considered immune to corrosion thanks to its resilience to humidity. This explains the popularity of glass in bathrooms.

Glass is also very easy to maintain – all it needs is a cleanser and soft duster to be kept clean and in good shape!

Practicality

Glass tends to be thought of as fragile and shattered by the slightest move. However, modern glass furniture can be bullet-proof or laminated and heat-strengthened, making glass-furniture strong enough to withstand force and most importantly, reliable for everyday use.

Glass furniture is safe thanks to the special manufacturing techniques used during processing, and it is also an excellent option for people who suffer from allergies to dust or chemicals used in the production of other materials such as wood or leather!

Glass can be a beautiful addition to a home or office, and it can make living more comfortable as a practical and resistant material. The next time you are out browsing pieces for your home, consider glass as a valuable option!

Play with Colors

Because our minds create associations between our daily lives and color, it can affect emotions like feelings of calm and trigger bodily responses like hunger. As such, color is a powerful tool and can set the mood and expectation for a space. Here is a quick color guide you can use for your home:

Living

Because the living area is the more formal part of a home with possibilities of both socializing and relaxing, it is more flexible and allows for more colorful opportunities. Use a complimentary color scheme for social spaces, this scheme employs two colors opposite from each other on the color wheel (like blue and orange, or red and green). When used together, they create eye-catching contrast. On the other hand, you could play it safe by pairing neutrals like white, beige, and brown with pops of bright colors to give off a mid-century vibe.

Dining

Dining rooms are a place of gathering and sharing, they need to feel cozy and personal. Warm colors like yellows, reds, and oranges are ideal for spaces like these. You could make use a triadic color scheme in dining rooms, which employs colors equally spaced from one another on the color wheel, such as yellow, red, with a touch of blue. Triadic schemes feel more balanced and harmonious than high-contrast complimentary schemes, which work well in the dynamic but intimate setting of dining rooms.

Family and Bedrooms

Bedrooms are a place to unwind and sleep off the stresses of the day - the dynamic colors of living and dining rooms have no place here. Opt instead for cool colors like blues and greens to create a calm and soothing atmosphere. The analogous color scheme would be ideal for these rooms, it employs colors that are side by side on the color wheel. The color combinations of the analogous scheme are usually harmonious and easy on the eyes, perfect for low effort spaces like bedrooms. 

One final tip: Before making a palette selection, live with the colors first - always ask for a sample to take home to test in the space you are decorating. Leave it in the room for a few days to see how the color changes under the different lighting used in that space. If you’re satisfied with it, then take the leap. Whichever way you decide to color your home, remember to have some fun and be creative!

Manufacturing a Good Sofa

Sofas hug our tired bodies every day. They offer us space to work, destress, and socialize, but how do these comforting pieces of furniture come to life? Turns out, a single sofa can take between 300 to 600 hours of skilled labor to produce. It takes five important stages to manufacture a good sofa, each stage completed to perfection before moving on to the next:

1. Framing: the frame of the sofa is constructed from wood devoid of any imperfections. The thickness of the wood is taken into consideration as it needs to be strong enough to withstand the tension of the next stage.

2. Webbing & Springs: webbing is fixed tightly to set the springs in place without letting them dislocate or entangle and are the foundation for the stage that comes next.

3. Padding: each part of the sofa, from body to arms, is separately padded with layers of chosen material. The padding is placed in a burlap envelope, arranged on the seat, pinned into place, and stitched down.

4. Fabric: the parts of the sofa that will be covered by fabric are measured and recorded in a list, before fabric is cut and prepared for those sections.

5. Finishing: once the sofa is flipped and covered at the base, the finishing touches are then applied taking into account the details of the piece, like skirts, cushions, zippers, etc.

The next time you are out shopping for a sofa, consider the skill, time of labor, and detail that had to go into the pieces you consider before making a selection.

Balance in the Home

Balance and harmony are important components of interior design. It begins and ends with the way furniture and other items are arranged in the home and can drastically affect the atmosphere and aesthetics of a space. Here are some rules of thumb to follow when organizing the interior of a room:

• Consider both the size and placement of various items, making sure not to group same-sized items in the same place. Spread them evenly across the room to avoid making the space feel lopsided and to effectively achieve some semblance of symmetry.

• Variety in shape is important – for example, if your seating arrangement involves straight lines and sharp corners, consider a round coffee table to soften the space up.

• Distance between items is essential to avoid feelings of claustrophobia, but also to give every piece in your home enough room to shine. Read our piece on Your Home Circulation for some tips on ideal distances between different items in your home.

• A mix of texture adds a pleasing look to a home. Achieve this by either combining items made of different materials such as wood and metal, or via accents like rugs, throws, or accent cushions.

• Lighting plays a giant role in the overall look of a place. For a quick guide on different types of lighting and how to use them, take a look at our Let There Be Light post.

• Accessorize for the finishing touches to your home, highlighting personal memories or aspects of your personality. Browse our accessories for fun ideas and inspiration!

However you achieve balance in your home, remember to have some fun, and that it is a personal space that works uniquely to your needs!

Know Your Woods

Investing in wooden furniture has many benefits, from authenticity to durability, but with different woods come different qualities to consider. Each type comes with a different set of characteristics in terms of color, density, grain, and finishing. As such, when it comes to choosing the best wood for your furniture, understanding its properties is a must. Here are some important points to consider when buying wooden furniture:

Solid Wood is king among all wooden furniture. It tends to be on the more expensive side of the spectrum, specifically because it is more durable. It can be recognized by its edges – look for signs of single piece wood with irregular veins. Solid wood furniture includes pieces made of oak, maple, walnut, and mahogany.

Plywood can be strong and last a long time if it is made of enough layers. Look for pieces that include at least nine or more layers of wood and resin by examining an exposed side of the plywood furniture. For example, if looking at a dresser, inspect the spots where joints come together (such as the back), it should have an edge where the plywood layers are visible.

Veneer Wood consists of value wood covered with a layer of higher quality wood (natural or synthetic). It isn’t as durable as its contenders, but it is strong and can create beautiful pieces. It may not split as much as solid wood but may blister or start to peel over time. To avoid these problems, look for pieces covered with thin layers of veneer rather than thick ones by examining the bottom parts of the pieces you are considering.

Whichever wooden pieces you choose, they are bound to add some warmth and natural charm to your home. Another benefit of wooden furniture is that they can be altered and customized in the future, making the return on your investment everlasting!

Let There Be Light

Good lighting is an essential part of a home and is neglected all too often. The amount of light we receive doesn’t just affect our overall mood, it also has the power to influence the atmosphere of a room and how big it feels. Indoor lighting choices vary between overhead lighting, floor lamps, and table lamps (and sconces, if it is possible), but the best results employ the use of all these options at once. Doing so allows lighting to emerge from different levels throughout the home, creating balance and eliminating visual distortions. Understanding lighting options and their uses can influence your home design choices, so here is a quick breakdown you can refer to:

• Table Lamps, as their name implies, are set on side tables, shelves, console tables and even mantels. They provide accent lighting for specific areas of a room being highlighted either for the decor or items placed there. It's a good idea to have a few scattered throughout the room.

• Floor Lamps provide lighting when tables are unavailable - often in room corners lacking surface furniture - and look great at the end of a sofa or behind an accent chair. They take up very little space and are great for distributing light in awkward spaces.

• Wall sconces add ambient lighting to rooms but are often too dim and localized to suffice on their own. They can be used to complement other types of lighting and work wonderfully to light hallways and home foyers.

• Hanging Fixtures provide a nice overall glow to a space and draw the eyes upward. They provide task lighting for areas that are consistently active, such as living and dining rooms. What's great about them is that they tend to be unexpected in living rooms and can add some real depth. Place them on high ceilings that are around 270 cm so that no one hits their head.

Good lighting assures a warm, inviting and functional atmosphere in your home. Implement different types of lighting to showcase your home beautifully, keeping in mind the functionality of your lighting choices.

How To Identify Genuine Leather

Leather - it is sought by many, recognized by a few, and produced by even fewer. The furniture market is saturated with pieces made of synthetic material that are sold at a bargain due to their lower cost of production. However, furniture made of leather are a class apart from anything made of synthetic fiber thanks to their natural, rich, and elegant finish. While many manufacturers attempt to mimic the feel of genuine leather, those pieces are prone to wear and tear. Here are some tips on how to recognize genuine leather:

Sight

• Observe the surface grain, the little "pebbles" and pores, for imperfections and unique features that signal genuine leather. Real leather is made from the skin of animals and each piece is as random and unique as the animal it came from. It might have scratches, creases, and wrinkles!

• Monitor the edges of the furniture piece. Real leather is composed of many strands which naturally fray around the edges, giving them a rough finish. Faux leather is composed of plastic and has no such strands, meaning the edges are cleanly cut.

• Drop a small amount of water on the surface of the piece. If the leather is fake, the water will simply puddle up on top, but real leather will absorb the water almost instantly.

Touch

• Apply pressure by pressing into the leather. Real leather will wrinkle under the touch, just like real skin, as opposed to synthetic materials that push back against your touch, retaining their rigidity and shape.

• Bend the leather, looking for a slight change of color. Real leather has a unique elasticity, changing color and wrinkling naturally when bent. Faux leather is much more rigid and will usually be difficult to bend in comparison.

Smell

• Smell the leather in search of a natural, musty smell. If you smell anything resembling a plastic-like or chemical odor, you’re looking at faux leather.

Real leather goods are a little pricey but are also an excellent and long-lasting investment in your home. Among leathers, cow leather is usually the most expensive thanks to its durability and easy tanning properties. Split leather on the other hand, which uses an under-layer split from the surface layer, is less expensive than top grain or belting leather. Regardless, investing in leather goods means that, with proper care, your pieces will last decades and will age beautifully.

The Right-Size Rug

Rugs can serve a home in many delightful ways. Not only do these woven beauties keep our floors warm during winter, they also serve to section off areas of a room or frame a space by including all the relevant pieces of furniture within its borders. While the level of coziness rises when rugs are placed and used correctly, there are some rug faux pas to avoid. When it comes to choosing area rugs for your home, here are some important guidelines to keep in mind:

Furniture frame

Extend a rug under all the key pieces of furniture in a room. In the living room, for instance, the main area rug should be able to fit all the furniture. If that isn’t possible, you can leave the front legs of major upholstered pieces within the rug area and keep the back legs off. In the dining room, the rug should be large enough for the table and chairs, even when they're pulled away from the table. Finally, in bedrooms, the rug should be large enough to extend around 45 cm from each side of the bed.

Size matters

The most common rug-related mistake made: skimping on size. If your rug is too small, it will throw off the entire atmosphere of a room and distort its look. Before making a selection, take measurements of the room in question to ensure your chosen rug can be placed there.

Breathing room

Leave the same amount of space on each side of the rug so that it is properly centered in the room. If that isn’t possible, try to create some symmetry with the way the rug is centered by mirroring the space at opposite sides of the rug, instead of all four sides.

Full coverage

Cover high-traffic areas by fully covering them with your area rug. When people are walking through, they should have both feet on the rug, otherwise it could cause trips and accidents, and could create unwanted wear and tear on your rugs.

Remember, what is most important is that you like the rug you select and that you feel it complements your home!

Against The Walls

Walls remain a quiet presence in our everyday lives. On the outside, we build cities around them, and on the inside, we design interiors in shapes they dictate. These structures are the bones of a room and are considered the guidelines for furniture layout. Even so, it can be challenging to build a space catered to our unique needs, so here are some general rules of thumb that may help:

• In large spaces, place the sofa in the center of the room, away from the walls to keep the room from looking bare. Fill the edge of the space with side tables holding art, bookcases, a writing desk, or a chest of drawers.

• In small spaces, align the sofa and seating furniture against the walls to make the room appear larger. However, although this may seem counter-intuitive, leave one or two inches of space between the wall and furniture or it will have the opposite effect and shrink the room instead.

• In open spaces that lack walls, the furniture itself structures the room. Start by building the living room around the sofa and seating furniture, then build the rest of your home around the living area. Keep in mind that sofas, armchairs, stools, and poufs can serve to define space within the living area. 

• In unusually shaped spaces, long unadorned walls can make a room look incomplete. In such cases, push the sofa against the wall and decorate the surrounding space with accessories like framed art, mirrors, and the sort.

When furnishing a home, what seems most obvious is not always what is best for the space. It is the size of the room that dictates how far we can distance furniture from the walls. Following these general rules can put us on the right track to building beautiful homes, however, it is by trial and error, and constantly transforming our space according to our needs that we can build the homes that are best for our own unique lifestyles.

Your Home Circulation

As uncertainty rises across the world and we find ourselves spending the entirety of our days in our homes, it becomes essential for our well-being to ensure our space is designed to be as comfortable as possible. One of the most important things to consider is the way furniture is arranged to promote the function of each room in the home. This involves arranging furniture according to traffic flow, in other words, organizing your space so that no one is tripping over furniture, or each other, and can pass through the room with relative ease. Building an interior blessed with feng-shui only requires a few highly effective hacks, each designed to give a home its groove back. 

Clutter

For starters, eliminate clutter. Clutter is the enemy of peace and therefore, an enemy in the home. Take some time to sort through your things, send out what is no longer needed, and store away any items that are unnecessarily laying around. An organized closet or wardrobe can do wonders, but if storage space is scarce, wicker baskets and wooden boxes can serve as open storage and be aesthetically pleasing.

Living Rooms

Living rooms are a place of gathering and are often the busiest part of a home. As such, it’s important the space can accommodate traffic. Ideally, a clear path would exist between one end of the room to the other, but if the area is tight, priority should be given to creating a harmonious space. Adequate leeway (a few centimeters) between the sofa, armchairs, center, and side tables allows for smoother movement as people shuffle to find a seat or set up a workstation. Squeezing around furniture with sharp edges can turn a rest and work area into a battle zone - avoid injuries by opting for pieces with rounded edges instead.

Dining Rooms

Dining rooms are a place of energy and movement, meaning organized furniture is the difference between completing a meal or an obstacle course. Create some circulation space around the dining table by allowing at least 90 centimeters between the dining chairs and walls. It would also be wise to provide 120 centimeters between the dining table and entrance to the room, allowing people with full hands to enter and exit freely.

Bedrooms

Bedrooms should evoke feelings of peace and rest. Try to limit the bedroom to the bare essentials and avoid obstructions between the bed and any door leading to a bathroom or hallway. Create enough room to move and breathe by keeping 75 to 90 centimeters of unused space on either side of the bed.

Small Rooms

Maximizing space in small rooms is an important part of improving traffic circulation. A good way to fit all the essential pieces in a tight room is to use circular or irregularly shaped furniture. Otherwise, scaling down on size by opting for smaller pieces like stools are a great way to add seating without overcrowding the room with full-size furniture.

However you choose and organize furniture, have some fun and make sure it works for the unique dynamic of your home!