Sprucing Up Patio Furniture for Spring March 7, 2012

Beautiful outdoor living.

With spring around the corner, you may already be dreaming of pulling out your lawn mower, getting in the garden and arranging your patio furniture to relax outside. Whether you stored your furniture in the garage or it weathered the elements out on the deck, here are some tips to spruce up your furniture to keep your patio and porch looking as fresh as spring.

1. Tighten Up the Loose Ends

Over the course of the fall and even the winter, some patio furniture can become loose. From a season of use or maybe from the strain of snow and other elements, the furniture could be a little wore down. Whatever the circumstances, it is important to inspect their patio furniture and tighten nuts, bolts and screws. This ensures that nothing will fall apart.

2. Clean or Replace Cushions

If the patio furniture has cushions, chances are they have suffered damage since the last time they were used. If it rained or snowed mold and mildew may have grown on the cushions and this is something that should not be left alone. It may be possible to take the cushions and wash them; however, if this is not something that can be done the cushions should be replaced. If you properly stored your cushions, they may still benefit from a wash. Using a foam type cleaner or simply warm, soapy water to spot treat. Once the cushions are clean, check them over for any rips or tears that can be sewn or consider re-stuffing them if they’ve fallen flat and uncomfortable.

3. Sandpaper the Rust and Apply Coating

Some patio furniture is susceptible to rust. Because of this, it is important to clean off the rust when the time comes for spring to prevent further damage. Do this by using sandpaper and rubbing the rust off. When rust has been sanded, apply a spray sealer and coat the furniture to prevents rust from developing in the future. Their furniture can look fresh and clean all the time.

4. Clean Surfaces and Remove Winter Residue

Tables and chairs can sometimes hold residue from nature while they are unattended. There may be insect residue on a table, or dirty leaves may have left some impressions on a chair. To save money and the need to replace them, clean them as best you can. Using soap and water (add bleach for light furniture),  wipe down the dirt and grime to make the furniture look new again.

What are your favorite quick tips for sprucing up your furniture?

Fall Design and Decor Trends to Bring to Your Home August 12, 2011

When the summer temperatures start winding down to fall, don’t expect fall design trends for your home to cool down at all. Despite the economic times looking cold, upcoming fall design trends are looking warm! Creating a festive autumn décor is your home is a cinche…whether you run to the store to decorate or you try some easy DYI projects, your house will be ready for fall.  Try these ideas to get your house looking wonderfully festive.

High Glamour:  There is no reason for your home to look like its feeling an economic pinch or to look to hokey with fall decorations! Using rich materials, classy colors and striking curves and shape, whether it’s in furniture or décor, your house will be looking luxurious.

Warm tones: Bring in some familiar warm tones, like reds and oranges, to help make your space resonate with the season and feel cozy. Bring in some bronze and copper hues; it is a unique way to bring in the fall colors with an elegant twist. If you don’t want such a bold statement, accessorize a neutral color palette with pillows and blankets and décor in fall colors. Don’t forget that fall is wine season, so deep purple and greens are also great colors to mix in to your decorations.

Outdoors Matter Too: Make the entrance to your house festive for the season and welcoming with some autumn inspired decorations (think scarecrows and pumpkins). Plant mums and even sunflowers to bring color to your porch. Adding different size and color pumpkins and gourds is also a creative way to add color and interest to your front porch.

Indoor Décor: The pumpkins and plants aren’t only for your doorway, bring them inside too. Use mini pumpkins and gourds and plants to create center pieces for your dining or coffee table. Using these natural materials will add textures and unexpected interest on your tabletops.

Easy DYI Décor: Just as you update your wardrobe, you can update your home as well.  A scarf can be used as a pretty and easy table top runner.  Or make a festive autumn branch tree for a center piece or side table decoration (see easy DYI decorations here : http://www.marthastewart.com/267415/autumn-branch-centerpiece).

Share any other fall decorating tips you use to keep your house looking brilliant here!

 

The perfect setting for a weekend brunch January 17, 2011

Nothing says weekend more than being able to sleep in a little and then to spend time amongst family and friends. What better way to do this than to host a brunch?

Brunch, one of my favourite meals, is a combination of the words “breakfast” and “lunch”. This meal/activity, which typically takes place around 10 or 11 am, may consist of anything from cereal to steak, the choice is yours! Why not call up some friends, decide on a menu, pull out your nice dishes, gather your bread cutting boards and enjoy some great food in the company of friends and family this weekend?

The menu
The beauty of brunch is that you can make it the meal you want, there are no rules. Personally, I prefer the breakfast version of brunch with lots of substance, not to mention calories! My brunches include such things as cooked ham, bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, French toast, croissants, Vermont maple syrup, sliced baguette, country cheeses, fresh fruit and lots of coffee. If you are feeling festive, or celebrating a special occasion, mimosas, a combination of bubbly wine and orange juice, are a fun addition to the menu.

The table
Make the dining room the center of the party. A colourful table cloth, some vibrant casserole dishes to keep the eggs, bacon and French toast warm, a maple baguette cutting board for the French bread, an antique plate for the sliced ham and sausages and a whimsical pig cutting board for the cheeses. You can add some fresh flowers to the mix as long they are in low vases so as to not get knocked over as people serve and pass the food. Don’t forget to protect your antique table from hot plates and casseroles by placing items on trivets or smaller round cutting boards.

The flexibility and versatility of brunch make it a fun and simple way to entertain. You can make it as simple, a basket of warm croissants and a cutting board with a choice of cheeses on it, or as elaborate, ready to serve eggs, ham and home fries along with a variety of loaves on an assortment of cutting boards for bread, your decision.

Before your next brunch, be sure to visit Cutting Board USA, our solid maple or walnut baguette board is a perfect fit. Its long and narrow shape make it ideal for slicing and serving baguettes and loaves of bread, as well as serving cheeses, directly on the table. Cutting Board USA manufactures quality wood cutting boards in Vermont, USA.

All Furniture Services November 16, 2010

Furniture Repair, Antique Restoration
Cleaning, Polishing, Re-dying & Refinishing
Dis-assembly & Assembly, Carpentry
Sleeper & Recliner Mechanism
Repair & Replacement
Water, Liquid, Heat & Fire Damage Repair
Leather, Fabric, Vinyl Repair & Re-upholstery
Touch-Up, Fill-in, Finish Restoring & Color Matching
Fine Art / Statue, Ceramic &
Wood Floor Damage Repair

These are just some of the services that can be found at All Furniture Services (AFS) dot com. Their team of professionals is capable of handling/carrying everything essential to give immediate on-site, in-home, and in store furniture repairs on wood, leather, vinyl, fabric, upholstery, metal, stone and mechanisms. Optimal methods and goods are chosen to make their repairs permanent. They will return your furniture to its original or even better condition!

AFS is a top notch, highly rated furniture service company in the New York City metro area. Known for their quality, reliability, affordability and on-time service, they received recognition for all types of furniture repair and dis-assembly services:

1. 2006 Audience Winner in Home Repair Category.

2. Award of Best of Flushing 2008&2009 in Furniture Repair & Refinishing by US Local Business Association.

3. Multiple Publications including New York Magazine. Time Out New York, etc.

4. Spotlight on NBC News.

5. Awarded Certificate of ISO 9001:2000 Standard.

If you don’t believe me, just take a look at some of their customer feedback.

Contact Info:

Tel: 718.268.2727 — Toll Free: 888.575.6757
24/7 Direct: 347.528.7777
service@furnitureservices.com

Geoffrey Stevens Homes October 13, 2010

Before you furnish a home, you may want to purchase one. For those interested in settling in the NYC area (specifically Manhattan and Queens), Geoffrey Real Estate is an excellent source of NYC homes, coops, condos, apartments and more.

Areas Include:

• Manhattan
• Bayside
• Queens
• Astoria

At their site, you can search for NYC apartment rentals in:

1. West Village
2. Greenwich Village
3. Chelsea
4. East Village
5. Gramercy Park
6. Soho
7. Upper West Side

Also provided are Manhattan Coops and condos, along with specific floor plans and large photos.

Geoffrey Stevens Agents are familiar with the surrounding area; the buildings; the landlords, the streets, and the schools.

Additionally, they offer Manhattan office and retail space. NYC apartment rentals vary in fees! In Bayside and Queens, its always 1 month fee. “Manhattan Real Estate is the best in the country, so it pays to invest in NYC. So have fun searching for your next purchase or rental in Bayside, Queens or Manhattan. We also serve Whitestone, Douglaston, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens.” – GSR

Entertainment Systems Give Life To Living Room March 26, 2010

A living room is arguably the most important part of anyone’s house. It’s where most people go to relax, spend time with their family, and enjoy the cozy confines of their home. This is why many homeowners have put so much time and money into making their living rooms as lively as possible. One way to do this is to invest in an impressive entertainment system including a beautiful HD television, surround sound speakers, and video playing/recording equipment. However, all of these things are useless if you don’t have a console to hold everything in place.

This is why the Harden Furniture Entertainment Console is the perfect match for anyone trying to turn his or her living room into a warm arena for theater. The wood furnished cabinet can hold a big HD television on it’s top while also having compartments for different pieces of the entertainment system. This is much better than the gaudy glass pieces that usually go with these types of consoles and actually adds to the living room rather than being a glaring omission. The entertainment console is not too small and also not overbearingly big.  Therefore, it gets attention but does not take up all of the space in the room – perfect for many applications.  Since, entertainment systems are a popular item for most people to have in their living room (right up there with couches and a coffee table) it’s important that you pick the right one that will create a balance within the room.