Spring means green: Decorating tips with the season’s color!

March 9th, 2010 by Caroline Categories: Design Tips, Featured No Responses
Spring means green: Decorating tips with the season’s color!

Why not welcome the green of spring by bringing a little of it indoors? Furniture retail Chicago buyers will want to check out not only the new furniture and accessory pieces available, but will want to try out some affordable color palettes at home.

Paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to change a room and it’s easy to change when you need a fresh look. Don’t be afraid of a little paint. It can be coordinated with accent pieces you already own to dress up a drab-from-winter room.

Pick your preference. Are you a Kelly girl, a sage kind of guy or just someone who likes a splash of lime? Then green is your springtime friend.  Personally, I prefer a muted sage in the living room with some accents of sepia, red floral prints and a hint of butter cream.

Lime is fun and cheery for a bathroom or kitchen. Because it’s bright and trendy, yet still a natural color, it can be mixed with contemporary pieces or surrounded by natural elements and not be uncomfortable.

Lime green is very effective paired with other flashy colors like hot pink or orange. Buyers of the best furniture Chicago offers will also want to consider the style of their furniture when choosing colors. Although any combination you enjoy is good to use, think about lightening up darker rooms or those with heavy furniture by incorporating lighter shades or bright, bold colors. When shopping for the best furniture Chicago buyers will appreciate the professional advice from staff.

Those with more casual taste might want to try a lime green, red and periwinkle combination. For those partial to a gentleman’s library look, try layering Kelly green with gray or sepia colors. A background of clean white with soft shades of blue and green will achieve the feel of a beach house. Try using natural elements like seashells and wheat grass to complete the feeling of the room.

We true Irish love our green year-round, so a palette layering various shade of green is always provides a fresh feel. Depending on which shades of green dominate, this can be elicit moods of sophistication and elegance; fun and flirtatiousness or the under canopy of a rainforest. For a more eclectic look, add in some bold black accents.

Pale shades of green paired with bright pinks or blues made wonderful backdrops for children’s rooms and furniture retail Chicago dealers enjoy helping customers design a personal space.

Redecorating for a Parisian feel

February 27th, 2010 by Caroline Categories: Design Tips, Featured No Responses
Redecorating for a Parisian feel

Do you dream of April in Paris, or just wish you could dream in a room that looked like it should be in Paris? Decorating with a destination in mind can be affordable and fun when you borrow ideas from others who have tried it, take time to search for pieces you love from affordable sources, and are willing to go to Plan B when your first choice is too pricey or unavailable.

When shopping Chicago furniture sales, always keep in mind the piece and style you want. Don’t buy something just because it is on sale. If your goal is to transform your bedroom into a Parisian apartment then go for it!

Of course, you have to decide on your own interpretation that that Parisian feel, but some of the traditional or recognizable elements include striped walls (or at least one accent wall), an elegant chandelier, white-washed or pale wall colors, black or dark-finished furniture, and some bold textile pattern. Your Chicago furniture dealer can help you choose the perfect pieces to blend with this look.

Often the bold pattern involves a floral or toile. This textile print can be coordinated or echoed from quilt to rug to upholstery. Drapes, traditionally, are monotone or two-tone, opulent and full to the floor and of silk or satin. In finding the best furniture Chicago carries, you often find design services which will help you coordinate the entire look of your room.

In a Parisian bedroom, a sitting area is very common. A simple wooden frame, upholstered occasional chair paired with an elegant side table keeps things simple. A wall grouping with black and white photos or floral prints can dress up a corner and offer an oasis-within-the-oasis. Your favorite Chicago furniture dealer has pieces available in the French tradition.

Most importantly, remember to fill the room with things you love. Even if a piece isn’t particularly Parisian, if you appreciate the way it blends with the theme and it makes you smile, add it in. When it comes to Chicago furniture sales and buying the perfect piece, this is your creation and your idea of Paris.

Keep your interior green all year long: 10 ideas for environmentally friendly decorating

February 20th, 2010 by Caroline Categories: Design Tips, Featured No Responses
Keep your interior green all year long: 10 ideas for environmentally friendly decorating

With green being the watchword of the day we have all become conscious of how things are made and disposed of, especially in our own households. When shopping furniture retailers Chicago, buyers want to find easy and affordable ways to decorate and furnish their homes in an eco-friendly way. The options are increasing daily and these are just a few tips to help you know where to start.

Green Chicago furniture sales begin with repurposing in mind. Look for retailers who carry or design products from recycled wood or who carry lines made from sustainable woods. This includes less exotic woods and those which grow faster and are easier to replenish.

Bamboo is another popular option. It grow quickly, is affordable and very durable. When buying flooring or the best furniture Chicago retailers offer, think about the type and amount of use your pieces will need to endure. Also consider how the furniture can be reused or repurposed when you are finished with it or seek materials that can be recycled.

Be careful to choose natural materials that won’t pollute your home with fumes from the materials or finish. Also, seek non-toxic finishes to protect young children and pets. Furniture retailers in Chicago also carry many vintage pieces and antiques which can add a touch of nostalgia to your decorating.

Be sure to seek out the best furniture Chicago has to offer – quality-wise. Pieces that are durable and are worth repairing will allow you to use them much longer. Furniture and other décor made from recycled plastic or metal has also become a large part of the market in recent years. These pieces not only allow you to do your part for the environment, but can often be unique or whimsical.

Buying locally is another way to be green, as you save on delivery miles, thus saving fuel emissions, and you are closer to the retailer should you need service. When it comes to Chicago furniture sales, local retailers have almost any style and material of furnishing on the market and will provide excellent customer service, and often, design services as well.

Picking the right dresser for your bedroom

January 31st, 2010 by Caroline Categories: Featured, Furniture Tips No Responses
Picking the right dresser for your bedroom

Have you ever had a room that was so cluttered with furniture you felt like Dorothy in Oz when she and her friends reach the enchanted apple orchard? Perhaps you feel the drawers are ready to fly open and bombard you with T-shirts and stray socks just like the tree pelted Dorothy and friends with apples.

Choosing bedroom furniture is important for just that reason and many times dressers are where we go wrong.  Deciding what, if any, dressers to purchase requires evaluation in several areas. The first area is the amount of clothing and accessories to be stored. The second is the available floor space in the room. Once these two factors have been determined, the questioning can move to size and style. When shopping furniture retail Chicago buyers want a variety to choose from and Smithe offers buyers of Chicago furniture modern and tradition beautiful custom pieces.

First, look at the amount of closet space you have. If there is sufficient hanging and shelf space in your closets to accommodate most of your clothing, dressers may not be necessary, or you may be able to get by with one smaller piece. Depending on the size of your closet, you might even want to consider placing a dresser in the closet for easy access and added floor space in the bedroom. Let’s face it, as buyers we want the best furniture Chicago retailers carry and we want it to fit perfectly in our room and our lifestyle.

If closet space is at a premium, you must decide on the style of furniture you prefer and evaluate whether one larger piece or multiple smaller pieces would better fit the size and style of the room. Several tall, dark pieces can be quite overwhelming in a small room (like Dorothy in and the apple trees). On the flip side, a large room with one or two small, low pieces may appear stark and under furnished. Sometimes the best furniture Chicago buyers find is when they seek help from an experienced decorating team at their Chicago furniture modern/traditional retailer.

Estimate the number of drawers needed, choose the furniture style you prefer and begin comparing pieces and sizes. Sketching out a scale model of your room with the pieces you like will give you a good idea of whether your dream pieces will fit in your available space. (Often they won’t except in your imagination!)

Take advantage of the decorating services offered at your furniture retail Chicago dealer.

Using an area rug to make your room seem more spacious

January 29th, 2010 by Caroline Categories: Design Tips No Responses
Using an area rug to make your room seem more spacious

When the perfect flooring, furniture and accent pieces fall just short of the perfect room you envisioned, it might be time to add an area rug for the finishing touch. The top furniture retailers Chicago buyer visit will be quick to recommend this as a way to achieve a more spacious feel or add a bit of warmth to the room.

By strategically placing a rug, the dynamics of the space can change and a new perception of the room can be created. This can give the illusion of more space or pull together a sitting or conversation area that didn’t quite meld before. To compliment the best furniture Chicago has to offer, buyers should consider area rugs as a way to pull a room together.

Adding an area rug between rooms, such as between double doors or an open archway, will pull the rooms together and make them seem like one large space. This effect adds warmth and works well to unify two common spaces. Furniture retailers in Chicago usually offer design services to their customers.

Some questions to answer before choosing the perfect rug are: What size is needed to make the space feel larger rather than dwarf the furnishings? Can I mix a contemporary rug with traditional décor or an antique rug with my modern look? How can I use an area rug to brighten my room? How do I coordinate the rug with my décor? The short answers are: Give it the critical eye. Yes and yes. Choose a color you love that doesn’t clash. Choose a color you love that doesn’t clash. Taking color samples and fabric swatches with your when you shop for a rug and even taking photos and measurements of your room to share with in-house designers will allow them to help you choose the perfect area rug. Carriers of the best furniture Chicago buyers can find have experienced designers who will help you answer these questions more thoroughly.

An area rug can also soften the line of a room, especially if it has a rounded shape or fringed edges. This extends the warmth of the room toward doorways and corners. When shopping Chicago leather couch retailers you might consider that an area rug would carry out the warmth of a mahogany-toned overstuffed couch or relive the severe lines of a contemporary chrome and black leather couch.