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.

What to consider when purchasing a bedroom set

January 23rd, 2010 by Caroline Categories: Featured, Furniture Tips No Responses
What to consider when purchasing a bedroom set

Wondering how to furnish your bedroom to create a relaxing retreat and still meet all of your storage needs? There are many areas to consider and when you stop by your Chicago furniture dealer the experienced staff will help you find the perfect fit for your space and lifestyle.

One thing to assess is your storage space. How much of your clothing and accessories can be stored in the closet? Will you need a bureau (or two), an armoir, a vanity, nightstands, a lingerie chest or jewelry chest?  A few larger furniture pieces will allow buyers of Chicago contemporary furniture or traditional pieces to have more options in arranging the room and keep the room feeling more open and relaxed.

The scale of the set also must be considered. A more traditional, heavy or dark wood or a bed with posts or a massive headboard may feel oppressive in a small room with a low ceiling. Lighter colored wood, metal or even more contemporary upholstered pieces can work well in a smaller space. When looking for the best furniture Chicago buyers can rely on their favorite Chicago furniture dealer to find or create the perfect piece to meet their needs.

Knowing the size of bed you prefer will be a good starting point. Once you determine how much space the bed will use, other pieces can be worked in to meet your storage needs and compliment the space and style of the room.

Your Chicago furniture dealer has a huge variety of styles and sizes to choose from as well as a friendly staff to help add your personal touch to what should be the most tranquil room of your home.  When buying a bedroom set, shopping with pictures of a style you like and the measurements and layout of your bedroom will be helpful. Also, think through your storage needs so that you have enough furniture to accommodate everything but aren’t investing in unnecessary pieces that will take up extra room.

With a little planning, choosing the perfect bedroom set can be a simple and enjoyable experience for buyers in Chicago of contemporary furniture or those seeking a more traditional look.

To recline or not to recline? That is your living room question.

January 1st, 2010 by Caroline Categories: Design Tips, Featured No Responses
To recline or not to recline? That is your living room question.

You say there’s no place in your décor or even your lifestyle for a recliner chair? I once thought the same, but then I saw the modern selection of recliners at Smithe’s Chicago furniture sales and I had to rethink my decision. So the question of whether or not to recline was once again brought to the forefront.

This is not your father’s recliner. These days a recliner can be disguised to look like, well, a regular chair. Erase those images of the burnt orange or tacky plaid overstuffed, oversized take-up-half-the-room chair covered in chip crumbs and beverage stains. Think sleek profile, classic library, any color or fabric you can dream up – that’s what today’s recliner can look like and it can blend into my favorite room just like it was tailor-made, because it was.

In the business of furniture retail Chicago area buyers are seeking something unique and new, even if it’s old-world it must be a fresh take. The selection of recliners and choices of custom styles here include the best furniture Chicago has to offer.

There’s also the second question: To rock or not to rock? Once the decision is made to recline, the question of adding a rocker into the mix comes into play. The rocker, or even a swivel feature, usually adds a bit of bulk to the chair, so those looking for a cleaner line or more traditional style may want to avoid it. I have to admit I prefer the recliner without any added feature. This allows me to disguise it as a regular occasional or overstuffed chair. Of all the furniture retail Chicago sources I have shopped, this is by far the best for a diverse selection of styles.

So, if you want to recline it won’t cramp your style. If the man of the house insists on a place to kick back and read the paper or watch the game – offer it with style! Go in and see the best furniture Chicago buyers can imagine for quality and personal service.

After much contemplation I have to come down on the side of “to recline”, if only to satisfy the rest of my family. But we will recline in style in a custom chair from a top furniture retail Chicago dealer.

Pet lovers need fabrics that last

December 26th, 2009 by Caroline Categories: Featured, Furniture Tips No Responses
Pet lovers need fabrics that last

They say that having a pet can reduce your stress measurably. But that’s only if you don’t have to worry about that cute, furry creature will do to your furniture.  If you saw “Marley and Me” then you know exactly what I mean. I know from my own experience that pets, and little boys, are the enemy of a sofa with pale fabric or a silk-covered wing chair. I’m thrilled that I found a place that makes the best furniture Chicago has to offer, and if I need my furniture tailored to be pet-proof, they can accommodate. Continue Reading