Author Archive
The ultimate Home Theater Setup
People spend a fortune for their home theatre, that big LCD TV, the best speakers out there and what not, but when it comes to arranging their stuff, they are far behind. I was one who planned my home theater furniture even before I footed the bills for the electronic items. While my house was being build I decided where it was going to be set up and came up with the following furniture setup which now stands proud in my home. The design was a corner based showpiece combined with home theater furniture. There was a big void for that big TV right at the center. On either sides I had glass shelves for show-pieces. There was a wooden piece running all along connecting these two glass shelves which now houses my center, front right and front left speakers. Below the TV I had arrangements for the following in a rack – a DVD player, Amplifier system and Video console that now houses a Wii. Even electrical wiring need to be planned properly so that there are minimal wires hanging around that gorgeous setup.
One man’s trash was my treasure!
We have a love seat in our office that has a pretty funny story behind it. I’ve actually had this piece of furniture for over two years now, and it’s still in pretty good shape. People are always surprised when they find out I got it out of the trash. At the time, I lived in a 3 bedroom townhouse. Our third roommate had just moved out, taking all of her furniture with her. This left us with nothing but a futon in the living room, and my other roommate and I were both pretty broke at the time. We had shopped around a little at used furniture stores, but hadn’t found anything we liked that we could afford. My roommate told me that she had seen a tan-colored love seat next to the dumpster by the pool in our neighborhood. She said she was going to call a friend of ours who has a truck to help her get it, but had changed her mind. I got all excited and was like, “We need to go get it right now!” So we called and drug our friend over to our place to help us dumpster dive for a love seat! I scrubbed it and basically used a whole bottle of Febreze, but it really was in good shape, and it’s still working out for me to this day.
A headboard of our own
One of my favorite things about our bedroom furniture is our huge headboard. I love it because we made it ourselves, so we know that it’s unique and no one else has one quite like it. I went through an interior decorating phase, when I wanted to redesign everything and tried to add a creative flair to each room of the house. Since we already had a tan colored comforter and maroon sheets, we decided we would work with those colors; our palette winded up being green, maroon and dark and light browns. We painted the walls a really pretty green, and made artwork by stretching pieces of fabric that we bought over plain canvases. We used the same fabric from one of these pieces to make our headboard. It was really easy; all we did was wrap the fabric around a big piece of foam that we got from a home improvement store, with some netting in between so that it wasn’t too hard. We just stood it up against the wall with our bed in front of it. It was much cheaper than buying one and it coordinates perfectly with the rest of the bedroom furniture, which turned out great!
Picking out our first couch
I love my couch; it’s the first real piece of living room furniture that I’ve bought myself, I’m used to used furniture, especially hand-me-downs. When my boyfriend and I moved in together, we decided that we wanted to buy a brand new one. Our old house had 2 love seats in the living room, which is fine, but you can’t stretch out on a loveseat. We were tired of feeling cramped; we wanted a couch we could lie down on comfortably while still matching with the rest of our living room furniture. The one we ended up with is gorgeous; it’s a little longer than normal couches with sleek lines and it’s a really pretty deep chocolate brown. The fabric is micro-fiber, so it’s really soft and the entire thing is really plush. Luckily, our tastes are really similar, so when we went shopping it wasn’t too difficult to find ones that we both liked. We knew we wanted something neutral colored, and we preferred that it matched my leather recliner, which is a tan color. It was originally my dad’s, but we don’t mind that it’s used because it is so comfortable. We found ones that we liked, but when we saw this particular couch, we both fell in love with it. It’s been 8 months or so since we got it and I’m still happy, so I guess it was a good decision.
Cleaning Wicker Patio Furniture
Wicker is durable and has long been used for outdoor furniture. It holds up well and has a stylish, tropical look that is ideally suited to the patio. It comes in everything from traditional tables and chairs to glamorous bars and benches. To prolong the life of your wicker patio furniture, it’s very important to maintain it during the outdoor season and clean it thoroughly if you plan to put it away for the winter. To do this properly, the two things you must consider are your climate and the material you are cleaning.
Vintage wicker furniture is made of wood, rattan or bamboo, woven around a wood frame. It requires a light cleaning every month or so with a wood oil soap and water. Remove the cushions and use a brush to remove any debris that has become trapped in the grooves. Allow the furniture to dry naturally or turn a fan on it. It is important to dry this type of wicker furniture thoroughly to discourage mold, especially in tropical southern climates. Wooden wicker furniture also needs painting from time to time to protect the wood. It is easy to spray this type of furniture and the new types of spray paints that permeate the wood give a good result. You may also want to protect this furniture with clear plastic covers when in use. Newer wicker furniture may be made of resin which is impervious to weather, stain and fade-resistant. A hose or pressure washer will do a good job of cleaning this furniture during the patio season, but mild soap and water can also be used first. Don’t use a foaming cleaner because wicker has too many cracks where residue can hide.
To store your wicker patio furniture, remove the cushions and cover the frames with plastic or canvas to discourage dust. Be sure the furniture storage area is not too cold so your furniture does not dry out and crack. In the spring, get your wicker furniture out and inspect it for areas that may need repair. Sometimes the ends of the narrow wooden strips come loose and need repair. They can be glued so more damaged doesn’t occur.
Maintenance of wicker patio furniture is simple and rewarding. A little soap or a coat of paint and you’ll be ready for another season. With proper care, you’ll be able to enjoy your wicker patio furniture for years to come.
