Mixing Modern And Traditional Furniture Styles – Traditional Style

by admin on July 21, 2010

Traditional Style Basics:

If you like furniture that is intricate and formal and finishes that are dark and rich, and then you should furnish your home in a traditional style.

Generally, traditional furniture takes its inspiration from furniture produced for the European royalty and aristocracy from the 17th to the 19th century. The thought is to make a look of luxurious magnificence through carved ornamentation, rich finishes and a grander scale. The over all look is more intricate and busier than in other styles.

Broadway Furniture Has A Fantastic Selection Of Traditional Style Furniture

Take a look at some traditional styles to find out your own preferences.

Ancient World Style:

Ancient world style is inspired by traditional English and French furniture. It is based on furniture that was meant to impress, and is characterized by:

  • Medium to dark finishes sometimes used with marble
  • Woods such as mahogany, cherry, walnut, and dark oaks
  • Carved details and ornaments such as acanthus leaves and shells
  • Legs that are curved or fluted, ball and claw feet
  • Gilding, lacquer, inlays or other ornamentation

Campaign and Plantation Style:

This style is related to British Colonialism and evolved from wartime and colonial expeditions. It is characterized by “knock-down” or collapsible furniture which was designed to be carried from one place to another.

  • Legs can usually be folded or removed entirely
  • Pieces may have hidden compartments
  • Fewer details, cleaner lines
  • Indigenous touches from the colonies such as shutter details on armoires, or use of rattan and leather insets.
  • Animal prints, rich textures

Early American Style:

This style had its roots in the traditional European styles, but it was then simplified to suit American tastes. It is characterized by

  • Medium to dark finishes
  • Painted finishes, inlays
  • Spindles and finials
  • Lyre back chairs, lyre sofas and column pedestal tables
Stop By And Check Out The Fantastic Quality Wood Furniture In Portland That We Have Available For Your Home or Apartment

Broadway Furniture

228 NE Broadway

Portland Oregon 97232

503 — 281 — 5555

“Your Doorway To Values”

We Are Locally Owned and Family Run For Over 70 Years!

Our store carries over 50,000 square feet of furniture and accessories on 5 floors.

If you don’t see it on our showroom floor, we can special order it for you – at No Additional Cost!

source:http://furniture.about.com/od/furnishingdesignresources/a/sty71909le.htm

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Mixing Modern And Traditional Furniture Styles Pt 1

by admin on July 12, 2010

Mixing Modern And Traditional Furniture Styles – Make Your Own Unique Style

When you mix traditional and modern furniture styles you can make an individualized, multi-layered living space. Furnishing your home should be more about developing your own personal style rather than adhering to any single style unless you are truly passionate about it.

Broadway Furniture Can Help You To Mix And Match Your Furniture Styles

That said, combining modern furniture and accessories with traditional ones can result in chaos if not plotted in advance. There are three major considerations to make before you choose to mix modern and traditional styles.

  1. Modern or Traditional? First of all you need to figure out if you want your space to be primarily modern or primarily traditional.Figure out which style should dominate. It can be a modern space with antique accents or a traditional space with contemporary accents. Letting one style dominate is crucial, because you don’t want to make a space where everything is fighting for equal attention.
  2. Why You Like it Once you’ve figured out where your loyalties lie, find out why either style appeals to you. Look at the visual attributes of a piece of furniture. When you find yourself attracted to a piece is it because of its shape and lines, or do you admire it for its color and texture?There is no incorrect answer, so spend as much time as you need to. Whenever you see some furniture you like, note it down. Notice how you describe it to some one else. Do you talk about its sleek lines or rich texture? If you collect pictures of furniture you like, you will start to see a pattern.

    You can then start to tie in pieces of different styles through their shapes, or material or color and texture.

  3. Harmony or Contrast? After figuring out what you like and why you like it, it is time to settle another vital question. What kind of a look are you going for: harmony or contrast?If you want to make harmony and a restful look, select furniture pieces that are more alike, or just a few degrees apart. For instance, for a harmonized look you may want to pair Hans Wegner chairs with a more traditional wood table. Although these chairs have a very modern sensibility, they are made of wood, which can harmonize with the table.

Mix it Up

Now that you’ve figured out which elements are vital to you, go ahead and start mixing it up.

  • Let one style dominate, and use the other one for accents.
  • Tie different styles together with the same color, texture, or shape.
  • Get different nuances by making harmony or contrast when you mix different styles.
Stop By And Check Out The Fantastic Quality Wood Furniture In Portland That We Have Available For Your Home or Apartment

Broadway Furniture

228 NE Broadway

Portland Oregon 97232

503 — 281 — 5555

“Your Doorway To Values”

We Are Locally Owned and Family Run For Over 70 Years!

Our store carries over 50,000 square feet of furniture and accessories on 5 floors.

If you don’t see it on our showroom floor, we can special order it for you – at No Additional Cost!

source:http://furniture.about.com/od/furnishingdesignresources/a/sty71909le.htm

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Sectional Sofas For Today

by admin on June 30, 2010

Sectional Sofas Make Sense Today

Sectional Sofas may not the most exciting topic to read about, sofas just sit there. And while they may just sit there, they can at least do it with style.

Sectional Sofas are comfortable, look fantastic, can be went around to suit our individual tastes and preferences, have built-in amenities, and come in an incredible array of fabrics, leathers, and other coverings.

Broadway Furniture Has A Fantastic Selection Of Sectional Sofas

Let’s take a brief look at the evolution of sofas generally, and see if there is a place for sectional sofas, and you many learn that they are more exciting than first appears to the casual observer.

Years ago, there were really only a few basic sofa styles to choose from. There was the basic covered bench, or settee. For many years, this was a mainstay in parlors and formal living areas all over the world. Even the Chinese and Japanese integrated this furniture style into their living spaces as they started to westernize.

These sofas were relatively small in size and functioned as a basic sitting area for guests, or eventually for home owners to relax on. Socializing was an art that was taken to all new heights during Victorian times, and one that we have departed drastically away from in many respects. But like everything else, sofas evolve to the changing needs and wants of the people.

By the 50′s and 60′s the basic sofa had lost much of the traditional styling. Gone were a lot of the fancy wood carvings in the frame, and lush fabrics. Nylons and other synthetic fabrics became the thing. Leather, of course, was still an attractive option that gained popularity. Metal legs on furniture became common, and sectional sofas were starting to appear.

By the 70′s and 80′s sectional sofas were being used by families all over the  the world. These modern adaptations allowed for lots of seating arrangements, and some creature comforts that their predecessors simply didn’t delight in.

Now you could have a like seat and a sofa together in a corner “L” assembly if you wanted. Or, you could separate them out just as easily, with say, a coffee table in between them.

When you consider some of the amenities that were introduced directly into the furniture you can see how relaxing and lounging was made more comfortable and convenient than ever before. Built-in recliner chairs, compartments for storing magazines, remote controls and other items, and pull down surfaces with integrated cup holders, all made sectional sofas serve the needs of families becoming more and more interested in watching TV, playing electronic games, and being entertained by a DVD.

Furniture that works for how people really live is a real hallmark of sectional sofas. This is the primary feature that really makes them welcome additions to our homes, and what will keep them well loved options for years to come. As long as we continue to gather together for entertainment in our living and family rooms, we will have a need for large, diverse, comfortable seating.

Sectional sofas are here to stay because they do what we want them to do. I’m glad too, because they simply beat the pants off anything else when it comes to being able to sprawl out and relax at home. I can’t imagine trying to delight in my favorite DVD’s while sitting on my stiff  settee with both my feet on the floor, back straight, tea in hand, and nowhere to set the cup.

You gotta like modern sectional sofas!

Stop By And Check Out The Fantastic Quality Wood Furniture In Portland That We Have Available For Your Home or Apartment

Broadway Furniture

228 NE Broadway

Portland Oregon 97232

503 — 281 — 5555

“Your Doorway To Values”

We Are Locally Owned and Family Run For Over 70 Years!

Our store carries over 50,000 square feet of furniture and accessories on 5 floors.

If you don’t see it on our showroom floor, we can special order it for you – at No Additional Cost!

source:http://www.comfysofas.com/Sectional-Sofas-Make-Sense-in-a-Modern-World.html

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Checking The Quality Of Wood Furniture

by admin on June 21, 2010

How to Check the Quality Of Wood Furniture

Do you know how to go about checking the quality of wood furniture? It is not that hard, and you can learn to judge for quality by looking at the kind of wood that’s been used, the end, and how the piece is constructed.

Wood Sources

Broadway Furniture Has A Fantastic Selection Of Wood Furniture

The kind of wood that is used has a lot of bearing on how long your furniture will last. It can be made of hardwood, softwood, or engineered wood.

Generally speaking, quality wood furniture is made out of hardwood coming from deciduous trees such as oak, maple, mahogany, teak, walnut, cherry and birch. The wood will be air dried and then kiln dried to remove all the moisture.

Coniferous trees such as pine, fir, redwood and cedar produce soft wood. It is possible to find excellent quality furniture in these woods also, but these woods are more prone to scratches and dents.

Modern furniture is very rarely constructed of all wood. Plywood, or engineered wood is used extensively because it provides strength, and helps prevent splitting or warping. It can make for sturdy, long lasting and highly attractive furniture when used with high quality veneers.

Wood Furniture Construction

The way a piece is constructed can contribute to its beauty, functionality and also how long it will last. The joinery and sturdiness of a piece will tell you a lot about its quality.

Mortise and tenon, and dovetails are two of the oldest ways of putting together furniture, and also make for the strongest and best looking joints. Excellent joints can also have dowels or screws, but will never be stapled. Any glue used will not show outside the joint.

Corner blocks add to the strength and stability of a piece. They are not visible from the outside, but bolt to both sides of interior corners.

A excellent quality desk or chest of drawers will have dust panels or thin sheets of wood between drawers in the body of a chest or desk. This not only makes them stronger structurally, but keeps dust away from clothing or papers.

Back panels that face the wall are the generally attached with screws to help ensure the lateral stability. Backs and unexposed parts should be sanded smooth and well fitted. This is an vital feature as only well constructed furniture has these details.

Drawers fit well and have glides to allow you to effortlessly go a drawer in and out of its station. They will also have stops to prevent a drawer from being pulled out or falling. Glides in office furniture such as desks, file cabinets and computer armoires are vital to the functionality of the piece.

Doors will close neatly be flush with the cabinet front, and excellent quality hardware will be used.

Test for sturdiness, by trying to rock or jostle the piece. It should not squeak, twist or wobble. Check if it is level with the floor.

Wood End

A quality end involves sanding, staining, and finishing. Neglect at any of the stages can affect the overall quality of a piece.

Sanding is the first step in the finishing process, and a excellent piece will be smooth so that when you run your hand over it there will be no rough patches. Sanding across the wood grain will also produce unattractive results such as dark lines or scratches across the surface. Improperly sanded wood will not take the stain evenly. Inspect the end from different angles to check for blotchiness or scratches.

A excellent stain enhances the natural beauty of wood and adds color and character to the wood. It can make one wood type look like another one, or make different woods look similar. High quality staining will be even, without any dark spots. All sides and the ends should be the same tone.

Wood finishes range from high-gloss to matte. A high quality end is satiny smooth and free of rough spots, dust specks, or bubbles. Look for depth and richness in the end, which comes from several light coats of end with sanding between the coats. A high quality piece is finished on the back and on the underside as well to reduce the chances of swelling or shrinking.

Some signs of poorly finished wood furniture are:

  • A rough surface.
  • A very glossy or cloudy surface that hides the wood grain.
  • Splintered edges.
  • Scratches, dents, or dust specks.
  • Dull spots indicating missed areas or not enough coats.
  • “Teardrops” around the edges and on vertical surfaces.

A distressed surface, but uses many of these effects to age new furniture and to heighten its rustic appeal. The wood is beaten, battered and nicked before applying the end. But, excellent quality distressed furniture will be well constructed and sturdy.

Stop By And Check Out The Fantastic Quality Wood Furniture In Portland That We Have Available For Your Home or Apartment

Broadway Furniture

228 NE Broadway

Portland Oregon 97232

503 — 281 — 5555

“Your Doorway To Values”

We Are Locally Owned and Family Run For Over 70 Years!

Our store carries over 50,000 square feet of furniture and accessories on 5 floors.

If you don’t see it on our showroom floor, we can special order it for you – at No Additional Cost!

Article by Abe Abbas

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Tips To Consider Before Buying a Sofa

by admin on June 7, 2010

It is really hard to tell nowadays what item is really worth buying. A lot of us are cynical about the quality of the item particularly if it’s expensive. For an instance, sofa is one of the items that we certainly want to have but we are much focused on the price.

What we don’t know is that there’s a lot more to consider further than the cost. The following are tips you need to know before purchasing a sofa:

Broadway Furniture Has A Fantastic Selection Of Quality Sofas

The frame shouldn’t wobble and creak. We should be sure that the frame is sturdy enough. Take time to observe if the sofa sits exactly and evenly on the floor. The arms should not jiggle or go.

Check the whole sofa if it’s well and evenly padded. We should feel if the padding is firm enough.

The stitches of the sofa should look as neatly as possible. It shouldn’t have excessive thread and tattered fabrics.

If there are metal parts in the sofa, be sure that it don’t have sharp ends. Bear in mind that we should secure our safety first. In addition, it is ideal if the sofa has UFAC tag. The furniture you’ll be purchasing is guaranteed that it’s made in accordance of UFAC policies.

Now, for the wood material, better confirm if there are scratches that hurt the whole look. The carvings are different from unintended scratches.

Check the back of the sofa, there should be cushions at the back. Be sure that it is not hollow. The part where we will be sitting must have firmer cushions. Try pressing the cushion and it should be back afterward at its usual shape.

The sofa should have no hard parts on the back. It would be very uncomfortable to sit on if there are hard spots. The sofa should be relaxing for us to sit on in any position we choose.

After you have checked these basic guidelines, you should now be sure that the sofa work properly and smoothly.

Stop By And Check Out The Fantastic Quality Sofas and  Furniture In Portland That We Have Available For Your Home or Apartment

Broadway Furniture

228 NE Broadway

Portland Oregon 97232

503 — 281 — 5555

“Your Doorway To Values”

We Are Locally Owned and Family Run For Over 70 Years!

Our store carries over 50,000 square feet of furniture and accessories on 5 floors.

If you don’t see it on our showroom floor, we can special order it for you – at No Additional Cost!

source:http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2725219/7_guides_to_consider_before_buying.html

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What To Consider Before You Buy a Sofa

May 26, 2010

Make sure to buy the best quality you can afford, as you’ll live with your Sofa purchase for a long time. A good quality sofa can last you anywhere from ten to fifteen years.

Read the full article →

How To Know What’s Inside Your Sofa Pt 3- Sofa Filling

May 13, 2010

In the end, quality doesn’t come cheap, but a good quality sofa will stay more comfortable and retain its looks for a long time. So consider buying the best quality that you can afford.

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How To Know What’s Inside Your Sofa Pt 2- Support

May 5, 2010

You should always test the quality of seating support by sitting on a sofa before you buy it. It shouldn’t sag, but provide good support in the seat and in the back.

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How To Know What’s Inside Your Sofa Pt 1- The Frame

April 16, 2010

How long a sofa will last, and retain its shape depends largely on the frame, and a high quality sofa will always have a strong, sturdy one.

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Make Your Small Room Look Larger Pt 2

March 31, 2010

Sheer fabrics allow light to pass through window treatments, bed skirts, table covers, and furniture slipcovers. If you want something other than plain colors, find soft floral vines or simple stripes to keep

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