Are You Looking For Ashwood Furniture?

by admin on March 9, 2010

About Ashwood Furniture

Ash is a type of hard wood that is very excellent for making wood furniture. Some of the ash furniture that you are likely to find in the market includes chests, drawers, wardrobes and cabinets. But, most manufacturers use ash wood to make tables and chairs.

Ash Wood Furniture Is Very Hardy

Apart from its hardiness, another characteristic of this wood that makes it ideal for furniture is its durability and natural sheen. You can buy this furniture to make your home look different and elegant. Here is how you can find stylish ash furniture that will add value to your home.

Make Sure You Like The Look Of Ash Furniture

It is always vital to consider the design of any piece of furniture that you intend to buy. Ash furniture, just like any other type of furniture, comes in all sorts of designs and shapes. Choose a design that best fits your tastes and preferences. You should also consider the overall style of your house.

Broadway Furniture Has A Fantastic Selection Of Quality Wood Furniture

Do not get the ash wood furniture if it will look odd in your rooms. If you do not want to buy ash furniture that will end up looking out of place, do not buy just one piece. Buy different sets of ash furniture and place them strategically all over the house. For instance, if you want to buy ash wood chairs, you should also buy an ash table or cabinet to go with the chairs.

Combine Ash Wood Furniture Pieces

If you want to add beauty to your home, get a few sets of Ash furniture. You do not have to part with a lot of money to buy this type of wood furniture. It is possible to get chairs, cabinets, tables and other items made from ash wood at a very low price, you just need to look at different shops to find which one offers the best discount on its furniture.

You can find A Fantastic Selection Of  Quality Furniture at One Of The Best  Portland Oregon Furniture Stores.

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://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Find-the-Best-Ash-Furniture&id=3889671

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Do You Know What A Gossip Chair Is?

by admin on March 3, 2010

Do You Know What A Gossip Chair Is?

The ‘Gossip Chair’, also known as a ‘Caquetoire’ became well loved in the late sixteenth century Europe. Since women wore voluminous farthingale skirts, they were cumbersome to manage in regular chairs. As furniture’s basic function is to make every day life more comfortable and answer lifestyle needs, the caquetoire chair came into being to accommodate these wide skirts. 

A caquetoire is an armchair with simply turned legs. It has curved arms, but the shape of the seat is what really distinguishes it. It was designed to be very wide in the front, and narrowed at the back, making a triangular shape. The back was high and paneled, and sometimes was decorated with carving and medallions.

These chairs were apparently grouped for ladies to sit together and chat or gossip. Indeed the word caquetoire comes from the word caqueter which means to chat

Caquetoire Image (c) S. Hasan

Somehow the translation favors the word gossip over chat. These chairs first appeared in France but then found their way to other European countries.

You can find A Fantastic Selection Of  Quality Furniture at One Of The Best  Portland Oregon Furniture Stores.

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/furnitureterms/a/Caquetoire.htm

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Major Furniture Buying Mistakes

by admin on February 25, 2010

How to Prevent Mistakes When Buying Your Furniture

Ever wonder what the main furniture buying mistakes are? People  often make them over and over, but the excellent news is that these costly furniture buying mistakes can be preventable if you just do a small research

Broadway Furniture Has A Fantastic Selection Of Quality Furniture

  • When buying a sofa, recliner or chair, you should always test it, and judge for quality. What if that very stylish sofa turns out to be so uncomfortable that you never want to sit on it? Your furniture should always make life more comfortable and simpler. Try out your sofa in the store the way you would use it at home, and yes, that means lying down on it, too. If you are buying furniture on the internet, go to a store and try it out first. Also, open and close drawers and doors on case goods to see if they function properly.
    • Buying Furniture on Impulse:
    • Impulse buying is one of the largest mistakes people make when shopping for furniture. Sometimes the price seems irresistible, other times the piece looks just too excellent to pass up, or you might be in a rush to make your place look excellent in time for the impending arrival of guests. Resist the impulse to make a hasty choice.

    • Asking for Too Many Opinions:

      When you consult too many people, you make it harder to narrow down your choices. Never take along an entourage when shopping for furniture. It drives the salespeople crazy and you don’t benefit from five different people offering wildly divergent views. If you don’t want to go alone, go with your significant other, or just one other person whose judgment you trust.

    • Not Asking for Help:

      The salespeople are there to help you, and they might be able to offer advice and suggestions which ultimately help you make a better buying choice. While the ultimate buying choice will be yours, but by not consulting them you might not even get a excellent thought of all the options you have. Incidentally, it is a better thought to go shopping on a weekday so that you can get a salesperson’s full attention. Weekends tend to be busy and distracting when you need a salesperson’s full attention.

    • Paying Too Much for Your Furniture:

      When buying furniture, there are plenty of ways for you to save. For instance, you always have the choice of waiting for special sales. You can inquire if the store would offer any special discounts, especially if you are buying several pieces. Avoid “Buy now, pay later” financing plans as you can end up paying very high interest rates if you can’t pay it all in a lump sum later.

    1. Forgetting to Measure Your Furniture:

      Don’t neglect to measure the room ahead of buying to see if your new furniture will fit. You will be amazed at the number of furniture buys that never make it into a home because the buyer neglected to measure the furniture or forgot to take into account hallways, doors, elevators and stairs.

    2. Ignoring Scale:

      A sofa that looks just right in the store, might look too huge in your room or not huge enough. It is hard to judge when you’re looking at a picture or seeing it in a showroom. Also measure to make sure that your new piece matches the scale of the furniture you already own.

    3. Not Paying Enough Attention to Color:

      A color that doesn’t look very overpowering in the showroom, could do so in your home. You should also bring home a color swatch or a pillow to see how it would look in your own home. Also, when buying on the internet, be aware that the color on a monitor looks different on a real sofa. Request a fabric swatch as many companies will provide one if questioned.

    4. Paying Too Much attention to Fads:

      It is best to buy a piece of furniture that you will feel comfortable with for years to come. That goes for color as well as style. Fads can come and go very quickly, so look beyond a few months of excitement. Instead, buy furniture that truly appeals to you and will look excellent even years later.

    5. Ignoring Who Will Really Be Using Your Furniture:

      Before you buy furniture, make sure that you know how it will be used, and who will be using it. If you forget to factor in small children, pets, and snacking while watching TV, you could be heading for disaster. Your fabulous cream colored sofa will be no match for grubby hands, or muddy paws. An absolutely gorgeous coffee table with a delicate end will not last too long when you have people putting up their feet on it.

    You can find A Fantastic Selection Of  Quality Furniture at One Of The Best  Portland Oregon Furniture Stores.

    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/buyingfurniture/a/mi53109es_2.htm

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    Ways To Find ‘Green’ Furniture

    by admin on February 18, 2010

    How To Buy Sustainable Green Furniture

    As a responsible person trying to lead a green lifestyle, you may be wondering how to buy green furniture. After all buying green means that you are doing your part to help keep the planet healthy. By buying green furniture you also keep your home healthy, because you are bringing in furniture that doesn’t place harmful substances in the air you breathe every day.

    Some simple ways you can find green furniture:

    The simplest thing to do is to look for FSC certified wood, which is now widely available. FSC certified wood is sustainable wood that has been harvested responsibly. It means that forests are being maintained and precious ecosystems are not ruined.

    Broadway Furniture Is Your Portland Oregon Family Furniture Store

    Buy Bamboo Made Products

    Bamboo is a quick-growing grass and is widely used by green conscious manufacturers and designers. It is versatile and you can find it in many products from flooring material to furniture. Being so quick to grow back, it can be a never ending resource. Sometimes there is a concern about pesticide use, so if you are intent on buying green, make sure to question.

    Buy Reclaimed Wood Furniture

    Reclaimed wood is usually reclaimed from ancient furniture, buildings, and bridges, basically anything that used wood in its construction. It comes from other sources, too, such as discarded factory scraps, or logs that are reclaimed from rivers. Barnwood furniture is extremely sought after, and rightly so, as aged wood has its own richness and patina.

    Buy Furniture Made from Recycled Materials

    Furniture made from recycled metal and plastic is another option. Basically, anything that can be reused in any form can be said to be eco friendly. While this might seem to be too sweeping a statement, consider this: recycling means you are using fewer resources, and not condemning something to the landfills. With constantly improving technology you can be assured of quality as well. Repurposed furniture is also a excellent option.

    Buy Furniture With Non-or Low-Toxic Finishes

    Buying furniture that is low-toxic or non-toxic, you cut down on toxic off-gassing. Toxic off-gassing can be even more of a hazard in a well insulated home, where toxins cannot escape easily. Look for Greenguard certification as a guideline. While you can always question around about the materials used in making your furniture, looking for certification can save you time while providing you with guidelines.

    Buy Locally Made Furniture

    Buying locally made furniture instead of imported furniture is amongst the greenest choices you can make. Remember that being green is all about sustainability. Buying locally made furniture cuts down on energy requirements to ship it from one place to another since the nearer home it was made, the less it had to travel. Added advantage? You support the local economy by supporting local craftspeople and small businesses. If you look around you will find plenty of resources

    Buy Durable Furniture

    This is an easily overlooked, but vital part of being green. When you buy excellent quality, well made furniture, you are buying green furniture. It will not have to be replaced for a long time. Even if you get tired of it, you can easily give it away or re-sell, and somebody else can use it. Poor quality furniture may be cheap, and seem like a excellent buy at the time, but you and the environment end up paying a price pretty quickly.

    Buy Recyclable Furniture

    Green furniture lends itself to simple recycling or disassembly. If a piece of furniture can be easily disassembled at the end of its life, the pieces can be recycled easily. Look for C2C certification such as found on Herman Miller office chairs.

    Buy Used or Vintage Furniture

    Buying vintage furniture could be the simplest way of buying green. Maybe the it wasn’t originally made from FSC certified wood, or comes without Greenguard certification, but used furniture has certainly been around long enough to end off-gassing. Since you are saving it from a potential fate in a landfill, you are protecting the environment. Additionally, high quality vintage is always sought after, so it could potentially resell for close to the same price you bought it.

    You can find A Fantastic Selection Of  Quality Furniture at One Of The Best  Portland Oregon Furniture Stores.

    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/buyingfurniture/a/gr7609een.htm

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    Pine Furniture is Hardy and Stylish

    by admin on February 15, 2010

    Pine Furniture

    Pine is a soft natural wood that comes from the pine tree, and is a very well loved type of wood. It is aesthetically pleasing, and it enhances all types of décor from traditional to contemporary. It makes a fantastic accent for the living room as well as the bedroom. It is fantastic for kids as well as adults.

    Broadway Furniture Can Help You Decorate Your Home With Quality Pine Furniture

    Pine tends to be sturdy and could withstand wear and tear overtime. Thus, it is not uncommon to find homeowners of pine furniture that has being passed from one generation to another. You would reckon with such a strong character that pine would be very expensive, but it is normally not as expensive as other forms of wood. This makes it a fantastic choice for the home whether you have a large financial output or you are on a tight budget.

    Do You Like The Distressed Furniture Look

    Distressed furniture is a well loved choice on the market today, and pine is ideal for this type of design due to its soft wood composition. You can buy distressed furniture to complement your décor or you can buy pine furniture and later change the furniture appearance to the distress look. The redo can be achieved by scratching the furniture. You will find the furniture will accommodate the redo process without any difficulty.

    Pine is available in various shades. You can find pale shades, darker shades, and rustic. Pale shades are effective in light room such as neutral scheme. If you have cream sofa, you can use a pine coffee table to enhance the overall room appearance. Darker shades provide a contrast to lighter furniture pieces, and can complement dark colors giving the home a warm cozy feeling.

    Rustic Pine Furniture

    Rustic pine furniture is a versatile addition to any room décor due to its adaptability to any style. If you have a country home, rustic furniture will provide you with a rich country look. You might also choose to accentuate the pine by purchasing furniture with metal, glass or leather handles to transform your home to a contemporary design.

    Pine is by far one of the best woods available to us today. It offers a contemporary plus traditional appearance for the home. Therefore, purchasing pine is always the better alternative when you are in the market for new furniture.

    You can find A Fantastic Selection Of  Quality Furniture at One Of The Best  Portland Oregon Furniture Stores.

    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://ezinearticles.com/?Pine-is-Sturdy-and-Stylish&id=3747543

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    New Furniture Trends

    by admin on February 10, 2010

    New Furniture Trends
    The top 10 furniture trends of the decade came about the way trends in furniture always do, dictated by who is buying, and how they live. Trends should not to be confused with fads, which are fickle, but should be seen as the undercurrents that drive what you see.

    Some of the forces working behind the furniture trends for this decade are that furniture buyers are younger, and women, with more buying power than ever, are more involved in choosing and buying furniture. Technology is an integral part of our lives, the globe seems to be shrinking, and there is a rising concern for the environment.

    1. Furniture Going Green

    Santos Coffee Table from Environment Furniture

    Green furniture has always been available, but now it seems to be going mainstream. Environmental concerns such as awareness of how deforestation impacts climate change and the effects of toxic finishes on the air inside homes have led furniture buyers to demand green furniture.

    Manufacturers are transitioning into greener resources and ways of production. In the last decade furniture imports rose due to lower costs, but the concern for a smaller carbon footprint is behind the beginning of a gradual shift towards locally manufactured furniture.

    Diminishing resources and pollution concerns have led to more recycled or re-purposed materials. Material from torn down buildings is being used for furniture as a step taken to reduce landfills.

    2. Furniture With a Smaller Profile

    Desk and Hutch, Origin Collection, aspenhomePhoto (c) aspenhome

    Since our living spaces are shrinking, this decade has seen furniture with a smaller profile.

    Large and ponderous furniture pieces seem out of place in today’s shrinking homes. The shift towards smaller piece also goes hand in hand with a liking for less ornate furniture, and a preference for a more contemporary style.

    Since rooms are smaller more streamlined furniture seems to be the logical choice for consumers making an efficient use of the available space.

    Recliners and chairs with a smaller profile are becoming increasingly available as a result of women wanting to buy furniture more suited to their preferences.

    3. Multifunctional Furniture

    Multifunctional furniture is not a new concept by any means. But it has really come into its own as there is a rising demand for it. This could also be a factor of smaller space living.

    When space is at a premium, you need furniture that can perform multiple tasks. A lot of buyers are looking for extra storage to reduce clutter. You can find storage in tables, under beds, and also in entertainment consoles.

    Multifunctional furniture is not just for added storage alone, it can serve any number of additional uses other than its main function. Multifunctional furniture can be used for sleeping guest or even pets, as shown in this picture.

    4. Technology Driven Furniture Design

    Envision Collection, Hooker FurniturePhoto (c) Hooker Furniture

    The use of modern technology has determined furniture design as well. It is most apparent in the design of entertainment centers.

    While entertainment centers are obviously made to accommodate the new entertainment paraphernalia, bedroom sets, accent tables and other furniture pieces are also being made to accommodate our gadgetry. A traditional piece such as a roll top desk can be updated to accommodate laptops and peripherals.

    The nightstands in the Hooker bedroom collection pictured here have pull-out shelves, outlets and USB ports for charging laptops, iPods and phones.

    5. Popularity of Vintage Furniture

    Vintage furniture has really come into its own as a result of a few factors. Yes, there is nostalgia involved, but also the search for green furniture.

    Vintage furniture is green on many counts. The finishes, though not originally non-toxic, have finished off-gassing so they are safe for indoor air. By buying or using inherited vintage furniture you rescue it from going to landfills. Since it has survived so many years, it has a chance of being well made and therefore durable.

    Nostalgia plays a part, too. And well loved culture such as movies and TV shows feed it and feed on it. The hard economic times in the later part of of this decade also make buying vintage furniture a feasible choice.

    6. Globally Inspired Furniture

    Tanzania Collection, LanePhoto (c) Lane

    The globe seems to be shrinking, and other cultures no longer seem as distant or foreign. The thought of bringing the world to our homes is catching on.

    It is not just confined to bringing in furniture from other parts of the world, but other gone-by eras as well. It is the search for the exotic and romantic.

    In the case of Asian inspired furniture it could be a search for a more Zen-like interior space or drama. Whatever the reason behind it, the lure of travel and days of yore has made globally inspired furniture very well loved.

    7. The Growing Importance Outdoor Furniture

    Photo (c) Century

    Casual furniture or outdoor furniture has made leaps and bounds in the last decade or more.

    This has come about as consumers learned they could significantly add to their existing spaces by using outdoor areas as well. Outdoor rooms have become very desirable, and the quality and design of outdoor furniture has developed tremendously. Many furniture pieces can be used indoor or outdoor.

    Outdoor fabric has improved tremendously, too. The colors, textures and patterns can just as easily be used indoors with the added benefit that they are simpler to maintain.

    8. Custom-made Furniture

    Photo (c) Vermont Woods Studios

    Customization of furniture seems to be a trend that continues to develop and evolve. While some manufacturers such as Norwalk have been offering it for years, the growing demand has made more manufacturers take notice.

    Smaller studios have offered customization for years, but more mainstream manufacturers such as Ethan Allen and Thomasville are offering an increasing amount of customization. It can vary from fabric color or pattern to changing the style of an arm or leg on a sofa. Many let the customer provide their own fabric. In casegoods, their are choices in finishes, colors or veneers or hardware options. It depends on the manufacturer, but customization seems to be a trend that is catching on.

    9. Specialty Sleep Surfaces

    Photo(c)Ergomotion

    An interest in specialty sleep surfaces started with waterbeds and has grown and developed over the years so that now specialty sleep products make up a sizable share of the sleep market.

    With specialty sleep products there is the lure of finding the perfect product for you. With our hectic lifestyles, a night of perfect and comfortable sleep seems like the ultimate reward. While it is possible to find your perfect sleep surface, it is not the simplest of tasks, and might entail a long period of research before you settle on a product to buy.

    10. Leather Furniture

    Leather furniture has a new found popularity because now it comes in different shapes and colors. Leather is an ancient favorite, but it now has a new face.

    There is plenty of excellent leather furniture in colors and designs that were never seen before in leather. American Leather is one of the leaders in leather furniture, but other manufacturers offer plenty of choices as well.

    Leather is simple to maintain and clean and retains its appeal much longer than fabric.

    One downside of leather’s popularity is that some stores are offering bi-cast leather also known as by-cast leather, that is not even leather. It wouldn’t be so terrible if they did not classify it as leather which can be misleading for consumers.

    You can find A Fantastic Selection Of Quality Furniture at One Of The Best  Portland Oregon Furniture Stores.

    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/buyingfurniture/tp/dec_trends.htm

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    Tips For Lighting Your Home

    February 3, 2010

    In the kitchen or the bathroom you may want to look into task lighting. These lights are going to brighten up the area where a task is going to be completed.

    Read the full article →

    Updating Your Retro Fifties Furniture

    February 1, 2010

    If you have a hutch or other piece of ’50s furniture that boasts a glass front door, wallpaper the back wall of the inside of the furniture with a bright shade that complements the overall color of the furniture.

    Read the full article →

    What Are The Standard Furniture Design Measurements

    January 28, 2010

    VERY IMPORTANT! These measurements are meant to be a general guideline only. Before you buy anything make sure you measure it to see if it will fit inside the space you have.

    Read the full article →

    Video Of Some Very Amazing Furniture Designs

    January 26, 2010

    Enjoy a Video Of Some Amazing Furniture Designs!

    Read the full article →

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