'In response to the recession, furniture manufacturers introducing new products at the furniture markets in High Point, NC, earlier this year responded with streamlined collections, practical solutions for low-budgetdecorating and a solid dose of escapism.
Highly Functional
For inspiration, some companies turned to mid-century designers whose groundbreaking works in the early 1950s were characterized by frugality and functionality - two qualities important to today's consumers.
"The post World War II years were a watershed period in American design. Consumers who had grown up during the Great Depression were beginning to work, buy homes, buy cars and buy furniture. Their difficult experiences made them inherently guarded but optimistic. Designers responded by offering furniture that was modest in scale and ornament, yet stylish and well-built" said Tim Copeland, CEO of Copeland Furniture.
Copeland believes some of the same forces are at work in the psyche today, making clean-lined, highly functional furniture the right style for the times. In the current economy, consumers are finding comfort in retro-modern shapes as long as they're designed for todays technology and lifestyles.
Smaller Scales
Smaller scale is also a hallmark of midcentury design and that makes it an ideal style for first-home buyers, loft and apartment dwellers. Many pieces used vertical space to achieve maximum functionality in smaller rooms.
Simple styles
Trend watchers say that in times of turmoil consumers often revert back to the simple things in life. This quest for simplicity-as well as for lower costs and more reliable quality-is said to be fueling growth in everything from vegetable gardening to backyard poultry farming. Furniture manufacturers are right on trend with farmhouse style collections which include details such as antique brass hardware, plank tops and seeded glass adding to the nostaligic feel.
Decorating Over Vacationing
These shifting attitudes are good new for the home industries. An ostentatious vacation may be out of the picture, but an investment in creating a relaxing haven at home is more in line with today's priorities.Furniture manufacturers anticipated the need and unveiled a host of new collections designed to transform ordinary interiors into extraordinary retreats. Furnishings influenced by Dutch and English designs as well as East African and Asian.
At a time when consumers are cutting back in many areas and for many reasons, home furnishings manufacturers are delivering on the fundamentals.'
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Eco-Friendly furniture defined and why it's important to purchase quality locally made furniture pieces
"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 put harmful substances in the air you breathe every day."
Eco-friendly furnishings have a positive affect on indoor air quality. Traditional furnishings contain chemicals such as formaldehyde that do affect the air we breathe. Eco-friendly furnishings use water-based or bio-based products that eliminate the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are found in many traditional glues and finishes.
The use of wood is an important concept in eco-friendly furnishings. Eco-friendly furniture does not include hardwood obtained from forests that are considered to be ill-managed in terms of their ecological impact. Instead, lumber companies with a commitment to sustainability practices are chosen by eco-friendly furnishings manufacturers. Delivery and mileage from supplier to manufacturer are kept to a minimum and the manufacturer is recycling energy and product wherever possible.Steel may also be used in eco-friendly furnishings since it's considered a "green" metal because it can be easily recycled. Actually, steel is the most recycled material worldwide.
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.
This is an easily overlooked, but important part of being green. When you buy good 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 good buy at the time, but you and the environment end up paying a price pretty quickly.
When you decide to purchase new furniture, be sure to dispose of your old items in the most eco friendly way possible. You have several options available to you. You can donate the items to places like Goodwill or your local women’s shelter. You can hand it down to a family member that is just getting started with their first apartment. Or you can even sell it at a furniture resale shop. Your items will surely find new life with a new owner because there are several ways of giving furniture a new look; reupholstering, a new coat of paint, a slipcover, a few throws and new pillows. So, please consider recycling before you put your items out at the curb.
Eco-friendly furnishings have a positive affect on indoor air quality. Traditional furnishings contain chemicals such as formaldehyde that do affect the air we breathe. Eco-friendly furnishings use water-based or bio-based products that eliminate the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are found in many traditional glues and finishes.
The use of wood is an important concept in eco-friendly furnishings. Eco-friendly furniture does not include hardwood obtained from forests that are considered to be ill-managed in terms of their ecological impact. Instead, lumber companies with a commitment to sustainability practices are chosen by eco-friendly furnishings manufacturers. Delivery and mileage from supplier to manufacturer are kept to a minimum and the manufacturer is recycling energy and product wherever possible.Steel may also be used in eco-friendly furnishings since it's considered a "green" metal because it can be easily recycled. Actually, steel is the most recycled material worldwide.
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.
This is an easily overlooked, but important part of being green. When you buy good 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 good buy at the time, but you and the environment end up paying a price pretty quickly.
When you decide to purchase new furniture, be sure to dispose of your old items in the most eco friendly way possible. You have several options available to you. You can donate the items to places like Goodwill or your local women’s shelter. You can hand it down to a family member that is just getting started with their first apartment. Or you can even sell it at a furniture resale shop. Your items will surely find new life with a new owner because there are several ways of giving furniture a new look; reupholstering, a new coat of paint, a slipcover, a few throws and new pillows. So, please consider recycling before you put your items out at the curb.
Seasonal Rejuvenation
10 Quick and Easy ways to rejuvenate your home for Spring
1. The pared-down simplicity of blossoming backyard clippings captures the casual vitality of spring.
2. Keep your collections clutter-free. Pare down the presentation to a few fave pieces, put the rest in storage and rotate seasonally.
3. White-finish frames take traditional furniture forms into spring-trend territory.
4. Nothing says "spring fresh" like natural materials. Grasscloth wallcoverings, rattan storage boxes, natural-fibre mats like sisal and coir blur the distinction between indoors and out.
5. Crisp white cotton slipcovers give soft furnishings an instant low-maintenance makeover. Underfoot, swap out heavy oriental and wool rugs for a breezy variation on the traditional rag rug.
6. The hurricane vase, that old standby, is swept away this spring by the hurricane lantern. As a showcase for natural treasures like shells and pebbles, as a terrarium or simply as an intimate light source that's perfectly portable from the table to after-dinner drinks on the patio, it's a bright decor detail that's sure to delight.
7. Don't leave exterior painting for the hot, humid, hazy days of summer. Para Paints advises tackling an outdoor paint update after a minimum 24-hour period of temperatures between 15 and 25 C.
8. Bananas: rich in potassium and...plant polish? Gently run the inside of a banana peel along the tops and undersides of leaves for an all-natural clean and polish. Clean, healthy plants breathe better and are more adept at absorbing household carbon dioxide and VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
9. Got vinegar? Then you've also got a DIY all-purpose cleaner. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water for a window and surface cleaner with both disinfectant and deodorizing properties (just don't use it on marble or grout, which could be damaged by the acid).
10. Let that fresh air in! Ensure smooth-sliding windows and patio doors by running a bar of soap along the tracks.
1. The pared-down simplicity of blossoming backyard clippings captures the casual vitality of spring.
2. Keep your collections clutter-free. Pare down the presentation to a few fave pieces, put the rest in storage and rotate seasonally.
3. White-finish frames take traditional furniture forms into spring-trend territory.
4. Nothing says "spring fresh" like natural materials. Grasscloth wallcoverings, rattan storage boxes, natural-fibre mats like sisal and coir blur the distinction between indoors and out.
5. Crisp white cotton slipcovers give soft furnishings an instant low-maintenance makeover. Underfoot, swap out heavy oriental and wool rugs for a breezy variation on the traditional rag rug.
6. The hurricane vase, that old standby, is swept away this spring by the hurricane lantern. As a showcase for natural treasures like shells and pebbles, as a terrarium or simply as an intimate light source that's perfectly portable from the table to after-dinner drinks on the patio, it's a bright decor detail that's sure to delight.
7. Don't leave exterior painting for the hot, humid, hazy days of summer. Para Paints advises tackling an outdoor paint update after a minimum 24-hour period of temperatures between 15 and 25 C.
8. Bananas: rich in potassium and...plant polish? Gently run the inside of a banana peel along the tops and undersides of leaves for an all-natural clean and polish. Clean, healthy plants breathe better and are more adept at absorbing household carbon dioxide and VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
9. Got vinegar? Then you've also got a DIY all-purpose cleaner. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water for a window and surface cleaner with both disinfectant and deodorizing properties (just don't use it on marble or grout, which could be damaged by the acid).
10. Let that fresh air in! Ensure smooth-sliding windows and patio doors by running a bar of soap along the tracks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)