Category Archives: England Furniture Tips & Tricks

England Furniture Reviews Some Ways to Use an Area Rug

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england-furniture-area-rugsFloors are the foundation for the designs of any room and an area rug can visually integrate or harmonize diverse design elements in any decor.

England Furniture invites you to consider some of the following factors when considering purchasing an area rug or decorating with an area rug.

1. The Size of the Rug and the Area to be Covered

Start with sizing up the room and the area you want to cover with a rug. The most common area rug sizes are 4’x6’, 5’x8’ and 6’x9’. An 8-by-10-foot area rug can cover an entire room while the smaller styles can be used underneath a coffee table or chair or in front of sofa, loveseat or bed.

2. Visualize the Look

Visualize the finished look of the room with an area rug in place. Do you prefer the sparse, uncluttered look or would you prefer a room rich with colors and textures? It’s important to remember that a rug is typically the largest splash of color in room. Many people first select their first and then the upholstery on their furniture to blend with the rug later. Regardless of the flow, the design and colors of the furniture should enhance the design or colors of the area rug. Some people take it a step further and allow the elements of a rug design to assist them in the overall design scheme. For example, if the rug is floral, they add framed prints or flowers in similar colors. Check out our England Furniture Area Rugs to see some of the latest styles and colors.

3. Using Multiple Area Rugs

One area rug is the general rule as it coordinates the room together and it helps select fabrics for furniture, curtains, etc. That stated, more than one rug can be used to separate a very large room into sections. The designs of the rugs should be different enough to create spatial separation, but similar in color and quality so to maintain the integrity of the room space.

4. Some other considerations:

  • Make sure that the rug corners do not extend into high traffic areas to prevent trips.
  • Try to avoid having the corner of the rug end up in the middle of the doors or archway openings.
  • For smaller rooms, a small pattern is a popular choice as it gives the appearance of a larger room.
  • It is recommended to rotate area rugs on a yearly basis to try to equalize the wear from traffic.

England Furniture Reviews a History of Wing Chairs

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england-furniture-wing-chairs-02Among the extensive range of occasional chairs that are available today the wingback chair has one of the most enduring pedigrees. Few people browsing for furniture for their home today, however, realize that the wing chair actually has a history spanning hundreds of years.

The wingback is a chair that is usually fully upholstered and has “wings” rising up from the arms and joining the back at a 90-degree – or wider – angle. The original purpose for the wings is assumed to be that these chairs prevented drafts in old houses or they helped to protect a person from the heat of a roaring fire in the hearth. Wingback chairs are often still referred to as “fireside chairs.”

The first wing chair likely appeared in the late 1600s, but it was not until sometime after 1720 that it gained widespread popularity. Wingback chairs soon appeared in colonial America and they often had cabriole legs and curving lines distinguishing them from other types of chairs and styles. The fabrics that were used were necessarily subtle or subdued. Examples of bright patterns can be found among pieces from colonial and Georgian drawing rooms.

American wing chairs, also called easy chairs, were often considered bedroom furniture suitable for anyone who was frail or tired and often spent their days sitting quietly in their room. Antique wing chairs were, therefore, often associated with elderly people. This connection led to yet another synonym for winged chairs, the england-furniture-wing-chairsgrandfather chair.

Contemporary designers now produce all sorts of shapes and sizes of wing chairs. Though the functional need for the wing chairs has, of course, declined as modern homes moved away from open fires as a heating source, the design motif remains steadfastly popular. Today modern homes have changed their layout and function considerably, but one can often find winged chairs in almost any room. Wingback chairs may have a classic shape but they can be upholstered in a wide array of modern fabrics. Check our selection of England Furniture winged chairs.

How to Find Small Sofas for Small Rooms

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Do you have a small living room, dorm room or apartment that is in need of a sofa? Are you unsure of what to purchase in order to incorporate both comfort and spaciousness?

If you already have a small space, the last thing you probably want is a large sofa that makes the room appear even smaller. After a hard day at work or school, you want to relax in your home, not feel confined and claustrophobic in a small living area due to a bulky piece of furniture.

The difficulties inherent in a small living room are not insurmountable. There are various options to choose from in small-scale sofas. You do not have to forego style and comfort to save on space!

What to Look for in a Small Sofa

There is more to space saving design when it comes to seating in a small living or family room than choosing a loveseat. You might be asking yourself what other options are available. Surely, a sofa’s dimensions are not the only avenues that need to be investigated, right?

Correct! There is more to choosing a small sofa than just its size. Along with size, there are different sofa features that are available that make a sofa appear sleeker and less bulky.

It is important to have a sofa that would not overpower the space in your small living area.

What Makes a Sofa Appear “Small Scale”?

Besides size, there are different sofa features that make it appear sleeker and trimmer. In other words, perfect for a small space. These features include:

* Few curves with clean, straight, and simple lines

* Straight or no arms

* Legs remaining visible underneath the sofa, that is, they are not covered by upholstered flaps

Futons also have features that give this sofa a small-scale appearance. They have simple, straight lines, narrow arms, with no upholstered flaps. Although many are wider than what would be considered small-scale, their simplicity makes them a natural for small spaces.

By simply changing the cover of a futon, you have the ability to change its overall look. You can go with a more traditional feel by having a design of large flowers and leaves on a subdued color palate of dark brown and beige. Or, if your style leans toward contemporary, you could choose plain beige, black or any other neutral color.

With their sleek, simple lines, most futons naturally have a modern contemporary look. However, this can be curtailed into a more traditional look with the use of different designs in coverings.

The other wonderful feature of a futon is its ability to be changed into a bed. Once the cover begins to wear, it is easy to replace with a new one.
Taking Size into Account

Most sofas for small spaces range in size from 72 inches or smaller. It should be noted that if you go too small, you might end up with seating for two instead of three. That is, you’ll end up with a loveseat instead of a sofa.

If you wanted something smaller than a loveseat, you could purchase a settee or Chair and a Half. Chair and a Halfs usually range around 49″ or smaller and settees range between 40 to 50 inches in length.

Below is a list of measurements to help you remember approximate sizes of small-scale sofas as compared to loveseats and settees. Make certain to take measurements of the space you need to obtain seating for before making a purchase. This will alleviate any unnecessary headaches and hassles from purchasing the wrong size seating for your room.

  • Small Scale Sofas: 72″ or smaller
  • Loveseats: 63″ or smaller
  • Chair and a Halfs: 59″ or smaller
  • Settees: 49″ or smaller

Use the above list as a guide, not as a hard-and-fast rule. There are sofas, loveseats, Chair and a Halfs and settees that do not meet this criteria. However, the above measurements are the norm.

Also, it is possible to find a sofa that is over 72″ that would still afford your room a spacious feel. For example, if you discover a sofa that is over 72″ with a sleek appearance and no upholstered flaps, it may work perfectly in your room if space allows.

It basically comes down to your individual taste.

Another option for a sofa in a space that would normally fit only a loveseat would be to look for sofas without arms. This would allow seating for three instead of two. Sofas usually have large arms that take up a fair amount of unnecessary space. By eliminating arms, you would increase your seating area!

This may not be for everyone, as you may not find an armless sofa comfortable enough for you. However, due to its space saving potential, it is worth investigating.

A Word to Those Lovers of Traditional Furnishings

Small-scale sofas tend to appeal more to lovers of modern or contemporary furnishings than those who prefer traditional. This can be disappointing if you prefer traditional furnishings, but you need a space saving sofa!

If your taste leans toward traditional, the sleek, straight lines of contemporary furnishings may appear cold and sterile and would not lend to the homey warm feel that you enjoy.

You should keep in mind that it is not necessary to purchase a sofa with all the features noted previously. For example, you could purchase a sofa with arms and legs that have curves instead of the contemporary straight lines. If the curves are not too thick, then this may satisfy your desire for a traditional look while still saving on space.

Summing Up

Having a small living room, family room, dorm room or living room has its disadvantages when it comes to seating. You want to get the most “bang for your buck”, by having as much seating as possible while still giving your room a spacious feel. Not always an easy feat in a small space!

There are particular features in a sofa that would give it a small-scale look such as straight lines, small arms and legs that raise the sofa. You could even maximize your seating by purchasing an armless sofa. This would allow seating for three instead of two.

Even if you do not appreciate all the features listed above in a sofa, you can pick one feature and look for other features that you love. For example, if you have a traditional lean in furnishings, you could purchase a sofa with curved arms and legs, but have it raised off the floor by legs uncovered by upholstered flaps. This way, you achieve a spacious look (by the negative space left underneath the sofa) but retain your unique sense of style and taste in the sofa.

Bottom line, you don’t have to sacrifice your style in home décor to achieve a spacious feel in a small space.

Tameka Norris has been living in small spaces since she was 10 years old. She now runs a website titled Furniture for Small Spaces [http://www.furniture-for-small-spaces.com] to help people who go through the same frustrating circumstance of trying to make big bulky furniture fit in places that barely offer enough room. She offers nifty tips and tactics, a Q & A section for people in need of answers, photos of her own small space trials, projects for the DIYer and recommendations on furniture choices.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Find-Small-Sofas-for-Small-Rooms&id=833220

How to Find Small Scale Sectional Sofas

Posted on by England Furniture

A sectional sofa for a small space probably appears to be an oxymoron. How could there possibly be a perfect meeting of the two?

Well, the honest answer is that in the right home, a sectional sofa could actually save you space! Centrally locating sofa pieces within a small living area not only lends to proper seating for conversation and intimacy, but could also make the space feel more spacious.

If seating in one specific spot is not to your liking, with sectional pieces you have the ability to place them however you prefer. This would lend your own personal creative touch to the living room.

Small Sectional Sofas Explained

Now that you know that small sectional sofas are available, you may be asking yourself a few questions. For instance, what would be considered too large or too small for a small sectional sofa?

Good question!

Generally, your living room or living area would dictate the size needed for a small sectional sofa. This is why it is important to take measurements before making a purchase to ensure the sofa pieces would not overpower the small living area. And I will be discussing the measurements of small sectional sofas more in depth below.

However, before going any further, the primary question should be answered, and that is what would be considered a small sectional sofa?

When looking at the number of pieces that make up a small sectional sofa set, 3 pieces are usually the starting point. When furnishing a small living space, anything over 3 to 4 pieces would typically overwhelm the space. You want to make small rooms appear larger and cramming furniture into a tight space would not be conducive to a spacious feeling.

The Right Measurements to Choose

Now that we know what makes up a small sectional sofa, we can get down to business on measurements. To get an idea of what makes up a sectional sofa set, all that is necessary is taking the measurements of a small scale sofa or loveseat and one or two chairs, and then adding them all together.

And once you’ve done that, voila! You have the necessary measurements to define what makes a small scale sectional sofa set.

Let’s go over the measurements now…

  • A small scale sofa is generally 72″ or smaller.
  • To come up with a small scale chair, you would simply divide the measurements of a small scale sofa (72″) by 3 and then you have the size of a small scale chair, which is 24″ wide.

Or, let’s consider option number two…

  • A small scale loveseat is generally 63″ wide.
  • To come up with a small scale chair, you would simply divide the measurements of a small scale loveseat (63″) by 2 and then you have the size of a small scale chair, which is 31.5″ wide.

Add those numbers together and here is what you get…

  • 72 + 24 + 24 = 120″ wide
  • 63 + 31.5 + 31.5 = 126″ wide

Now you have a starting point for the scale of a small sectional sofa.

A starting point for a small scale sectional sofa set is 120 – 126″ wide.

As for the stopping point, you can simply add on an additional 24-31.5″. The stopping point is simply the size that you wouldn’t want to go past for risk of the sectional sofa being too large.

I took the liberty of adding 31.5″ to 126″ wide sectional sofa to come up with the stopping point of 157.5″ wide.

Having a stopping point gives you some leeway. By finding a sectional sofa that falls between 120 – 157″, you have room to work with in your small space. Remember to take measurements first because a 157″ sectional sofa may be perfect for one living area, but considered too large for another.

Also, a few simple guidelines on sectional sofa sizes to consider may help.

  • 120-130″ would be perfect for a small scale solution.
  • 145″ would be a nice mid-size range for small homes.
  • 157″ would be a great size if you can afford the space.

Now that we know the specific measurements for a small scale sectional sofa, how should you go about choosing one?

Choosing the Ideal Sectional Sofa Set

When looking to purchase a sectional sofa, it would be a wise decision to locate a home furnishing store or website that sells each piece individually or as a whole. That way, if a set is too large you could subtract a couple of pieces and if a desired set is too small, you could add an extra piece.
The ability to choose particular pieces allows you to mix and match, therefore, creating your own unique signature “look”.

One place you can find a nice selection is at Marketplace.Furniture-for-Small-Spaces.com. It will link you up to a nice variety of small scale sectional sofas that can be customized according to your space, style and needs.

To Sum Up

Measurements of small scale sectional sofas have been clearly defined. Sectional sofas in the range of 120-130″ wide would be ideal if you do not have the additional space. If space allows, you could increase the stopping point of the sectional sofa to 145″ or even 157″ wide.

Locate home furnishing establishments that allow you to purchase a sectional sofa as a whole or piece by piece. That way, if the sofa you desire is too large, you can knock off a few pieces to accommodate your small space.

In addition, if you wanted to be creative, you could mix and match different colors and patterns. This would lend a unique personal “stamp” to your home décor.

Having said all of that, remember that nothing is ever “carved in stone”. The bottom line and the deciding factor is what is best for you and is most conducive to your lifestyle and taste in home furnishings.

Tameka Norris has been living in small spaces since she was 10 years old. She now runs a website titled Furniture for Small Spaces [http://www.furniture-for-small-spaces.com] to help people who go through the same frustrating circumstance of trying to make big bulky furniture fit in places that barely offer enough room. She offers nifty tips and tactics, a Q & A section for people in need of answers, photos of her own small space trials, projects for the DIYer and recommendations on furniture choices.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Find-Small-Scale-Sectional-Sofas&id=946900

How to Wrap a Sofa-Bed for Moving and Storage With Moving Blankets

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Wrapping a sofa bed for moving with moving blankets requires some skill and experience. Sofas, and especially sofa-beds, are bulky and heavy furniture. If you do not have experience, wrapping a sofa bed with moving blankets it is probably better left for professional household movers on the move day. On the other hand, a Quilted Sofa Cover can easily be used for moving a couch, and then reused to cover a sofa for long term storage, protection from dirt, dust, pet claws, fading from sun exposure, etc. Regular sofas normally do not present much of a challenge, because even though they are large – they are light-weight, but a large heavy sofa-bed might cause you trouble on the move day.

Before you attempt to move your sofa:

Before wrapping a sofabed (“hide-a-bed” couch) for moving, make sure that the sofa can fit through the doors and can be safely moved out and brought into your new home. Try to remember if the sofa bed was moved in as one piece or if it was assembled inside. Was there any remodeling done, that might have narrowed the hallway?

If you think that the sofa would not fit through the door, call the original store or sofa-bed manufacturer and see if they can come and disassemble it for you and then reassemble in the new place. This service might cost around $175.00 and it is well worth it.

Bear in mind that the blanket wrap will add an inch or two to the dimensions of your sofa and this can make a big difference. Sometimes it is better to just move the sofa out as is and then wrap it in the moving truck. Most of the time experienced movers can maneuver the sofa-bed out by skillfully rotating it around the corners and carrying it through doorways just at the right angle. But that is not always the case and forcing the sofa through a tight spot is the recipe for moving damage, which can be done to the sofa itself or to the walls and doors of your home.

Prepare sofa-bed for wrapping:

So how to wrap the sofa bed correctly as professional movers do?

First, inspect your sofa-bed. Some are constructed with solid padded sections under the fabric, in others the fabric is stretched over a hollow frame.

NOTE: if the sofa-bed with hollow frame is incorrectly laid on its back on a moving dolly, the frame may crack under the weight of the sofa-bed. Also, if you load anything heavy on or against one of these hollow sections – the fabric might deform permanently and this will damage the sofa.

Take cushions off the sofa. You want to make the sofa as light as possible, especially if you have to carry it up or down the stairs. Place the cushions in a wardrobe box or tie up together by a strap or rope facing each other.

To avoid wrinkling of the “Skirt” of a couch – lift the skirting and rubber band it loosely against the fabric. (NOTE: very tight rubber band or tape can leave an impression or dent in naugahyde and velvet finishes.)

Next, if this is a sofa bed – tie up the bed frame to the sofa frame. You can use any type of packing rope, moving strap, or make a tie up out of a packing tape.

Cover sofa with moving blankets.

Now it is time to start wrapping. It takes 4 moving blankets of regular size (72 x 80 inches) to cover a sofa bed.

Move the sofa away from the wall so you can walk around it. Place the first blanket to cover the front down to the floor (allow enough to go under the bottom) and just to fold over the back.

Place the second blanket to cover the back. Make sure to allow enough blanket to cover the bottom under the sofa and somewhat overlap over the front blanket.

Now place one blanket on each side, making sure it covers the sides and the back and front corners and has enough to go under the bottom. These moving blankets would overlap the front and back blankets. At this point your sofa should be completely covered in blankets.

To secure the moving blankets on the sofa you can use rubber bands or tape.

NOTE: If you are wrapping sofa in the moving truck or it is possible to just roll it out on a moving dolly – rubber bands would suffice. But if you are planning to maneuver the sofa-bed through the doorway or move the couch down the stairs, you have to use packing tape. Rubber bands do not provide sufficient hold and blankets can slip off the sofa. Mover would have no “grip” on the sofa to carry it.

Securing moving blankets on the Sofa.

Start taping the blankets on sofa in the middle (vertical), somewhere half the total height of the sofa and then go along the seating area from side to side. Starting just under the armrests and going along the frame right under the seat from one side to the other. Make sure to tuck and fold loose corners of the blanket neatly around the corners of the sofa and catch them with tape, so they cover the sofa sides and corners properly and do not hang loose. This will hold all four blankets in position. Go around over the same layer of tape at least 4 -5 times. This will provide strong support for carrying the sofa.

Next, roll the tape around the armrests to secure side blankets in place then, go along the back of sofa. At this point you should have the blankets secured the long way.

Now stand the sofa up on its side and wrap across in at least three sections: right over the armrests, and in the middle. For very long sofas make two midsection bands to catch the edges of the side blankets. Fold the excess of the moving blankets over the bottom. (There is no need to cover the whole bottom, unless you want to, but it is important to cover the corners.) Remove the legs, if removable. If legs cannot be removed – wrap and tape the moving blanket around the legs of the sofa-bed. Flip the sofa and do the same for the other side.

Now your sofa-bed is wrapped and ready to go.

How to wrap a sofa bed using a sofa cover.

If wrapping sofa bed with moving blankets sounds like a lot of work – get a quilted sofa cover. Quilted sofa covers are made out of the same premium quilted moving blanket material and have three tie ups at the bottom.

The whole process becomes very simple: cover the sofa with a sofa cover, stand it up on its side, or lay on the back and tie the tie ups together.

Tips:

1 – if you have a light colored upholstered sofa – place a plastic sofa cover first before wrapping with moving blankets.

2 – to make a tie out of a packing tape – unroll as much tape as you can with your arms stretched. Then fold it sticky surface in. Squeeze the tape so it sticks to itself – now you can tie up your sofa bed frame securely.

3 – if you have a leather sofa – use cardboard corners to protect the edges and corners of the sofa.

4 – Do not put sofa on blankets, put moving blankets on sofa! You might have seen recommendation to put blankets on the floor first and then put sofa on top of the blanket to wrap it. Doing it this way is very inefficient, labor intensive and time consuming. (Time is money, especially when you hire movers. And in this case what is good for mover is not necessarily good for you). This method requires additional floor space to lay down blankets, while the sofa is still occupying its own space. Then you need a helper to put the sofa on the blanket and to keep the falling ends of the blanket up when you try to tape them. And last, but not least the sofa bed legs (if not removed) will create holes and destroy the blanket when the sofa is pushed around in the moving truck.

For detailed instructions on how to wrap a sofa bed for moving with moving blankets, or if you need to get moving supplies, go to http://www.MoversSupplies.com.

If Wrapping sofa bed with moving blankets sounds like a lot of work – get a quilted sofa cover.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Wrap-a-Sofa-Bed-for-Moving-and-Storage-With-Moving-Blankets&id=6372295

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Modern Furniture

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The term ‘modern furniture’ is actually pretty confusing. There have been gradual changes in furniture patterns since the World War II, and in the last few decades there has been a snowballing transition in furniture styles. Recent furniture patterns are different than those of just a few years ago. Modern furniture today uses a wide array of unconventional materials like vinyl, tubular aluminum alloys, cane and jute. Not just the construction materials, but also their styles, have undergone a sea change. Modern furniture has greater unconventional designs than their predecessors – the sharp straight look is gone; curves and abstract lines are in.

Furniture in homes today is considered a representation of the owners’ identities. Every family wants a unique style of furniture, and they don’t mind the cost. People are willing to go to any lengths to make their furniture different from ‘the Joneses’. The age of looking at catalogs and ordering furniture is gone. People today want furniture makers to conceptualize new styles for them. The more different the style from the norm, the more chance it has to be approved. Colors, patterns, curves and even utility have undergone an immense change.

Furniture designing has become as important as fashion designing or building architecture. Several furniture architects have gained wide repute. A few among them are Herman Miller, Florence Bassett, Hans Knoll and Charles and Ray Eames. They are pioneers in various new designs of furniture, which include modular sofas and highly abstract lamps.

One striking aspect is that several features that were considered landmarks of old style furniture have simply been chucked out of the window. Wood is out; vinyl is in. There are no more dark contours with musty wooden smells; they have been replaced by bright colors with patterns as varied as butterflies, flowers and even religious motifs and abstract shapes. Browns and blacks are no longer to be seen as abundantly as turquoises, tangerines, crimsons and chartreuses. Similarly, wrought iron is no longer used. It has been replaced by tubular alloys of aluminum and steel. This transition is mainly due to new furniture-manufacturing technologies of the past decades. Machine-made furniture molds can easily craft any shape of furniture that may be desired.

Needless to say, furniture today is priced more for its design than for its make. There is a lot less handwork in the furniture and more machine work. This makes manufacturing costs lower, as furniture parts can be manufactured on an assembly line. However, the design is all that adds to the cost.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Modern-Furniture&id=233283

In times of change, depend on England Furniture

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England_Moving_tips

 

It’s comforting to know that home is where the heart is.  Many times during our lives we will change the location of our home base. Whether it’s for a career, family, adventure or any of a multitude of reasons, almost everyone will at some point move. What’s interesting is that although our physical home may change, our tastes generally stay the same and so the challenge then becomes moving the contents of our home with us.

One of the many great benefits of owning England Furniture lies in having peace of mind and confidence in their products. England Furniture Company takes pride in everything they create and their furniture products are built to last. Moving furniture can be risky but the durability of England Furniture products can lower those risks and offer freedom to start over in a new place with all the familiar comforts of home.

Here are a few tips to consider if you are moving:

  • Wrap any furniture that is scratchable or dentable in protective padding to prevent damage. Check out moving or storage companies for options in renting these and avoid using your own materials, such as linens, to do this as they will not be nearly as protective as the professional padding.
  • Gather cardboard boxes, packing tape and other packing materials for smaller items and label clearly the contents on the outside of the box and the room that you would like to place them in once moved.
  • Whenever possible, use materials that you will be taking with you anyway to wrap fragile objects. This is where using linens will come in very handy.
  • Prepare an inventory list for yourself.
  • As early on as you can before the move, start packing non-essentials. You will be very happy you did as the moving date comes close.
  • Use this time as an opportunity to sort through items that you might no longer need or enjoy and discard or donate things.

 

England Furniture Company invites you to explore more tips on moving at http://moving.about.com/od/packingtipsandtricks/a/pack_quick_tips.htm

How to choose furniture someone would WANT to inherit

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England Furniture J299

Apartmenttherapy.com shares their guide to choosing furniture that someone will want to inherit later.

Some of the key factors in choosing furniture your heirs will fight over include buying a higher quality furniture, and choosing something useful to the family (the smaller, the better).

“You should remember: this is your piece of furniture, your investment, for your family, so don’t just choose something because it is a “classic”, you should also love it, and it should fit your own personal sense of style.”

Read more at : Apartment Therapy