Your Ultimate Guide To All Things Furniture
November 25, 2019
When you hear the word “furniture”, household items like chairs, sofas, and tables simply come to mind. But then, furniture is not restricted to just these indoors decors. They can serve both indoor and outdoor purposes. Furniture’s other uses include the provision of comfort for the family, holding objects at a convenient height for work, security purposes, and more. We bring you all that you need to know about furniture – its history, styles, types, best furniture brands and more.
Furniture Ideas You Should Know
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Furniture Styles
There are a variety of furniture styles that express elegance, taste and make your homes beautiful. Below we make a list of major furniture styles that might express your taste in your homes:
Scandinavian Furniture
The Scandinavian furniture design is characterized by a focus on clear, simple lines, minimalism, and functionality without compromising beauty. It first became popular in the 1950s, around the same time that modern style was becoming popular in the United States of America and Europe.
Part of what makes it so aesthetically pleasing is the idea of returning home devoid of bulky furniture and clutter. Instead, everything has a place, and unnecessary items are nowhere to be found. Although Scandinavian furniture shares many similarities with mid-century modern furniture, its style favors airy spaces and neutral colors such as bright whites with pops of black and tan. Since Scandinavians also appreciate nature very much and spend a lot of time outdoors, it is reflected in their furniture style. Also, wooden floors usually remain uncovered, and lighter wood tones can often be found in Scandinavian houses.
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Rustic Furniture
Rustic furniture can sometimes refer to furniture that has a clear lack of craftsmanship involved. It involves the use of various wood species such as willow, hickory, mountain laurel, and Alaska cedar. Also, palm fronds can equally be used. Very often, you will find untreated / minimally treated logs that are sold as “rustic” furniture and whose prices are far above their more modern, polished-looking counterparts. A larger proportion of the raw material is used for the crafting of rustic furniture.
Typical pieces of rustic furniture are a chest of drawers, lockers, coat racks, mirror frames, beds, tables, desks, chairs, smoking stands (often with a cabin on top), clocks, and lamps. A current trend in rustic furniture design is the recycling of pallets for the construction of furniture. There are two major types of rustic furniture construction: bentwood (fresh sticks are harvested, then made supple and bent into different structures and decorative shapes) and twig work (sticks whether curved, straight, or forked – are put together to form structures and decorative shapes within a structure). It’s noteworthy to mention both types are sometimes used in the same piece.
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Gothic Furniture
Gothic furniture covers the longest period compared to other European furniture styles. It was prominent for its carving, which was almost geometric. The Gothic period lasted from the 12th to the 15th century, while its unique ornaments were preserved alongside the new influences until the beginning of the 17th century. This furniture style even had its renaissance with the Gothic revival in the 19th century.
With its characteristic contours and ornaments, it comes from the Gothic art that originated in France at the beginning of the 12th century. In the early stages, the furniture was fairly simple. Then later, it developed into an architectural character. Initially, the decoration was done by painting and later mainly carving with tracery as the main element. The Gothic furniture, similar to the Gothic architecture, had local features, including the wood used for the construction. Oak was mainly used for construction in England, Germany, and the Netherlands, chestnut in France, and walnut in Italy and Spain.
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Value Buy
Farmhouse Furniture
Farmhouse home decor style has gained popularity in recent years. This style is everywhere, and TV shows like Fixer Upper expose farmhouse furniture to a wide range of people regularly. It’s a versatile style that blends well with other styles like industrial or traditional. The materials and finishes, as well as the overall relaxed style of the farmhouse decor, are suitable for families, as the “chippy” furniture already looks aged, and many of its woods and metals already have dull surfaces that give it character.
Furthermore, light, unfinished woods (birch, oak, and pine) complement the neutral color palette and add natural elements to the house. Lastly, deeper woods such as cherry and walnut can give variety and depth to the design but should be used sparingly. Wicker rattan furniture, natural or painted, contributes to the lived-in feel of a farmhouse sitting room or dining room.
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Art Deco Furniture
The original Art Deco furniture movement started in France and Austria between 1925 to around 1940. This style was inspired by Art Nouveau. The flat and stylized depictions of floral and organic motifs are characteristic of the Art Deco furniture style. It lacks naturalness and shade, which contributes to giving it a modern impression. Art Deco aims to highlight the elegance of the basic shape and the value of the materials most simply.
The material’s quality was just as crucial for the creation of Art Deco as its origin. Materials commonly used include marble and onyx from Italy, exotic dark woods from overseas, tiles from Spain and Portugal, and carpets from the Orient. The result is a furniture style that is characterized by quality and a lot of craftsmanship. Several well-recognized companies are committed to the creation of the Art Deco furniture style. Some examples are Paolo Castelli from Italy or Hamilton Conte from France.
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Japanese Furniture
Great attention was paid to culture when designing Japanese furniture. While each piece was simple, it had a function and elegance that added value to the living area of the family to which it belonged. Since the houses were mainly made of wood and rice paper, there were frequent fires. Hence, most of the furniture was made of wood. Many had handles on the sides so that they could be picked up and moved for aesthetic reasons or in response to a fire.
They are different types of furniture in Japan, and they all had three primary purposes: sleeping, and sitting, prayer, and storage. A mat called Tatami was used to replace seating and sleeping furniture. These kinds of mats were made of woven straw and could be arranged in different ways. Also, Buddhist prayer tables and altars were found in most households. They were constructed from wood and were simple in design. Nevertheless, rich houses sometimes had altars that were covered with gold and finely carved.
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Types Of Furniture
There are several types of furniture you might want to decorate your living room with. If you’re tired of thinking about another leather chair or cabinet design that will add a touch of elegance to your house, kindly check out some of these options:
Cool Furniture Projects To Try
How To DIY Furniture With Cardboard
- First, draw the design.
- Then gather the cardboard and other materials.
- Ensure your design is transferred to the cardboard.
- Use a bandsaw to cut out the cardboard pieces. Ensure the cuts are clean.
- Make sure to use glue to hold pieces together as needed.
- Now test the pieces to see that your design is valid.
- Ensure all pieces are correctly glued together for the Final Assembly.
- Cut strips of craft paper to finish edges of exposed Cardboard.
- Lastly choose a finish, using any basic techniques for the End Table/Magazine Holder. Alternatively, you might want to cover it with cloth, colored papers, oil-based stain, etc.
How To Paint Furniture
These steps below will help you to paint your furniture effectively:
Prep
The first step is to ensure you prep your piece of furniture. Do this by removing all the hardware such as drawers (work on these separately) and then give it a good cleaning.
Sand
Sand your piece of furniture and remove all of the shiny finish, so the paint has a good surface to “grasp.” The use of Medium-grit sandpaper is fine.
Prime
Once your furniture is dry and dust-free, ensure to paint on a primer. This helps your paint bond better to the piece and also covers stains or discoloration in the wood.
Sand Again
Repeat the sand process using fine-grit sandpaper. Make sure you gently sand your piece between every coat of paint to achieve a much more professional and even finish.
Paint
At this time, your furniture is primed and ready. Hence it’s time to paint it is highly recommended you use something that’s not a flat finish. It should be noted that the glossier the finish, the easier to clean. Furthermore, there are different methods to go about painting. Then ensure to use of a paint sprayer or even regular spray paint, a brush, or roller (to prevent visible brush strokes).
Protect
Allow your last coat of paint to dry for at least 24 hours. Then seal your furniture to give the finish extra protection and also make the surface easy to clean.
Frequently Asked Questions About Furniture
1. Where Can I Find The Best Deals On Furniture?
You can get the best furniture deals on the following sites:
- Best for Reliable Bargains: IKEA
- Best for Online: Wayfair
- Best for Unique Budget: Target
- Best for Modern: Room & Board
- Best for New Traditional: Crate & Barrel
- Best for Finding Deals: Overstock
2. How Long Should A Couch Last?
How durable a couch is depends on the material it was made from as well as the overall craftsmanship. While the duration varies from product to product, a typical couch should last you between 7 to 15 years.
3. How Much Should I Pay For A Sofa?
- $ 1,000 or less: The range below $ 1,000 is what we would consider a cheap sofa.
- $ 1,000 – $ 2,000: A mid-priced sofa is usually between this range.
- $ 2000 or more: Anything over $2000 is considered to be an expensive sofa.
4. What Kind Of Couch Last The Longest?
Get an “8-way hand-tied” spring to ensure a long life. The kind and density of the foam filler in the pillows affect the longevity of the parts; a couch with high-density foam lasts the longest.
5. How To Distress Furniture?
You can distress a piece of furniture through the following steps below:
- Start by preparing your space.
- Sand and clean the piece of furniture.
- Then, paint the piece of furniture.
- Distress the piece of furniture with sandpaper and steel wool.
- Apply wax, stain, and top layer of paint. However, this is optional.
- Finally, ensure to protect the finished piece with Polyurethane.
6. What Are The Top Ten Furniture Brands?
The top ten furniture stores/brands are enumerated below:
- Brabbu
- Edra
- Roche Bobois
- Christopher Guy
- Boca do Lobo
- Fendi Casa
- Kartell
- Baker
- Poliform
- Restoration Hardware
