Category: Furniture


Simple Monochromatic Decorating

Filed Under: Furniture, Interior Design, Painting
Jan.15, 2010

When it comes to figuring out the color sc heme of a room, a monochromatic color scheme is one option. A monochromatic color scheme involves using one color in the room for almost all the surfaces. To add some sort of contrast to the room, you use different shades of the color you’ve decided upon, from light to dark. Here are some tips to consider if you are thinking about decorating in a monochromatic color scheme that will help you achieve the best look possible.

Add White or a Neutral Color to the Room
If you don’t want to end up with a room that looks like it’s too matched or boring, try pairing the color with white or another neutral. Rather than having the neutral color be the main focus in the room, you want to use it as an accent. For instance, a blue monochromatic scheme might include a blue and white area rug where the wal ls and furniture are all blue. Another way to add a neutral is to paint the trim in the room white.

Choose the Color of the Room Wisely
When you decorate a room with a monochromatic color scheme, it’s important that you really put some thought into the color choice. After all, if you go with a color you’re not crazy about, you will most likely not end up very happy with the finished look of the room. So be sure to pick a color that you like to look at! For those of you who are new to the monochromatic look, you may want to avoid bold color choices such as red and orange. You need to remember that once you choose a monochromatic look, it’s going to be much harder to change the décor of the room, since everything in the room is going to be in some shade of that same color. Be sure that you think carefully about your color choice and try not to rush into a hasty decision you may later regret.

Mix Up the Shades of the Color
To find different shades of the color you’ve chosen, try visiting a paint store and gathering up some different color swatches. With these swatches, you can see the different shades of the color that you should work with. With a monochromatic color scheme, it’s really important to be sure that you’re not painting the walls the exact same shade as the furniture or that the floor doesn’t end up being the same shade as the walls. By mixing up the shades of color, the room will have more character and interest. Accessories such as pillows, curtains, baskets, and candles can also be used to your advantages. Simply choose items that are completely different shades from the rest of the room.

Pulling off a monochromatic color scheme isn’t always easy. You definitely need to spend some time planning out the décor so that everything flows well and you end up with the perfect balance of color.

About the Writer…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the furniture and interior design business for 40 years. He is the owner and manager of popular furniture store in Los Angeles. They have a large inventory of handcrafted Amish built solid wood oak furniture for your bedroom, dining room and living room. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shopping for wood coffee tables for your family room or a wood bed for your bedroom then they have everything you need.

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Ideas for Decorating a Boy’s Room

Filed Under: Furniture, Interior Design
Oct.06, 2009

Boy's Blue BedroomOnce you’ve bought your young son some rugged wood bedroom furniture like an wood beds or dressers then you have to decide on decorating them that will keep them happy and entertained. If it’s time to think about redecorating your little boy’s room, rest assured: there are plenty of great unique decorating themes to choose from. Remember when selecting your theme to be sure it’s something that can grow with him through the next several years. The following themes can be adapted to ages ranging from two to ten. Consider these unique decorating ideas to get you started on creating a fun and engaging décor for your boy’s room.

The Firehouse Bedroom

If your little boy is enamored with firefighters, then a firehouse theme would be perfect for his room. You should have no problem finding a firefighter wallpaper border to hang on the walls. For those who have the talent, you might go even further and draw or paint a firefighter scene or fire truck on the wall. You can choose from a wide variety of accessories that will really make the room fun, such as a fireman’s hat, a hose hanging on the wall, a fireman’s pole, and fire truck bedding. For those who dare, you can even give your boy a siren for his room.

The Bedroom from Outer Space

For those little boys interested in the night sky, try an outer space theme. Outer-space and star wallpaper borders can decorate the walls, or you might even be able to find star and planet decals. Again, those artists out there can even look for spaceship or planet templates that you can trace and paint on the walls.


To really make the room look cool, paint the ceiling black and then use glow-in-the-dark paint to add stars and planets to the ceiling. With the addition of a couple of Martian stuffed animals, your little boy’s room will be deep in outer space.

Pirate Themes for Bedrooms
Depending on your little boy’s age, you can get inspiration for a pirate theme from movies such as Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean. Start by painting the walls blue for the ocean. If you’re really ambitious, you might paint a pirate ship on one of the walls or an island, complete with an overflowing treasure chest on the shore. With accessories such as nets, portholes, treasure boxes with booty, and a couple of pirate hats, your boy will be ready to hit the South Seas.

A Favorite Animal Theme

What’s your little boy’s favorite animal? Is it monkeys or lizards? Consider decorating his room with his favorite animals. This is a broad theme that can be customized to fit your little boy’s preferences. For those boys with pets, the theme of the room can be built around that pet, complete with a special place for the pet to live. If your little boy is old enough, consult with him as to which animal theme he’d like best in his room. Don’t just choose an animal theme for him.

Other Decorating Themes

Some other decorating ideas for a little boy’s room that are both unique and fun include:

· cowboys

· dinosaurs

· race cars

· military

· jungle

· sports

· construction

· licensed characters and cartoons

· haunted house

· bugs

· the wild outdoors

The best way to find the perfect decorating theme for your little boy is to involve him in the process. Allow him to help choose what he wants in the room and help set it up.

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Rubberwood A Green Alternative

Filed Under: Furniture, Interior Design
Sep.21, 2009

Parawood, also known as “rubberwood,” was originally found in Brazil by early 1600s explorers. Indigenous tribes in Brazil used the trees’ sap to make sport balls. Explorers were intrigued by the sap’s properties, and so brought the seeds back to Europe with them. Rubber trees were eventually found to grow quite well in Asian French Indochina, Hynan Island off of China’s coast, and Thailand. As with many maples, rubberwood produces sap, and that specifically produces rubber. Rubber tapping it is a useful economic lifespan of the tree, and traditionally, the so-called “useless” tree was then burned. However, it can also be farmed as lumber, which means it’s sustainable, a paramount feature.

Rubberwood is in fact the most ecologically friendly lumber used in the furniture industry today. Other woods, of course, are cut down just for the purpose of producing wood furniture, but rubberwood is only used after it completes its rubber producing cycle, usually 18 to 25 years long, and dies. Therefore, the wood is eco-friendly in just about every sense. This tree does not go to waste for its entire lifecycle. Rubberwood is taken from the pararubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), also often called the “rubber tree.” Rubberwood is also called parawood in Thailand, and is used in furniture production for more high-end pieces, since it has a dense grain, an attractive color, minimal shrinkage, and accepts different finishes easily. Because it’s also environmentally friendly as a wood, it uses trees that have been cut down at the end of their lives, making it much more attractive.

Oftentimes, rubberwood is misunderstood as a particular species of wood used specifically in the furniture industry. The term “rubberwood” also encourages a number of misconceptions in regard to durability and features. However, it is a type of hardwood and it’s used in the manufacture of home furnishings. It’s particularly durable and is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family. Rubberwood has a dense grain that can be easily controlled when it’s kiln dried. It shrinks very little, which means it’s very stable as a construction material, one of the most stable in furniture manufacturing for from dining room tables to wood bookcases.

Rubberwood lumber is very amenable to many different types and colors of wood finishes, meaning that it can mimic oak, rosewood, or other more expensive lumbers. This can actually create confusion as to the type of wood used in a particular furnishing. Rubber produced from rubber trees did have a propensity to rot, but once vulcanization was perfected, the production of rubber was increased for bicycle tire use. Later on, car tires’ manufacture also needed massive quantities of rubber trees. In fact, during World War II, so many tires were required that eventually the United States needed to substitute synthetic materials for rubber. Production continued to fall until about 1960, when rubberwood was discovered as a hidden resource. It’s almost as hard as oak and has a very nice grain, which makes it perfect as a furniture wood.

For the most part, the rubber from rubber trees is now mostly used for condoms, rubber erasers, and rubber gloves. To finish rubberwood, it’s the same as any other fine hardwood. The secret is to finish with even sanding. The smoother you sand the wood, the lighter and smoother the finish tends to be.  Don’t use your vision to determine whether or not the surface is smooth enough. Instead, use your hands and feel the entire surface, making sure there are no rough spots. Sand with a clean hand or using a sand block with the entire piece. It’s quick and easy to do if your technique is organized and you use 150 grit. Sand with the grain as well.

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Amish Furniture for Your Home

Filed Under: Furniture, Interior Design
Sep.09, 2009

AmishBuggyAmish craftsmen are known the world over for their beautiful and high-quality solid wood furniture. The Amish only use solid wood, and their creations are therefore strong and durable, lasting for many generations. In addition to using the best quality wood, their workmanship is without equal in the modern world, where most products on the market are mass-produced in factories. The Amish art of furniture making is not so much a matter of personal pride as it is a way of worshipping God through their actions.

The Amish take great care in choosing the right wood for the right project. Although they predominantly use oak and quartersawn oak, one can also find examples in cherry, maple, hickory, black walnut, cedar, and even pine. Oak’s beautiful grain lines and honey coloration make it popular in both the United States and Canada, but other styles call for different types of wood, such as cherry for Queen-Anne-style pieces. Another trend is the use of cedar for storage chests, which produces a lovely scent perfect for storing clothing and other linens. For other projects, a craftsman might choose hickory and maple for their extreme hardness and light coloring.

Amish furniture comes in a variety of styles—the most recognizable being Mission, Shaker, and Queen Anne—ranging from artfully simple to ornately curved. Other popular styles include: Traditional/Heritage, Contemporary, Bavarian, Bunker Hill, Carlisle, Hampton, McCoy, Modesto, Slat Mission, Shaker Hill, Spring Hill, Rio Grande, Royal Mission, West Lake, Southwestern, Rustic, Cottage, and Beachfront. Styles such as Mission and Shaker feature a simple square design, whereas others like Queen Anne and Bunker Hill have much more curve and ornamentation. Styles vary from area to area, although most Amish furniture comes from  woodworkers in the Lancaster and Indiana communities. What’s nice about Amish furniture is that each woodworker adds his own individual touch, rendering each piece unique.

You can find Amish furniture for any room in the house, including living room, kitchen, dining room, home office and Amish bedroom furniture. However, the most popular pieces seem to be beds, dressers, and dining room tables. A matching set in any room will complete a distinctive room décor. For a more unique look, consider a heirloom-quality baby crib or rocking chair. The newest trend in Amish pieces is durable outdoor furniture for your patio or deck. Whatever you’re looking for, there is definitely something for everyone.

Although the Amish maintain their principles and remain free from electricity, they do take advantage of diesel generators to power pneumatic or hydraulic tools to mill and construct their fine furniture pieces. This correlates with their belief system, because while electricity is supplied and controlled by the outside world, the diesel generators are in Amish control. Furthermore, they allow more time for the final finish detail work to be done by hand. Each piece of wood is carefully selected so that the colors and wood grains work together to create a pleasing effect. After an older son finishes his formal classroom schooling, his father will then train him in all the intricacies of woodworking, and so the expertise passes from generation to generation.

Until recently, Amish furniture was primarily available in antique shops and in local stores near Amish settlements. Fortunately, today a large number of those stores offer online shopping to consumers and Amish furniture is now accessible to the world. “English” intermediate businessmen either buy directly from the Amish or work with them to establish and manage an online storefront.

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