Outdoor Wood Furniture Ideas

No matter how fast and easily your neighbors get metal and plastic outdoor furniture, they can never match the hand crafted outdoor wood furniture you owe. Here are some ideas for choosing the right outdoor wooden furniture for your garden, deck or patio.

• Although there are many types of wood but for outdoor furniture, teak is considered best. It is the hardest hardwood and can withstand outdoor conditions better than any other readily available wood.
• While buying the outdoor furniture, always keep the purpose in mind. If you enjoy having meals with your family and friends outdoor then go for bigger dining tables so that you have ample space for you and your guests to relax. Buy at least a 7 piece deep seating dining set.
• If you just like to relax outside with a few friends, purchase a smaller dining set of 4 to 5 pieces.
• If you have limited outdoor space or you long for intimate outdoor dining, a bistro table or a 3 piece set will be the best.
• When you have decided for parties outside then why make multiple trips inside for getting all your stuff. Get a serving cart to do all the carrying for you.
• If you like to be relaxed in the natural outdoor environment, go for a lounge chair with multi-position back. It is perfect for lying around on a lazy summer day.
• Get a comfy sofa set made with all weather fabrics and forget the comfort of your indoors. You can even get a rocking chair for relaxing out in the evening.
• And for your kids, you can purchase porch swings and enjoy them yourself when kids are not around.

If your outdoor wood furniture isn't teak or cedar, remember that it will need to be treated regularly to prevent rotting. It should also be stored inside during the winter. If you can't bring them inside, cover them up with some waterproof but breathable material. If you have opted for teak furniture, also remember that not all teak is ecologically sound. As far as possible, buy Eco-friendly wood furniture and be responsible towards our planet.

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Diwali Gift Ideas!

Diwali is round the corner and you are still puzzled about what to present as gift to your dear ones. Make this Diwali special for your family and friends by giving them tasteful gifts. Give them artifacts having a touch of elegance. And they need not be expensive! Select from among smaller furniture items, some home decorative or simply show piece but with a difference. Get Diwali gift ideas. Read What Artifacts Should You Gift This Diwali?

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Contemporary Wood Furniture- Style Plus Function!

With all the haste and rush in their lifestyle, people today prefer furniture that is simple and functional. They want furniture that could be used in 'not so delicate' manner because time is very less to spend on maintaining furniture. However, people have also become more aesthetic, so they don't want to compromise on the beauty aspect of any furniture! What's the result then? It's the evolution of contemporary wood furniture which is functional and stylish too!

Simple Cuts and Shapes: People today want to spend more time with their families at home- in a very informal way. The trend for casual living has led the modern furniture to become multi-functional with clean uncluttered lines. People are turning towards durable materials and so wood furniture tops the list. Light woods dominate the modern furniture of today- oak, cherry, and birch being the most popular woods, with rattan and bamboo increasingly getting popular due to the growing preference for eco-friendly furniture. http://crafts-textiles-guide.blogspot.com/2009/09/eco-friendly-wood-furniture-go-green.html However, simplicity doesn't mar beauty. Style is still maintained through varnished solid fronts combined with veneered bodies and stainless steel. Other materials that are combined with wood to make it trendy include aluminum and boldly colored fiberglass and satin glass.

Incorporated Gadgets: A wooden sofa is not only a seating option now! Multi-media applications are liberally applied to the wooden furniture. Flat loudspeakers are being incorporated into slim, spacious sofas, covered in dark trendy upholstery fabrics. LED lighting technology can be seen on wooden coffee tables. And what more? These lights change depending on the mood required! The modern furniture has all got futuristic!

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Different Types of Wood and Their Properties

Like all other things, wood too is categorized according to its texture, strength and the beauty it to a furniture. Some types of wood are very hard and durable and some are flexible enough to be bent. "Hardwood" is one of the common types of wood which is obtained from trees that lose their leaves in winter. The other type of wood, the "Softwood" is obtained from evergreen trees like fir, pine and redwood. Further, all of them are placed in one of the two basic wood grades. These two grades are 'select lumber' and 'common lumber.' When appearance and finishing are important for a furniture, then select lumber is considered best. Common lumber having certain defects is used for construction and general-purpose projects.

To know the individual wood properties and which wood is used for what purpose, read Types of Wood

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Tips for Buying Upholstered Furniture

Those who look for durability as well as comfort, buy upholstered furniture, preferably made of wood. Why? Because wood is stable and durable and the upholstery on it makes it comfortable too. Definitely no one would like to sit on a wooden sofa that doesn't have a nice and comfortable seat on it! So whenever you go out to buy a wooden upholstered furniture, follow the tips given here to get the best deal.

• First of all decide certain aspects as how this upholstered furniture will be used in your home, do you have pets and children, do the family often spends time in living room and how often do this furniture is used? This and many other similar question will tell you what type of furniture to look for?
• Check the frame, supporting foundation, and cushioning or padding of the upholstered furniture.
• Choose a solid and sturdy frame. Traditionally the frames made of kiln-dried hardwood are best as they resists warping. Frames of maple or oak are also good.
• Don't go for frames made of plywood, particle board, plastic or steel frames as they tend to warp and bend.
• Ensure that all pieces are joined well. Dove tailing and metal screws that fit angles and joints together securely are good. A furniture with corner blocks glued and screwed are best.
• Ensure the furniture has good support provided by webbing, sling straps, slats or springs. Go for eight-way hand-tied coil springing which provides the best support.
• Look for comfortable cushioning. Foam and polyester fiberfill wrap are widely used padding materials which are durable, resilient, mothproof and mildew and fungus resistant.
• Go for HC(High Comfort)foam and HR(High Resiliency)foam
• If yours is an active household, go for fabrics with tighter weaves and durable fibers like polypropylene or nylon.
• Fabrics such as satins, damasks and brocades, although beautiful, should be chosen only if the furniture has limited use.
• Ensure that cushions fit well, cushion zippers work smoothly and the buttons are secure.
• Check for straight seams and welts and stripes, plaids and patterns matched at the seams and across seating cushions.
• Before taking the final decision, sit on it and feel it. This should be particularly done by the person who's going to use the sofa or chair most of the time, especially when buying a recliner or "easy" chair. The height and angle of the back and depth of the seat should be suited to the size of the person.

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Eco-Friendly Wood Furniture: Go Green with Your Home Decor

We all share this beautiful planet called earth! And we all are equally responsible to save it by doing every little bit we can. The easiest way to do this is using eco friendly products. When it comes to our home decor, we can buy wood home furniture that is eco-friendly. I'll tell you how to go green with your furniture wood but before knowing some tips about buying eco friendly furniture, it is helpful to know in what ways furniture affects environment and how we can minimize this environmental pollution by going for green furniture?

What is Green Furniture?

We all know that furniture wood is a forest product. Many trees are harvested for getting that fine wood for your home and office furniture. However, green furniture is not green because it comes from forests but it is green in the sense of its being eco-friendly. Furniture is considered eco-friendly according to its impact on the environment. How the wood is harvested and to what extent this contributes to forest depletion, whether it has eco-friendly upholstery on it, how much chemicals and toxic paints etc. are used in making them, how it will affect the surrounding air quality- all contribute in defining a furniture as eco friendly. When a wood furniture causes minimum deforestation, uses non toxic materials for finishes and do not pollute the home environment, it is called an eco-friendly wood furniture.

How to Buy Eco-friendly Furniture?

Here are certain tips on how to buy green furniture? Follow them and be a responsible and proud earth dweller.

• Buy FSC-certified woods. They are researched and certified as socially and environmentally harvested by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This council is an international non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization which works for promoting responsible management of the world’s forests.
• Buy reclaimed and recycled wood products. Many wood furniture manufacturers reuse discarded furniture and lumber.
• Refrain from buying endangered woods. Select furniture made from "secondary species" which are less depleted. These species include sweetgum, madrone, and California oak.
• Buy lower grade woods as lesser timber is needed to produce a low-grade wood product than a high-grade product. Many low-grade woods are rated low just because they show knots and streaks.
• Ask the manufacturer, where and how the wood was harvested.
• Particleboard, plywood, and other pressed woods contain formaldehyde, a possible carcinogen leading to poor air quality in your home and office. As such, avoid pressed woods and go for second-hand solid wood, or FSC-certified new wood pieces.
• Do your furniture shopping at antique stores, garage sales, and thrift stores where you can find furniture made from solid wood.
• Buy furniture made from rubberwood. It is very sustainable and one of the most eco-friendly lumber used by the modern furniture industry. Most of the other woods are obtained from trees that are cut down just to make furniture. However, rubberwood is harvested only after it completes the cycle of producing latex and dies for about 18-25 years before dying.
• Buy those furniture pieces that are finished with nontoxic paints, stains and varnishes.
• Buy bamboo furniture. Bamboo grows fast and is able to replenish itself quickly. This makes it eco-friendly otion for furniture making.
• Buy locally made furniture to reduce the pollution created from shipping them long distances. If any how you want to buy a furniture that is made in a particular region, you can buy it from local retailer and help in cutting down on transport.
• If you find eco-friendly furniture costly, start small. Don't try to change all your home furniture at once. Buy small pieces initially and buy one by one as and when you can manage to spend on expensive furniture. Also you can first buy something having only one sustainable component such as reclaimed wood but treated with a conventional stain and finish. These are less expensive and you can find them easily. Additionally, you can choose unfinished wood and finish it yourself with eco-friendly products.
  

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How to Care for Wooden Furniture?

Whether we go for traditional style of home decor or a contemporary one, we all love to have wood home furniture. Wood furniture is liked for its beauty, strength and durability but if proper care is not taken, these furniture lose their sheen and also develop cracks that can make you lose them shortly. So how to care for wood furniture? Here are certain tips for your help.

• Extreme temperature and relative humidity harm wooden furniture the most. Keep the temperature of your home between 70 - 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Relative humidity should be at 50-55%.
• Take help of humidifier or de-humidifier to keep the air in the rooms from becoming too dry or too damp.
• Dust regularly. That's the mantra to give long life to any furniture.
• While dusting, avoid using wet cloths or mops. They can stain and damage the wood. Use soft cloth, preferably lint-free cotton, or a vacuum cleaner with dust brush attachment for general cleaning of your furniture.
• Always use coasters, place mats or other protective things for keeping hot or cold items, even water, on top of wooden furniture.
• Keep solvents like nail polish remover, alcohol and paint thinner away from wood furniture. They can easily harm their finish. Colognes, perfumes and medications, wine, beer and liquor- all contain alcohol and are harmful to your wood furniture.
• Plastic objects like tablecloths, wrappers, plastic toys and games lying on wooden surfaces can leach into wood over time. Avoid them.
• Don't expose your wood furniture to direct sunlight, heat, cold or excessively damp or dry environments. Curtains on windows will protect the furniture from sunlight.
• When polishing and waxing wooden furniture, select the correct cleaner and polish according to the type of the furniture's finish.
• Always follow manufacturers' instructions when using spray or liquid polishes.
• Use polishes that are specifically manufactured for wooden surfaces. Never mix different types of polishes.
• Polishing too often can lead to a cloudy, filmy build up on the furniture that doesn't assimilate with the look and feel of wood. Polish once or twice a year. Its enough to give extra life to your furniture.
• If possible, use paste wax as it provides a thick, hard, lasting finish to hardwood furniture. It also delays the formation of water rings, which give a little extra time to wipe up the moisture. Liquid wax are like paste wax but provide a thinner coating.
  

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Tips For Buying Wood Furniture

Wood was perhaps among the first few materials which were used for making furniture by man. Whether you inherit from your ancestors or buy yourself, there will be always a few items placed in your home that is made from wood. There's no doubt that wooden furniture- used, new or antique- make our home decor more attractive. Nowadays, wood furniture manufacturers make wide variety of such furniture. They may be hand carved in small workshops or can be mass produced in bigger factories. When you go to buy a wooden furniture, you can get better deal if you keep certain factors in mind. Here are certain tips for buying wood furniture.

• Durability of furniture depends on quality of wood construction. Solid boards are always better than veneers or particle boards.
• Many artificial veneers have plywood or particleboard overlaid on them. A plywood core, although light weight and less expensive, will swell when wet. Particleboard, on the other hand, will fracture because this hard material cannot absorb shocks.
• Check whether there is any crack or splits on the wood. Also check splits in joints. These joints will eventually come apart, when you'll place the furniture in a centrally heated room.
• Check the back panel of wood furniture for nails and screws. Make sure that it is not just stapled.
• If you are buying a wooden cupboard or something having doors, check whether the hinges are solid, secure, and strong enough to support the weight of the door.
• If buying larger furniture like dressers, check whether they have traditional mortise and tenon joints in them. In such larger items, even screws, nails and glues fail sometimes.
• Ensure there are levelers on the bottoms of large furniture pieces. If buying chairs, see that they do not wobble. Check on how easily they stand on all four legs.
• When buying wooden drawers, don't take the one without guides as it can make the drawer bind when opening and closing.
• If buying used old furniture, know about its finish. If you want to change the color or repaint the furniture, you should know that factory finishes are often difficult to change.
• If you want the old furniture to have a light color, check the original color of the wood by rubbing across an exposed unfinished part (you'll find such portion on the back or inside of the furniture) with wet finger. By this, you will come to know what the color of the wood will be when varnished with natural stain. Also remember that naturally dark wood can't be lightened.
• Old and badly stored chests of drawers may get damaged by dampness. This leads to swelling which in turn makes it difficult for drawers to open and close smoothly. Check whether the drawers can be repaired using beeswax which helps in sliding the drawers smoothly. If its beyond repair, don't buy it.
• When buying antique wooden furniture, make sure you buy real antiques and not mere reproductions. Seek advice from an antiques expert.
• Antiques were specially made for specific locations. Ensure before buying the larger antique pieces that they will fit into the doors of your home.
• Check for any boreholes and active woodworm. Tap the wood for detecting any fresh woodworm. Dust coming out from the holes means there are active woodworm there in the furniture. Even if there are no active woodworm, treat the antique or old furniture as a precautionary measure.
  

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