Jarret TT Camp

Archive for March, 2010

It’s not just first-time homeowners who have to find budget furniture. In fact almost everyone, at one time or another, had to furnish a home or apartment on a budget. I know that I borrowed furniture from my parents, gratefully took grandparents’ offerings, and shopped at garage sales.

But eventually I wanted something to trade out the hand-me-downs from family and strangers for things that would actually help me create a more mature and coordinated home.

I had to find ways to stretch my mini-budget without sacrificing my taste for nice things. I was surprised to find out how many places there were to find bargains.

Don’t expect to find exactly what you want or need. You might have to be creative and adapt what you can find to what you need.

Learn to see pieces for the details and lines they have, not just for what you can put in them. If you see a beautiful teak table instead of the mahogany desk you need, thing about refinishing it and adding filing drawers. A period side table can be painted and moved into the bedroom.

Don’t buy a piece if you’ll need to do too much work on it. Think about your skills and the time you have and the space you have to work in.

See if your neighborhood has some of these sources for budget furniture:

* Garage Sales
You might be able to walk next door on a Saturday morning and find just the piece you need. What your neighbor is getting rid of may be just the piece you need. When shopping at a garage sale, always bring cash, look for defects, and be ready to negotiate on the price. It’s usually expected and you can often get a great bargain.

* Flea Markets
Many communities and colleges stage flea markets on weekends at large parking lots. Vendors set up their wares and you can wander around looking for what you need. Beware: you might not find what you need but you probably won’t get away without buying something.

* Your Neighborhood Dumpsters or Curbside
As you take a walk around your neighborhood, keep your eyes open for furniture pieces left on the curb. The end of the month is a good time, since that’s when people are clearing out their homes to get ready to move. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” as the saying goes. I found a great wrought iron table and bench on the curb once–both at the same house. I sanded off the rust and painted the pieces with rust-proof finishing paint. The table is on my patio and the bench at the end of my bed.

* Thrift Stores and Junk Stores
Local charities, Goodwill, and the Salvation Army often provide thrift stores where people can bring their household discards and unneeded furniture to donate for tax deduction. The money raised from making sales goes into your local community to help those in need. It might take a few trips and perseverance, but if you’re successful you’ll really get a bargain. Enlist friends to be on the lookout, too.

* Consignment Stores
A great strategy for consignment store shopping is to introduce yourself to the owner and ask them to call when your needed item comes in. People bring their things to be sold and they get only a portion of the sale. A hospital in my community has a consignment store that receives beautiful estate pieces. I’ve sold and bought things there.

* Model Home Furnishings
Home builders contract with designers to decorate and furnish their model homes. If you see a model you like, ask the sales office when they’ll remove the furnishings. Ask where they sell their pieces. You might even be able to buy a roomful of furniture, coordinated by a designer. And you’ll get the pieces well below market price. Beware of fading, spots, or wear-and-tear.

* Design Center Showroom Samples
Most large cities have Design Centers and Merchandise Marts that have “sample sales” monthly or quarterly where discontinued furnishings that have been used as showroom samples are sold. The sales are often advertised in local newspapers.

* Furniture Store Scratch and Dent Rooms
Almost every furniture store or department has a back corner where damaged pieces are sold at deep discount. Visit often to keep an eye on what goes back there.

* Furniture Store Clearance Outlets and Sales
Many major department and furniture stores have outlet center with ongoing or periodic furniture sales. Often the tags are marked with dates and prices are reduced every 30 or 60 days. Furniture in these outlets may be either scratched, a second, and overrun, repossessed, or otherwise imperfect. However, prices will generally reflect any imperfections and may also be negotiable.

* Auction Houses and Online Auctions
These are a great place to find unique furniture and decor items. If you actually go to an auction, visit on preview days to check out each piece for damage. If you’re buying large furniture, you need to find out where your item is located. It wouldn’t make any sense to pay more for shipping than the actual cost of the item. You’ll pay dearly for real antiques but can get a great bargain, especially if there aren’t any other bidders.

* Trade with Family or Friends
I gave my brother a large cabinet for his living room and he gave me my grandparents’ living room table. When they moved out of state, we traded back. Great deal!

You might like a contemporary style of decorating if you like to keep current with styles, enjoy things that are modern, of today, right now.

While it’s been thought that modern interiors are cold and minimalist, today’s contemporary interiors are comfortable and welcoming without being cluttered and dark. It’s a style that is equally appropriate for offices and stores, lofts and homes.

A contemporary style home can be a quiet and comfortable retreat. To achieve the look of a contemporary home, it’s important to stick to some basic rules.

Fundamentally, simplicity, subtle sophistication, texture and clean lines help to define contemporary style decorating. Interiors showcase space rather than things. By focusing on color, space, and shape, contemporary interiors are sleek and fresh.

Learn about some more of the characteristics and elements of a contemporary style of decorating and how you might bring the look into each room of your home.

* Color
Neutrals, black, and white are the main colors in contemporary style interiors. The palette is often punched up and accented with bright and bold color. Black is often used to ground and define a contemporary style room. With walls painted in a basic neutral, you have a wonderful backdrop for bold colored accessories. If the walls and windows are painted in pastels, the trims should be neutral. If a wall is a bright, bold color, neutrals should be used everywhere else.

* Line and Space
The most obvious and distinctive element of a contemporary style interior design is line. It’s found in architectural details, use of bold color blocks, high ceilings, bare windows, and geometric shapes in wall art and sculpture. The bare space, on walls, between pieces of furniture, and above in upper areas, becomes as important as the areas filled with objects. In contemporary interiors, less is more. Each piece stands out as individual and unique.

Take advantage of structural elements. Air ducts may hang from a ceiling, broken bricks provide texture and stability, and exposed plumbing pipes are perfectly acceptable in a contemporary style interior. To draw the eye, paint these structural details in bold contrasting colors, or to diminish their importance, blend them with the walls.

* Contemporary Style Furniture
Smooth, clean, geometric shapes are essential for contemporary style furniture pieces. Upholstered furniture often wears black, white, or other neutral tones in textured natural fibers. Cover it in a neutral, black, or bold fabric. Fabrics often have a natural look found in wool, cotton, linen, silk, jute, and add textural appeal.

Furniture pieces should be simple and uncluttered, without curves or decoration. Sofas, chairs, and ottomans have exposed legs. Beds and chairs usually have no skirt, trim, fringe, or tassels.

Pillows add a shot of color and texture in clean geometric shapes.

Keep in Mind

* Use furniture and accessories to make a bold statement in contemporary style interior. Use a basic background and shout out with your favorite color on a piece that will stand out.

* Less is more! In a contemporary style interior, don’t use ruffles, excessive carved details, fringe, or floral prints. Abolish cute and small. Go basic, bare, bold, and structural.

* Floors in a contemporary style home should be bare and smooth in wood, tile, or vinyl. If you must use carpet for sound control or warmth, choose commercial grades. Add color and texture with plain or geometric-patterned area rugs.

Contemporary style decorating has distinct characteristics and elements that are evident. Read below for ways to incorporate some of those contemporary design elements into your interior space.

* Generous use of metal, stone, and opaque or clear glass works well in a room decorated in a contemporary style. To soften and warm up the space, add heavily textured fabrics in plain colors for window treatments, pillows, or rugs.

* Colorful, fussy prints should be avoided, since they confuse a plain space that is key to a contemporary style home. Two-tone prints work well. Think about a zebra print pillow on a black leather chair, a large leopard-print pillow thrown on a plain floor, or bold, heavily textured striped rug to anchor solid colored, sleek furniture.

* Individual pieces are very important in a contemporary style interior and lighting fixtures should be selected to focus on specific pieces. Each light fixture could be a work of art itself with sculptural details and clean lines. Add color and metallic elements on the light fixtures.

* In a contemporary style room, use spotlights or can lighting directed at a painting, poster, or print. These will help to draw the eye to the pieces you want to focus on.

* Track lighting and recessed lighting help to wash a wall in light. In home renovations or new construction, consider installing cove lighting or indirect light.

* Contemporary style sculptures or art on a stand can be placed at eye level by using a structural column or pedestal. Again, be sure the piece is well-lighted.

* Don’t clutter the contemporary style rooms with collections or too many pieces. Open space is just as, if not more, important as the pieces you put in the space.

* Plants and flowers should be large and dramatic in simple containers placed in contemporary rooms. Large blooms with interesting leaves work better than small arrangements. If space allows, place upward focusing lights around a large plant on the floor. Keep the arrangements neat with rocks or bark chips arranged over the dirt.

* Frames in high-gloss or matte black, natural wood, or metal finishes are great for artwork. If you must put several pieces together, hang them close together so they give the feeling of one large piece instead of many small pieces.

* In a contemporary style dining room, keep dinnerware contemporary, too. There are a number of geometric shapes, bold colors, and interesting styles available. Bring in texture with silverware, napkins, placemats and centerpieces.

Do you long for a casual style room that is homey, warm, comfortable, and inviting? Who doesn’t want to be comfortable in their own home? If you want to put together a casual style room, learn the basic elements that combine to create a truly casual room.

For starters, casual rooms have simple details, textured elements in fabrics and accessories, restful horizontal lines, soft upholstery, low-luster surfaces, and arrangements that avoid perfect symmetry.

Details are simple, and elements are rectangular or softly curved.

A room decorated in a casual style is the perfect place to have a touch of whimsey. Use an old or reconstructed birdhouse or wooden candlestick for a lamp base, stack pieces of old luggage for a side table, use a low vintage ironing board for a coffee table.

Casual decorating is easily incorporated into rustic, French Country, cottage, Shabby Chic, or American Country decorating styles.

With people enjoying more relaxed lifestyles, many homes today are totally decorated using the elements of casual decorating. But any home can incorporate the elements into a guest room, country kitchen, guest room, or bath. The elements of a casual style of decorating can sneak into most any room and make it feel comfortable.

The elements of a casual style of decorating are discussed below. Use any or all of these tips to bring the casual decorating style to your rooms.

* Furniture in a casual interior is soft and comfortable. Upholstered pieces are usually oversized and slipcovered.

* Many pieces of upholstered furniture are covered in neutral colors, such as tan, gray, beige, or off-white. But other colors are used, too. Soft pastels give a peaceful feeling. Or try darker tones such as navy, rust, olive or forest green, wine, and cranberry for punch.

* Fabrics on furniture and pillows are usually textured, rather than shiny. Interesting weaves of natural fibers like cotton, linen, wool are typical. New synthetic weaves give a natural look and add durability.

* For special accents on upholstered pieces, add ruffles, pleats, buttons, ribbon, or cording. Contrasting colored details incorporate the full range of colors in the room.

* To achieve a casual look, pieces are often long, large, and horizontal, rather than vertical and tall and petite. Tables are chunky and of a large scale, which gives a comfortable feeling, while providing space for storage and spreading out. This helps to create a restful look.

* A room decorated in a casual style is the perfect place for found items of wicker, iron, and rattan, or flea market finds. Old antiques fit in well.

# A room decorated in a causal style often has furniture arranged on the diagonal, cutting off sharp corners. Matched pieces are not required, as the focus is on easy.

# An ottoman is essential for comfort. Add a large wooden or rattan tray to convert it to a coffee table.

# Light woods are often used for furniture pieces and wood flooring. Oak and pine are the most popular, either painted or finished with a flat, low luster varnish to protect the grain.

# Hammered iron, antiqued brass, wrought iron, porcelain, or carved wood are used for the hardware on doors and drawers.

# Collections of treasured or found items are often arranged to add the casual look. The shelf of a bookcase or corner tabletop is the perfect place for an arrangement of treasures.

# Bedrooms in a casual style home must have a mountain of pillows and a comfortable quilt.

# Windowcoverings in a casual room usually start with shutters, blinds or shades for privacy and light control. They’re enhanced with simple valances of fabrics, often layered over non-traditional drapery hardware. Add a touch of whimsy here using a tree branch or old iron pipe for a curtain rod. Drapery panels often hang at the sides, or use long iron nails or notched tree branches for tie-backs.

# Details on window treatments are simple. Contrast lining fabric peeking out from the sides, cording or wide contrast banding, or tab tops with buttons or ribbon details dress up the window–but not too much! Add a simple swag of fabric or fabric tie-backs if you must.

# Floors in a casual style room are hardwood, tile, stone, or stained concrete. If carpet is used, it should not be too plush. Rather chose sisal, berber, or long, shaggy styles or subtle geometric woven patterns.

# Rooms decorated in a casual style have light fixtures made of wrought iron, tin, pewter, or wood. Simple chandeliers look old in wrought iron or antiqued metals. Or electrify a hanging pan rack or hang a rack of antlers. Add small fabric-covered lampshades on the small candle lights. Or select a chandelier that burns real candles for a really warm, homey feeling.

# Almost anything you have around the house becomes a decorative accessory in a room decorated in a casual style. Gather pillows, books, boxes, candlesticks, bird houses, and flowers and put them everywhere. Easy-to-keep plants or silk plants add color and texture and candles give a warm, welcoming glow and fragrance.

# Artwork of country, casual themes is simply framed using wooden frames, either painted or stained.

# The dining table of a room decorated in a casual style would be set with rugged stoneware, textured woven or fabric placemats, coordinated napkins, heavy glasses, stainless flatware, wooden bowls, and accessories of iron or pewter. The colors of the table should enhance the theme of the room, using either bold floral patterns, plain pieces, or soft, comfortable pastels.

Keep in mind that a room decorated in a causal style should be:

* comfortable, homey, welcoming, and sturdy.
* Fabrics should be soft and textured.
* Furniture is long, overstuffed, and low.
* Surfaces worn and rugged.
* Accessories are old and rustic.
* A touch of whimsey is in order.

Use a casual style wherever you want to create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Art Deco style was developed following World War I, offering people a glamorous style for a new era. The excitement and optimism of post-war Europe and America formed the basis for this glamorous and elegant style of decorating.

Art Deco style blended fashion, architecture, fabric and jewelry design, furniture, and interior design with sleek, smooth lines. It combined modern materials, movement, and the industrial trends of the time.

Read about how to incorporate the Art Deco style into your home.

* Art Deco Furniture
Art Deco furniture is streamlined in design. It is modern and sleek but comfortable. Many designs of furniture are made with a flat bent chrome base that gives the piece a rocking effect. Wood pieces are highly lacquered in black. Decorative black lacquered panels are used as room screens. Highly lacquered wood frames are upholstered in lustrous white leather. A stepped-up arm is typical. Woods used include exotic Brazilian rosewood, ebony, birds-eye maple, and light maple veneers. Upholstery is typically of velour, giving the stark form comfort and a sensuous hand.

* Colors for Art Deco Interiors
Because Art Deco interiors are minimalist, colors are used sparingly. Most color schemes include black, combining green and black, red and black and white and black. Accents are of chrome and gold. Pale blue or dove grey provides a softening effect.

* Flooring for Art Deco Rooms
Classic white or black marble flooring is typical in an Art Deco interior. Checkered tiles of black and white squares are common. Rugs are placed over the sleek flooring, commonly brown, black or dove gray with serpentine swirls or period geometric flowers adding design.

* Art Deco Lighting
Lighting in Art Deco interiors include ceiling lights, floor lamps, table lamps and wall sconces. Most styles are streamlined in design. Bronze and glass are used extensively incorporating flowers and geometric shapes in the design. Floor lamps include tall torchieres in wrought iron or chrome with hand blown glass shades. Some are also of black wrought iron. Table lamps of bright nickel with white, clear, frosted, or colorful glass shades are common. Wall sconces can be bronze, aluminum, steel, or silver plated base metal with opaque white or colorful glass shades.

* Textures in Art Deco Interiors
Most surfaces are sleek and clean, lacking texture. Velour is used extensively in upholstered furniture and leather gives a simple sleek look on surfaces. Wood veneers add depth to wood pieces and add design to otherwise plain pieces.

* Accessories Accent Art Deco Design
Form is important in Art Deco interiors. Mirrors made of nickel, chrome, or silver are decorated with motifs of deer, peacocks, roses, and geometric shapes. Bronze sculptures are sleek covered with colored or pearl beads. Desk sets of pen and pencil on a base are streamlined in design. Door handles and candlesticks molded of nickel, chrome, or silver have woodsy or chevron shapes. Frosted glass or black and white marble are used for vases. Inlay is common and adds color and design. Cameo glass vases show under layers of color exposed by etching away top layers of white or clear glass.

Art Deco style was modern for its time and many elements of the style carry over to design elements of later eras.