Living Areas Design Help: Resources, Products and Ideas

How To Spot A Quality Sofa

Furniture Hints

1. FRAME:
   A good sofa should have a hardwood frame (like maple or hickory) that is kiln dried so it won't warp, crack or bend over time. Wood frames should be joined by dowels or screws (not glue). If the leg frame is metal, check all the weld joints and make sure they're clean and smooth, visible clumps are a sign of poor workmanship.
2. PADDING:
   Sit on the sofa, and feel underneath and behind your knees. The whole area should be soft, you shouldn't be able to feel the frame at all.
3. SPRINGS:
   Eight-way hand-tied steel coils are the best.....They're securely attached to the frame and can therefore recover from movement in all directions. They are the most comforable because they distribute weight evenly and so they last the longest.
   
   Wavy, S-shaped "sinuous springs" are okay but develop an uneven comfort and wear pattern over time.
4. CUSHIONS:
   The highest quality options are dense, blue foam core or spring down cushions (coils wrapped in synthetic filling, with a layer of down on top).
   
   Cushions filled with 100% down are very comfortable but will require fluffing up, in other words they will show the sags and won't "bounce back", so if you don't like that look don't think about the down option. Also, this option is the most expensive.
   
   Most of the time I sell the Spring Down cushions unless my clients specify something different. I think it's the best of both worlds. This consists of a spring inside a dense foam core, surrounded by a fiber layer and topped with a 70/30 down/feather envelope.
   
   The complete opposite feel of the down is the clean-edged, high-density foam (other kinds of foam break down easily). These are a little less comfortable over time but provide nice support when needed.
5. CORNER BLOCKS:
   Check under the sofa for these angled pieces of wood that are glued and screwed to each corner. They help disperse the weight along the back and side equally, so the sofa is more sturdy and durable.

How To Fit A Coffee Table To Your Sofa

Furniture Hints

• I think the perfect distance between a coffee table to your sofa is 18". You want to be able to maneuver around it and at the same time be able to rest a drink on the table without having to get up.
• Scale is everything when choosing the right table length for your living areas. A good rule of thumb is if you have a 7' sofa, a 6' table would work best. So you have 6" on each side. So for instance with a 6' sofa, a 5' table would work nicely and stay in proportion.
• When it comes to the height of a coffee table usually the right height is one that is close to that of your sofa cushion seats, apx. 19-22".

How To Choose The Perfect Area Rug

Helpful Hints

1. PLACEMENT:
   I think an area rug should add weight to a living area if you are covering hard surfaces such as hardwoods. So with that said, I suggest that the area rug completely go under all seating areas or just to the front feet of seating areas.
   
   The best rule of thumb for this when measuring for a new rug is that you want your bare feet to always being touching the rug so where your traffic patterns are, is where the area rug should be.
   
   Please note: Make sure to keep your family safe by making sure that rug corners do not extend into high traffic areas.
   
   My biggest pet peeve is when I see an area rug just under the coffee table and that's it. It's like seeing someone with "high water pants" or a drape that is a 1/2 a foot up the wall, not hoovering or touching the floor, it looks incomplete and quite frankly what is the purpose, the coffee table hides most of it anyway.
2. FIBER:
   There are lots of choices when it comes to fibers. I will give a brief overview of the most popular.
   
   Hand Knotted Wool: This is the cream of the cream. It will last the longest and for that it's the most expensive as well.
   Machine Made Wool: This is my favorite right here. It's the most bang for the buck and I LOVE LOVE LOVE wool! Not to get off track, but here is why....
   Flame retardant, green choice (natural fibers), stain resistant, ages beautifully and it feels wonderful under foot.
   
   Nylons: These aren't bad fibers at all. They are easy to clean, have great uniformity, strength and are stain resistant. They also cost less but you'll see the quality difference immediately when compared to a wool rug and for the price it's not that much more for a machine made wool rug. These rugs also don't hold their value. Underfoot these feel like you standard wall to wall carpet that most grew up with.
   
   Olefln: This is the cheapest fiber out there and if you buy one for your area rug you'll see why. I think they spot horribly and they just feel nasty underfoot. They don't last as long; they get very matted and crushed looking long before any of the above choices show anything.
   
   Here's a big one, they aren't a green choice, they are a petroleum based product and you will smell that when you bring it home, ick! I don't have alot of nice things to say about this fiber.
3. PADS:
   I always recommend using a rug pad under all area rugs. This will help keep your rug in place and also save the life of your rug. Rugs wear from the bottom not the top, fun fact I know. Since the friction is on the bottom when being walked on, using a rug pad will help keep your rug in good condition and last for many years.
4. DESIGN:
   Area rugs pull all of the design elements of any given room together. I love rugs with patterns and designing around them. They add color, texture and design to your room without being overwhelming. Unlike solid colors they really set the tone to your room. If you are working with a blank room with no furniture yet, buy the rug that you love the most and go from there. If you have furniture or wall colorings chosen already make sure that it compliments any rug you choose.

Where to find that PERFECT Area Rug

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