Monthly Archives: March 2012

Creating a Dining Room you can be Proud Of

Posted on May 20, 2013 by admin

If your pride yourself on your hosting skills, you might love having friends and family over to your place for dinner parties.

To really wow your guests, you’ll need to think about every last detail of your soirees. For example, as well as spending time creating sumptuous menus, it’s important that your home looks the part, and this is where gorgeous dining room tables and chairs come in handy.

Why wood is perfect

There’s certainly no shortage of products available for you to choose from these days, including plastic, metal and glass items. However, when it comes to creating the perfect setting for meals at home, there’s no substitute for wooden furniture.

People have used oak furniture throughout history and it’s not hard to see why. This material can be hardy and practical and, above all, it looks fantastic.

Versatile

Timber has a natural charm and elegance and it can be used to complement many different styles. For example, it looks completely at home in traditional rooms and it can exude warmth and homeliness.

At the same time, when combined with minimalistic decor and fittings, it can reflect a chic, modern look.

Do the maths

Before you go ahead and order dining room chairs and tables, you’ll need to have a careful think about how many people you tend to cater for. If you have the luxury of oodles of space and can afford to splash out on very large tables, you might think ‘the bigger, the better’. After all, when you have smaller groups around for a meal, you can always group them together at one end of the table to create a cosier, more intimate atmosphere.

However, if like lots of people you’re working with limited square footage, you might have to be a little more pragmatic. Luckily, there are lots of superb tables for you to choose from in all manner of shapes and sizes. One superb option is to invest in an extendable version. You can use this to cater for larger groups as and when you need to, and the rest of the time it can be folded down to a smaller, more manageable size, giving you more room to manoeuvre.

Display cabinets and sideboards

Meanwhile, to add extra interest to your dining room, it’s well worth taking a look at the range of display cabinets and sideboards available. These items can make a great focal point and add elegance and class to the space.

Also, they’re really handy when it comes to storing items. If you’re lacking space in your kitchen cupboards, they can be a real life-saver.

It’ll be alright on the night

As long as you’ve got your menu nailed and you have the ideal dining room furniture, you should be able to show you’re the host with the most.

It’s also a good idea to pay attention to the finer details. Even simple touches like adding a vase of flowers as a centrepiece for your table and lighting a couple of candles can really add to the overall effect.

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Oak Versus Pine Furniture

Posted on May 10, 2013 by admin

If you’re on the hunt for wooden furniture for your home, whether you need dining room furniture, items for your bedroom or anything else, you’ll have a few decisions ahead of you.

There are loads of superb products on the market these days. On the one hand, this is great because it means you should be able to find items that tick each and every one of your boxes. However, on the other hand, this can make the process of choosing a little confusing. With so many options, you’ll need to have a clear idea of what it is you’re after.

Decide on a timber

One way to narrow down your options is to decide on a particular timber and two popular options are oak and pine. These woods each have their own merits and the type you go for will depend on a range of factors.

Here at Furniture Plus we offer a fabulous range of both oak and pine products and should have everything you’re looking for.

Durability

One factor you’ll need to take into account is durability. You might be especially keen for the furniture you buy to stand the test of time. It’s worth noting that, as a dense hardwood, oak is known to be exceptionally strong and durable. This means it’s able to stand up to heavy use exceptionally well. Indeed, quality solid oak wardrobes and other similar products are often handed down from generation to generation. It can even become more beautiful and characterful with age.

That said, well made pine furniture can be strong too. Although it’s considered a softwood, many varieties can be quite hard. Also, the timber is generally sturdy and resistant to warping.

The wow factor

As well as focussing on practicality, you’re bound to want furniture that really has the wow factor and looks great in your home. If you’re after statement pieces, oak might be your preferred option. Its open grain and natural knotting are simply stunning.

However, pine can also look fantastic. Its tight, even and uniform grain is perfect for staining and it can also be an excellent base for paint and enamel finishes. If you’re looking for a bright and modern look, pine might be perfect.

Weighing up your options

Then there’s weight to consider. If you’d prefer lighter furniture, pine’s preferable. Pine bedroom furniture and other items can easily be manoeuvred and the products can be ideal for kids’ rooms.

On the other hand, oak is a very heavy wood and it can take multiple people to shift these items safely.

Price

Of course, your budget will be a factor too. Before you commit yourself to one particular type of timber, it’s worthwhile taking a look at the respective prices of similar items of furniture.

Take a look

If you’re keen to see the items we have to offer, just take a look around the rest of our website. Whether you decide to go for oak or pine, you’ll be spoiled for choice and should be able to find exactly what you want.

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Solid Wood Vs Veneered Wood

Posted on April 20, 2013 by admin

If you are looking to buy good quality wooden furniture for your home then you will most likely be wondering whether to spend your money on solid wood or veneered wood. But how much do you actually know about solid and veneered wood? Do you know how to tell the difference between the two?  Do you know enough about the relative pros and cons to make an informed purchasing decision?

If you are unable to answer a resounding ‘Yes’ to the above questions then you may well benefit from a having a quick read of this article, as this will help you to appreciate how veneered wood matches up to solid wood.

What Exactly is Veneered Furniture and How Can it be Identified?
Veneered furniture typically consists of a thin layer of solid wood glued onto a core board, such as MDF, chipboard, plywood or – in some cases – a different solid wood. The thickness of the veneer can vary between anything from paper thin to 5–6 mm. High quality veneered furniture pieces will often have a hardwood lipping (strip of wood) on the edges as this helps to reduce the chances of wear and tear exposing the core board on vulnerable edges. The easiest way of identifying veneered furniture is by looking at the edges and checking to see if the grain is different from one side to the other.

How to Identify Solid Wood Furniture
Solid wood like oak and pine is easy to identify as the grain pattern is the same on all faces. Exposed joints such as dove tail and peg joints also clearly indicate that a piece of furniture is made from solid wood. Pine and oak furniture pieces can be prone to warping and cracking over time as the changing moisture content between seasons can cause movement. However, a good craftsman who understands the wood they are working with will select the right boards and joints so that any movement that does occur will not cause any excessive warping or splitting.

Advantages of Solid Wood Furniture
As well as being the ‘real deal’ the main advantage of oak sideboards, pine wardrobes and other solid wood furniture items is that their surfaces age well and that any dents and scratches which are accumulated can actually help to make them look even more charming. Indeed, wear and tear can help to create an attractive ‘patina’ effect on solid wood pieces as there is of course no danger of exposing any kind of core board below. Moreover, any damage that is deemed to be too significant can be quickly smartened up with a little sanding and re-finishing.

Which One to Opt For…
Although veneered furniture does have a number of good qualities, it simply cannot match the supreme quality of solid wood. So, if you are looking for wood furniture pieces that will last a long time and continue to look good far into the future, ensure you opt for solid wood.

Posted in Oak Furniture | Leave a comment