When searching for living room decorating ideas, the best place to start is with the living room furniture. Adding quality living room furnishings to your home decor makes sense for a lot of reasons. First, it’s green. Mass-produced furniture doesn’t hold up well and will eventually end up in a landfill. Heirloom quality furniture, on the other hand, is built to last for generations, especially if properly cared for.
Not Mass Produced
Interior decorating is successful when it’s a personal statement, which brings us to another great reason for buying hand-crafted, well made furniture. You end up with something that is unique. Otherwise,you run the risk of having the same furniture as your friends and neighbors, especially when shopping at Pottery Barn or other big box furniture retailers. If you really want your interior design to show who you really are, and to create a beautiful and comfortable living room environment, you can’t go wrong with wood furnishings from true artisans.
Preservation of Your Living Room Furniture
Preserving wood furnishings is as important as selecting them in the first place. When properly maintained, heirloom quality furniture can be enjoyed now and treasured (and used) by future generations later. First, you need to minimize or eliminate conditions that can cause damage to your wood furnishings. Then, you need to follow some basic guidelines for care, handling and cleaning.
Causes of Damage to Wood Furniture
Improper handling, environment, cleaning and repair are the most common causes of damage to furniture and wooden objects. For example, when moving your furniture, be sure to remove belts, jewelry and anything else that could scratch it. And, always grasp the pieces at their sturdiest areas. Chairs should be held by the seat and not by the backs or arms. Lift the furniture, and never drag it. Dragging can place stress on the legs and feet of a chair or table.
Protecting Your Wood Furnishings
Protect your furniture surfaces by using drink coasters, and avoid exposing it to high light levels (such as hours of direct sunlight each day). Not only does the light accelerate the aging process on the finish, but the extra heat generated by the light can also damage the finish by softening it.
High temperatures, extremely dry air and high humidity can each wreak havoc on wood furniture. Try to regulate the temperature levels and humidity levels in your home as much as possible. Also, keep your prized furniture away from direct heat sources, such as fireplaces, vents, and direct sunlight.
How to Clean Your Wood Furniture
First, completely remove dust with a cloth diaper or a soft brush vacuum attachment. For finished wood only, you can also use a little water on the cloth diaper, or even wet cotton balls for areas where the woodwork is intricate. Don’t let water sit on the surface of the furniture and be sure to completely dry it after dust removal. After the surface is dry (about 15 minutes), you can use a high quality wax such as Renaissance Wax, applied with a rag or soft brush. Then buff the surface with a cloth diaper or a clean, soft shoe polishing brush. If the finish becomes dull between applications of wax it can be buffed with a rag or shoe brush to restore the luster of the finish.
At The Guest Room, we can show you top-quality, hand-crafted wood furnishings for every room of your house. Visit our showroom today and talk with our knowledgeable staff for great living room decorating ideas!