Give your old furniture new life

You’ve graciously harboured granny’s floral chairs for long enough. If your inner-voice is whispering “chuck, chuck,” but your guilty conscience is nagging, mydeco is here to help.

If your old couch is boring you, a simple recovering will save you the cost and hassle of forking out for a whole new piece. Sweden-based Bemz sell made-to-order cushion covers for the most popular IKEA sofas. You choose the colour or pattern and they’ll deliver it to your door within six weeks. For other furniture, or more significant work like replacing springs and stuffing, check your local directory or try House and Garden Addresses for upholsterers. Reupholstering doesn’t come cheap, so unless the piece is worth the investment (or you’re a dab hand at sewing), you might be better off buying a decorative throw to freshen up your look. If you’re willing to take the plunge, head for John Lewis where the upholstery service team will collect your tattered piece, replace the fabric and mend it, before returning it to you in sparkly new condition.

If you can’t see much potential in that old couch, have a look at the flamboyant creations of London-based Squint. Designer Lisa Whatmough. transforms vintage furniture with recycled fabrics and a whole lot of imagination.  Read more...

Customizing your Furniture

The last thing that you want, even if you shopped there, is for guests to your home to feel that were visiting IKEA themselves. There is something to be said for adding a personalized touch to your home or even NY office furniture so that you never encounter the faux pas that happens in the fashion world, when you show up at a fabulously divine event, proudly man-handling your Gucci bag, only to run into someone else carrying the same bag.  And second to having someone comment on how much they love IKEA as soon as they’ve stepped foot in your home, has got to be the guest who says, “I have the same table in my living room.  I just love it, don’t you?”

So what exactly does customizing your furniture entail? It’s exactly as it sounds, cus-to-miz-ing.  It’s all about taking just that little longer to say what you want your home to say.  Let it breathe.  Go creative.  Paint the walls soft pink if you want to.  And pick the furniture that matches your personality and style.  Sometimes to get it all right, you need to opt the DIY design, and that includes the furniture.  You want people coming into to your home to comment on what an experience it was.  The only drawback is that as they sink into your sofa, and sip their wine and listen to Enya, you’ll probably find it’s hard to get them to leave.  Read more...

Fine Furniture, an Art of the Past and of Our Future

My neighbor told me a few days ago that her mother and her aunt run a furniture restoration store in Queens, and that business is good these days because they are the only ones in their town who can do what they do. Go and spend an afternoon watching a woodworker work with their hands and it will send shivers down your spine.  It’s a labor of love that takes an attention to detail that is a valued commodity in a world where speed and efficiency have overtaken the labors that take more time.

Today, people want to spend days indoors, painting their kitchen walls a soft pink hue, and their hallways off-white, and hours sanding down old furniture, but this would require realigning their lifestyles and commitments. It’s not just a question of having the know-how; it’s about freeing up the time in a hectic schedule.

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Traditional Amish Furniture

Amish craftsmen are known the world over for their beautiful and high-quality solid wood furniture. The Amish only use solid wood, and their creations are therefore strong and durable, lasting for many generations. Not only do they use the best quality wood, but their workmanship is unequaled. Amish furniture certainly stands out in a modern world where nearly every product on the market is mass-produced. The Amish craft these high-quality products, not so much because of personal pride, but more of a way of worshipping their God through action.

Amish craftsmen are particular in selecting the right wood for their projects. Oak and quartersawn oak are the predominant woods used in the construction of most pieces, but sometimes projects call for other woods such as cherry, maple, hickory, black walnut, cedar, and even pine. With its beautiful grain lines and honey coloration, oak has become widely distributed in the United States and Canada. But a craftsman might choose cherry when producing a Queen-Anne-style piece. Cedar makes a great wood for storage chests, in that its lovely scent is perfect for storing clothing and other linens. Another popular choice is either hickory or maple, which are both light colored and extremely hard.  Read more...

Teak Furniture- Using Nature’s Best for Your Home or Garden

When buying furniture for your home or garden, don’t allow the cheapest deals to be your guide, because cheapness does not imply quality. The good news is that you do not have to sacrifice affordability for quality. Quality can come at a decent price depending on what kind of material that you use for your home furnishing needs, and if you are unsure of where to turn, Mother Nature herself is a great start.

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense to use natural materials for the creation of your perfect furnishings. Woods such as teak are great choices because they are sturdy. Just think about how tough they have to be to survive some of the things that the weather can throw at them. Your family can do no worse!

Here are some things to remember when considering the use of teak furniture and other naturally made pieces for your home or garden:  Read more...

Folding Wood Furniture without Nails- Amazing Innovation!

An ex-cop of Bhutan, Kinzang Wangdi had so much passion for wood carving that he has left his job with the Royal Bhutan Police and moved into full time carpentry for good. He has invented innovative ways of making folding wooden furniture without the help of even a single nail!

How the Passion for Wood Carving Began?

Kinzang Wangdi, in December 2005, designed and produced a collapsible wooden stand to hold his religious books while conducting  prayer ceremonies. It was a simple contraption- a wooden book holder that could be folded into a single sheet, small enough to slide into a shoulder bag. His fellow lay monks, enchanted by the creation, asked him to make some for them as well. Motivated by the appreciation he got for his simple wood book stand, he decided and finally converted all his furniture into collapsible foldable contraptions that could be easily moved aside when not in use.  Read more...