When you’re refurnishing your home there are several options available and many people choose to buy cheap composite furniture from home superstores – mainly because of the attractive price tag. However, buying cheap furniture is a false economy as it simply means you’ll have to replace it much more quickly than solid wood, which could last for generations.

Image via: Jill Greer

Why choose Hardwood Furniture?

In these cash strapped times it is tempting to purchase furniture made from cheap and inferior materials such as veneer, plastic or wood composite. But anyone who has bought cheap flatpack furniture before will know that it simply doesn’t last as well as solid wood furniture or look nearly as attractive. Take a look below to discover more about the benefits of choosing hardwood.

Natural Beauty

Hardwood furniture utilises the strongest, most durable and most attractive woods, such as mahogany, oak and mango. Beautiful woods like these can bring warmth to a home and rather than simply being functional, they can also add character to your space. There are tons of different types of hardwood furniture to choose from so you can pick pieces that will sit perfectly within your interiors and become a feature within themselves.

Exceptional Interiors

If you want your home to be full of quality items that give it a unique flavour then solid wood furniture is a great investment. There are all sorts of hardwood items to choose from including coffee tables, dining tables, cabinets and chests of drawers, so whatever type of furniture you need you’ll find plenty of hardwood versions. Stunning hardwood is a great way to make your home stand out from the crowd and give your interiors that all important warm and welcoming feel.

Durability

When home superstores first appeared in the UK millions of people bought into the idea of cheap but practical furniture, but today a large proportion of that furniture s sitting in landfill rather than in people’s homes and when you take into account the chemical and industrial processes that engineered wood or composite has to go through, it becomes clear that it’s not the most eco-friendly of choices. Hardwood on the other hand is cut from sustainable forests and goes through very few processes before it arrives in stores. In addition it’s strong, durable and will literally last a lifetime.

Image via: Amber Ranzau Interior Designers & Decorators

Easy Upkeep

Hardwood furniture is incredibly easy to look after and in most cases will simply need the occasional dust, polish or wax to keep it in tip top shape. Whereas a scratch or chip would completely ruin most composite or veneered furniture, scratches and other minor flaws can be easily repaired on hardwood furniture. Some people choose cheaper furniture because they’re worried about it being damaged, especially in busy family environments, but solid wood is one of the toughest materials known to man and will stand up better to bangs, scrapes and knocks than cheap furniture.

So if you’re sick to death of the flatpack throwaway attitude then invest in hardwood splendour instead and fill your home with incredible art that also happens to be practical furniture.

John Hinds writes for Lojix and his interests include playing tennis, reading, writing and painting.

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Your floor carries a heavy load at home. This is why choosing the right flooring should not be taken for granted and needs proper planning before purchasing. In deciding what type of flooring, you have to consider the durability, installation, materials and maintenance. But the more crucial decision would be the type of materials you choose for your flooring and your lifestyle of your family.

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Before making the decision, take time to think about being environmentally friendly. Here are a few green flooring options to consider:

Cork

Cork flooring started as a by-product from surplus or scrap from the wine cork industry. The popularity of cork tile flooring increased not because it comes cheap but due to its resiliency. This type of flooring is tolerant to dropped dishes and very comfortable to stand on. Cork also features stain and fire resistance which makes it low in maintenance and more safe. Other notable characteristics of cork floors are the ability to absorb sound and resistance to soak up moisture.

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Bamboo

As you know, bamboo is a fast growing type of grass that is so abundant and looks like wood. It is remarkably durable and can last for a long period of time. There are three distinct bamboo patterns available for your home floors: grain, horizontal and vertical grain. You can also choose between natural and caramel shades.  One of the best features of bamboo is its cool and cozy effects on your home. It absorbs heat and is hard-wearing.

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Linoleum

People often refer this material to vinyl flooring but these two materials are different from each other. Linoleum contains no vinyl and is made from flax seed by-product which is the linseed oil. It is a mixture of sawdust, powdered cork, minerals and pine resin. Although it is a bit expensive than vinyl, you can count on its durability, low maintenance and more importantly biodegradable. But linoleum gained recognition with its antibacterial properties especially when used in healthcare facilities.

Getting the best flooring for your home is one of the major decisions you have to make. You should take some time and be aware of your options. Remember, a healthy home environment is priceless! Use these green flooring ideas to choose the right one for your home and the environment.

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As parents you want only the best for your kids. This preference includes choosing the right furniture for your kids’ room. In the selection process, it is not only the design that is considered but also the comfort and convenience of the furniture. As the saying goes, what you feel is more important than what you see.

To give you some ideas in choosing the right furniture for your kid’s room, here are the things you need to consider:

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Prefer comfort over design.

You will certainly agree with this idea. Although the design of furniture is important but then the comfort that it brings should always be on top priority. There is furniture that grabs attention through cutting edge design but not pleasurable when in use. Hence, comfort has to be highly considered especially if it is for children.  This idea, however, is already in the minds of manufacturers. They are making sure that comfort is on top of the design for all furniture. Choose furniture that has materials that are healthy for your children – such as cotton as opposed to polyester. Also look for organic materials and be careful with reused and repurposed furniture especially cribs and furniture that will be around babies and toddlers. Ensure the paint isn’t old and painted with lead paint or reclaimed wood could have been pressure treated.

Consider the safety design of furniture.

Obviously, there are additional safety concerns when choosing items for a nursery or kid’s room. You must ensure that the furniture has no edge or style that can harm or cause an accident if kids play around. It has to be well-made and of best quality. A curve edge should be preferred than square or angular edge. Bear in mind that your kids will always find time to play and the presence of sharp edge furniture is not advisable. Before buying furniture check with the manufacturer and any recalls are usually posted at the service area of furniture stores. Be wary of manufacturers with multiple recalls for their furniture.

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Choose durable furniture.

Make certain that the furniture is going to withstand through the years. Kids are indeed charming and adorable but they can be tough and are capable of breaking anything possible. Being practical does not mean cheap nor expensive but rather durable and lasting. You can save even more if it is sustainable.

Available furniture in the market today is amazingly versatile and customizable for your kid’s room. This is to address the desire for furniture that best suits your needs. With these considerations, your kids will surely feel the love you have and that you only want the best for them.

For more kids’ room ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

While white cedar is a deep brown at its core, it gets its name for the thin and silvery white sapwood on its surface. Known for its strength and quality, white cedar has been the wood of choice for builders and home owners for centuries. Superior in sustainability to other woods, white cedar is a great fit for interior or exterior uses. Unlike other woods, white cedar maintains its beauty, naturally weathering to a silver gray finish over time. And since it is among the lightest of commercial wood in the United Stated, White Cedar is easy to work with and maintain.

Image via: Flickr.Lindal Cedar Homes

Both beautiful and durable, cedar paneling is a practical way to add value and class to any home. Cedar’s popularity can be attributed to numerous factors.

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Durability

Cedar is resistant to moisture, rot, decay, sun damage, and splintering and also virtually impenetrable to damage by termites and other insects. In fact, being accustomed to exposure to the elements, cedar can withstand some of the most unforgiving environments, making it an ideal choice for extreme heat or cold.

Insulation

Cedar has a distinctive cellular structure that creates air spaces within its core. This natural insulation makes cedar perfect for practically any geographic location. By eliminating the need for excessive heating and cooling, cedar paneling offers better climate control and subsequently lower energy costs to consumers.

Aesthetics

Regardless of its setting or application, cedar’s rich color and texture flawlessly complements numerous styles, trends and personal tastes. Whether seeking the décor is contemporary or traditional, cedar paneling can add subtle charm and lend to the attractiveness of its surroundings.

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Versatility 

Cedar trees’ naturally lightweight wood and the timber harvested from them are available in especially long lengths, providing the ideal size for most any purpose. Additionally since cedar lacks resin and pitch, glues, stains and paints better adhere to its surface. Moreover, the uniform grain and texture of the wood allow craftsmen to effortlessly form, cut, saw, and customize by hand or machine, customer-specific designs and layouts for the paneling most suited to their tastes.

In terms of resilience, beauty, adaptability, and timelessness, other woods simply do not compare to white cedar. No wonder it has a reputation for enduring 20 years or more, with limited maintenance and finishing. Long hailed as the choice material for homes with discriminating tastes, cedar adds the richness and appeal of classical structures and an era when things were built to last.

This article made available by Town & Country Cedar Products, offering cedar paneling and log siding products across the United States.

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My Guest Blogger gives you the benefits of installing an engineered hardwood floor in your home.

The class and beauty of engineered hardwood flooring is well known in the home design industry. This kind of flooring brings out a furnished natural look that is very executive. The flooring is composed of a double layer of wood or more. The stability and durability of the flooring is in this day and age a fully blown secret. A flooring made of engineered hardwood appears more flat since the floor is actually real wood. Several other benefits linked to it have seen it’s popularity grow by a considerably impressive rate over the years.

One of the things that make most people disinterested in wooden flooring is the fact that wood is known to wrap or cup due to age or improper maintenance. Engineered hardwood flooring is crafted to make a flooring that is a lifetime investment. The wood used has controlled moisture content and is well seasoned to make a flooring very stable and also to ensure that the wood used does not shrink. The top most surface is polished with 7 layers of low emission European polyurathane. This gives it a more tough and smooth finishing. What makes the floor resistant to cupping is the fact that it has an expansion gap. This gap prevents your floor from bending or cupping when exposed to water or humidity. The floor is also crafted in cross-lamination which is another benefit that makes engineered hardwood flooring resistant of cupping and warping.

Another well known advantage of engineered hardwood flooring is its tight bevel. This means that you do not have to worry about shadow marks and lines which tend to be very frustrating As a matter of fact this type of flooring is easier to clean, the superior machinery used in its installation makes it stand out not only in appearance but functionality.

Personal preference is a delicate matter. Engineered hardwood flooring gives you a range of colors to select from. The colors have different staining s that make them unique and give them a touch of nature. The face grading of every piece is carefully hand selected by experts to make it even more easy for customer’s to get a choice that will impress them for a lifetime.

An engineered hardwood flooring gives a warm touch to a home and executive look to a commercial building.. Having such a floor may be expensive to install but looking at things from a broader scope it can be a onetime investment that will serve you for a lifetime. Finding an engineered hardwood flooring that can match your pocket is also catered for. Their are different grades that vary in price. Any customer can get something that is within his financial ability.

The type of flooring you choose talks a lot about who you are. A floor can make it or break it for you when it comes to taste. A well furnished floor will talk of a person with a sense of style and design. An engineered hardwood flooring would be one way of executing yourself as a person with a good eye for home design. What seals the deal is that the floor ages gracefully without any signs at all. An engineered hardwood flooring that was fixed 10 years ago would still look brand new today. This is the kind of flooring that is worthy of your hard earned money.

Looking for and expert engineered hardwood flooring company in Western Australia? Lifewood Floors introduce a new, wider, longer and stronger board that you can walk on instantly. See for yourself before you choose your flooring material.

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