Oak and Walnut blanket boxes are not only stylish and a major part of your home decor, but they also serve as a practical and convenient place of home storage. Here are a few of the many uses of the blanket box: (more…)
Furniture Advice Posts
Blanket box – Different uses
Thursday, May 20th, 2010Choosing the best bedroom furniture for you
Friday, May 7th, 2010A bed room is the peaceful area of your dwelling to have your privacy and be totally relaxed. Everyone loves to sleep in a lovely and cozy bed room, just like they want to have quality in any other rooms in your home. Picking the correct furniture to go in the rooms should be critical. Developing a fine bed room gives a type of security and multiplies your comfort. When you are married then you will have better times together if you could have a comfortable double or king size bed and beautiful home furniture such as dressing tables, bed side tables, cabinets, chests and wardrobes. Bedroom furniture can come in numerous styles of designs. Here i will discuss various good tips on how to choose the most suitable bedroom furniture which will offer you the lovely sleeping experience.
1. Must haves and Desires. Get to know the things you would like and what you might need from the bedroom. It is really better if you talk about it with your husband or wife to get good designs ideas. You have to prioritize on things that you need as opposed to want, when you cater for your needs then is the time to start to think about what which you may desire.
2. Styles and Concepts. Study your bedroom’s structure and dimension and envisage what kind of pieces of furniture would suit it. Why not use our free planner that can be found on the homepage?
3. Decide on Appropriate bedroom furniture. Whenever you’re getting your furniture ensure that it’s hard-wearing, of high quality, and well engineered. You don’t want to waste your cash on poor quality pieces of furniture that can only survive for some months before it falls apart. AKKA furniture only produces timeless bedroom furniture in oak and walnut that will stand the test of time.
4. Deciding on your right website. There are numerous shops and warehouses that retail pieces of furniture but you will need to select the best one. Use the world-wide-web and locate one that supplies the types of furnishings you desire but after that be certain that they have got good credibility and good buyer satisfaction. Why not come down and visit our showroom in Colchester?
5. Enjoy your good quality bedroom furniture. The bedroom is required to be your sanctuary, finish it off with quality furnishings and insure that it is an area you may love sleeping in.
Quality products
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010Now I know we’re a bedroom furniture company but I thought I’d share this with you anyway despite the fact that it is clearly kitchen related. As many of you will know, it’s now that time of year: the daffodils have just gone over, the trees have a light fuzz of green, birdsong fills the evening air and the wife has planned a series of DIY shock and awe campaigns for the each of the bank holiday weekends from Easter until August!
Our very own version of Desert Storm I shall rename Melamine Storm! We decided (and you know how I use the word ‘we’) that it was time to redecorate the kitchen. New tiles, new floor, and forty gallons of Farrow & Ball white paint. The final thing in the mix was a bit of extra storage for the kitchen. Now, our kitchen units were out of date and discontinued so we popped off to a certain well-known DIY store and bought the nearest thing we could to match in with our old stuff.
Now the tiles are down and the grout has gone off, it’s time to build the new cupboards. All in all reasonably good fun. It came in kit form, and after following instructions carefully to avoid accidentally building a kitchen shed, the first cupboard was up. I’m not that pleased. It made me realise just how unsatisfying it is to look at something synthetic. There was no natural beauty or craftsmanship. Each day when I look at the chests of drawers in our bedroom, I feel pleased with the way it all looks and feels, especially as we’ve had our furniture for years. The change in colour is about acquiring a beautiful natural patina rather than a yellowing with age that you get with tired kitchen cupboards. Even when our oak stuff does need a little perk-up, we just treat it with some danish oil, which is a pleasure in itself.
As far as I’m concerned, melamine, particle board and MDF belong in the same place as Divans!
AKKA Furniture – Timber selection
Monday, April 26th, 2010AKKA FURNITURE uses the best timber on all of it’s products. This is how we select and choose our American white oak and walnut timbers.
The FAS grade, which derives from an original grade “First And Seconds”, will provide the user with long, clear cuttings – best suited for high quality furniture, interior joinery and solid wood mouldings. Minimum board size is 6″ and wider and 8′ and longer. The FAS grade includes a range of boards that yield from 831⁄3% (10⁄12ths) to 100% clear-wood cuttings over the entire surface of the board. The clear cuttings must be a minimum size of 3″ wide by 7′ long or 4″ wide by 5′ long. The number of these cuttings permitted depends on the size of the board with most boards permitting one to two. The minimum width and length will vary, depending on species and whether the board is green or kiln dried. Both faces of the board must meet the minimum requirement for FAS.
FAS One Face (F1F)
This grade is nearly always shipped with FAS. The better face must meet all FAS requirements while the poor face must meet all the requirements of the Number 1 Common grade, thus ensuring the buyer with at least one FAS face. Often export shipments are assembled with an
80-20 mix, 80% being the percentage of FAS boards and 20% being the percentage of F1F boards.
These percentages are strictly left to individual buyer and seller agreement.
Selects
This grade is virtually the same as F1F except for the minimum board size required. Selects allow
boards 4″ and wider and 6′ and longer in length. The Selects grade is generally associated with the northern regions of the USA and is also shipped in combination with the FAS grade.
Often export shipments of upper grades are simply referred to as FAS. The conventional
business practice for American hardwoods is to ship these upper grades in some combination.
Working closely with the supplier will enable the buyer to be sure that the expected quality will be received. Whether FAS is combined with F1F (Face And Better) or Selects (Sel And Better) every board in the shipment must have a minimum of one
FAS face
Prime grade: This grade has evolved from the NHLA grade of FAS for the export market. It is
square edged and virtually wane free. The minimum clear yield will be select and better with
appearance being a major factor. Minimum size of the boards varies, depending on the species, region, and supplier.
Comsel grade: This grade has evolved from the NHLA grades of Number 1 Common and Selects.
For the export market the minimum clear yield should be Number 1 Common or slightly better
with appearance a main factor. Minimum size of the boards varies, depending on the species,
region and supplier.
Note: The terms Prime and Comsels are not standard NHLA definitions and therefore fall outside
the official range of the NHLA grading rules.
8″
12′
10′
8″
12′
5′ 5′
Note: Minimum yield 831⁄3% clear wood cuttings on the poor face of the board.
Dodgy Divans Part II
Monday, April 19th, 2010Dodgy Divans Part II
So, seeing as we’re on the subject of divans I might as well get the rest of the moans out of the way. In for a penny, in for a pound I suppose!
The flaw in the plan
Once, as a child, my parents bought me a brand-new bed, yes, a divan. It was a divan with a difference, the top section lifted open on some sort of sprung mechanism which meant that the entire bottom half of the bed could be used as storage. This was just great, providing you were happy for your ten-year-old son to empty his mattress and bedclothes over the floor every time he wanted to get something out!
A major ‘drawer’ back (groan)
So, we learnt from the flip-top bed experience and moved on. The next step was a more sedate approach involving drawers in a divan base, no more mattress slippage! This time, we found that, not only was the space severely limited, but also, the drawer bottoms were flimsy and generally collapsed once a few blankets had been put in – then they were impossible to open, even when you had managed to claw you way through the fabric hell-hole known as a valance (though I think I’ve already bemoaned valances in a previous post)
Let’s take a look at what we could have done (say in the style of Jim Bowen)
Let’s imagine what life would have been like with a lovely wooden bed. Firstly, we could have done away with any need for flip-top or sliding drawer contraptions. As a child, under the bed would have been a great place to stash a giant bag of lego (which I’m reliably told happens every night at legoland, Windsor). But secondly, there is also a great ‘grown-up’ solution for neat freaks like me. A couple of beautiful wooden underbed drawers on castors would have been perfect. The bottoms are made out of decent timber, which means they don’t sag and collapse. They slide out easily avoiding the flip-top/drawer collapse/valance issues, and finally, they look great. Not only that, if you ever decide to change your bed and if you buy an akka wooden bed, we don’t see why you’d want to) you don’t have to change your storage at the same time. Simples.
Dodgy Divans
Thursday, March 25th, 2010Looking back the other day through old photographs (when I say old, I mean 1980s old) I noticed just how much home furniture has changed. I’ll be honest with you, my parents still have the wood effect units and melamine wardrobes but most other folk have moved on. The thing I noticed most was the difference in the beds. Every bed in the house was a divan and boy, were they ugly! To make it even worse, they dressed them up in slightly uglier flouncy valances, which seem to defy all laws of taste and interior design decency. Just what were we doing? Instead of a beautiful wooden bed, something which could have defined a room or provided a focal point, we have essentially a wooden box wrapped in fabric. Nothing could more clearly say, ‘this room is not important to me’ more than a divan bed. It seems that bedrooms were just functional; get in, lights off, sleep, wake-up, get dressed, get out! Nowadays bedrooms are where we can wind down, chill-out or lose a Sunday morning. Who would want to do that in a divan when you could be looking at a lovely piece of oiled walnut? I say it’s time for a divan amnesty…without fear of reprise or being mocked by the neighbours we should all be allowed to clear out these sleeping disaster zones once and for all and replace them with something wooden and beautiful!! Come on, chuck ‘em out!!
Buying Bedroom Furniture
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
We spend about one-third of our life in our bedrooms. It is the place where we sleep at night and the place where we get up in the morning. Majority of our day-to-day activities, right from reading a book to watching TV to sleeping, are carried out in the bedroom only. This makes it only reasonable that we make the room as comfortable as possible. In order to do this, we need to keep a lot of things in mind, selecting the right furniture, going for the perfect draperies and deciding on the most appropriate adornments. Talking about bedroom furniture, it needs to be chosen with great care, keeping in mind the overall home Decor, the particular look that you want for your room, the color of your walls and your budget. At the same time, it needs to impart a cozy ambience to your bedroom.
Before buying furniture for your bedroom, you first need to keep in mind the size of your room. If you put too many or too big furniture items in a small room, you will be left with no walking space and the room will look cluttered. On the other hand, having too few furniture items in a big room will give it an incomplete look. While bed, chairs, dressing table and side table are a must, their size as well as the possibility of putting in more furniture will depend on the length and the width of your bedroom.
While deciding on the type, quantity as well as the size of your bedroom furniture; keep in mind your needs and not desires. You might want to buy the bed that you saw in a furniture store the other day, mainly because of its looks, but if it doesn’t fulfill your requirements, say of storage, it is better to skip it altogether. In other words, if a simple five drawer chest suits your budget and room size, it is advisable not to go for a double Queen Anne dresser.
While buying bedroom furniture, keep in mind the kind of people who would be using it. If you want furniture for your mind, going for Brazilian rosewood, which looks impressive and also proves durable, is a great idea. However, in case the furniture is meant for your little kid’s room, it is advisable to go for something that is inexpensive, easy-to-replace and not at all delicate.
Whenever you go out to buy bedroom furniture, keep in mind that quality matters more than quantity. Furniture is not something that you would want to change every other month (unless and until you are a billionaire). If you want to pass on your bedroom furniture to your children, or even grandchildren, go for something that, although a bit expensive, is durable and will last a long time. In other words, rather than veneers, buy furniture with dovetail edges and real hardwood finishes.
Some More Tips
- While shopping for bedroom furniture, place a higher importance to comfort than anything else. Remember, you will be spending a major part of your day, and night, in there.
- Give due importance to fine craftsmanship, as it will ensure durability of your furniture and help you save unnecessary repair expenses.
Dressing tables
Friday, March 5th, 2010So you’re thinking of purchasing a new dressing table. There are a few things you need to know before you buy to get yourself the best quality and the best deal. And, although you might think dressing tables a luxury, a good one can help reduce bedroom clutter – so they’re actually practical, too!
Dressing rooms are great (just think, a whole space dedicated to grooming and dressing up!) and a functional and fabulous dressing table is a luxury no lady can do without.
Mirrored dressing tables are everywhere at the moment but they are a sexy alternative to some more traditional wooden units. If you do prefer wood, try something like walnut, which will look more retro than rustic.
Not everyone’s a fan of the boudoir look, but dressing tables needn’t be prissy. A well-designed bureau or console – anything that you can tuck your legs underneath and that won’t look too officey – can work just as well, if accessorised properly. A good mirror, comfy chair and tabletop light are an absolute must.
How to dress your bed.
Thursday, February 25th, 2010How to Dress a Bed
A bed is the biggest piece of furniture in your bedroom. It’s important that not only is it comfortable to sleep in, but it looks good too. And being so large, a bed also offers a great opportunity to add your identity and make a real style statement. We’ve included some on dressing a bed below to help you when considering what duvet cover, pillow cases, bed throws and cushions to buy for your bed.
Which Duvet Cover?
Below is our choice of the top duvet covers and best deals available at the moment. But there are plenty more duvet covers to choose from. See our sections on different duvet cover colours, sizes and material.
Which colour for the duvet cover?
The great thing about duvet covers is that you can have a few of them and change them regularly. So choosing the colour for bed linen isn’t like choosing the colour to paint your walls – it’s easy to change, and as often as you like too.
Strong, bold colours are quite fashionable these days, such as chocolate brown, rich purple or crimson red. These colours will work fine if you have a larger bedroom. For smaller rooms, these strong colours will be too dominant and make the room seem even smaller. For smaller rooms, it’s best to stick with softer colours. This isn’t to say that it will be boring – quite the opposite once you’ve added cushions and bed throws – but just that a large single block of strong colour in a small room can often be too oppressive and make the room feel smaller.
People like to give a lot of meaning to colours and how they make us feel. Typically red is a passionate colour, brown is earthy, green is natural… But the truth in design terms is that you have to have a bed colour that you can enjoy – not just because it “means” something, but because to you it looks good.
A duvet cover colour should also be a colour that works well with other colours that you might include on your bed, such as bed throws, pillows and cushions. So for example you might want something that contrasts well with the other items of bedding, or complements these other colours. Or perhaps you simply want a paler cream or even white duvet cover that can act as a blank canvas, to be dressed with all sorts of splashes of colour later with some rich and bright cushions and bed throws.
One way to consider the colours to use for your bed is to choose a “base” colour that you like, for example lilac. Then you can add a variety of colours in a similar vein – some darker, some lighter, some contrasting more strongly – to build up an intricate and colourful picture.
What about bed throws?
A bed throw is a great way of bringing life and detail to your bed. In fact a good bed throw in the right colour and material can change the bed completely. Consider either complementary or contrasting colours to your duvet cover. Also, give some thought to the kind of material bed throw you want. Most cotton duvet covers have little texture, so a bed throw is a great chance to add some extra feel to a bed, perhaps with a bed throw in chenille, cashmere, mohair, velvet or even silk, either in a chunky knit or quilted style.
Bed throws are also sometimes known as bed runners or bed spreads. A bed throw is simple to add to your room. Simply lay it across the bed, from side to side rather than top to bottom. Bed throws look best when put across the end of the bed, around three quarters of the way down the bed. You can even add more than one bed throw to bring more layers and texture to your bed.
Pillows and Pillow cases
Pillow cases can be very useful to add and develop the overall look of the bed. Many duvet covers come with matching pillow cases (either as a duvet set or to be bought separately). These can be great and suit your needs perfectly, but don’t be afraid to try out colours that contrast with your duvet cover, or at least pillow cases in darker or lighter tones. Many people like 2 pillows, in which case you have 2 opportunities to add more colour to your bed (or 4 opportunities in the case of double beds). So for example, choose a patterned pillow case (striped or floral) to site on top of a plain, darker coloured pillow case. In short, pillows are a great chance to show your design skills, so don’t just opt for the obvious, matching duvet and pillow case set.
Bed Cushions
Although you probably won’t sleep on them, cushions can be great to add more interest to a bed. Pillows will do this, of course, but cushions can be more interesting by coming in different shapes and sizes to the pillows. Plus, a few more cushions means that extra colour, shape and even texture will come further down the bed. Why leave a large flat space between the pillows and the end of the bed when there are so many great pillows and bed throws to be used!
Many of the bed linen retailers are aware how popular cushions in the bedroom are these days and offer a great choice in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and in a range of colours and materials to suit all tastes.
Wardrobes
Monday, February 22nd, 2010Tips on Wooden Wardrobes and Cupboard Designs
A bedroom wardrobe
or a cupboard is the second most priority after bed. In fact, cupboard designs are given more attention in the room’s layout or bedroom remodeling than even beds. The wooden cupboard with traditional doors are still there in spite of large number of people going for modern cupboards with sliding doors and walk in wardrobes though the designs for such cupboards have undergone tremendous changes. All said and done, modern wooden wardrobe is a representation of beauty. However, if the functionality of the wardrobe is not kept in consideration, the purpose is lost. If you are up to a custom wardrobe, here are some tips to properly design your wardrobe and closets.
- The traditional door wardrobes have multiple doors. Use this space by having storage solutions behind each wardrobe door. It can be anything from rails to drawers and shelves.
- For the main section of cupboards, combine all- long drop rails, short drops, drawers and shelves of different widths and heights according to your requirements. For example, if you wear jeans all the time, then get more shelves than hanging space and if you mostly wear long dresses, then go for more hanging spaces.
- If you are fond of collecting footwear, get more shelves at lower part. You can even go for sliding shoe trays that can hold many pairs of shoes per shelf.
- Get handy sized drawers for your different storage needs – from jewelery to sweaters, blankets or bed linen. Keep the blanket drawer enough deep to store the things properly. If you like to collect watches, get a drawer of appropriate size with divisions.
- If you opt for sliding door wardrobe, then match the interior segments to the number of sliding doors. For example, three doors should have three or two interior segments to ensure easy opening of all the drawers.
- You can make the closets and wardrobes more beautiful transforming them into a mirror wall by using sliding mirrored doors. It will also save space that could have taken by the dressing table.
- Ensure that the slider mechanism works properly. A sliding door which comes off its tracks is a pain.
- If you prefer a walk-in wardrobe, keep the point number two in view and combine the hanging spaces, shelves and drawers as per your needs.
- Allow at least a meter from the ground for hanging jackets otherwise your clothes will keep dragging along the floor and collect dust.
- Try not to cover the clothes rails and shelves with doors in the walk-in wardrobes. These wardrobes are quite small rooms. If you have to open doors you will make the space more small. Instead of having doors, keep it open and dust regularly.