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Integrity of Polyester

October 13, 2009 by admin.

Most exclusive furniture today looks elegant when you see it displayed in the furniture showroom. But will that furniture have that same elegant look five years from now in the home……. or ten?

All of us at Furnitalia feel it should and in order to achieve this we use only a premium polyester finish on all surfaces. This exclusive finish will enhance and protect your investment for years to come. Many of the xciting characteristics of this type of finish are as follows:

Finish Durability:
A polyester finish is much more resilient than a plain lacquer application. It will be more stain resistant to alcohol and water and more resistant to scratching and fading.

Finish Brilliance:
A polyester finish has much more dept, clarity and luster than a plain lacquer application. This glasslike finish is most evident when applied to exotic wood veneers.

Finish Cleaning:
For routine care of the polyester finish, wipe with a clean damp microfiber cloth. The use of microfiber cloths will prevent scratching. For more thorough cleaning, a household glass cleaner can be used. Preferably one that does not contain ammonia.

Finish Repair:
Surface scratches can be removed by using a mild polishing compound. Deeper scratches or more serious damage to the finish can also be repaired by the proper technician.

By using a polyester finish what results is furniture that takes longer to produce but is also uncompromising in its finish and design.

These were just four of the main reasons that the furniture provided by Furnitalia will maintain its new showroom feel as time goes on.

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Accessorize Your Life

March 13, 2009 by admin.

Accessories are one of the easiest ways to change the look of your home or complete a design that you have been working on. In today’s economy people are looking for ways to improve the look of there home without redoing an entire space and accessories are the way to go. Here are a few simple tips that can have a big impact on your space:

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Reorganizing… You can simply take the existing accessories that you currently have and move them around to give your space a new look and feel. You can group accessories together based on color, design elements, shape, or origin.
Picture Frames… Something that most people have and most people have a lot of are Picture Frames. An easy way to bring together the many shapes, sizes, and designs is by painting them all one color. You can simple remove the Glass, your favorite Picture, and head down to you preferred Home Maintenance center and purchase a can of paint of your choosing. It is a great way to inject color, texture, and new life into those old picture frames and give a cohesive look to you living space.
Complimenting… Another option out there is to go to your favorite local store and search for a new fresh and exciting accessory for your home. You can find a great vase or sculpture to accent your dining area, living space, or bedroom. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to get the look that you are going for with something compact and specific. You can find something to Compliment your existing accessories or décor and bring together all the design elements in the room to one specific focal point or mood.
Lighting… This may the last option on here but it should not be yours. Lighting is the Jewelry to your home and many people simply forget about it. You can change the entire look and feel of a space simply with lighting. You can create an intimate atmosphere or a fun an energetic room simply by changing the look and strength of a light. We have many people come into our showroom everyday asking how they can improve there living space or how they can compliment there beautiful furniture and the one answer we always have is lighting. There are so many options out there and you just need to find the right one for you.

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3 Tips on Contemporary Furniture Shopping

February 28, 2009 by admin.

Contemporary furniture is growing in popularity as homeowners and decorators want to create a modern appearance. Contemporary furniture can be identified by its sleek designs, clean lines and abstract appearance.

Determine the Current Style of Your Home
Are you seeking to update your current style? Consider the style of your home and how contemporary furniture will fit into the space. Eclectic styles can be created from the use of a combination of contemporary, modern and classic pieces of furniture. Cutting edge designs of contemporary furniture can be used to create a style that will become the envy of everyone in your social group.

Use a Complimentary Texture Pallet
Using a pallet of textures allows for the decorator to give a room depth, using nothing more than just the fabrics. Plush fabrics like velvet can be combined with leather to create a contemporary look. Many furniture pieces use a combination of two varying fabrics and can be found in Houston contemporary furniture stores. These fabrics are often combined with contemporary materials such as steel, chrome and metal with traditional wood pieces.

Take Measurements and Plan the Room
Planning the room should be completed with careful consideration of the sizes of the room. Taking a measuring tape to the store to measure the furniture will ensure that the contemporary furniture will fit within the room. Plan which pieces of furniture will be used within the room, in which areas to create a layout that can custom created to create a contemporary appearance.

Using a camera can be helpful to compare certain pieces of furniture. The camera can be taken along to any furniture store to ensure that the item will work well in the space. Use the dimensions and appearance of the furniture to determine if it is indeed a good fit with your room contemporary design. The use of a camera or even print outs from the web, can also provide colors samples that you can match to paint and other furniture in the home.

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Confused by Contemporary?

February 21, 2009 by admin.

Mixed up by modern? Confused by what’s considered contemporary? With more emphasis on home design today, it can be difficult to distinguish between the array of design styles.Contemporary (or “modern” as some may call it) is characterized by clean lines and smooth surfaces without intricate details. But that doesn’t mean your home will look stark, cold and sterile. Long gone are the days of boxy furniture and eccentric decorating. Today’s updated contemporary look is a blend of comfortable, livable elements that create a sophisticated, fresh feel.

To create this look in your home, start by incorporating these five key elements: color, metal accents, texture, wood tone and lighting.

Color
Contemporary design is offset by neutral color palettes. When painting the walls, choose shades of brown, taupe, cream or pure white. However, neutral does not mean boring, so be sure to infuse the room with small splashes of a more vibrant, bold color. This may include painting one wall with an accent color, adding a bold red sofa, or adding vivid accessories, such as decorative pillows, towels, rugs or art. Just be sure not to over-accessorize — the key to contemporary design is simplicity.

Metal Accents
Stainless steel, nickel and chrome metals are prevalent in contemporary design, providing a decorative framework of sleek finishes. Furniture, end tables, lamps and even bathroom fixtures featuring beautiful metal accents provide this look in all rooms of the home. In the bath, Moen’s new Icon suite features clean, geometric lines, a high-arc spout and Chrome and Brushed Nickel finishes. Plus, with accessories, such as a robe hook, decorative tank lever, towel bars, and glass shelf, it’s easy for homeowners to coordinate the urban, stylish look throughout the entire room.

Texture
To offset the clean, smooth lines of the metal accents, use fabrics such as silk, crushed velvet, linen or wool in your room to add texture and create a more natural, inviting feeling. In the bathroom, this may include fluffy rugs, towels or fabric shower curtains. In family rooms, this could include over-stuffed pillows, window treatments or the furniture upholstery. Texture can also be added to walls. New wallpapers made of linen can be an interesting way to add depth to the vertical surfaces of the room. But, one word of caution — stay away from elaborate patterns or intricate details when choosing fabrics, as this will confuse the clean, contemporary look you are trying to achieve.

Wood
When it comes to wood surfaces, contemporary designs bring out the extremes, featuring very light or very dark tones. When incorporating woods into your design, look beyond the coffee table and utilize wood surfaces in accessories such as picture frames, large dramatic flower pots or shelves. Feel free to mix the design styles of the wood accessories, but be consistent with the wood tone and carry it throughout the room for a professional appearance.

Lighting
Lighting is extremely important in contemporary design, often seen as the key in illuminating the room’s design. When choosing lighting for your home, there are many new choices available that provide interesting, clean lines. Track lighting or floor lamps are popular in contemporary design and often utilize metals or bold colors to reinforce the other metal accessories or splashes of color incorporated into the room.

By looking at these five different elements and incorporating them into your home décor, you’ll be on the path to creating a sophisticated, yet contemporary-styled home. Just make sure that you choose items that you love and elements that inspire you and you’ll be on the right path to a beautiful and inviting room.

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“An Evening In Italy” Holiday Event

November 28, 2007 by admin.

Dear valued clients and friends please join us for an evening of inspired design and splendor on Tuesday, December 18th, from 6-9 pm in our new 12,000 sqft. Sacramento Showroom. Please stroll our Italian Showroom of fine contemporary furniture and reminisce about your last visit to Italy. For your enjoyment we will have for you food, wine, champagne and espresso inspired from different regions in Italy. Gain Inspiration from the innovation, craftsmanship, quality and pure beauty of our classically modern showroom. Be romanced by music from the Sacramento Opera House and our fine Italian furniture brought straight to you from Italy. Imagine what it would be like to have a permanent piece of Italy in your home. Whether it be a sleek new leather sofa from Nicoletti, an exquisite bedroom from Excelsior Designs Italia or a timeless and fashionable dining room collection from Nicole Miller, we at Furnitalia will meet and exceed your expectations.

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Solid wood vs. Veneer

June 9, 2007 by admin.

In the ongoing battle between solid wood versus veneers, there is actually a place for both. Having made that statement, most of my friends in the unfinished furniture industry will probably want to hang me out to dry. This article aims to educate customers on the differences between solid wood and veneers. It used to be quite easy to tell the difference between the two because veneers typically were not done very well. Over the years, it has become much more difficult to distinguish between the two because manufacturers have developed the art of veneering. It often takes a trained eye to see the difference between solid wood and veneers.

SOLID WOOD

There are three different ways solid wood can be assembled to make furniture – plank, laminated or butcher block. IF the furniture uses solid wood boards glued together at random widths for the full-length of the top, then it is called a plank. Laminated solid wood has boards that are the full-length with similar widths. Butcher block is when the solid wood has similar widths and shorter lengths. With solid wood, you will always be able to see the end grain and the grains will match in width with the top.

VENEERS If there is a very wide width on the furniture, like a table top, and it has a painted edge, a veneer edge banding, or a solid wood piece going in an opposite direction of the grain, then it is most likely a veneer. Also, anytime you see book-matched pieces or a sunburst patter, it is a veneer.

Veneers have been around for hundreds of years. They have been used in some of the most exquisite antiques you will find in museums, but problems can arise if they are used in the wrong type of situation with furniture. They depend on substrate material and certain types of joinery. The best use of veneers is on large surfaces that will not get much heavy use or require substantial tensile strength.

They lay nicely over particleboard or MDF. Also when veneers are used around solid wood as edging, it can help protect the item against damage.

PROBLEMS WITH VENEERS AND SOLID WOOD One of the main areas where veneers, and the materials they are used to cover, run into problems is with fasteners. Screws, staples and most other fasteners do not hold well in particleboard or MDF. If you are putting screws into particleboard where the joinery must be able to move or hold a lot of weight, the screws can work loose. If a piece of furniture requires movement or heavy weight, solid wood should be used since the screws will hold much better.

Of course, solid wood also has its problems and difficulties. While it will hold screws and other fasteners much better than items made with veneers, solid wood boards may move or warp due to changes in the temperature and humidity levels. When solid boards are cut from trees, they usually contain about 85 percent water and need to be dried to contain about 6 percent water for furniture manufacturing. If this is not done properly the wood will continue to dry, causing it to warp or split as it shrinks.

As mentioned earlier, manufacturers have made it much more difficult to tell if an item is a veneer or solid wood, so it is important to learn the differences and inform your customers if they ask. To identify solid wood remember to look for the end grain to show at the end of the boards and count the number of boards that are glued together to make the top. Finally, pay attention to the price. Solid wood is more expensive than most veneers; therefore, many inexpensive furniture pieces will be made using veneers with finishes that look like wood. Remember knowledge and education is the key to satisfied customers.

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Sweet Retreat - An article on Contemporary Italian Bedroom

May 22, 2007 by admin.

Reprinted with permission from Excelsior Designs. Furnitalia (www.furnitalia.com) is the only authorized retailer of Excelsior Designs and Nicole Miller Furnishings in Northern California.

Whether your getaway is a second residence or the bedroom down the hall, you can break free of the decorating doldrums.
The hot news on the home front these days is that everybody wants seconds. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors(NAR), second homes accounted for four out of every ten residences sold last year.
Not surprisingly, affluent baby boomers are dominating the market. “Boomers believe in diversifying their assets, and most second-home owners see their purchase as being a better investment than stocks,” notes David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist.
Even so, the purchase of a second home, whether as a vacation getaway or an inestment property, is a big move for most. Among the many questions that need to be addressed before making the leap: Will the home be used a few times a year and rented out to others the rest of the time? Will it be used occasionally for business? Will you have time for routine upkeep? Do you plan to retire to the home someday? And, once all of these questions have been answered, and the second home is purchased, it’s time for yet another really big decision: just how will you decorate it?

For many people, a second home represents a second chance, and they tend to shape the new residence by a wish list of things they don’t have in their primary home. Still others see a second home as an opportunity to simplify busy, everyday routines. In search of peace and relaxation, they want to throw off the bonds of heavy fabrics, trims, details, fussiness, and the traditional decor of their “formal” residence in favor of clean-lined, contemporary, and low-maintenance surroundings.
Whichever description is more apt, the important thing to remember is that a second home is your opportunity to experiment and have fun. It’s a chance to express yourself via decor in ways that may be completely different from your everyday environment. It is, after all, an escape.
If a vacation home is not in the cards, or you’d prefer to retreat on a more regular basis, it’s possible to create a haven right down the hall.

Given its orle as a private space far away from the maddening crowd, a bedroom is ideal for self-expression; a place to spread one’s decorating winds, so to speak. And the calming effect of streamlined, contemporary furnishings can be the perfect antidote to busy, over-programmed lives.
Redecorating may actually be good for your health, particularly if you’re among the millions of Americans suffering from insomnia. If you’re lacking shut-eye, experts suggest taking a good look at your sleep environment.
While it may seem obvious, those who study sleep for a living say it’s important to ensure your bedroom is, first and foremost, a place to sleep. This means anything that dows not promote sleep and relaxation needs to be banished from the room. Clutter is a no-no, but so is taking your work to bed. Relocate the bills, desks, laptops, and baskets full of correspondence.

Than, have at it. Opt for the highest thread count linens you can find, simple, but beautiful fabrics, and clean-lined pieces with a modern, minimalist sensibility and enough storage options to keep surfaces clear. Just as in a vacation home, the idea is to make maintenance a snap, so make “less is more” your manta!

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Excelsior launching Nicole Miller rug designs

January 6, 2007 by admin.

Excelsior Designs is launching a licensed Nicole Miller rug line here, in collaboration with Thailand-based rug manufacturer Carpet Creation.Rugs are offered under the Excelsior Designs and Nicole Miller Collection brands. Approximate retail prices begin at $1,499. Custom rugs can be delivered within 10 to 12 weeks.

Six patterns were created exclusively for the Nicole Miller Collection and eight new patterns complement furniture from Excelsior Designs and Casa Novalia Leather, according to Steven Kayne, president of Excelsior Designs. Bold geometrics and subtle swirls in neutral hues are hallmarks of the Excelsior Designs collection. The rugs are hand tufted of New Zealand wool and Asian silks, and many feature a bevel cut construction. Customers can choose from a palette with hundreds of combinations of colors and yarns.

Designs can be adapted for the shape and size that best suits a room. Standard designs keyed to Excelsior furniture collections also are available.

The rugs are expected to debut at Excelsior Designs retailers(including Furnitalia) in January, and also will be available in rug specialty stores.