Sweet Seats!

One thing everyone always seems to need around holiday time is more seating. It inevitably seems you will always have more guests than seating no matter how many extra chairs you have brought into the room.

You can use benches and other items creatively in other areas of your home. Such as use an attractive bench in a guest room until the extra seating is needed at holiday time and many benches have lift up seating that allows for extra storage so you can have a very functional piece of furniture all through the year that will be ready to function as additional guest seating and not only be attractive but also comfortable.

Ottomans are among the oft overlooked. They can do easy duty as a place to prop up your legs throughout the year and some ottomans have flat hard lined tops that allow them to function as impromptu tables as necessary. When holiday time rolls around, ottomans too can perform great seating functions.

For your benches and extra chairs, give them a little holiday flair by winding silk strands of holly and ivy around and throw the occasional sprig of mistletoe over the doorway for a little holiday smooching fun!

You can have extra seating without adding a bunch useless chairs to your room. Make your furniture choices have function all through the year and you'll have great seating options when you need it and a functional piece of furniture the rest of the year. Smart decision you made!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Gather 'Round the Fire (Even If You Don't Have a Fireplace)

When you're entertaining in the colder months of the year, it's fun and cozy to gather around the fireplace. If your home does not have a fireplace already built in, you can add one and it won't require any special permits or other hassles you may have thought it would take.

A Classic Flame Fireplace combines the look of a traditional fireplace with the heat producing function making a cozy place to gather around with your family and friends and enjoy the warmth of both the fireplace and the company. The fireplace mantels are made from solid wood and wood veneers and come in a variety of finishes to enhance the look of any room and blend seamlessly with any decor.

If you're curious how the fireplace works, the fireplace insert is made with a 1350 watt heater and generates 4600btu's per hour. The easy access control panel for the fireplace is located out of the way behind the a small drop down door. You can turn the unit off and on, control the brightness of the flame, heater on or off and control the temperature of the fireplace.

The fireplace is vent free and requires no extra hook ups. Just find a place in your home that you think it would look the best and plug the unit into any standard outlet and enjoy your new fireplace. The no heat sides allow for flush mounting into drywall, tile or fit snugly into any finished wall opening.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Cabinets - Very Necessary

After you live in your home or apartment for a while, you may have started out neat as a pin and then the inevitable clutter starts.

It starts very small and quietly, were using something and you just set it down for a moment and got distracted and there it sat for weeks and then months. Then you find as you use things more and more they wind up sitting out on counters and table tops and soon you have a cluttered mess around you. There are some easy solutions to your dilemma and they don't involve putting up items you use every day or throwing anything away that you need.

First of all, decide what you really need. Use the "Three Six" rule for cleaning clutter. If you haven't used an item in three months, put it up and if you haven't used it in six months - either get rid of it or put it up. Items that you use often will be left. Then you need to decide on storage options. A cabinet with doors that close looks great in any room in your home and will hide your clutter away nicely. In the kitchen, a bakers rack will look really nice with its clean lines and ability to hold a lot of items in a small space without looking "stuffed".

Whichever way you decide to go, shelves or cabinets, you will find your rooms will stay a lot neater and easier to maintain. Many people report that they feel uneasy in a cluttered environment and if you're stressed, clutter may be contributing to it. Use these tips to unclutter your rooms, get yourself organized and create more space in your rooms for living!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

One More Thing

Doesn't it drive you crazy when you're redoing your room and you just feel like you need one more thing? You can look towards your window treatments and furniture and you feel like you've made really good use of your space and yet your room seems to be lacking something.

Try bringing a little life in your room! Plants are a great way to liven up a room and add something that is a little individual to your decor. If you don't have a green thumb, try using silk plants they have come a long way since they days of the dust gathering wire wrapped creations that looked like, well wire wrapped plants. The silk plants of today are realistic, dust defying and made to last. You can put a trailing ivy in an urn on your wall for a very classic look or use an accent table near a window or by a chair with a plant to add a cozy touch to your room.

Another way to liven up your room is add a splash of color. Brightly colored pillows sprinkled around your room on your sofa, ottoman and chairs can really bring a room to life. If you aren't sure what color to choose, look around your room and find a bright color that is not used much, many people use a color from their area rugs and bring it out into the room. The use of a bright color already in the room will bring warmth to the room instead of setting the items apart.

Use these few tips and make your room awaken with a new life of its own and have a design that is not only pleasing to the eye but also create an air of coziness you may not have felt in your room before.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Game Room Gathering

If you have a large amount of family and friends gathering for the holidays and you want a way to help keep everyone entertained besides great food and conversation, invest in a game table. There are many types of game tables and if you don't find yourself entertaining all throughout the year, you can get a game table that cleverly stows itself away until needed and looks all the world like a bookshelf with books.

A great choice for a game table that will not prove to be a space commitment yet will hold loads of fun is the Library Game Table. This cleverly designed game table functions as a regular console table until needed. Then when you open the "bookshelves" the game table is unfolded and the "books" pull out to become two very comfortable barrel backed chairs for sitting in and playing games.

The game table includes boards and pieces for chess, backgammon, checkers and you can use the chess board as a pente board. Play a game of old maid with the kids or go for a more adult game of Texas Hold 'Em when the crowds have gathered for the holidays. Additionally, the center pedestal provides extra storage space so if you have other cards, dice and games you want to stash away until company comes over, this is an ideal place to do it. When unfolded, the table is 50 inches by 24 inches by 30 inches. The chairs are 22 inches by 20 inches by 28 inches. The seat height on the chairs is 19 inches.

Add some fun for the holidays and add a game table to your room!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs