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Kitchen Clutter Is No Match For Amish Custom Built CabinetsSeptember 3rd, 2009 Counters and islands were meant for food preparation and serving but in truth countertops are utilized as craft tables, desktops, laundry tables and general catch all surfaces. Battling the clutter is almost always pointless unless you have a system. The optimal system is to group all like things together in to one central work place, easily used by everyone. Donating a cabinet or better yet a custom built Amish cabinet for all the chaos is the ideal way to tame the paper monster.
Comfortable Decor Schemes Dominate This Year’s StylesSeptember 1st, 2009 Fall decors will enjoy a more comfortable and personal home environment. Consumers will be investing in better quality, longer lasting home furnishings. The age of disposable furniture is passing. Savvy shoppers will be supplementing those superior pieces by re-using items they may have cast aside in previous years, or supplementing with “found” items or personal collections. No more is it necessary to have a perfect showpiece that is uncomfortable and stuffy. The style is eclectic, a mix of personality and style. There are many acceptable styles in vogue as this decade ends. A few that decorators are projecting as hot for 2009 are: GLAM- Groovy faux fur, sparkling glass, shiny metallic - all reflective of the glamorous 1960- 1970 era are back, especially among young urbanites. Lucite is hot, that versatile plastic utilized in that era in accessories and furniture. Shag carpets are spotted underneath of the streamlined modern steel framed furniture and accented with bright yellows, limes, blues and purples. In contrast to that scheme is the black and white décor of that same era. COUNTRY AND AMERICANA- There is no more comfortable look that the one created by using all things American and especially country style American. Amish quilts, cottage style prints, wooden furniture, folk art, American flags and bunting, distressed fabrics and furniture all combine in inexpensive and easily gathered home décor. The color palette ranges from deep patriotic reds and blues to worn summer colors of yellow, orange and plums. INTERNATIONAL WORLD - Thanks to influences brought on by television, the Internet and the ease of trade we no longer think just locally but globally and the furnishings industry is as influenced by the world as any other business. Even mainstream box retailers carry crafts like metal work lanterns from Thailand, religious icons from Russia, pottery from Asia or Mexican-style trays. World decorating themes allow even more eclectic collections that are seasonal and easily reused in later decorating schemes. Keywords for this fall’s decorating efforts are affordable, reusable, quality, versatile and comfortable. Create the home that not only you but others can relax and enjoy themselves in as we move forward out of the economic recession and into the home design boom. Interior Design Trends 2009 -2010 - Amish Built Designs Keep In Step With FashionAugust 27th, 2009
Interior décor trends follow the fashion world even more now than ever in history. As clothing displays more beading, feather trim, this year’s hot decorative ruffles, and many other embellishments it is appearing in furniture and home decorating items, too. Light fixtures, accent furniture such as tables, upholstery and many accessories are displaying the latest fashion trends. Here is a must have list of some of the current and expected trends for 2009 and into 2010. COLORS: Bright yellow, grassy green and orange are appearing to be strong color choices but so is the new neural palette of softer more earth-inspired tones like taupe, sea green, blue and even gray and purple. We are not done with browns yet and they are accented with earthy reds and warm grays. Just like designer clothing accessories metallic tones will be everywhere. ECONOMIC INFLUENCE: Expect to hear phrases like “recession conscious decorating” this year with the economic downturn. Consumers are still investing in their homes, and a lot of that reason is because it is being used more as their main place of entertainment. Expect to see more people buying smaller decorative items and good quality accent pieces like those that Amish craftsman have built for decades. These pieces are great backdrops for the hot trends in hand embroidered textiles and beaded trims. True hand crafted furnishings highlight the latest artsy, bohemian flair in the market place. You may not be buying a houseful of furniture but it is very economical to update your interiors with small items or one great investment piece rather than a complete redo. These decorative accent pieces like tables or side chairs are being billed as the must-have investment pieces of 2009. Throw in some shiny, highly embellished, metallic accents on pillows and lamps and you add today’s flash instantly. A Brief History of Renaissance Gothic - Old is New AgainAugust 18th, 2009Books and movies like Twilight and Harry Potter may indeed be inspiring a youthful but mainstream resurgence of Gothic or Renaissance Gothic designs not unlike those seen in castles. While designers all like to think that they have created the newest and most unique design more often than not their designs are simply a revival of much older furniture designs like those found in the original Renaissance Gothic style. First inspired by the classic designs of the ancient Roman and Greek cultures, the Italians of the 14th through the 17th centuries first enjoyed the furniture that came to be identified as Renaissance Gothic. These pieces were massive and highly curved and reigned as a chosen décor for several centuries. The décor’s popularity spread to England and even France. By mid-century 1800’s a more modern form was in England and in the United States with carvings on cabinet fronts, arms and legs. As the Civil War closed and President Lincoln was assassinated the pieces found in the more modern version became more elaborate and even more massive. From beds to sofas and buffets to dressers the woods of choice were heavy in girth and in carvings. By the end of the 1800’s you could find entire rooms or homes that looked as if the owner was a duke or an earl. Tables like the trestle styles found in the 14th century were reborn. Architecturally the interiors began to emulate this period also by decorating mantels, ceilings and walls. Claw footed furniture also saw an incline. Whether true European treasures or merely an American copy, Renaissance Gothic spread throughout the U.S. The copies were often so good that even now these vintage pieces are mistaken for true antiques. The Amish design tables like the trestle styles sought with Renaissance Gothic and can be crafted in various custom stains such as the New Carrington stain. The Chesterton Table is one such beautifully crafted trestle style table. It is designed with a 1.5″ plank style top, Mission edge, and the end pieces on top are tongue & groove construction with .5″ dowel-pins & wedges for strength and character. The Chesterton table base is a generous 42 x 80 size. |







