Area Rugs, Pillows, Throws, and Accessories: Layers of Texture Every Home Should Have

All rooms need texture to create depth and interest in the décor. But, what does that mean, exactly? What designers usually mean when they talk about texture is that it has both visual and tactile appeal. Texture adds dimension and is a really great way to add visual interest to a room that might otherwise seem one-dimensional. For example, an all-white or all-beige room can easily become boring, but making careful choices about how you use textiles can make it dramatic – even if they are in the same color palette.

Architectural features such as a stone fireplace, columns or paneling on the walls can add texture. And you can also choose furniture for the texture it brings to your space. A wicker chair or leather chair or tufted velvet sofa can add a layer of visual interest. However, you may not want to replace furniture, add a fireplace or panel your walls. If you want to quickly refresh the look of any room, add some texture with area rugs, pillows, throws, and accessories.

Area Rugs

Wall-to-wall carpeting is cushy under foot, but isn’t always visually interesting. And although wood flooring or tile is beautiful, it can often seem uninviting and cold. In these instances, adding an area rug can add texture and interest. Adding area rugs to bedrooms and family rooms may seem obvious, but have you considered adding an area rug to the kitchen? Or a runner in a hallway? Cowhide, sisal, flat weaves, rag rugs, kilim rugs – just about any rug you can think of will add texture and warmth in these unexpected spaces. A rug from the Gemini collection by Surya will add elegance and charm to a room with any type of décor. Hand tufted from banana silk, the muted colors add extra dimension and softness.

Pillows

Pillows are another easy way to add texture they're called throw pillows for ao reason. Just choose from the thousands of different styles available and toss a few on your sofa, chair, or bed. When creating texture with pillows, look for different fabrics such as velvet, chenille, or linen. The pattern and texture on the Mammoth pillow from Surya will add visual interest to any room.

Throws

Throws add an extra layer of texture as well as extra warmth. They can by casually draped on couches, footstools, or chairs, or across the foot of the bed. They come in a variety of textiles such as high-end silk of cashmere, soft flannel, chunky cable knit, lightweight cotton, or even fur. You can use a textured weave or pattern to create more interest. The Throw Blankets collection by Surya Rugs gives you seemingly endless option in color, weave, texture, and pattern that will add depth and warmth to a bedroom, living room, guest room or den.

Decorative Accessories

Once you’ve built your foundation with area rugs, pillows, and throws it’s time to accessorize. There are many decorative accessories can add texture, here are just a few to give you inspiration.

• Baskets
• Crystal or wooden candlesticks
• Ceramics vases
• Natural elements such as shells, coral, driftwood, or stacked firewood
• Wood or silver picture frames
• Embroidered, ruffled or antique lampshades
• Interesting mirrors
• Rustic or hammered metal finishes on bookends or lamp bases
• Stacks of books with decorative covers
• Furniture with nailhead trim
• Cut-glass furniture pulls
• Trees or plants
• Lamp bases with geometric finishes, interesting shapes or textures

Just keep in mind that your accessory groupings should vary in height, weight, size, and shape. Use the rule of three and add a little greenery.

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Bedroom Furniture and Design Basics

The bedroom serves a very specific function in your home – a space for sleep and relaxation. It is a place to retreat and regroup after a hectic day. It is for this reason that you often see bedrooms designed with soothing colors and furniture that minimizes distractions. Below are some guidelines for turning your bedroom into a true comfort zone.

Bedroom Furniture

Make the most of your space with your bedroom furniture placement. The size of your bedroom will be the guiding force behind how much bedroom furniture you will need. There are some musts: bed, dresser, bedside tables, and lamps are the bare minimum.

It’s unavoidable, the bed is both the focal point and the most important piece of bedroom furniture. It is also the most important design element in the space. Since the bed is the largest piece of furniture in the bedroom, begin by placing it first. The most common places for the bed are across from the door or along the longest wall. If you have a great view, be sure to take advantage of it by placing your bed in such a way that you can see the view as you wake up each morning. In fact, the view or windows can be considered an important design element.

Then, decide where you want to place the dresser, generally across from the bed, but this will depend on the amount of space you have. Now that the larger pieces of bedroom furniture have been placed, you can decide if you want to add a chair or bench at the foot of the bed or a sitting area if you have the space. If you have the space, a comfortable chair, vanity, or a small sofa are nice additions.

Choose the Right Mattress

But beyond the looks of the headboard and bedframe, you’ll want to choose a mattress that gives you a comfortable night’s sleep. Speak to a sales professional and take advantage of the Kingsdown bedMATCH™ technology to help you find the best fit for you. After lying on the test bed for 3 minutes, the technology uses your personal profile information and more than 1,000 calculations to determine which mattress will give you the best support. Bedding makes your room complete, so choose those that complement your design theme and color palette.

Bedroom Lighting

Lighting can set the mood, and the mood you want here is relaxation. Keep the lighting soft, subtle, and easy to turn on and off. Add lamps to the bedside tables if you like to read at night. If you tend to fall asleep with the lights on, use a light with a timer. Not only does this save energy, it also conducive to getting a better night’s sleep. Pendant lamps, chandeliers, sconces, and table lamps are all good choices for bedroom lighting.

Accessorize

Always the finishing touch, add accessories. This is also where you can play. Add an area rug, throw pillows, and a grouping of pieces from collections you own. Put these items in your line of site so that you can see them first thing in the morning. That will get your day off to a great start.

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Dining Room Sets for Casual Entertaining

If you have a both a formal and casual dining room, the ability to dine and entertain in separate spaces is a wonderful thing. However, if you have only one dining space, you’ll probably find yourself juggling to make the casual space look formal enough to host a dinner party, or to make the formal space suitable for a casual gathering. Dining room sets that provide versatile seating options might be the perfect solution to this challenge.

Assess Your Style

Begin by assessing your style – your dining style, that is. If you frequently have large Sunday dinners, you may need a dining room set with a center leaf that can be used and then removed. However, if your family tends to grab quick meals and you don’t do a lot of entertaining, a smaller table may be better for you.

Check Your Seating

Dining room sets with casual chairs are a good option if your style is more casual. The difference between types of chairs can make a big difference in how formal or casual your dining room feels. Chairs with straight high backs tend to be more formal, while chairs with shorter backs made of metal or plastic will seem more casual. However, you can make your formal chairs seem more casual by adding seat cushions with playful fabrics.

Change Your Dining Room Décor

Changing out your dining room décor can create a more casual feel and you don’t need to worry about whether your dining room set is formal or casual. Your place settings, table linens, and candle holders can help change the atmosphere of the room. If you are hosting a casual get together, choose playful place settings and if you’re hosting a more formal affair, throw on a linen tablecloth and bring out the good china.

Paint the Walls

Of course, you won’t want to change the paint color on your walls every time you entertain. However, you can choose colors that fit into your style. Just as this dining room group can be casual or formal, paint colors can evoke a particular feel. Consider using tones such as deep burgundy, burnt orange or rust to make the room more formal. Use neutral tones such as beige, gray, coffee brown, or white to keep the room more versatile. These colors make it easy for you to dress the room up or down as needed by changing out a few elements of the décor. A dining room that easily goes from casual to formal is ideal. And dining room sets that give you options for extra seating will make it easier for you to go from formal to casual and back again as needed.

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Area Rug Dos and Don’ts for Every Room

When finalizing your home’s interior décor, don’t ignore the impact an area rug can make. Whether simple or jazzy, an area rug can take a room from good to great. Let’s review what a rug does for a space. It can say “These furniture pieces belong together.” Or in a large, multi-functional room, it can say “this space is the living room” and “this space is the dining room.” It can also enhance your décor by bringing in colors and patterns that highlight your furniture. It adds a finishing touch to your design.

Area Rug DOs and DON’Ts

DO pick the right-sized area rug for your space. Keep in mind that the bigger the rug, the bigger your room will feel. That being said, a general rule for living rooms is to have a rug large enough that the front legs or your couch and chairs sit on top of the rug. Above, the rug by Nourisan defines space and makes it feel larger. For bedrooms, the rug should run under the bed completely or at least under the bottom two-thirds, so that you can step down on it when you get out of bed.

DON’T use a small, postage stamp, rug. The purpose of your area rug is not to anchor the coffee table, but to bring the entire space together. When you have a tiny rug in a room-sized seating group, it will look out of place. And in the bedroom, it will look like a bath mat next to the bed.

DO consider furniture placement if you are using a patterned rug. An all-over pattern that repeats is pretty safe, but if you have larger, more asymmetrical pattern on your area rug, use it with furniture that is more delicate or has an open or airy frame.

DON’T place bulky furniture over special parts of your rug. If you have a big coffee table a large patterned rug might not be the best choice for that space.

DO mix patterns with different proportions. You may think you shouldn’t use a patterned area rug if you have a chair or curtains that feature a print, but you can. Just be sure to choose a pattern different in scale than the pattern on the curtains or furniture. Or choose a striped pattern in the same or complementary colors.

DO choose your living room furniture before your rug. You’ll probably keep the sofa and chairs for longer than the rug.

DON’T keep wood or tile floors bare. A rug will make your rooms look finished, warm up the space, and create buffering from noises. They also highlight your wood or tile flooring. Even if you have wall-to-wall carpet, an area rug can fulfill its purpose of defining the space.

DO choose a flat rug for the dining room. Dining rooms are areas where spills tend to happen, and a flat rug will be easier to keep clean.

Area Rug Protection

Following these general guidelines will help ensure that your rooms look polished. But remember that while choosing the right area rug will enhance your room’s décor, they placed on the floor, often in high traffic areas. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use them. Baer’s offers the UnitersPure protection plan to help you keep your rugs looking spotless.

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Make Your Broyhill Leather Sofa the Centerpiece of Your Room

While furniture styles may come and go, one of the most enduring is leather. Almost anything leather has a timeless appeal. You know it is meant to last. Sure, there are style updates, but you can find a leather couch in almost any style, from traditional to mid-century modern, to contemporary. A leather couch is a statement piece for the ages.

There’s something about leather furniture that exudes comfort and warmth. It adds an element of calm and elegance to any room and is easy to clean and maintain. In fact, the look of leather gets better as it ages. However, many find decorating a living room with a leather sofa a challenge. It doesn’t have to be. By letting the leather’s natural qualities shine through, your leather sofa can be the centerpiece of your living room décor.

Highlight the Leather Color

Leather is available in a variety of shades, including rich brown, red, cream, yellow or black. Darker shades can make a room seem masculine, so soften it with soft colors on the curtains, walls, and other furniture pieces. A black leather sofa will create interest in the space if paired with rich, deep colored throw pillows or an area rug. Blue-gray, burgundy, and rust are all good choices. These accessories will make your living room feel warm, welcoming, and luxurious. Soft greens, blues, and buttery yellows go well with light colored leather sofas.

Additional Accent Colors

We've discussed color for the walls and accessories, now consider additional accent colors. If you have a dark leather sofa, add some light decor to the room to keep the sofa from becoming overbearing. If your sofa is a lighter shade, try some patterned accents in the same color as your sofa. Select draperies, rugs, and other design elements in neutral shades to balance your living room. This may seem contradictory, but remember that you want to create a cohesive space. So try adding and taking away these elements until you achieve the look you like. Keep it simple so that your leather sofa can take center stage.

Place Your Leather Furniture Carefully

This goes for any living room design. Avoid a look that appears cluttered by spacing out your furniture. If you have a leather sofa set or sectional, add some pieces such as accent tables in lighter materials and colors. This will give the room some texture as well as contributing to a lighter feel.

Accessorize in Harmony

Highlight the texture of your leather sofa by including a small piece of leather furniture in your décor. A chair or ottoman will accentuate the look without drawing attention away from the sofa. Place a piece of artwork on the wall that highlights your sofa or use a small, simple dining or side chair to add an element of interest. Accessories made from natural materials will amplify the look of your leather sofa. Bamboo blinds, cotton throws, and terracotta pots are all good choice for accessories.

Make It Fresh

Remember that your leather sofa is likely to be with you for a long time. But it doesn’t have to become outdated. Try different colors and fabric to create a fresh look. Use the leather sofa as a backdrop, and soften it with diaphanous sheers, or add throw pillows with bright pops of color such as tangerine, turquoise, and yellow. Or update your look with throw pillows in modern prints – changing out the throw pillows can quickly update any look for any season.

Making your leather sofa shine doesn’t have to be complicated. Just put your creativity to work and use it to create a fresh, new look that is entirely your own.

Outdoor Decorating Ideas for Florida Entertaining

Making your back porch into the perfect spot for get-togethers will let you enjoy an intimate Florida night with family or a large event with friends. Backyard living is quickly evolving into more than a trend and “outdoor rooms” continue to gain popularity. As these trends continue, you may find yourself bringing almost everything outside with you. Outdoor decorating ideas include comfortable furniture and all the amenities you need in an outdoor kitchen or barbeque area.

Below are a few outdoor decorating ideas you might want to adapt for your back porch this summer.

Go Neutral

Keep your outdoor space cool and refreshing with neutral shades. The outdoors are often blooming with color, so a calm neutral shade can create a restful space that allows the landscaping to take center stage. You can pull off this polished look by choosing essential pieces such as the Coco Ilse 7 Piece Outdoor Dining set. The faux-rattan printed table top gives you a tropical feel while the metal construction gives you durability and easy maintenance.

Vertical Gardens

People usually head outdoors to take advantage of the greenery and fresh air. However, not everyone has the space for planting a garden. If this describes you, consider taking advantage of your walls. You can create a vertical garden on any wall, just hang flowerpots, old crates, or plastic containers filled with easy-to-care-for succulents. You can even use this idea on a patio, front porch, or fence.

Add Some Art

Art makes a space come alive and also shows off your personal style. Art can also be a great conversation starter. So, go ahead and hang some art on your patio, or display a collection of your favorite pieces of pottery or other collectibles to add some personality to your outdoor space.

Hammocks and Swings

Alternative seating is always fun if your outdoor space is big enough. And a hammock is great for relaxing on a pleasant summer evening or read a book in the afternoon. If a hammock is not your style, consider adding a swing to your outdoor decorating. A swing makes a great spot for intimate conversations.

Fire Pits

Outdoor entertaining is fun, but it’s even better add some fire. An outdoor fireplace or fire pit is a great way to extend your outdoor entertaining space. They provide comfortable, natural lighting that lets you see the person next to or across from you. And even in South Florida, we have the occasional cool night suitable for making s’mores by the fire.

Mood Lighting

And the last of our outdoor decorating ideas: lighting. When considering lighting for your outdoor room, approach the space as a blank canvas. Hang string lights in the trees, place romantic tapers on the table, and use tea lights in seating areas. This subtle lighting will enhance the ambiance of your outdoor entertaining area.

If you are looking for that perfect piece to make your outdoor entertaining space shine, go to the Baer’s Furniture showroom near you to see the entire collection. Check out our Pinterest board for more inspiration.

Practical Reasons to Choose a Leather Sofa

If you’ve ever had slipcovers, children, and/or pets, you are familiar with the battle of keeping them clean. While slipcovers are great for cleaning – you can whip them off and into the wash in no time – sooner or later you’ll start to lose the battle when you add children or pets into the mix. You may find that you washing your slipcovers have become pretty much a full-time job. You may want to consider the next phase for your living room: a leather sofa.

Family Friendly

For the fabric lovers, there are washable fabrics available but a leather sofa is particularly great if you have kids and/or pets, since it easily withstands sticky fingers, muddy paws, and spills of all kinds. You can easily wipe it off, and it becomes better looking over time.

Durable and Ages Well

Leather is super strong and built to last, yet soft and comfortable. Leather doesn’t need to be replaced every few years and gets better and more comfortable with age. As the leather ages it takes on the character you would expect from a life well lived, yet remains strong and durable. Many leather pieces are passed down as family heirlooms.

Makes a Statement

A leather sofa will add a touch of elegance to any room. Every piece of leather is unique, so in a sense, each leather sofa is one of a kind. Leather is always in style and can become the focal point of any room. Leather has a personality and whether you like traditional or urban chic, there is a leather sofa just for you. And you can get it in many colors from reds to blues to whites o the more traditional browns. The white leather furniture from Natuzzi Editions enhances the decor of this all white room.

Hypoallergenic and Easy Maintenance

Leather doesn’t collect pet dander, dust mites, and other allergens as easily as fabric, making it a good option if you or someone in your family has allergies. A quick wipe with mild soap and water when necessary will keep the leather looking good.

The Cool Factor

As in, leather furniture is cool to the touch in the warm Florida weather, making it comfortable all year long. Leather conforms to the environment and adapts the room’s temperature and your body’s temperature when you sit on it. It will stay at a consistent temperature that feels good on your skin.

If you are looking for cool, comfortable leather furniture, visit the Baer’s Furniture showroom near you to see the wide range of Natuzzi and Bernhardt leather sofas available. Like us on Facebook for more design inspiration.