How to Restore Old Furniture (Just Like on TV!)

During the summer months, there’s nothing quite as fun and rewarding as visiting a rummage sale and finding an old piece of furniture that’ll be the perfect accent piece in your home. Not only will the used furniture be cheaper than buying new, it’ll also give you a chance to express your creative side by injecting new personality into the old materials.

But unlike you see on today’s popular TV shows, fixing up a neglected piece of furniture can take a lot of time and elbow grease — not to mention a lot of planning. So if you’re really going to turn that chipped, three-legged desk from the 70s into your beautiful workspace, you’ll first need to form a strategy.

Restoring to Perfection

Here are a few tricks of the trades to making old furniture useable again:

1. Clean it up. Whether you’re dealing with a musty, old couch with stained cushions or an oak desk that’s done nothing but collect dirt and grime for the last 20 years, you want to cut down to the original surface so you know exactly what you’re working with.

In some cases, a good cleaning is all you really need. If you’re lucky, you’ll reveal a beautiful original finish that you’re quite happy with.

2. Inspect it thoroughly. Yes, you’re checking for visual imperfections that need to be addressed, but you also want to check for structural integrity. Visually inspect the piece for cracks in the legs and supporting beams. Gradually put weight onto it to check for creaking, rocking, or other signs of weakness.

After this inspection, you’ll have a good idea of what’s salvageable and what needs replaced.

3. Come up with a gameplan. Once you know what’s wrong with the furniture, you can pick out a design. Remember to think outside the box. For example, say you have a chair with a section missing from the seat. While you could get by with patching a missing piece of the upholstery, you could also use that as a chance to add a patch pattern to the entire cushion.

Don’t forget to look around for inspiration! While we have tons of ideas on this blog, a quick search on the Internet will reveal tons of refurbishing tips.

4. Gather your materials. Now that your gameplan is in place, it’s time to make sure you have all the right materials together. If you need to buy anything for the fix, make sure you have excess to account for any mistakes you may have made in your estimates or any mistakes you make during the repairs. Better to have a little extra on hand than to have to take another trip to the store!

Keep in mind that some things don’t require much work at all — if you’re smart about it. Minor nicks and scratches in wood, for example, can be taken care of quite easily.

5. Make your repairs. Before getting to work, make sure you don your safety goggles and respirator mask, if necessary. If it’s your first time working with materials, you may first want to practice on an inconspicuous part of the furniture (or something entirely differently) until you get comfortable with the tools you’re using.

Of course, if you don’t want to put the time and labor into getting a customized piece of furniture, you can head to your nearest Home Decor Outlets. From there or our website, you can sort through a huge selection of affordable furniture that would make the perfect addition to your home!

How to Pick the Perfect Color for Every Room In Your House

Color choice is an important consideration in every room of your house. After all, the color you pick will have a big psychological impact on how people feel when they’re in the room. That’s a crucial fact, because sometimes your favorite color isn’t the best fit for your bedroom wall. For example, you might love the bright red that’s on your favorite blouse, but painting that same color on your bedroom walls could make it difficult to fall asleep at night.

The good news is you don’t need to have a degree in Psychology to know which colors to use when painting the rooms in your house. A little knowledge of how colors impact us makes the selection process relatively simple.

Finding the perfect color

Here’s what you should consider for each room, as well as a few suggestions:

1. Bedroom: You spend most of your time sleeping in this room, so you want something peaceful, something that’ll make it easy to catch some Zs. Gray, light blue, light green, and lavender are all excellent choices for drifting off into dreamland.
2. Dining room: Want to whet your appetite? Go for yellows, oranges, and reds, colors that are exciting. Think about it: There’s a reason so many fast food companies use these colors in their logos! Turquoise has also been found to stimulate appetite. Avoid darker colors, which are reminders of spoiled food and suppress hunger.
3. Kitchen: Yellow and red are good colors in the kitchen as well, if you want something to get you hungry. Turquoise may also sharpen your hunger, as well as make you more relaxed. Want to get inspired to eat healthy? Cover your walls in an earthy green. Also worth noting: The lighter your walls, the more light they’ll reflect. This may make it easier to see during meal prep!
4. Living room: The best colors for this room will depend on how you plan to use the space. If you’re looking for a lively, fun environment for entertaining, try an adventurous orange or green. Cooler colors, like blue or gray, will have a calming effect.
5. Bathroom: Most of us like our bathrooms to be quiet, peaceful places. Gray, white, beige, and other neutral colors do well here. Want to liven it up? Change the wall color to one of your favorites, or splash a bright color on your trim.

Once you have your colors picked out, you’ll want to have furniture to match! Visit us for a huge selection of upholstery, tables, lamps and more!

How to Choose the Right Rug

Picking out a rug can be frustrating. Rugs are the only piece of furniture that you’ll use every single time you step into a room. A great rug can set the vibe for a whole room, while a bad rug may have you avoiding it the room altogether. To help you through the process, we’ve identified a few tips and general rules for buying a rug.

Make a Plan - Before you even start looking at rugs online, and especially before go to pick one out in person, you must design a plan on how your room will be set up with the rug included. Measure the desired space for your rug, and then measure again for accuracy. The biggest choice you’ll need to make in the planning stage is how big you’ll want the rug. A good rule of thumb is that if you aren’t going to have wall to wall carpeting, you need to make sure it reaches under the front legs of all the furniture in the room.

Understand the Material - Although the pattern on your rug may seem important, you need to figure out the type of material you’ll be using for the room. Read up on the different materials they can be made of, like cotton, silk, or wool. Each have their own benefits and flaws that you’ll want to consider before purchasing. And don’t forget to consider the usage of the rug, as bedrooms have less foot traffic than your living room, causing less wear and tear.

Select a Pattern - There are many things to consider before choosing the pattern. You want your rug to blend well with the rest of the room, not be lost in the clutter or sticking out like a sore thumb. If your furniture is already colorful and full of pattern, consider a solid-colored rug to emphasize the other designs of the room. For neutral or solid colored furniture, consider a playful color or pattern. If you want color but don’t want to go overboard, match the secondary color of the rug to your furniture.

Proper Care - Purchasing a rug doesn’t end at the register. Now, you’ll need to understand the steps you’ll need to take in order to make the rug last. Figure out the cleaning materials you’ll need, and how often they recommend cleaning it based off your estimated usage. Finally, invest in a rug pad to protect not only your floor, but keep it from sliding around every time it’s stepped on.

For further help choosing the rug that will work best in your house or apartment, visit Home Decor Outlets in store at the location nearest you. To preview the styles we carry, browse our selection of rugs online now.

5 Ways to Maximize Storage in your Child’s Bedroom

All photos via www.hdoutlets.com  

They say you learn something new every day, but when it comes to kids, it’s more like they have something new every day. As our children grow, so does the amount of storage needed for their belongings. But, what happens when you run out of places to put new storage cubes or additional dressers? If you’ve run out of room in your children’s bedroom, we understand, and have the tips that will hopefully alleviate some of your stress from the growing clutter.

1. Storage Bed - Generally, the biggest piece of furniture in a bedroom will be the bed, so why not take advantage of the available storage that it can bring along? Instead of giving them another place to throw their dirty socks or lose their shoes, invest in a bed that has dresser drawers below.
   
   
   
2. Coat Rack - This may sound like a weird one, but stay with us. As your kids age, so will their style, meaning they’ll most likely need more storage to hang shirts and pants. But, they’ll also still need to store all of their hoodies, jackets, and snow coats until they are needed. Place a standing coat rack in one corner of the room to eliminate the stuffing of every jacket in the back of the closet, only to throw all of their other hung items across the room when one is needed.
   
3. Wall-Mounted Shelving - If you don’t already have shelving installed in the rooms, there are many inexpensive, DIY ways they can be set up. Use the shelves to store the things scattered across their dress, or more conventionally, for their school books when not in use.
   
4. Bunk Beds - We’ve mentioned that beds take up at a lot of space, and if you have more than one child in a room, it makes for some cramped early mornings getting ready. Double down on your floor space with bunk beds, and if you’re really trying to save space, invest in one that has storage below as well. And if your children have frequent sleepovers, they make for a great guest bed!
   
   
   
5. Maximize Closet Space - Now that you’ve eliminated all those bulky jackets, it’s time to maximize that closet space. To start, install hooks on the inside of the door to hang jewelry, belts, and scarves. Organize their shoe storage with a DIY shoe rack to keep the floor space organized. Finally, if you have extra shelving, install it just below the height of your hung items to create and extra dresser drawer!

Looking to stock your child’s bedroom, or possibly your own? Visit us online now, or in-store at the location nearest you for our full selection of furniture, mattresses, and accessories.

5 Tips to Brighten Up Your Space

Summer is right around the corner! With about a month to go, it’s time to bring the bright colors inside as well. As the warm weather comes in, so do the picnics, cookouts, and long nights spent on back porches. To help you prepare for more guests coming over to your house or apartment, we’ve come up with a few ways to help brighten up your living space, and not all of them even require you to reach into your wallet. Check out our tips below.

1. Rearrange Furniture - See, we told you every update didn’t come with a price tag. In the winter we tend to center ourselves around being warm, making the fireplace the best place to congregate on winter nights. Move your furniture away from this common room centerpiece, and try to focus more on the windows to let your guests enjoy the views of outside.
   
2. Color Table - Summer colors tend to be very bright - whites and yellows - but who said you can’t throw some extra vibrant color in there? Create an end table, coffee table or even dining room table around one single color. This will create a great visual that’s sure to catch the eyes of your guests every time they step into the room.
   
3. Plants - Bring the fresh air inside! With more sunshine outside, more sunshine will come streaming inside to keep your plants alive. Not much of a plant fan? Try growing succulents, as they practically grow themselves!
   
4. Covers - One of the best ways to change any room up from season to season is with slipcovers. Not only will they bring a new color into your room, but they are also much easier to clean. And with the summer bringing more guests, and possibly kids, you’ll thank yourself later for using them.
   
5. Switch the Fabrics - You’re most likely putting away the winter comforter already, so why not lighten up the room with some new sheets and pillow covers? Other great places to bring color into the room are throw pillows for your couch or bed.
   

Looking to take your house or apartment to the next level this season? From living room to bedroom furniture, we have something for you! Stop in and visit us at the location nearest you, or online now.

5 Interior Designers to Follow on Instagram

If you haven’t joined Instagram, then the time is now. What started as a way to share photos with your friends has evolved into a way to connect with millions for inspiration, shopping, and for some, a way to make a living. For the design industry, it makes a great platform to show off past and present work. For you though, it’s a great way to “steal” their ideas and make them your own. To get you started on where to look, we’ve identified 5 designers that could help change your house for the better.

1. Orlando Soria (mrorlandosoria) - California-based designer who certainly has a lot to offer if you’re looking for a more modern style. Orlando is currently a designer working for Homepolish, but he also writes and has his own website.

   A post shared by Orlando Soria (@mrorlandosoria) on May 4, 2017 at 9:59am PDT

2. Kelly Behun (kellybehunstudio) - Based in New York City, Kelly blends the terms art and furniture together. After looking through her prior work you may think that they belong in museums rather than a house or apartment. She’s been featured in magazines across the globe, and her work can be found on her website.

   A post shared by Kelly Behun (@kellybehunstudio) on Apr 29, 2017 at 2:15pm PDT

3. Benjamin and Gen Sohr (pencilandpaperco) - These two Nashville residents can help you improve your house from top to bottom, inside and out. The pair do everything from color, material and finish selecting to design to go, their affordable alternative to traditional interior design. Check out their full collection work, and explore new styles from their portfolio.

   A post shared by Pencil and Paper Co (@pencilandpaperco) on May 7, 2017 at 3:17pm PDT

4. Amber Lewis (amberinteriors) - Proud mother, designer, and even podcaster, you can tell just from the first row of her Instagram photos that she prefers the simple things. And by the simple things, we mean black and white. If you’re looking to bring that aesthetic to your home or apartment, there’s plenty here to inspire you!

   A post shared by Amber Lewis (@amberinteriors) on May 7, 2017 at 12:54pm PDT

5. Dabito (dabito) - Dab has designed for some of the biggest brands in America, including Google, Pepsi, and Old Navy. His biggest inspiration comes from older items, and making them feel new again. You can check out more of his work, DIY projects and more on his website, www.oldbrandnew.com.
   

   A post shared by DABITO (@dabito) on Feb 14, 2017 at 11:25am PST

Had enough inspiration for one day and need to express yourself through your living space? Visit us online now, or check us out at store nearest you to jump start your next living room or bedroom transformation!

Decorating with Wine Corks

Image via Pixabay

Do you love wine? Well then this article is for you.Yes, wine does have positive health benefits, but do you know what else it has? Corks that can be reused for many different projects. If you don’t already save your corks, then bookmark this page and return once you have, because you’ll be needing quite a few to tackle any of these projects.

Trivet

For this kitchen product you’ll need at least 40 corks. First, you’ll need a base. A piece of wood will work, but for best results hit up your local craft store for a thin sheet of cork. Using a hot glue gun, or other strong adhesive, glue the corks down two at a time. When gluing down the corks, position each set opposite direction of the one before. (see image below)

Image via Pixabay

Back Splash

This DIY project is one for the real wine lover in your life. The reasoning behind that is because you’ll need a lot of corks. Like the trivet, you’ll need a base for the project, but wood is recommended. To maximize your corks, cut them in half and then glue the corks to the board. Once finished secure the wood to the area behind your kitchen’s sink using nails, or any adhesive that will hold your board securely. Need an example of what this will look like? Check out this DIY blog post.

Succulent Holder

Do you enjoy gardening but don’t have much of a green thumb? Try growing succulents. For this project, you’ll need to head to your local flower shop and find the smallest succulents they have. First, carve out the wine corks using a small knife. Make sure you don’t carve all the way through though, as your next step is to add dirt. Finish your new plant pot with the smallest succulent available. If you want to take it next level, glue a magnet to one side of the cork and hang the plant right on your fridge!  

Image via Pixabay

Table or Dresser Top

Want to wake up everyday to the sight of wine? (Well, sort of!) For this project, you can use an end table, night stand, or even your dresser. Like the back splash protector, you’ll need quite a few corks. As before, you’ll want to begin with a baseboard for your creation. Depending on the size of dresser or table, you’ll want to cut the corks in half before securing them to the backing. After securing the corks to your desired piece, finish them off with a couple layers of polyurethane for a smooth finish like the rest of your wooden furniture.

Have any other cork-inspired decorating ideas? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’re looking for more furniture to go alongside your newly corked creations, visit us online or at the store nearest you!