ClearLake Furniture Blog

September 30, 2009

The cure for room boredom

Filed under: Decorating Advice — Tags: furniture, quick redecorating, redecorate, room boredom, room decor — admin @ 6:52 pm

You can get very bored with a room — same thing, day in, day out — but not your furniture, if you buy classic styles that are well made. So, if you’re feeling a little antsy and need a change, try moving what you have. Are you one of those “up against the wall” decorators? Well, grant your room decor a parole. Here are a few quick ideas for quick redecorating:

Try placing an upholstered chair at an angle in a corner and create a reading nook.
Move out your sofa and put a sofa table behind it to add dimension.
Break one room into two smaller areas, like a game table and conversation pit.
Move your sectional, maybe even breaking it into two smaller sofas.
Introduce a piece of furniture from another room!
If you want a bigger change, add one piece, whether it’s a pair of lamps, a different coffee table, a mirror, or an accent table.

In my house, we seem to have an unwritten rule that as soon as I can navigate the room in the dark without banging my shin, it’s time to move things around.

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September 23, 2009

Home office makeover

Filed under: Decorating Advice — admin @ 10:09 am

The term “home office” used to mean the headquarters for a corporate conglomerate. In the 21st century, “home office” reflects the purest meaning of the two, separate words: an office in the home. Apple Computer, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and even Hershey’s Chocolate started as home-based businesses. Whether you’re running a business from your home or just need additional office space there, you need to consider a few things when setting up your home office:

Organization. File cabinets, desk drawers, and shelves are essential to the home office, but don’t let them become repositories of unorganized files, notes, and materials. Create a system that will work for you.
Flow. Look at the way you work. What keeps you moving from place to place during an average work day? What do you need within reach of your desk or primary workspace? Do you need certain equipment (e.g., printer, file cabinet) close by? With wireless technology, you don’t have to be hard-wired in one place. Walk through the paces of your workflow and then lay out your office to accommodate your paths.
Space. How much square footage is available for your home office? What do you need for electrical outlets or phone jacks? Do you work primarily from your computer? Is it a desktop or laptop? Should you use a traditional desk or would an office armoire allow better use of your space?
Aesthetics. Are you going to have clients and vendors come to your home office? What image do you want the ambience to convey? How will you use the natural light in your room decor? Do you need soft light and natural colors or are you stimulated by more vivid hues? What atmosphere promotes productivity for you? Your home office aesthetics are as important to a productive environment as the placement of your computer or the size of the room!

Your home office may be in your residence, but it IS a workplace, which means a corner in the kitchen or the dining room table is not suitable. Create the environment that will help you achieve the best results.

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September 20, 2009

Upholstery: The “cushier” side of ClearLake

Filed under: At your service! — Tags: ClearLake Furniture, hardwood furniture, Smith Brothers Upholstery, upholstered furniture, upholstery — admin @ 2:56 pm

Our marketing maven Sue has been bugging me to write more about our upholstery. She says people don’t realize that we also sell upholstered furniture that reflects the same quality of our custom-crafted hardwood pieces.

Maybe I spend so much time in the workshop beneath our showroom that I don’t see these pieces coming and going so quickly. I know the upholstered furniture is wonderful, even though I’m not usually permitted to sit in it because of my sawdust-covered pants.

Since Sue is also a customer, I suggested that she should stop nagging me and use that energy to write about our collection of Smith Brothers Upholstery furniture herself so I could get back to the workshop, So, here is what she gave me:

Our family purchased a new recliner from ClearLake Furniture for my 85 year-old father for Christmas. He was thrilled to get a replacement for the tired, old chair in which he has been spending his days, where he eats, watches (and yells at) the television, and snuggles his beloved poodle. I think my mother was even happier to see that old chair go to a local charity. But let me tell you about the process of getting this chair, because I think THIS is what truly distinguishes ClearLake Furniture from its competitors:

Hannah took the time to help me choose the chair and showed me the exceptional construction of both the frame and the cushions. Then she guided me through the fabric choice, wisely helping me pull out swatches that reflected the wall colors and other pieces in the living room so we could find the fabric that would work the best. She was fantastic!
Once I ordered the chair, Barbara stayed in touch and let me know when it arrived at the shop — a week earlier than expected! She went to great pains to coordinate the shipping with me.
The delivery men showed up right on time. That, in itself, is a phenomenon in these days of “we’ll be there between noon and whenever.” They were very careful with the chair and extremely friendly, even after the long day they had already endured.

ClearLake Furniture is not just a furniture maker. You are a team of highly talented professionals who make the experience more memorable!

Here’s one more compliment for you. Both my sister and sister-in-law said the recliner was so beautiful that they would want it in THEIR homes — and if you knew how picky both of these women are, you’d know this is the highest compliment!

So, when re you going to start telling the world about your wonderful upholstered furniture???

Thanks, Sue, I think you just did!

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