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Posts Tagged ‘modern furniture’

When you think of the gathering places in your home, it’s likely that the living room pops to mind.  Decorating in an open and welcoming manner is wise, to promote a comfortable environment.  A room with a beautiful piece of furniture as the anchor piece, such as a modern sofa bed, will contribute to this goal.  Often times, the living room is a multifunctional room, a sitting room, a playroom, a TV room, and even a dining room. Map out a plan ahead of time, and start to conceive of your design before getting started.

For those with a large piece of furniture, such as a modern sectional, it would be good to consider using a furniture grid or template to lay out the room. Not only can you try multiple designs, you can avoid an aching back!   You can find printable grids online, or buy software that will take your measurements and generate them all for you.  Though it takes time to measure each piece of furniture, in the long run, you’ll be glad you took the time to use a grid.

A rule of thumb that you can keep in mind is to try and seat about six people comfortably.   It’s possible for your modern furniture set up to be very functional and look great, too.  Small living rooms should be set up to have at least one area for conversation.  A common design is a modern sofa paired with two chairs and a coffee table.   If you’re lucky enough to have a larger room, you can start with a seating area to accommodate five or six, and then consider branching out from there.   Larger rooms are perfect for large sectionals, which otherwise might overwhelm a small room.

Choosing a focal point for the room is something to consider.   Examples to choose from include large picture windows, entertainment systems, or a fireplace.  Look around and determine the most arresting visual point to be the focal point.  Building the seating around that focal point is a good objective. Consider an area if you need a tool to define a space.

Getting carried away is easy when you embark on a redecorating project.  Always remember the size of your budget, and consider various shortcuts.  If you have a sofa with a traditional print, you can revitalize the look with a slipcover with a modern look. Using creative thinking to weight your options will allow you to update your space within the confines of your budget while maintaining style.

Gone are the days of the overstuffed and drab living room sofa. Sofas are no longer just a place to put your feet up or to enjoy a movie. Modern sofas are now focal points, works of art in their right and an essential in every living room.

The couch you grew up with is no longer the standard in living room furniture. Give up all your deep set assumptions and embrace the new way of furniture with Alphaville Design. Sofas are now more fashion forward than ever with their kaleidoscope of colors and modern shapes.

Sofas are one of the biggest elements in a room and should be the starting point of any design inspiration. The style of a sofa makes a dramatic addition to a simple room and reflects the vibe of the entire room. Nowadays there’s so many styles, sizes, colors, shapes and modern furniture patterns of sofa that it can be extremely overwhelming. But there are a few basic principles that must be followed in order to make a perfect selection.

First of all and most importantly, is the size of the sofa. An error that befalls many choosing furniture is picking a sofa that is too large for their space.This makes your room look smaller than it already is and gives off a cramped and restricted sensation. Modern furniture should fit the room it is in, so be sure to take measurements of your room before shopping for a sofa so you don’t end up with a sofa that barely leaves room to walk.

Color is another important aspect of choosing your sofa color. Choose a color that you’ll be happy with for a long time and one that is easy to maintain for your lifestyle. Buying a white sofa, you must also consider whether you are well-suited to take care of it. A bold color choice is not to be feared, modern furniture thrives in unique and daring shades

A bright red sofa makes a bold statement and gives off a fun vide, so express your self. Don’t stick to neutral colors. One note of caution though is if you make a bold color choice for the sofa make sure you compliment that color with neutrals in your area rugs and wall colors. If you follow these simple principles, you’ll be sure to find a sofa that fit into your life and lifestyle.

If you’ve always wanted to give your home a complete new look, you need not go to the extent of remodeling it which can be very harsh on your pocket. You can simply modify your furniture and you’ll definitely get that brand new appeal you’re looking for. But while there are many of you who’ve always wanted to embark on a project like this, most would not have the slightest idea how to start or where. If you’re in this boat, be positive that you can pull it off with a few practical tips. For starters, it’ll help for you to know that it’s completely okay to have a combination of modern and classic furniture and accessories. In fact, this can be a very lucrative direction to take. You can simply shop for discount furniture, mix and match them and create a style that is completely you. It really is in the trend to play with the many different design themes from classic to modern. Besides, it will be more enjoyable. You get to experiment with the best of each furniture genre and you’ll often be amazed that they can go together wonderfully depending on the choices you make. Something you’ll want to keep in mind when making those choices is the fact that less detail means more impact. That simply means there’s no need to go beyond your design by betting too many stuff cramped up in one place. For instance, if you’re redecorating your bedroom with the staples such as a bedroom furniture dresser, a nightstand and an armoire, it’s imperative not to be besieged by the complexity of the designs, otherwise, everything will be nothing more than a display of individual craftsmanship. In other words, if you want your design to work as a whole, which is how it should, get sufficient detail of each item and make them complement each other. From time to time, when we get too caught up with our design, we turn out to be excessively self-righteous to seek other people’s opinion even if we truthfully think we need it. If you’ve come at a dead end as far as what your next move will be, do not hesitate to have a friend come over and maybe tell you what should be or shouldn’t be there. If you in fact find it awkward to ask for people’s help, you can make your research online or through home style magazines. There are and will constantly be information in there that you can make use of. The point is to keep your mind open to possibilities. Whether you’re decorating your bedroom or any other living space in your home and whether you’re working with the expensive wood varieties for your dining furniture or any of those cheap modern furniture, you’ll always work up a good design if you stick to the basics and know what you’re doing.

If you’re looking for a way to up the charm and sophistication quotient of a room, consider the addition of an area rug.  Area rugs are not always expensive, and the investment is worth the money. If you want a way to showcase your coffee table, an area rug is a great choice.

In order to fully appreciate the impact of a beautiful area rug, you should choose a style that will accentuate your existing modern furniture.  Whether your modern furniture is classic, country, or contemporary, the type of area rug you choose should be of the same style family.  Simple area rugs are best paired with an ornate coffee table, so as to provide balance to the visual effect.  Plainer coffee tables are paired to lovely effect with more elaborate area rug visual design.  The same thing goes for your other modern furniture and window treatments.  Bold and stunning color, if selected with care, will draw positive attention to your modern furniture.

Don’t forget to consider which fiber will work best for your room.  For example, an easy-to-clean, stain-resistant fiber is perfect for the home with small children. Common area rug materials are wool and silk blends, nylon, and even cotton (think bath mats).  It is no surprise that wool and silk are the most expensive options.  Don’t be afraid to spend money for a high-quality rug; they can last for generations! If your home or apartment has an open floor plan, consider area rugs for the purpose of defining your space.  A tasteful area rug, coffee table, and modern couch arranged correctly will define itself as the sitting area.

It is vital to acquire a good pad that will sit beneath your area rug. Wood flooring is most likely to need a good pad beneath your new area rug.  At the very least, consider a non-slip pad to protect the safety of people in the home.   An area rug is a sure-fire way to jazz up your room.  If it is charm and sophistication you want to showcase your modern furniture, you can’t do better than a gorgeous area rug.  If you follow a few easy guidelines:  matching the style of your eileen gray table to the style of your rug, making sure you select the right fiber type for your needs, and selecting an appropriate pad to go beneath the area rug, you are sure to be glad you made the choice to add an area rug to your home.

Born Ephraim Owen Goldberg in 1929, a young boy discovered that almost anything could be molded into beauty; be it pieces of chain link fence, wood scraps or tossed aside corrugated steel. This creativity followed Goldberg into his adult life when he changed his name to Frank Owen Gehry. Still amazing the world with the impossible and intriguing designs of buildings, sculptures, jewelry and modern home furniture, Gehry does what he loves.

Gehrys architectural designs have received harsh criticism from designers who see his work as overshadowing a buildings intended use with an overwhelming nature. Others applaud the fresh, non-traditional role that a Gehry building offers to society and welcome his methods with awards and embrace his role as Distinguished Professor of Architecture at Columbia University and the Yale School of Architecture. He continues to receive many national, regional and local A.I.A. awards, in addition to the Pritzker Prize in 1989.

Sculpture, household items, furniture and even jewelry are other areas that employ much of Gehrys time with design ideas. Often referring to creating new lines of furniture as his quick fix, Gehrys first furniture collection debuted in 1969 and was made out of cardboard. Next came the Bentwood Furniture line, naming each piece after a different hockey team, his favorite pastime. His latest line is presented by Heller and consists of modular sections perfect for moving about but very attractive and comfortable.

Some of the most popular designs by Gehry include Vitra Design Museum, Vitra premises, Weil am Rhein, Germany; Dancing House (Fred and Ginger), Prague, Czech Republic; and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California, USA. A few current works in progress include the New World Symphony campus, Miami Beach, Florida, Suna Kirac Cultural Center, Istanbul, Turkey and the Performing Arts Complex at the World Trade Center site in New York City.

Frank often refers to his love of sculpting and designing simple modern furniture as his ‘quick fix’ as the work does not require the months and years of intensity in architecture. But this does not diminish the quality or thought that he portrays in every design that he completes. The Gehry furniture collection by Heller proves this by the sleek, pandemic nature of the pieces. Simple in design yet complex in presence, the modular units can stand-alone or be used in dozens of different ways as groupings.

A quiet boy from the 40s proves that imagination can grow into anything obtainable with hard work and structure. Owning a piece of Frank Owen Gehry can never go wrong with the extensive reputation that this man has made for himself and his modern contemporary furniture design.

The nature of our society has always been to explore the unknown, discover new and better ways and to utilize our natural resources to improve our lives. Every generation surpasses the last with ingenuity and developments that were not even imagined by our ancestors. It has always been a great learning experience and today we face another challenge. Our forests and land are beginning to dissipate from continuous use of our planet’s generous gifts and our misconception that there will always be more. A change must take place and they are doing just that in the modern furniture field.

One company has been working on just this rumination for more than two years and has recently been testing the water with new ideas that not only save much needed oil and protects our trees but has brought their products to into the art world through international artists and designers. Orange22, a Los Angeles based design lab founded in 2000, creates and fabricates mass-market and limited-edition furniture but also does a lot more.

Sleek and curved, sturdy and lightweight, the Blank Canvas Project bench could manipulate alone, but this is where part two comes into play, making the project humanistic. Each designer involved has pinpointed a distinct area of concern that merits immediate attention and donates a portion of their sales, matched by Orange22. Cancer, AIDS, the environment, education and the homeless are a few of the under funded areas affecting our world’s woes and being supported by Orange22 and its design team.

The staff of Orange22 that was subsequently formed from the art worlds’ best and brightest was able to achieve what seemed a nearly impossible task. Today, the Blank Canvas Project represents a starting point for sought after artists to leave their individual marks on a modern, recycled bench that has form and function written all over it. One of a kind originality, ‘green’ in manufactured durability and longevity, the Orange22 line of benches are becoming very popular.

Such recognized names as Massimo and Lella Vignelli, Milton Glaser and Clause Zellweger leave their individualized signature on each piece offered. Owning a work of art by these greats is not only desirable but functional, as well. Sturdy, lightweight, and environmentally friendly, the modern benches, coffee tables or end tables can grace a furniture grouping or stand alone in any home or office.

What manufacturing technologies can we leverage that create less impact or what type of new material can we use-or old material-so that we’re benefiting the environment in the best way is a question that Orange22 designers constantly ask themselves. A commitment to this line of thought plus a dedication to individual charities is what drives this company’s team to continue creating change to modern designer furniture now and in the future.

Having a collection of modern furniture of award winning quality was once out of the realm of the average household. In 1998, Heller decided to prove that good design, industrial production and reasonable prices were possible for those seeking upscale, modern designer furniture. Starting with the Bellini chair by Mario Bellini, Heller Inc. has brought their name to be considered the ultimate in affordable designer furnishings. There are several reasons why Heller is such an outstanding company but five reasons stand out.

Fresh and new products regularly hit the scene at Heller with World Famous Designers bringing innovation from their international class exposure. Names such as Frank Gehry, best known for his architectural landmark, the titanium-covered Guggenheim Museum, and Bocca by Studio 65, with their soulful approach to contemporary mod, are well-known names in the arena of modern design that regularly share creative ideas at Heller.

Award Winning Museum Quality Designs stand out in your home with what museum curators find worthy of collecting and showcasing. Stamped with approval and proudly displayed in such outstanding places as The Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Heller designs have also won awards from the Industrial Designers Society of America and the I.D. Annual Design Distinction for Furniture.

Thirty-five years ago, Heller presented a line of stacking dinnerware designed by Massimo Vignelli, hoping that the Investment Quality Designs of designers would be something that the public could appreciate. Beyond their wildest dreams, this line was very well accepted and as a result, the furniture line was started with the same concept in mind. The stacking dinnerware is still popular today and can be found in the permanent design collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Form and Function is an added option of Heller with durable products that are designed for both indoors and out. Many pieces are modular, stackable and are valuable as space savers. The artistic presence of these pieces can be used anywhere, serving multiple purposes in the workplace or high traffic areas where solid, lasting form is necessary while presenting a modern day flair.

Everyone’s Lifestyle plays an important role in realistically owning designer modern furniture. Art should speak to you in a way that suggests a certain mood. Bleak and stark can now be replaced with festive and witty. Try a Bocca seat from Studio 65 with red ruby lips that tantalize you the minute you walk through the door. Discover the world of collectible furniture and watch your home begins to reflect your lifestyle.