February
11
5 Family Friendly, Pet Friendly Design Tips
Looking for furniture that will hold up with style and comfort in your Brady Bunch home? Then follow my shopping tips for upholstery and fabric that any Addams Family would love!
· Start with quality construction in your sofas and chairs from reputable manufacturers. Choose hardwood frames, glued, screwed and blocked at the corners with hand-tied spring support under the seat cushions.
· Avoid sofa styles with multi-pillow backs. They require a lot of maintenance- fluffing and arranging- and they make too tempting a weapon for pillow fights between siblings (and some spouses).
· Upgrade your back and seat cushions- it’s worth the extra cost. Consider spring down seat cushions (a spring unit wrapped in foam and a down blend) for great support and shape retention. Blend down seat backs (polyester combined with a down blend) give a luxuriously soft feel but hold their shape over time.
· Use heavy weight, tightly woven fabrics on your upholstery- they’ll withstand friction from use much better than lighter weight fabrics. And if you’re worried about staining, have stain protection applied to your upholstery. Most stores will provide this service for a nominal charge. Better yet, look at commercially rated and outdoor-use fabrics- both are designed to resist fading, repel stains and hold up to heavy use.
· Be realistic about your color choices. A white family room sofa just can’t stay white in an active household. Choose something with color, pattern and cleaning ease instead. Save white or lighter colors for small accent pieces that don’t get a lot of use or can easily be recovered at a small expense.
With Love,
Debbie
Interior Designer to the Slobs
February 17th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
I love the pet/kid friendly ideas! I want your book…
A poet I’m not, but for a book I’ll try.
My home needs a lift and so do I.
My slob that I love, needs training indeed.
So my nerves are frayed, and your book I NEED!
Keep the good ideas coming…any advice on how to handle an avalanche of paper?
February 17th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
A very good job you did with your poem.
I know what it’s like to have slobs in your home.
but I have two boys and they like to eat
So, come on Carol, get on your feet.
March out of the house and into the mall
Go straight to the bookstore or give Amazon a call
My book is well priced, not expensive, quite cheap
You’ll get what you need; and my kids get to eat.