Old World Style 101 with Hooker Furniture

Old world style is renowned for its comfortable, worn, broken-in look that shows off the wear and tear of years of use. This is a style that can imbue your home with rustic refinement in a few simple steps. Crafted details that bring a sense of authenticity and a fresh feel to the relaxed, comfortable look that can be created by use of texture, materials, and color. The Solana Collection from Hooker Furniture puts a fresh spin on old world style.

Mix, Match, and Create

A mix of many European influences, old world design elements include earthy materials such as limestone, tile, and marble; deeply textured walls, flooring, and fabric; and sizeable furniture pieces. You can incorporate old world style throughout your home or concentrate it on one room.

When designing a dining room in old world style, draw on any combination of these area for inspiration:

• French Country
• French Chateau
• Tuscan
• Italian Villa
• Mediterranean
• Spanish

To achieve the worn, rustic, and inviting atmosphere typical of old world style, be sure to choose from the following elements.

Furniture

Free standing furniture is a hallmark of old world style, so avoid built in shelving and opt for a curio cabinet or console. Create a dramatic effect by grouping two or three cabinets together, such as the Solana Bunching Curio Cabinet by Hooker Furniture. The natural finish of these pieces emanate the warmth of sun-bathed wood with a lightly distressed tone that is effortlessly yet elegantly stylish. Living rooms should be outfitted with wooden-framed couches and chairs upholstered in rich colors. All rooms should have a formal yet lived in appearance that invites guests to linger.

Accents

Include plenty of old world accents in your design. Natural finishes that emanate warmth, gold accessories on the shelves, dark wood floors, and pottery pieces left out in the open become a part of the room’s design. Wrought iron, terra cotta, and damask draperies are also excellent choices. While tapestries and woven rugs are typical, white walls and neutral area rugs are also within the esthetic.

Using as many natural materials as you can will cement the design. This includes stone and metal work, natural woods. Including different species and colors of each type of material adds depth, for example you can while mix copper with iron or granite with limestone.

Supporting Players of Old World Design

You can also insert an old world, well-traveled flair into your rooms by using fabrics with animal prints or maps. Leather or fabric covered books, bamboo elements, woven shades, wicker furniture, and decorative storage trunks can all play supporting roles in this décor.

Commit to the Design

Once you’ve decided, commit completely. You can add the design elements one room at a time, or gradually infuse each room. The style has so many textures, colors, and materials available that you will find that your home will still have a personal or eclectic feel while also a cohesive design.

If you need help incorporating old world design with piece from the Solana Collection by Hooker Furniture into your home décor, contact a design professional at Baer’s Furniture. Follow us on Twitter to stay up do date on the latest events..

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Sofa or a Couch

Buying a new sofa or couch is a big undertaking. The size, style, and color you choose can change the entire look of your living room. When choosing your new sofa, keep these tips in mind. Although they may seem insignificant on their own, the impact they have on your satisfaction with your new couch could be huge.

Right Size

It may seem obvious that you should measure your space as well as the sofa you are considering purchasing, but it is the most common mistake made when purchasing a new sofa. “Eyeing it” is probably the least efficient measurement system, so trying to judge by how big the couch looks is the best way to end up with a couch that is too big or too small for your space. In addition, don’t neglect to consider the scale of the rest of the furniture in your room so that your new sofa doesn’t look too small or too big when placed in your living room.

Test Drive Your Sofa before Purchase

As an addendum to measuring for size of space and scale, you should also test out your sofa for how well it fits you. Sit on it to make sure the seat size is deep enough if you are tall or shallow enough if you are short or have bad knees. If you nap on your sofa, lie down on it to test for length, cushion firmness or softness, and arm height. The Reese Traditional Motion Sofa by Bernhardt gives you support and comfort with its sinuous spring construction, plump seat cushions, and attached back cushions.

Buying the Wrong Style Sofa

In addition to physical comfort, you should be happy with how your new couch looks in your living room and how its style works for you. Look carefully at the style to make sure it goes with the rest of the furniture in your home.

Choosing the Wrong Fabric

This can be an expensive mistake. When making your fabric selection, consider how the couch will be used and where it will be placed. If it will inhabit a high-traffic area, a delicate fabric could be destroyed before you have a chance to use it. A durable choice such as leather can fit into any room and provide years of use and enjoyment. It is also a good idea to bring a swatch home to look at it against wall color and other furnishings.

Choosing a Poor Quality Sofa

Most people have some budget constraints, of course, but paying for quality ensures that you won’t be replacing your sofa within a few years. Purchase the best quality sofa you can afford. Poor quality sofas tend to lose their shape and comfort factor quickly. And if the frame is poor quality, it may break and you will have unsteady arms and legs on your sofa. The frame, filling, and seating support will affect your new couch’s level of comfort as well as its ability to retain its stability and shape throughout the years. Be sure to check the frame, seating support, and filling.

To make sure you are getting a quality sofa the lowest price, guaranteed, visit a Baer’s Furniture showroom near you. Like Baer's Furniture on Facebook for more design inspiration and special offers.

Tips for Taking Your Neutral Livingroom from Snooze to Soothe

Have you ever fallen in love with the look of a light, bright neutral living room, but when you tried it, you found you had a room that was a complete snooze, rather than the welcoming, soothing living room you expected? Don’t despair, using only neutral colors can create a warmly soothing and sophisticated space if you do it right. Many people are fearful of using color, so they choose all neutral colors and create a room lacking in flair. A neutral palette is more than just a lack of colors, as seen below in this living room featuring the Conrad Conversation Sofa by Lexington Furniture.

Many Shades of Neutral

Use numerous shades of your neutral color, whether you’ve decided on taupe, gray, cream, or any other neutral color, using many shades of that color will add depth and interest to your room. In the room above, the chairs, ottoman, and sofa contain four different colors and the walls are also a different color – the wood is very dark in comparison to the upholstery on the sofa and chairs.

Use Texture

Work with many textures that contrast well. If the fabrics on the sofa and chairs had the same texture, this room would be boring. Bu the fabric on the chair and ottoman and sofa have obviously different textures that contrast well with the dark walls and cream-colored drapes.

High-Quality Texture

When your color palette is neutral and your textures take center stage, the other aspects of your living room are even more important. Texture is one of those aspects. In the room above, the light plays off of different angles, highlighting the luxurious fabric of the sofa. Carefully choose your standout piece and spend your budget wisely. Purchase the best furniture pieces you can afford – this is something you will use every day, so you will notice.

Use Shapes

Highlight beautiful and interesting shapes. When you take color out of the equations, the shapes in the room catch your attention. The upholstery on the Conrad ottoman and chair by Lexington Furniture bring in a geometric element that catches the eye. The circular pattern on the area rug softens the room and contrasts with the lines of the coffee table.

Materials and Surfaces

Carefully combine interesting surfaces and materials. The room above contains a plush area rug, luxurious upholstery on the sofa, a textured print on the chair and ottoman, flowy drapes, and a hard wood surface on the walls. All these textures work together to add interest to the room.

Patterns

Use patterns mindfully. The geometric upholstery of the chair and ottoman along with the circular pattern on the rug is echoed in the circular pattern of the drapes. The room works on so many levels, which is what makes it interesting and not boring, not in spite of but because of the carefully applied neutral palette. It includes all of the above mentioned elements: different shades of one color, multiple textures, patterns, different materials, and interesting shapes. This certainly demonstrates that a neutral palette is more than a bunch of beige.

If you want to create a neutral palette that soothes rather than snoozes, visit the Baer’s Furniture near you and take advantage of their complementary interior design service. Find out more about Baer’s Furniture on Hoovers.