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.

Create a Dining Room with Elegance and Style

Nothing compares to getting your family and closest friends together for a visit over a delicious meal. A formal dining room brings a note of elegance and romance to any home – it often feels like the most special room in the house. It could be that it is a space dedicated to special occasions filled with family, friends, and food, or that it is a place for intimate family gatherings. Since the dining room contains so many memories of special moments, it deserves a special design.

However, creating a space that is special enough to for a celebration but functional enough for everyday living can be a challenge. Striking a balance between elegance and comfort is essential in order to design a space that your entire family will enjoy for years. Follow these tips below to create a space worthy of your celebrations.

Choose a Color

A fresh coat of paint can breathe new life into any room. Your dining room sets the stage for all your special occasions such as holiday celebrations, birthdays, and family get-togethers of all types. It is essential that you keep in mind its different uses when selecting the paint color. For restrained elegance neutral palettes work well, especially if you are going for a contemporary look and feel. White shades will open up a small dining room and is a good option for a room that will play many roles over time.

Make an Understatedly Bold Statement

The dining room table is the most important piece of furniture in this space, and often commands the most attention. You may be tempted to make a statement and choose an ornate design. However, you can make just as much of a statement by choosing a classic, neutral design that will stand the test of time. The clean, minimalist lines of the Laurel Canyon San Lorenzo Dining table from Lexington Furniture will create a focal point in your dining room that will be impervious to passing trends. When your table is classic and neutral, just like your walls, you can easily switch out other accessories to change the look to match the season or occasion.

Add a Dramatic Touch with Pattern

Simplicity is the hallmark of elegance, but is also allows dramatic touches to stand out. Decorating with drapes let you add color, texture, and personality to your dining room, and opting for a sophisticated print will only emphasize this look. Luxurious white-on-white patterned drapes add texture that won’t overpower the space.

Finishing Touches

A few carefully chosen accessories can completely transform a room, and paying attention to the smallest details can transform your dining room from ordinary to outstanding in an instant. Exquisite wall art, light fixtures, or a gorgeous view are all accessories that can bring that ultra-sophisticated finishing touch to your dining room.

It can take time and attention to detail to create a dining room that is special enough for your family’s formal occasions and functional enough for their everyday routine. But with careful planning, a little thought, and some inspiration, you’ll soon have a dining room with the right mixture of elegance and comfort.

If you want to create a dining room that shows off your elegant style, visit the Baer’s Furniture showroom near you to see the latest collections. For more design inspiration, check out the Baer's Furniture profile on Houzz!

Shades of Gray in Bedroom Decor: From Eclectic to All-Out Glamorous

Shades of gray have been utilized in design long enough now to qualify as more than a passing trend. Gray in the bedroom is quickly becoming a classic color combination. It’s usually associated with moody dramatic style of classic minimalism. And while it does work well for those types of looks, gray also has a softer side that is not just soothing, but also strikingly beautiful in a bedroom. Take a look at this cool, gray bedroom highlighting the Playlist Collection by Universal Furniture.

Classic Elegance in the Bedroom

An example of classy elegance, the bedroom above shows off the understated power of a palette limited to gray and white. The warmth of alternating oak grain patterns on the Playlist Melody Queen Bed by Universal Furniture makes the gray on the bedding and windows work. A cooler gray wouldn’t harmonize as well with the warm tones on the bed and balance the white in the room.

Pretty but Not Pink

Gray is a great choice for a masculine bedroom, but it also has a pretty side. There’s just enough gray in the curtains to contrast with the pure white on the walls. The dark gray bedding dilutes any chill created by the cool silver window treatments, making the space feminine without a trace of a bow, ruffles, or pink. When transitional and modern elements mix with contemporary gray, the effect is a glamorous space oozing with elegance.

All That Glitters: Add Gold Accents

Adding touches of gold to an otherwise gray and white bedroom gives you a rich, luxurious look that is opulent but not ostentatious. Keeping things under control is the key to working with metal décor, here a few gold accessories pick up the metal drawer knobs on the Playlist Chest by Universal Furniture to amplify the style in this bedroom. The wall of windows behind the bed bring in light that really adds the “Wow!” factor.

If you’ve written gray off as too cold, too futuristic, or too gloomy, it may be time to give gray another shot. Getting gray right can be tricky: it can be cool or warm and can evoke many different feelings that can have a huge impact on the mood of a room. If you are interested in designing a room with shades of gray, contact a Baer’s design professional and take advantage of the complementary design service from Baer’s Furniture.

Decor Tips for Creating a Tropically Inspired Bedroom

The warmth of the tropical sun evokes a feeling of relaxed ease, which is what makes tropically inspired bedrooms so popular. The look is lush and beautiful and can help you get a peaceful night’s sleep. If this sounds like a look you would like in your bedroom, designs that reference the Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia will all create an inviting and warm tropical bedroom. Here are a few tips to get you started.

A Room with a Tropical View

Remember the gorgeous view at that tropical hotel you visited? Tropical villas and hotels make the best use of their views that they can, and you should also. Your bedroom may not look over palm trees, a white sandy beach, or sparkling blue water, but you can still create a tropical look by ensuring that there is plenty of light. Folding or sliding glass doors that open up at least one wall are perfect for a tropically inspired bedroom.

Bamboo Bedroom Furniture

Using bamboo in your tropically inspired bedroom will add an extra layer of tropical flavor. A bamboo bed, like the Island Estate King West Indies Bed from Tommy Bahama transforms your bedroom into an island retreat. With its blend of island inspired textures and materials, the bed creates dramatic, exotic island flair.

Cool Floors

Wood flooring is popular for tropically inspired bedrooms although tiling and marble are also good choices. Select a floor that has some warmth—not plain white but off whites, pale terra cotta, and grays will work. Tropically inspired bedrooms with tiled floors are cool and easy to clean and maintain. You can also warm up the bedroom with an area rug, if you think it needs it.

Tropical Netting

Hanging netting around your bed can evoke the feeling of a balmy tropical night. Netting is a quintessentially tropical element, but you don’t have to hang netting over the entire bed as you would to avoid mosquitos in the tropics. Just a touch of netting will do the job, you can easily find plain, white netting in a fine gauze to achieve the best result.

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize

Now that you have laid the foundation, it’s time to play. Have a little fun with your tropically inspired bedroom and make it your personal space. Accessories help you do this. Try green and white wall paper with a large tropical print, or add green and white furniture such as the Island Estate Avalon Wicker Chair by Tommy Bahama that will give you a place to relax, read, or just enjoy the tropical mood you’ve created.

Fans for Air Circulation

In many designs, fans are an anathema, but for tropically inspired bedrooms they are a must. You don’t have to turn them on, but the presence of a fan will give you bedroom additional tropical flair. Ceiling fans are ideal, there are many types that can be incorporated into your design and give you additional lighting. However, even a simple desk fan will do the job.

For more tropically inspired pieces from Tommy Bahama, visit a Baer’s Furniture showroom near you to see the entire collection.

Looking to further your career in interior design and decor? Become a part of our family! View our job openings at a Baer's Furniture near you on Monster!

House Your Media in Style with Lexington Furniture

From news to watching DVDs or streaming movies, there’s no doubt that the TV has become an integral part of modern life, and possibly the most important entertainment provider in your home. Once thought of as an eyesore, flat screen TVs are now the focal point in many contemporary living rooms. In addition, our TVs now have recipes, can answer phones, and stream videos and movies. Your console can both frame the television and anchor the room.

Make a Statement with Your Flat Screen TV

The days when TV units were small are long gone. A large flat screen is now considered essential for watching movies and sports, whether in the living room or a separate media room or home theater. So, you media wall unit needs to be able to accommodate a large TV as well as a DVD players, disks, and other accoutrements such as game console ports, remotes, and more.

A wall display unit that doubles as a media entertainment console is a stylish option for both making your TV the focal point of your room and keeping your media neat and organized. Generally, a large part of the media unit is reserved for the TV and its components, as in the Monterey Sands Camino Real Media Wall Unit by Lexington. Additional shelves for displaying objects, arranging books, and storing DVDs are arranged around the TV shelf.

Another option, especially in smaller rooms, is to place your TV on a TV stand or armoire. A medium height stand with adjustable shelves and drawers for media equipment, built-in power cables, will create a harmonious and casual atmosphere in your entertainment space. The Monterey Sands Spanish Bay Entertainment Console by Lexington features four drawers and three adjustable shelves to easily organize your media storage.

Finishing Touch: Comfortable Seating

In general, televisions come with adjustable rotating stands that allow you to angle the TV to suit the convenience of viewers. So, once you have your TV supported, comfortable seating is a must. In most living rooms, the TV will be opposite the sofa, allowing you and your family to lounge with ease. If necessary, you can arrange for accent chairs to serve as media chairs in smaller spaces or when overflow seating is needed.

Visit Baer’s Furniture to see the entire Monterey Sands collection from Lexington. Shop today for the guaranteed lowest prices and take advantage of the free interior design service to get make your dream home a reality.

Follow Baer's Furniture on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/baers-furniture

How to Create a Glamorously Elegant Dining Room with Bernhardt Furniture

If you love glamorous and elegant design — the bright, lustrous accents and luxurious finishes with its elegant details, palette of ivory, gold, white, and soft gray, add an unprecedented level of sophistication to the overall look. Bernhardt Furniture will liven any room with designs that that dazzle both mind and spirit. A little luxury goes a long way in this glamorously elegance dining room.

Create a Luxurious Atmosphere with Subtle Style

Good dining room furniture creates the right ambiance for one of the activities most central to family life — meals. Shopping for dining room furniture can be overwhelming—there are so many choices available. If you are brave and bold, you can find a style that reflects your personality and create a glamorous, luxurious look with subtle patterns and muted colors.

The Beverly Glen collection by Bernhardt merges old Hollywood glamour with contemporary flair in an expert blend of transitional elegance and bold detailing. This mix of classic shapes and artful lines sets the stage for wholesome family meals and elegant entertaining. Measure your space to determine if you have room for a hutch or buffet.

Choosing the right kind of furniture will make your dining room glamorous and leave a lasting impression on your guests. The soft movement, comfy cream upholstery, and classic shape of the Beverly Glen Arm Chair conveys relaxed elegance while the tapered legs and scrolled back evoke restrained elegance. The subtle color palette of ivory, cream, and grays highlight the rich dark wood of the table and chairs. The glamorous look is about bright, lustrous accents and luxe finishes such as black galaxy granite that are sure to leave your guests gasping in awe.

Glitz, Glamour, and Drama

Glitz, glamour, and big-time drama are the hallmark of this style. It is actually a combination of several different styles, including neoclassical and art deco. It reaches the exact balance between overly cluttered and extremely spare, edited in such a way that inhabits the space between excess and minimalism. This creates a majestic movie atmosphere that references old Hollywood glamour. It is, in many ways, a style made up of other styles, with every piece a beautiful, detailed, and functional work of art.

If you want to create a little glitz and glam with a touch of elegance in your dining room, stop by a Baer’s Furniture showroom near you and shop the entire Beverly Glen collection from Bernhardt Furniture.

Want some more inspiration? Discover our interior design projects by visiting Baer's Furniture on Houzz!

Baer's Furniture Announces Round of Corporate Promotions

Baer's Furniture is excited to congratulate the Baer family on changes in corporate structure, following an announcement by chairman of the board Robert Baer.

From left, David Baer, Ronald Baer, Ira Baer, Cathy Baer Haubenstock, Jerome Baer, Laurance Baer, Danielle Baer, and Michael Baer

The family-owned and operated business has elevated several of its family members to executive positions within the corporation, including:

• Jerome Baer, President and CEO
• Allan Baer, Vice Chairman of the Board
• Ronald Baer, Executive Vice President and COO
• Cathy Baer Haubenstock, Senior Vice President
• Laurance Baer, Senior Vice President
• Ira Baer, Senior Vice President and CFO
• Danielle Baer, Vice President
• David Baer, Vice President

Michael Baer has chosen to retire this year.

CEO Jerome Baer announced plans to expand the Baer's Furniture brand further into Florida markets in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Dade County.

Baer's Furniture is a BBB A+ rated company operating 16 stores in the South Florida area.