The average size of the American home has grown tremendously over the past handful of decades. Homes which were once just over 1,000 square feet have swelled to 2,000 square feet and beyond. Despite this supersizing, there are plenty of Americans living in spaces that are less than 1,000 square feet. Many of these dwellings are apartments or condos, and some are the older smaller homes.

Decorating these places becomes a challenge because most mainstream furniture makers design their pieces to fit the larger homes. Just because you have a small space, does not mean you have to forego the wood furniture. With these helpful hints, you can choose pieces that will not only fit but maximize your space.

Tips for Furnishing a Small Space

• Look for multifunction pieces. In a small space, storage is at a premium. Look for furniture that serves a dual purpose, like Amish Furniture Home’s Amies Coffee Table that has drawers and cabinets for storage.  Another option would be the Modesto Lift Top Coffee Table, which has easily accessible space to store TV remotes, magazines, laptops, and other items.  In small bedrooms, with little to no space for additional dressers, the Platform Bed allows for needed storage with drawers that line the base of the bed.
• Consider wall units. Instead of trying to fit multiple pieces in one room, look for a taller and wider case piece that can house your entertainment pieces, books, DVDs and CDs.   This entertainment unit maximizes storage while saving on floor space.
• Utilize corners or hallways.  Choose pieces like the Legacy Corner Cabinet, which will create space out of a difficult to use corner.  Utilizing a wider hallway or entry way for a bookcase or even a sofa table can also provide a place for keys, purses and other items needed on a daily basis.
• Living area turned bedroom space. Futons like the McIntosh Mission not only provide stylish seating space but also a comfortable bed for visiting friends or family members.
• Customize. Most of Amish Furniture Home’s pieces can be customized to fit your space.  This can go a long way in providing the exact amount of storage you need and to fit the space you have.

Once you have picked those specific pieces to furnish your space, another way to keep it looking great is to eliminate any clutter. Clear off flat surfaces and use that extra storage to “find a place for everything”.  The extra effort to put “everything in its place” will go a long way in maintaining the look of your small, but expertly furnished space.

Amish Furniture is about so much more than wood. It’s about handcrafting furniture for generations of use in the family… It’s about loving the resources Mother Nature has provided… It’s about decorating your home in style…and so much more. We are celebrating all these facets of Amish Furniture in our very first Blog Carnival. As we explained last month, we will be publishing a monthly Carnival of great blog posts as they relate to Amish Furniture and our company in Ann Arbor, MI.

This first posting focuses on some common themes on our blog, such as Going Green, Woodworking, Interior Design, and Amish innovations. If you’d like to see one of your posts appear in next month’s Carnival, email us or ping us on Twitter.

Enjoy the Carnival!

Furniture from Recycled Wine Barrels

You can go Green in so many ways these days. Most of the time, going Green involves mindfully conserving energy, but there’s also the “reusable materials” route. This post on Makezine.com showcases handmade furniture that has been recycled from oak wine barrels.  Charming, sturdy and GREEN furniture for your next design project.

Affordable Ventless Fireplaces

Sorry, chimney sweeps. No more soot and clean-up with these fireplaces.  You can find plenty of traditionally charming fireplaces in our catalog, but if you’re looking for a modern look, a ventless fireplace might be your best choice. These stunning models install right into a wall and burn bio-ethanol for a warm, yet eco-friendly ambiance.

TV Cabinet Buying Tips

This post comes from a fellow Amish Furniture distributor in Indiana. As the post accurately points out, shopping for TV Cabinets is an overwhelming task these days.  First, ask yourself what your needs are for your TV Cabinet and then move on to the purchase.

Design*Sponge 2009 Gift Guides: Under $100

Design*Sponge is a great interior design/crafty blog that we follow regularly, with advice to fill your interior design with personality and flair.  This post, while a bit dated, has great ideas that can freshen up your decor for cheap.

Learn Woodworking With Megan (a Real Teacher)

This post goes out to our readers in Indiana especially. Woodworking Magazine is a valuable resource for any craftsman that know their way around a workbench. Their blog is just as valuable, producing daily hints and tips about their latest projects and pieces. If you’re looking to get started with woodworking, check out this post announcing a great class to start this May in Indiana.

Making Furniture with Sawdust

Here’s some inspiration for our “Do-it-Yourself” and crafts readers. After reading this post, that leftover sawdust won’t seem half as annoying. Lea Bogdan of Inhabitat.com, profiles a handcrafted coffee table crafted from sawdust scraps.  The table was recently honored in Designbloom’s Intelligent Hand competition. Make sure you check out the cool pictures posted on the blog. Now that’s recycling!

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for some excellent posts coming up this week and we look forward to bringing you next month’s Blog Carnival on everything Amish Furniture has to offer!

Amish Furniture Home is excited to announce a new feature coming soon to our blog – on the third Wednesday of every month, we’ll be posting the Amish Furniture Home Interior Design & Decor Blog Carnival!

What’s a Blog Carnival?

A blog carnival is a type of blog event that is easily compared to print magazines (thanks Wikipedia!).  They’re published according to a regular schedule and revolve around a central topic with content coming from multiple sources.

Blog carnivals are a fun way for bloggers to provide their readers regular collections of recently published, high quality resources. With these blog carnivals, web communities can begin a discussion and get a high standard of information on a certain niche.

In addition to AFH’s carnival, you can find a wide range of carnivals, or even start your own, at BlogCarnival.

The Amish Furniture Home Carnival

Our Carnival will be posted every third Wednesday of the month.

If you’d like to submit your post for inclusion, entries will be due by the Sunday preceding the third Wednesday of each month. That means that submissions for next month are due by Sunday, February 14 (Happy Valentines Day!), with the first carnival going up on Wednesday, February 17.

Submissions can made in one of two ways:

1. Complete the form on our BlogCarnival page
2. Contact us directly at @amishhome on Twitter with the URL, title and a brief description of your post

Please only submit posts that fall within the following topics:

• Interior Design
• Amish Furniture
• Green Furniture
• Sustainable Living
• Bringing the Family Together
• Ann Arbor
• Michigan Furniture

The articles we accept will be rewarded with a do-follow link from our blog and will have the honor of being included with some of the best content on the net.

Please limit your submissions to two posts per month.

Thanks for reading and we look forward to your posts! Let’s have some fun, it’s a carnival after all!

Everything in your home has some sort of pattern or texture and is a color. The chances are high that you selected your custom Amish built furniture’s specifications based on what you liked about the color of the stain and the grain or pattern of the wood. These elements play together to give each piece, and then eventually each room, its overall appearance.

If you didn’t consider these elements when decorating your home, perhaps now is the time to take a moment to learn how important textures and colors are in building the environment you wish to live in. The impact of pattern, texture and color is enormous and can be used to play up a room’s best features, but when incorrectly used,they can accent a room’s flaws. Used skillfully, you can use these elements to fool the eye of the beholder.

Textures & Patterns

Color use is an easier skill to acquire than the knowledge of patterns and texture usage. A simple tip is the size of the pattern should match the size of the room. If you’re looking to be bold, mix patterns to add interest to your design. Textures can also create the perceived desire to touch and create a whole new dimension in your room.

The textures we choose also affect our perceptions of the color in the theme. Different textures reflect light differently and cause us to perceive color to be varying in shades because of light and shadows. It can actually add a new depth to your color scheme.

Color

Room Size

You can make a room appear bigger or smaller than it is by using proper color techniques. In the case of a small apartment, educating oneself on the tricks of color can help you to feel as if you have more space. Color is the most cost effective decorating tool in your bag of tricks. Color is associated with moods and can literally affect you psychologically. Remember that darker colors create warmth and coziness while light colors promote a breezier and open space.

Get Cozy

In a large room color can actually draw the room in, creating a cozier setting. A ceiling painted only a shade lighter than its walls and floor coverings creates the illusion of a much higher ceiling. To draw in a disproportionately high ceiling simply bring the ceiling’s color down to the picture level. This trick lengthens the walls and appears to bring the ceiling closer.

Decorate Boldly

Everything you do can be corrected or changed, so it is alright to be brave. However, keep in mind that your room is the backdrop for the things you love, such as your Amish solid wood heirloom designs. The colors and patterns should never overshadow the furniture or important collections in the home.

 Coffee tables are a common place piece of home furnishings in almost every established home today. Consumers never stop to think about why we buy them or when did home owners decide it was necessary to use a table for serving and enjoying coffee in the family common room. Obviously coffee furnishings did not come in to vogue until coffee did.

Long before the drink was popular in England and then in the New World it was highly regarded by the Ethiopians and the Muslims. Brought to Europe via Italy and then the East India Company, coffee initially was frowned upon by the church. Although the church prohibited it and in some countries women were banned from coffeehouses eventually coffee became a worldwide recognized beverage of choice for socializing. Along with the need for furniture other items came in to the marketplace for the making and serving of coffee, such as coffee sets, coffee makers and coffee tins.

Coffee tins are one of the prized possessions of collectors of coffee memorabilia, kitchen collectibles and advertising collectibles. There are over 1300 known designs; most chromolithographed. With the phenomenon of coffee houses and coffee shops the collectibility of coffee tins has also risen for businesses as well as home owners.

 Packaged tins of already roasted coffees became more popular as the the process became better in the late 1800’s. Still, coffee in tins could not be guaranteed to be fresh because they were not airtight. With the invention of vacuum packaging in 1903 by Hills Brothers. Coffee tins could now be trusted to be air tight and fresh for weeks. By 1920 even Folgers was using vacuum packing and the world was brewing a more convenient cup of coffee.

If you would like to stock your Amish built bookcases, shelves or hutches with your favorite coffee collectible here are a few tips:

Like any collectible, condition is key. Avoid rust, dents, scratches that are more than wear and tear.

• Paper labels that are not written on and intact are desired.
• Unopened cans are more desirable than opened ones but if it is opened be sure you have a matching lid.
• If you can choose then choose the cans with the best graphics. Chromolithographed, graphics with many colors, are more desired than tins with only one or two colors.
• With so many tins to choose from many collectors prefer to focus on one region to fill their custom shelves and cabinets with.

Solid built Amish bedroom and children’s furniture is the perfect foundation for creating a childhood full of Disney memories. In 1955 Walt Disney looked at a blank canvas of real estate and saw the fantasy world the globe has grown to love. Just as you were as a child your child is captured by the illusions portrayed in Disney’s cartooned universe. By digging deeply in to your imagination you can find the brilliance Disney and bring that feeling of magic home to your child by creating their very own  Disney retreat right in your home.

THEMES- Some themed rooms do attempt to draft all the Disney characters in the attempt to get the flavor of the theme park all in one room. While this can work beautifully if thought out and not too cluttered with over a half a century of characters, more impact can be created by narrowing it to one character or movie.  There are inspirational themes for even the pickiest pre-teens, such as Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers.

WALL COLORS -Wall colors create a canvas to build your world on. For instance, the Disney princess world is in pastels such as  pale blue, yellow or pink. Most of the male oriented Disney themes are in bright primary colors such as the reds and oranges for pirates, Toy Story, CARS, etc. Painting each wall a different color can add interest or create a bold statement with one wall differing as a focal point.  

FURNITURE – The largest piece of furniture in a room is usually the bed and the Amish have crafted beds from twin to king, along with the amazing flexibility of the convertible cribs that will last a childhood or more. Themed bedding with pirate ships or race cars are available in every major store and will tie together any theme. Creating a mysterious tent by suspending gauze or fabric above the bed for a canopy is an inexpensive way to create the mood.  Solid wood cedar chests can be treasure chests while bookcases and shelving, custom stained to match your Amish heirloom furnishings, will hold all of your Disney collectibles.

FLOOR COVERS – Use oriental rugs as magic carpets from Aladdin or a canvas rug, painted with a race track for CARS and including Matchbox or Hot Wheels for interactive play. Princess Pocohantas loves faux animal skin rugs and a Mulan themed room is easily enhanced by choosing Bamboo rugs.

WINDOWS – Window treatments should be playful but functional. Think theatrical when cutting foam board to create portals on a pirate ship or placing shutters inside the windows to recreate the Old World styling of Beauty and the Beast. Alladdin themes are beautified by hanging an Indian inspired candle lantern, with its intricate cut-outs that silhouette in the dark in a window. This same simple candle lantern can just as easily become Tinkerbell’s home. A painted on Arabic arch or a deep sea theme surrounding the window frame is simple enough for even those artistically challenged parents.

Along with your child develop and an idea of what you want the room to be. Use that vision to trigger your inner child’s imagination. Use resources to inspire you and include your child in the creative process. Before you know it you will transport your child’s room into their own happiest place on earth.

You just have to believe!

• Create unity by grouping like items with like items. By grouping items by theme, color, shape, texture or material you get the biggest visual bang. You can create the illusion of hiring a curator who has organized your shelves to feel like treasures. You can create a visual pop by grouping like colors, such as white pottery, together. Placed against the dark wood of your custom stained shelving these items stand out. Grouping boxes, spheres, etc. create instant emphasis that cannot be duplicated when spread apart.
• Instead of placing a few smaller knick-knacks on the shelf try to choose big, bold accessories. Select items that you can see it from across the room. Smaller items achieve more visual presence when you gather them containers. An old jar filled with vintage marbles, seashells collected at the beach or even a basket of loose family photos create interest.
• Go for asymmetrical arrangements of three, five or seven objects. Also remember not to center them but place them off-center. Odd numbers are visually most interesting in interior design. Balance is good but if not done right can be boring. Use combinations of short, medium and tall objects to make the eye fall at various levels.
• A very powerful statement can be created when there is nothing but art or photos on display. Try leaning your collection or overlapping edges. Mix up frame sizes, shapes and styles.
• Shiny items add interest, too. Add glass, crystal and silver objects to make shelf arrangements literally twinkle. A mirror placed at the back or bottom of a shelf will also impact the visual effect of the objects placed in front or on it.
• In modern or contemporary settings always keep it simple. A more streamlined approach is the best fit for contemporary and modern spaces. Minimalism does not mean any decorations of collections, just well thought out ones. Modern contemporary is based on form following function and it is best to go with shelves decorated in an uncluttered look. 
• A little light on the subject is good. Illuminate your shelves by spotlighting the arrangements. If you did not opt for pre-installed lighting with your custom solid wood Amish bookcases or shelves, then add track lighting in the ceiling. A professional touch can be gained by discreetly tucking tiny up-lights behind a vase or other items, creating a backlight to the arrangement.

 Amish solid wood bookcases, shelves, corner cabinets and hutches, that themselves are collectible, are the optimal organization center for any collection. Today’s collector knows that the best way to showcase your collection is in a central area, instead of spread throughout the home or office. Collecting is as old a desire as the hunting and gathering but learning how to utilize your collectibles as a decorative feature in your home takes education and practice. Before you add another piece to your curio cabinet fine tune your shopping skills with 5 simple steps that will help you to become a more satisfied and savvy collector.

BOTTOM LINE – WHY DO YOU COLLECT? -

What motivates you to collect what you collect? Some people collect because of nostalgia, some as a way to make a décor statement, some collect in a more calculated way, as an investment. Does your collection trigger emotional responses or are you waiting for the day that you can turn it into cold cash? Understanding this will also help you to understand what triggers the decision to reach for your wallet and to fill that space on those custom shelves with another item. An investor cannot let his sentimental side play in to a decision to purchase while a collector of nostalgia will not really consider resale values if they really want it.

WHEELING AND DEALING -

While it can be a bit wearing for dealers to hear from every customer “Is this the best you can do?” they are aware that it is part of the business. Don’t sell your deal short by not making an inquiry about price, especially if you are buying more than one item or are a regular. The golden rule should apply here as well as common sense. Treat the dealer like you would want to be treated. Learn the rules of shopping etiquette and buyer bewares before shopping.

BUY THE BEST AND LEAVE THE REST -

Beginner mistakes can cost you time, money and valuable shelf space. Examine each purchase well and unless you are certain that there is no other one like it and it’s so rare that damage is not an issue, leave it! We have been in the machine age for 150 years and chances are good that they made one right behind that one and in this internet world things are easier to acquire. Patience, dear collector…patience. On the other hand, don’t be so fearful of mistakes that you miss out on great finds.

EDUCATION PAYS FOR ITSELF-

Whatever you feel is worth collecting should be worth educating yourself on. There are websites, books, clubs and magazines on any subject. Auctions, flea markets and antique malls make great hands-on experience playgrounds. Price guides are great tools but do not rely on them for up to the minute or even regional prices. Instead use them as references.

HAVE FUN WITH IT -

If your collection is something worth spending time and money on then why not enjoy it every day? Investing in a great and very sturdy hardwood bookcase, shelving unit or curio customized for your collection by Amish craftsman will insure that you can.

Why worry about travel safety and soaring transportation prices this year when you can plan for a vacation to paradise in your own backyard? For less money than you would spend on a cruise for two you can convert your patio into a private resort setting using handcrafted custom patio furniture from the Amish. These durable and handsome pieces of outdoor furniture will provide you years of entertaining, not just a quick weekend trip. When you convert your patio into a resort setting with long lasting solid wood Amish patio furniture you will be anxious to get home every evening to relax in your own retreat.

Step one is to determine your budget for this year‘s outdoor expenses. There are very funky and fun ways to convert the drab patio into a rendezvous on a small budget. With an investment in a few central pieces you can build from there and add on each year. This investment has a guaranteed pay off, with evening after evening of amusement in your own private backyard.

Step two may be to determine your decorating theme. The theme will determine the style of furniture you will be investing in, just as in your living or family room. Even though your patio may not be enclosed it is considered an outdoor room; in essence an extension of your own home. You may wish to create a tropical decorating theme or a traditional grill/picnic area look. The “Chat” set is perfect for pool-side parties or playing cards out on the patio and looks great with the either traditional or tropical themed accessories. The “Chat” set includes a huge 36″ round table, along with four custom, form fitting, slat-back chairs. The Amish woodworkers craft this patio design from aromatic red cedar, a wood naturally resistance to rot. The traditional “Picnic Table” set is a great addition to any patio, deck or backyard. This very practically designed set has benches that are independent from the table, giving you more options in seating arrangements. Topped with a red plaid tablecloth and a picnic basket, all you need is the ants!

Choosing benches, swings, easy chairs in cedar or rustic hickory create a warm and inviting area even under a wide open sky. You can even enjoy the feel of a traditional porch swing even if you don’t have a porch. A strong wooden tripod or arbor base holds the swing so it can be set up anywhere. The tripod base has three legs per side to provide a stable foundation for carefree swinging along with shelves on each side for snacks or beverages. The covered arbor is another beautiful option that features side panels with decorative cutouts and cup-holders. Furnishing add-ons such as a cedar planter or end table will tie an area together.

Stay home and enjoy your summer savings. Thanks to Amish ingenuity in no time you will be able to create the atmosphere of a relaxing retreat. Whatever ideas you may have for decorating for outdoor living there are plenty of available accessories at online and brick and mortar stores in your home town. Hang up a hula skirt and a beach umbrella in your drinks and travel agents will be booking trips to your backyard resort!

A preferred showcase chosen by many collector’s of fine porcelains like Royal Doulton is the hardwood bookcases, curios, china cabinets and shelves designed and built by the Amish. Like Amish heirloom pieces the precious and highly valued and regarded collectibles and décor items designed and crafted by the Royal Doulton Company are world-renowned and highly regarded.

Royal Doulton is an English pottery company that has produced collectibles and tableware since it was began almost two centuries ago in 1815. London born Royal Doulton has grown and expanded since its origins over 200 years ago. Today Royal Doulton produces not only porcelain and collectibles but fine dinnerware, glassware, giftware, jewelry, linens and much more.

Just as the Amish carry on time honored apprenticeships that carry their integrity and artisanship into each and every generation, the Royal Doulton company has a rich history and a time honored namesake. John Doulton was born in Fulham in 1793. Doulton’s trade was learned as an apprentice at the Fulham Manufacturing Company, a stoneware manufacturer.

Later, John Doulton began working with Lambeth Pottery’s owner Martha Jones and foreman John Watts. Lambeth was a tiny pottery located in Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, a borough of London, England. Together they formed Jones, Watts and Doulton in 1815. Martha Jones left in 1820 and by 1826 the company was Doulton & Watts.

Primarily producing salt-glazed pottery, Doulton realized there was money to make in glazed piping to replace the older porous brick sewers. Not as elegant as one would consider Royal Doulton, John Doulton built a practical pipe factory that helped with the health concerns of the community. The demand for these sanitary ware products was so great that within three years Doulton founded factories in Dudley and St Helens.

At the tender age of 15, Henry Doulton, the second son of John, realized his talent for pottery making and joined the firm. John Watts retired from the company in 1854. At this time John Doulton began experimenting with a more decorative pottery line and began using many glazes and decorative effects including faience, impasto, silicon, carrara, marqueterie, chine, and rouge flambe. Henry Doulton, following in his father’s creative footprints, took full control of the company upon the passing of his father in 1873.

Your Royal Doulton figurines, dinnerware and collectibles deserve a showcase equal to their heritage and value. The Amish craft hardwood display options in a timeless elegance, second to none. China cabinets, curios, bookcases, corner cabinets, shelves and more. Options such as antique leaded glass accent in the pediment, glass shelves, mirrored back and recessed lighting are a standard high end choice. Surrounded in well made heirloom quality design, your Royal Doulton collection will be a decor feature for generations.