We felt inspired by the colors {and smells} of the season to bring you our first “fall must haves” style guide. We wanted to focus on ways you could incorporate the colors of the season into your home.  By accessorizing with pop color items you can bring these yummy colors into your home and then change it up next season!

What will you incorporate into your home this season to bring in the beauty of the outdoors?

Style Guide – Fall Must Haves:

Chargers: Pottery Barn

Dinnerware: Pottery Barn

Wallpaper: Anthropologie

Throw: Crate and Barrel

Bedding: Anthropologie

Wreath: Better Homes & Gardens

Photo Credit: Apartment Therapy

Sometimes, it’s about doing more with less, so if you’re looking to update or change the look of your living space but don’t want to drop a lot of money right now, then it’s time for this handy Do-It-Yourself guide.  Refinishing used pieces is a great way to spruce up a room.

In our last post, “5 Vital Tips for Antique Shopping“, we discussed trying to find pieces that are well made and affordable.  Some of these pieces require a little love so that they can shine again.  The following DIY provides the needed steps to bring your newly acquired piece back to life with with some TLC.

Thankfully, this DIY project is so easy, its one that you could tackle this weekend.  You’ll be amazed how a little elbow grease and trip to the home improvement store can up the style in your home.

How To: Stain Your Furniture

Here’s how you knock this project out over the weekend:

1. Sanding: Put down a drop cloth to collect the sanding debris and protect the bottom of your furniture.  Work outside if possible or failing that, in a garage.  If you do this inside you’ll be finding dust for months!  Gently sand the surface of your furniture, using uniform pressure throughout until the old finish is gone.  If you’re dealing with something large like a hutch or table a power sander might be worth the investment.
2. Prepare for the Stain: You’re going to want to take your time and make sure all of the dust is gone.  Wipe it down with a moist rag that is lint free.  Let it dry and then wipe it again.  Then repeat the wipe down one more time with a dry cloth and let the piece sit for a bit.  Examine it after awhile and see if the wiping needs to be repeated.  Make sure your drop cloth is completely free of dust and then cover it with something absorbent like newspaper.  If the piece is large, prop it up with wood blocks so you can easily work on the bottom edges.
3. Staining: Mix the can of stain up vigorously to make sure the tint is uniform throughout.  You will need to mix the stain as you work a few times to make sure the tint doesn’t settle on the bottom of the can.  Work in sections, starting on the underside.  Stain a section and wipe off the excess so that the wood grain shows through.  Make sure to have plenty of lint free cloths ready to go for this section.  You can always add more stain later so don’t worry about wiping too much away.
4. Dry: The stain will take about a day to fully dry.  In the meantime put it somewhere dust and dirt free that is also blocked from the wind.  There is nothing like leaving your piece to dry somewhere and find a random leaf or something stuck to it the next day.  The weather also plays a role in drying; a lot of humidity in the air will slow the drying process.
5. Final Finish: Check for rough spots or areas that may need to be touched up.  Sand rough spots lightly and re-stain where necessary.  After you’re satisfied with the finished project, apply the sealant coat.  This is either made from wax or polyurethane.  This will protect your work for years to come, so it’s a very important step.

Knowing how to stain your own furniture pays off in spades over the years.  Quality furniture, like the pieces we sell here at Amish Tables, can be refinished again through the years.  This gives you a piece of quality furniture that you can change to match a new style or just freshen up to make it as good as new.

Photo Credit: Country Living

When it comes to buying new furniture, it sometimes seems as though your options are limited.  You can either buy a mass produced piece, which can be trendy and lack character or pay a lot more money for something made with some true craftsmanship.  If you refuse to go down the first road but don’t have enough money for the second option, then you need to check out antiquing.

Finding an older piece of furniture that was made with high quality materials and superior craftsmanship is a lot easier than you think.  It may not look the best on the outside, but like mom always said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  With some patience, a sharp eye and some elbow grease, you can turn a rough looking antique into a stylish piece of furniture that will last you years.

Sorting through garage sales, flea markets and even online auctions for antiques can be a blast, but if you don’t know what to look for you’re going to miss out or waste money on something that isn’t right for you and your home.  Follow these five simple tips and you can avoid a lot of headaches:

1) Proper Preparation

Making sure you are ready and have your “game face” on when you go antiquing makes things a whole lot easier.  First, get a general idea what you’re looking for.  Do you need certain piece or have to fill an empty space in your furniture lineup?  If so measure that space and know what will fit and what won’t.  If you’re just out browsing and aren’t sure what you’re after, take key measurements of your house: door widths and general room dimensions.

Visit a couple of auctions, flea markets and other antique sales to get a feeling for what things cost.  Online auctions are a great resource to find out about prices and help you know when a seller is asking for way too much.  Pick yourself up some antique pricing guides if you’re going to be doing a lot of this.  Having them handy in your car will help answer a lot of questions you might otherwise have to just guess on.

Make sure you come ready to buy and transport your find home.  That means bringing or borrowing a truck or something similar if you’re in the market for larger pieces.  Rope, blankets and padding will all come in useful too.  Don’t depend on the seller for any of this, as it may be used as a bargaining chip against you.

2) Inspect Intensely

When you come across something that looks interesting make sure you give it a thorough inspection.  Examine the piece for blemishes, cracks or any areas that may show signs of being repaired previously.  If possible, pick it up and look at the bottom of it as well as inside, on the top and any other area that may not be easily visible.  Try to identify anything that gives a hint to where and when it was made.

3) Arrive Early, Stay Late

Make sure you’re there when the festivities kick off so you get a feeling for all of the pieces available.  If you find something you just can’t live without, make sure you let the seller know you’re interested.  However, don’t expect to get a deal first thing in the morning.  With buyers all around, sellers might not feel like giving up too much.  This will change throughout the day though.  By sticking around until the later hours of the sale you can get some good deals.  Many sellers would rather sacrifice some of their profits then pack the pieces back up and cart them home.

4) Don’t Get Hung Up on Value

I know it sounds crazy because you’re here trying to get a deal on some furniture, but don’t get too obsessed with value.  Pay what you feel comfortable for a piece, factoring in the work and materials it will take to bring it back to its former glory.  If you love the piece and are comfortable with the price, then go for it.  Even though it may not be the greatest deal, the bigger part of this adventure is being happy with your find and the way it fits in your home!

5) Be Friendly

Yeah, it sounds like common sense but a lot of people let their manners fly out the window when they are negotiating with strangers.  The people selling their antiques are people too.  If they are owners like you would deal with at a garage sale, then they may have sentimental attachments to their pieces.  Marching up and declaring “it’s junk” and that “they are lucky you’re here to take it off their hands” is a quick way to get the cold shoulder.

Even if they are professional antiques dealers, you can still let them know you’re interested and want to negotiate without being rude.  Try these simple and polite ways to let them know you want to haggle:

• Is this the best possible price?
• I really like this piece but I only have X dollars, what can you do on the price?
• Is there any wiggle room on the price?
• I can see this piece needs to be fixed up a bit, considering that, would you accept X?

Follow these simple steps and you’ll be ready to buy antiques like a pro and get a great deal on quality furniture.  If you’re not the handiest person, check out our upcoming post on how to stain furniture.  We’ll walk you through what to do with that perfect piece that needs to be refinished.

Color Trends for 2011

So you have your paint brushes out, you’ve got the drop cloth on the floor, and you’re standing in front of the color swatches at the paint store trying to decide what color to choose. It’s not like you don’t have a bazillion options!

If you’re up to speed on the color trends for 2011, this is a much easier task.

For the new year, color favorites will run the gambit from cool and sophisticated to bold and BOHO. Each of the major paint companies have collections of colors that are hot for the new year and fall into about 4 categories… Pale neutrals….organic naturals….bold and bright….and ethnic and global.

Neutrals with a Touch of Glam

Gray, white and taupe step it up in 2011 with touches of metallics, shine and sparkle.

Muted purples in shades ranging from soft lavender to deeper wines have become neutrals this year when they are paired with gray, natural whites and creams and more intense browns.

And you thought that gold was gone! Well look again! It’s being used in large does to add some glamour to a space. Shimmering softly, there’s no brassiness to this gold tone….just soft and luscious. Use it with other neutrals or more bold and beautiful….It’s baaaaack……

Organic Naturals

Going green, both literally and figuratively, is a hallmark of interior design for the present and the future. The colors or 2011 carry the theme along and present with colors of nature…think vegetables from the farm, rocks in a natural spring and clear summer skies mixed with milky whites and creams.

Color Brights

Remember how you loved the 96 count box of Crayolas? It had the sharpener and it made you hot stuff in kindergarten. You won’t need quite so many colors with the resurgence of primary colors in the 2011 color palette.

When the economy goes down the colors go bright! Even with the recovery, we gravitate to colors that enliven us and and elevate our moods. Paint the walls, bring in pops of color in accessories and mix it with bright whites and clear neutrals.

You Go BoHo

Global influences and ethnic designs are a big influencer in colors for 2011. Rich, earthy, bright and clear, the tribal colors and patterns bring inspiration and imagination to our spaces. Ancient Suzani, Ikat, Dhurrie patterns bring a rich array of textures, colors and energy to spaces, and their influence will continue to be felt throughout 2011.

The colors for 2011 speak to every person and every mood. Color is always personal, and there is plenty of room for everyone’s personality to shine in these varied palettes. Most importantly, choose color based on how it makes YOU feel and what you love. When that’s your measuring stick, there will be a design and a color to fit it!

These four rules of interior decoration will help you reinvent your living space and bring some style into your domicile.  While style and interior design are highly subjective, there are just some things that you should or shouldn’t do.  If you’re looking to spice things up inside but don’t want to commit any design faux pas, then you need to check out these easy to follow tips:

Source: Isabella & Max Rooms

1) Plan and Measure

A lot of people fall in love with a piece of furniture and figure they can just “make it work” in their living space. This is a big no-no!  We all know how people in clothes that don’t fit them look; that could be your living room.  Measure your room and make sure that large pieces fit properly.  Having something too big and placing it at weird angles will rob you of usable space and make your room look off.  Small pieces have the opposite effect, in that they make the room feel empty.  If you just end up buying more small pieces to fill the space, you will end up with a cluttered and thrown together room.

2) Use a Rug

Rugs come in a variety of shapes, colors and styles, so there is always one that is perfect for your room’s new look.  Rugs pull a room together and connect the individual elements.  Make sure the rug is tucked under the front of a piece of furniture like a chair, sofa or table.  Your rug needs to be physically and stylistically connected to the entire room.  Colour Me Happy has a great post on selecting the perfect rug for your space, check that out here.

3) Limit Collectibles

You’re going to want to cut down on the amount of collectibles you display.  Every one has their favorite knick-knack that they can’t get enough of, but too much of a good thing is bad.  Select your favorite piece or two and use them as accents or a focal piece on your mantel.  This highlights your collection, without cluttering the whole space with the entire deal.  The same goes for family heirlooms.  One or two is great but too many will hijack your room.

4) Function Over Fashion

At all costs make sure that your space is functional and above all comfortable.  There is nothing worse than a “perfectly decorated” room that can’t ever be used by people.  You’re not creating a Macy’s window display, you’re trying to make your living space lively and more livable.  Express your fashion sense and individuality but never at the expense of comfort and usability.  Sit in all of the chairs, try out the beds, use the towels and whatever else you have to do to fully test for comfort.  You, as well as your guests, will love it even more when the space you have created can actually be used.

Follow these simple rules and a well designed room is within your reach!  It’s a long road, but good style and design is a journey, not a destination.  Have fun, be yourself and try new things to find your unique look and style!

 Sadly, the passing of Mike Tyson’s young daughter has brought to the forefront home safety issues.  Home can be one of the most dangerous places for a small child or infant and it is of major concern to safety and health officials. By following a few simple steps you can help to eliminate commonly overlooked areas in your home and increase your comfort and your family’s safety.

USED BABY FURNITURE - It is not just a sales gimmick crafted by the baby furniture industry to part you with your money. Used baby furniture may save you money but cost you injuries or even a baby’s life. A good rule is no furniture later than 1978.

1. The first step in insuring the safety of your infant is to check with the manufacturer or online to be certain that the item has not been recalled.

2. Obtain current guidelines for measurement such as distance between side rail bars. Currently they are 2 3/8 inches apart, with no large cut-outs on head and foot boards.

3. Is the paint loose or chipping and most of all child safe and lead free?

4. Cedar chests or toy chests should have hinge support to prevent the lid from slamming down on little fingers or heads.

Choosing solid wood handcrafted furniture protects your investment and your child. Solid hardwoods withstand generations of children and their teething episodes.

KITCHEN -

1. Kitchen chairs and stools should be positioned far enough away from stoves that if a toddler mounted them they could not reach hot burners or pots.

2. Have you put child locks on your pantries and custom made cupboards or cabinets?

3. Move all knives and sharp objects farther back in the drawers and cabinets.

LIVINGROOM -

1. Move all glass objects to the back of your Amish built tables. A heavy vase, object d’art or picture frame can be a deadly weapon when it’s pulled down on to a curious child’s head.

2. Cable all window shades cords and electrical cords up and away.

3. Be sure your big plasma or HDTV television is securely mounted to your custom built television stand or entertainment center. Home injuries to children have increased by a record 41% because of oversized televisions.

4. Are your bookcases secured? Solid wood bookcases are well built and steady but on carpet or uneven flooring an accident can happen. Simple wall brackets can secure any cabinet or book case.

5. Have you applied protective padding or rubber corners to your solid wood living room tables? The corners are sharp and can cause injury to a small child.

6. Have you protected your child from entering your fireplace area? Whether electric, wood or gas it is an obvious area that should never given easy access to.

BATHROOMS -

1. Amish crafted corner cabinets and bookcases make beautiful and functional bathroom furnishings to store prescriptions and toiletries in. Be sure to secure these items to prevent ingestion by a child. This includes prescriptions, mouthwashes, hair sprays, perfumes, etc.

HOME OFFICE -

1. Check for cords, whether from electrical or telephones. It is wise to unplug when not in use and wind up those cords. Dangling cords attract and easily go from playful toy to noose.

OUTDOOR FURNITURE-

1. Check for splinters that may have occurred with use and changes in the wood. While Amish outdoor furniture is finished by hand regular care and maintenance will prevent accidents.

GUN CABINETS -

1. Amish craftsmen build handsome gun cabinets complete with locking features. Remember -KEEP THE KEY HIDDEN AND AMMUNITION STORED SEPERATELY

Amish Hickory furniture in the Log cabin themed home is as much about a lifestyle as a design style. The creation of this interior design may be the simplest and most economical interior design for you to capture because of its use of found natural items as decoration and the use of quality investment pieces from the Amish. Using organic furniture and natural elements as accessory tools you will achieve the native and outdoor feeling of the Log Cabin lifestyle; a lifestyle that showcases the beauty and functionality of native hardwoods.

The Amish create furniture for your rustic Log Cabin style dwelling from red or white oak, walnut & cherry accentuated by the deciduous hickory tree. Like the Amish community, the Cabin home hosts an atmosphere of simplicity, hospitality and gracious living. The Log Cabin interior is a home that demands when you walk inside the door you slow down and relax. It is a home that friends and family love to gather in, spinning memories as they gather round an Amish crafted red oak and hickory pub table and bar stools.

Mixing antiques throughout your cabin home helps bring personality while the Amish rustic furniture brings character. Use heirlooms from the past alongside your new Amish heirloom furniture. Worn, painted pieces blended with the high quality Amish Log Cabin hickory bring a storyline to your room. Birch bark picture frames highlighting your family gatherings sitting atop a chest made of walnut with hickory twig accents say more than you can about the life you lead.

The bounty of nature is captured by Amish woodworkers in the hand made solid wood creations for the Log Cabin lifestyle. The use of comfortable accessories such as quilts, denim pillows, flannel throw blankets and leather upholstery make the room wrap around and hug you in its atmosphere. From fireplace to candle light, the Log Cabin longs for the warming glow of either. Adding elements like fishing poles, hiking boots and fishing creels take the guest on a journey far from the every day. River rocks, wildlife depictions, wrought iron chandeliers, and found items that depict the wilderness you love are essential for the creation of your own personal camp.

                                          
You’ve spent months selecting the perfect solid hardwood baby crib by Amish craftsmen. You’re comforted in knowing you’ve bought the best for your newborn. This heirloom quality investment will last your child through many years, as it converts to their first big kid’s day bed, then later a single bed with designer head and footboards.

Whether the crib was an Amish traditional or contemporary design the crib mattress deserves to be given careful consideration, especially as the child grows and your Amish baby bed converts. Youngsters in their early development spend the majority of their days and nights lying in or playing in their baby crib. Since most crib mattresses are used for at least 2-4 years, growing bones need the best support you can afford.

The most common types of crib mattresses sold today are foam and innerspring. While a good quality foam mattress will last as long and give as much support as an innerspring crib mattress, the tie breaker is quality. Buy the best your budget can afford whether foam or innerspring.Today’s technology has developed a high grade of foam for mattresses. Foam’s resiliency is important and your mattress regaining its original shape quickly after weight is removed is essential. The next quality standard in selecting your child’s foundation is firmness and weight. With foam baby beds weight means density and the denser the better.

When considering any mattress the layers, and quality of layers, matter. The innerspring layer and the insulator pad layer and not the number of springs or coils is what makes the difference. The mattress border rods, or frame, are very important since they provide the edge support, where most children tend to stand and even bounce. A good mattress for your Amish crib should have a lower gauge of steel because it adds thickness. A good guide to buying an innerspring is:

150 coils. 

13.5 gauge carbon tempered steel coils.

 9.0 gauge steel border rods. 

A baby mattress should be covered in an easy to clean vinyl cover that is hospital grade and double or triple lamination. Remember to read the mattress label for specifications of the components. Better quality bedding will also include a warranty even if limited. Since you are buying a hand crafted heirloom from Amish craftsmen, buy a mattress that matches your valuable investment.

You’ve wisely invested in your home and lifestyle by acquiring high end Amish furniture that will last a lifetime but did you realize you can include an heirloom Amish timepiece, an alternative to traditional Grandfather Clocks, to match your décor? While still as collectible as antique clocks Amish clocks require less maintenance and have just as much visual impact on a design.

Long before computers and cell phones the most technical thing a person owned was perhaps the clock. For approximately 350 years homes have held the traditional long case clock, often called the Grandfather Clock. Although centuries have past since first designed, the Amish Grandfather tall-case clock can be a timeless focal point of your modern home’s décor that will reward you hourly.

Selecting only one is not easy since they have many designs to choose from, including clocks suited for homes styled in Mission, Craftsman, Arts and Crafts, Adirondack, Lodge, Cabin, Cottage and even West Lake. All available in American hardwoods like red oak, quarter-sawn white oak, hickory, cherry and maple; matching your décor is easy. By selecting the design, the wood and then the stain you can have a custom clock made for your home’s personal style. Do you have the rustic look of the Lodge or Cabin designs? Choose Old Country style with its hickory twig embellishments. Do you have more modern sensibilities? Design a grandfather clock in a dark cherry finish and the straight lines of the Shakers. Especially in modern, sometimes stark designs, a clock can add that touch of hominess you desire.

Amish artistry is highly recognized and sought after and as a designer cabinet clock your money is well invested. While integrity is always a hallmark of Amish craftsmanship, you should select quality timepieces as well as practical. The Amish craftsmen have designed and built solid wood Grandfather Clocks in many styles to last. People can go a lifetime with no real thought over the timepieces in their homes; not realizing a high quality clock is one of their best investments for functional, aesthetic and inheritable qualities. Sculpturally the Amish floor clock is an undisputed piece of art. Created by skilled wood artists these are not just clocks but investments, meant for a lifetime of use, to be handed down as an inherited piece like all Amish furniture.