I came across this video of an episode of Good Morning American (d. 2006) that was quite fascinating although unfortunately, not surprising. They did some research into what some of the furniture in today’s market is made from and how the labels/manufacturer tags can be misleading to the consumer. While this doesn’t typically apply to higher end/antique furniture, it was still interesting and worth a quick watch.
If you have any questions about any pieces you are interested in buying, we would be more than happy to lend you our expertise to make sure you’re making a smart buy.
Over the last week or two, we’ve been receiving beautiful pieces from France and America. We are expecting more pieces this week. We are tirelessly working to upload each and every piece to the site but it does take some time. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the gems:
A few weeks ago, the Carrocel web team and I moved our headquarters into a showroom converted into our new office. Then, we gutted a neighbouring showroom and converted into our much-needed studio! Equipped with professional cameras, expert photographers, lights, and backdrops, this new studio has allowed our photography to really take off. We are now able to post more items to the website as well as make each piece radiantly glow! It also helps our photographers achieve the true colours of the piece they’re shooting in each photo.
Whether you’ve just renovated your house, purchased a new home, or simply looking for a fresh look, how to decorate your dining room is an important consideration. It is the place where you invite your friends and loved ones to share a lovely dinner and where you enjoy the company of your guests in comfort and style. It is one of most used rooms in the house where your guests spend a lot of their time and a place that should reflect your own style & personality. Here are some tips that I hope will help make your decision easier!
Dining Table Size:
The very first step to take is to assess how much space you have in your dining room to determine the right size table. You want your dining set to take up the middle of the room with equal space on each side so the set looks symmetrical from all angles. Measure your room from wall to wall (assuming you are beginning with an empty room) to get an accurate idea of how much space you have to work with. Then, keep in mind a few pointers:
Each person needs roughly 3 FT of space to pull out the chair and get up and sit down comfortably
Each person uses about 2 FT to enjoy their dinner without brushing elbows with the person next to them
Make sure that you factor in extra space on 1 or 2 sides of the room for a sideboard and/or china cabinet
At one point or another, you will always have unexpected guests…so plan ahead by getting a slightly bigger table that you might normally get (1-2 FT larger), along with perhaps 2 extra chairs that can always be put to the side as accent pieces when not in use
Practicality
You have to ask yourself what do you want or dining room to be. Do you want it to a purely formal setting only to be used when guests arrive or something that your family enjoys everyday? Do you anticipate large gatherings often? By answering these questions you will able narrow down the right table for you. For instance, if you have anticipate having large gatherings often then perhaps you need a table that will have 1 or 2 leaves always in use. If you intend on having your kids do their homework on the table or what have you then perhaps a distressed finish is right for you as any scratches or blemishes will look as if they are supposed to be there. Also, a satin finish as oppose to a higher gloss sheen is more suited for a table that gets a lot of use as scratches and dust are not as visible. Consequently, a satin sheen table requires much less maintenance than a high gloss sheen.
Style
The style of your table should be a reflection of your personality and tastes. From sheen to colour choice to wood type, a dining table can be custom finished to meet your specific requests. If you have a very formal style in your dining room then perhaps a high gloss finish is for you combined with a table that has beautifully figured wood, such as flamed mahogany. Various combinations of banding with exotic woods like satinwood or rosewood also are traditionally quite formal.
In contrast, if your decor suggests a more subtle looking table that doesn’t need to be an instant ‘wow’ factor, then you may be leaning towards a grain of wood that is less busy, such as plain mahogany or cherry along with a less fussy banding combination.
Of course, the most important thing to consider when purchasing a table is to make sure YOU love it!
Here’s the deal: Once we hit 100 ‘LIKES’ on our Facebook page, we are going to give away 5 free bottles of polish to 5 randomly selected people who have ‘liked’ the page. We’re getting close…only 26 more.
And then once we hit 500 ‘LIKES’, we are going to give away a free piece of furniture to one lucky winner! And then after 1,000 ‘LIKES…who knows!
Folks, we have recently launched an email campaign to help us stay connected with our customers. Once or twice a month we will send out a newsletter to our subscribers detailing:
- latest industry news
- awesome videos of furniture restoration and upholstery
- product updates and arrival of new shipments of beautiful pieces
- promotions and contests
We would love it if you signed up. Just simply click below
A few weeks ago, Lauren McPhillips (a web editor and blog author for Style At Home) gave us a refinishing project that we would document for her readership. She gave us a chairshe purchased for $30 at a small consignment store and asked us to completely restore it and bring it back to life. Well, we did that and have many pictures and videos (to come later this week) that detailed the process.
Tomorrow, check back for the Part 1 of our three part video set!
As a continuation of our last post, this entry is to do with buying dining chairs. Apart from style and aesthetics, the most important thing to consider when buying a chair is its construction. Above all, a quality dining chair should be a solid hardwood, like maple or beech wood.There can be no exceptions to this if you are looking to buy and paying good money for a quality chair. I specifically aim to drive this particular point home because of the influx of so many poorly made chairs made in Asia that look stylish and solid but are made from MDF or a very soft lumber like gum wood. They can be purchased at a quarter or so of the price of a beechwood chair but will not stand the test of time.
The way the chair is assembled is second in importance. Chairs that are made poorly are put together with bolts, such as those from China, are not assembled to be sturdy or strong. Even over as short as a period of a few weeks, these chairs can become loose because of the bolts/washer combination.
A well-made chair, on the other hand, is assembled with strong wood glue and wooden dowels. The seat frame should also be reinforced with wooden pieces to strengthen the chair. For instance, here is what an Italian-made solid beechwood quality chair frame looks like.
This chair, for instance, is $795 finished and upholstered. A chair, that looks quite similar, but made in China using gum wood or another poor substitute for wood and assembled with bolts, would cost about $195. While the chair is less expensive, it lacks in the most important area – quality of construction. The bottom line here is to while reproductions from Asia may look good and are cheaper, they are not comparable to a quality solid beech wood chair from Italy.
it looks good...but this is not well-made
solid beech wood Italian frame finished by Carrocel
