It’s that time of year again when we find ourselves spending more time inside the house. Often, this makes us more aware of the cleaning and organizing we put off during the active and busy summer and fall months. These slower-paced days are not only a good time to relax, read and reflect; they’re also a good time to give your home and furnishings a little TLC – “tender loving cleaning.” I don’t know about you, but I tend to think of my home furnishings pieces as investments. They are truly a part of my design “portfolio!”
Fluted Kidney Desk from Mélange
Wood furnishings, if cared for correctly, can last for generations. Depending on the wood variety, the age, and the finish, each piece may have a different set of maintenance suggestions. Antiques can be finished with shellac, oils, waxes, or varnishes. Often, today’s modern pieces will have been protected with various forms of lacquer, such as nitrocellulose lacquer, because it can more easily be repaired if damaged. Sometimes, special UV protection and waterproofing may also be a part of a manufacturer’s repertoire. As the world of design has translated from the fashion runway to the showrooms, there are even more specialty finishes to be considered. Silver leafing, mirrored surfaces, embossed leathers, fabrics . . . the possibilities are endless and you’ll want to become educated in how to protect these jewels.
Hooker Furniture offers these furniture care tips for wood furniture. If you have a special problem area, such as a stain on marble, glass or leather, here are some problem-solving tips from Hooker Furniture as well.
I would definitely treasure the finish on this fluted kidney desk from Hooker Furniture’s Melange collection. It gives the appearance of precious silver leafing.
Sam Moore Keltie Chair
What about your accent chairs and other upholstered seating like sofas, loveseats and sectionals? The Sam Moore division of Hooker Furniture offers these furniture care tips for upholstered furniture.
Since January seems to be the time for new beginnings, creating a binder for your design ‘portfolio’ just seems to be a fantastic place to start. There are lots of sources for these on the web. I dropped by Etsy and found this one from Seasoned Living. I appreciated the idea of creating zones and having a plan for each one, including maintenance and tips! It’s always a good idea to check with your home furnishings store or manufacturer to see what they recommend. If that’s not available or you don’t know the origin, there are many websites from which you could clip and paste care tips into a document to save for future use. If you have someone else who provides cleaning services, they would appreciate knowing how to properly protect your design investments, too.
Sending you best wishes for a successful 2012 and a well-loved home!
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Wood seems like a really great material for furniture because of its durability. Thanks for the care and maintenance tips.
Hey I have some beautiful white furniture that I recently purchased. Now I am afraid of dirty and spots on the furniture. I have read your tips very carefully and understood how to keep clean my white wood furniture. Thanks for your nice tips. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new posts. Thanks again..