Welcome to Inspirations
Nothing pleases us more than offering quality, elegant name brand furniture and accessories to our customers, and ensuring their satisfaction for years to come. At Charlton Furniture we are proud to have such a loyal customer base, and we love to see you when you visit. Of course, we also love to meet people who are new to the Charlton experience, and to see their expressions as they view our incredible selection for the first time!
The Charlton Furniture experience, however, is about more than sales, service and delivery. We have a passion for furniture and design. Talking shop is one of the great joys of working at Charlton Furniture.
That’s why we are pleased to announce our new blog Inspirations. It provides an inside glimpse at things we love, offers tips on decorating and designing your home, and lets you in on new products, special deals, and upcoming discounts going on at Charlton Furniture. In short, you get the inside scoop from us! Sometimes you just need a little inspiration to complete that perfect room in your home – and that is why we are adding this new feature to our website!
So let this new blog be your official welcome to the virtual version of Charlton Furniture. We cordially invite you to check back for updates and tidbits, and to learn about the latest trends that inspire us!
Like many people, we here at Charlton Furniture are creatures of habit. We spent the beginning of the summer planning for the Massachusetts sales tax holiday: What sales can we offer? Do we have enough stock? We’ve even started planning our family vacations around it. And now - *poof!* - no sales tax holiday. Needless to say, we are as disappointed as you are.
Please don’t misunderstand: we know that the state government has good reason for the decision. But we also see our customers that anticipate the event because they want to save some good money.
Don’t worry! We, like many other retailers, are offering deals that surpass the 6.25% savings. This week we will pay the sales tax for you on in-stock items. And for special orders, we will discount even lower than our usual “up to 40% off retail.”
So if you want great quality furniture (most of which is made in USA) and save a bundle of money, come into our store and see what we have to offer. And check out our website at www.charltonfurniture.com
What leopard print is to fabric (classic with an edge) Tiger Maple is to wood furniture…
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flame maple (tiger maple), also known as flamed maple, curly maple, ripple maple, fiddleback or tiger stripe, is a feature of maple in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating chatoyant pattern, producing wavy lines known as "flames". This effect is often mistakenly said to be part of the grain of the wood; it is more accurately called "figure", as the distortion is perpendicular to the grain direction. Prized for its beautiful appearance, it is used frequently in the manufacturing of musical instruments, such as violins and bassoons, and fine furniture. Another well-known use of the material is its use in guitars, especially the venerated Gibson Les Paul. The Gibson Les Paul "Standard", initially manufactured from 1958 to 1960, sported a flame maple top finished in a cherry-red sunburst on a mahogany body. Today, these instruments are some of the most prized on the vintage guitar market, and as such are unaffordable to most musicians.[1]
During the westward expansion of early settlers and explorers into the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, curly maple was often used for making the stocks used on Kentucky rifles.
chromophobia
noun
a fear of colors; also called chromatophobia,psychrophobia
*from Dictionary.com
Color is a funny thing. We all love it, but when it comes to choosing it for our furniture, most of us are afraid to commit to anything beyond a neutral. The bigger the piece, the leerier we become of making a choice that we might hate in a short period of time. But using all neutrals can leave a room looking boring and flat.
An easy solution is to keep larger scale pieces in neutral tones, and save your pops of color for accent chairs, rugs, accessories or artwork. This way, if you tire of the color you chose, it’s easy to change.
But how do you commit to that “pop” of color? Where do you get your inspiration? It can be as close as your closet! See what colors you wear most – they must make you happy or you wouldn’t keep wearing them. And if you look good in them, you’ll probably look good on them!
Blend your choices the same way you might put together your outfit
- Mix textures and patterns for the most interest.
- Think of your shoes or boots, and bring in a statement leather piece.
- Jewelry adds sparkle to your outfit: try metallic accents or accessories in your home.
- Use your fashion sense and have fun with it!
Here are some of our favorite colorful rooms.
From http://www.usmemorialday.org/
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Over two dozen cities and towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.
Regardless of the exact date or location of its origins, one thing is clear – Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.
On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).
It is now observed in almost every state on the last Monday in May with Congressional passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363). This helped ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19th in Texas; April 26th in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10th in South Carolina; and June 3rd (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.
Recently, our sales staff had the opportunity to tour the manufacturing facility for Saloom Furniture in Winchendon, MA. The ladies had a great time learning exactly how these hand-crafted items are made: Right here in Massachusetts!
The Saloom Story: American Design & Craftsmanship
The dining table is the heart of your home, it’s where you share family meals, have celebrations, and help with homework. Something so important should be designed by you to fit your style, and be built to last.
Peter and I started Saloom Furniture in 1982 with a mission to make great furniture, create quality jobs, and be a positive influence in our community. We feel fortunate to live and work in Massachusetts which has a rich furniture manufacturing history. All of our furniture is hand crafted by our New England artisans, who take pride in their work and in building a dining set made just for you.
“Our mission is to make great furniture, create quality jobs, and be a positive influence in the community."
Peter & Linda Saloom
From our friends at HardenFurniture.com
The use of upholstery nail head trim dates to the Louis XIII period – approximately 1600. It is likely that decorative nail heads were intended to be a more refined way to upholster and not considered for their aesthetic value.
Today nails are very popular, particularly on leather upholstery and there is an almost unlimited variety available. Harden offers 17 standard nails, but we can also accommodate customer nails or source a specific nail. We even offer a turquoise nail that is a perfect accent on the right piece with the right fabric or leather.
The location of nails is dependent on the frame – there has to be a solid frame part under the fabric for the nail to fasten to. Generally speaking, if there is a corner or edge where two panels of upholstery meet then that is where nails can be applied. Some frames require nail head as there is not another convenient way to cover the line where a panel has been attached to the frame.
Nails are mostly applied by hand, using a nylon tipped tack hammer that will not damage the finish on the nail and also not damage the surrounding upholstery. On occasion a pneumatic nail gun is used, but accuracy can be a concern and when nailing next to an exposed wood frame part care has to be taken to avoid damage.
Some manufacturers use plastic nail strips that are easy and fast to apply, but in most cases it is obvious that real steel nails have not been used. Plastic nail strips are “faux” nails with an occasional real nail that is attached to the frame.
- Come into Charlton Furniture to see the quality workmanship that Harden offers – and we are having a great SALE on in-stock and special order items from Harden.
Our customers are always looking for better ways to dispose of their old furniture and we love this idea from HGTV.com. See the whole article here: http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/transform-a-dresser-into-a-potting-bench?soc=social_20160405_60045416&adbid=10153778808794213&adbpl=fb&adbpr=16801589212
Let us know how yours turns out!
Different people have different ways of determining the beginning of spring. There is meteorological spring, full moons, and new moons, specific dates on the calendar or the arrival of Robins. For many, Easter Sunday is their indicator. What better time is there to freshen up your home with vibrant spring color? As the days get longer and we are drawn to our gardens, we crave the colors of nature. Even the tradition of spring cleaning comes from our need to shed our heavy, winter hues.
Now is a great time to consider redecorating. Come in with your ideas and measurements and our designers and sales consultants can help you find the most effective (and cost effective!) way to liven up your living space. Several manufacturers are offering discounts on special order items this season (ask you sales consultant) so getting EXACTLY what you want is even more affordable. And the only thing more gratifying than a newly spruced space, is knowing that you’ve purchased American made goods: top-quality, good for our economy and beautiful!
My name is Lisa Carter and I have recently become a member of the Charlton Furniture team as a designer. My experience within the first month of being here was overwhelming- in the best possible way! Design is my passion, and Charlton Furniture is truly a designer’s playground. Being surrounded each day by all of the different lines and brands of furniture we carry offers endless possibilities to create beautifully designed rooms.
I can’t say enough wonderful things about the staff here. They have welcomed me with open arms, and instantly made me feel like a part of the Charlton Furniture family. I have learned so much in the short amount of time I have been here from the group of smart and talented women that work here. I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Charlton Furniture family and look forward to expanding my design expertise and work with customers to find them the best fit for their furniture needs. If you are in the area, stop on by and say hello!
The following is from Popsugar.com
With a bucket of paint, you can do many a wonderful thing to a wall. You can also do many a horrible thing. Stencils, brushes, and the like have their place, but be careful not to gild the lily. In other words, keep decorative paint elements simple. That mural or stenciled design should enhance the room, not dominate it. And leave the sponge painting in the '80s. Period.
To read the complete article go to http://www.popsugar.com/home/Interior-Design-Mistakes-Avoid-39651941#photo-39651941
