Ask Merle
Spring Furnishing
As a retail furniture business, we at House of Oak & Sofas cannot ignore the overwhelming transformation of spring. On the one hand, the beautiful balmy days can lessen the number of people in the store, and on the other hand they return on rainy, cloud-covered days to find new furniture to update their homes. Whether that redecorating urge is based on some instinctual drive to "feather the nest" or simply a savvy homeowner's figuring out that their home interior does affect how they feel, April and May continue to be strong months in our business. For me personally, I would suggest that the rebirth of plants, flowers, and wildlife adds an adrenalin rush that energizes us to clean up, re-arrange and bring more of the indoors, out, and the outdoors, in.
Of course, buying new patio furniture might be the most obvious purchase that makes sense. Poly lumber furniture is the fastest-growing part of House of Oak & Sofas outdoor lineup. Not only is the product manufactured from recycled plastics, but most manufacturers are selling the product as a lifetime product. Looking at some outdoor decks that were constructed from the same material more than 10 years ago, we feel strongly that this is at a minimum, a lifetime purchase. Where all wood rockers of the past had a limited lifetime--from 2-15 years with care and re-painting, it is now possible to buy a glider or rocker made of poly lumber and assembled with stainless steel connections and expect it to work well for the rest of your life. Stop in today to see the variety of pieces and colors that are available. Two-seat gliders top the list, but barstool height pub tables are growing in popularity.
Having said that, I need to mention two other popular outdoor looks: resin-based "wicker" that holds up outdoors, and aluminum-framed furniture that withstands outdoor conditions. The first gives a much lighter and more airy look than poly while offering multiple colors and cushion fabric selections. Our Telescope Casual lineup features aluminum-frame swivel chairs that are as comfortable as indoor seating. In fact, it is not unusual for customers to take the chairs indoors to enjoy their comfort throughout the winter.
That is the point of this posting. Springtime makes us consider furnishings that can be used both indoors and outdoors. At House of Oak & Sofas, we continue to notice the increased addition of a sunroom to an existing house. One might conclude that a sunroom is one of the very best ways to compensate for not going on a vacation that just got pricier with increased fuel costs. Why not spend some of that vacation money at home? How about adding the room of your dreams to the house--a sunroom that can be closed off from the rest of the house in the winter, and not heated, yet occupied on any day the sun provides free heating. Since this room has screened windows and can be protected from rain, it is the perfect room for using a combination of outdoor feeling (wicker, bare wood) furniture, but adding a sofa that is comfortable enough for stretching out on and taking an afternoon nap.
Moving the outdoors in, and indoors out has been a strong trend over the past 10 years. Plants that can move back and forth on dollies, furniture that works in either location, art or sculpture that can work in both environments: all combine to give the outdoor patio a warm, homey feel, or the indoor family room the freedom of outdoor living. At the last furniture show in High Point, we purchased some electric lamps that are 100% waterproof and can be used indoors or out. It's perfectly OK to leave them out in the rain, yet they add the style of the indoor lamp. Furniture fabrics featuring leaves or animals can help bring the spirit of nature indoors. Let your House of Oak & Sofas sales representative show you some of the latest indoor-outdoor-suggestions.
Of course, the most important advice for indoor-outdoor living is to use the space once you create it. Eat outdoors, entertain outdoors, sleep near an open window, read the paper outside in the morning. All these activities can de-stress your life and add a little bit of vacation spirit to the day-to-day grind. With several $5 tablecloths (buy fabric by the yard and forget the hem) on hand to soften the hard edges of outdoor dining, you can quickly move a meal outdoors to dine, alone or with family or friends, and in a few moments have a flitting butterfly or swooping swallow as your entertainment. That's springtime at its best. Now let me see if I can just manage to take my own advice!
Keep sending me questions about your decorating problems — direct them to merle@houseofoak.com.
