Wanna buy Furniture for your Home? Check out the Guidebook!

We all have our own tastes...some people like long lasting, hard wood furniture while some prefer style and casual pieces which can be replaced in a couple of years. Whatever your style, make sure you know what you want to bring home. Here are some guidelines to help you make the best choice.

Hard & Soft Wood


Hard Wood Rocking Chair

Make sure you know the difference between hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwood comes Sagwan, Sesame or Salwood while soft wood comes from Pine or Deodhar trees. The hard wood has strength and stability in case of chairs, beds, tables etc; but those qualities can make hardwoods difficult to work with for intricate carving and detail work. Soft wood is easily carved or worked. Since their surfaces are often soft, they are more susceptible to marks and dings, which may result in a weathered or worn quality.


Soft Wood - Pine wood Yoga Chair

Is Plywood better?



A lot of times, using plywood is the best option. Solid wood has a tendency to expand and contract as the humidity changes leading to instability.Plywood or particle board (MDF)is more stable and less apt to warp or split. Plywood then can be covered with veneers or laminates to recreate the desired look.

What is "Veneering"?



Make sure you know what "veneering" is. Veneer is the use of thin layers of highly decorative woods on top of plywood. Veneering makes it possible to match grain patterns or create designs. The only factor that adds to veneering is that it cannot be left unfinished, it has to be touched up with a protective coat of varnish, polish etc.

A lot of wear & tear.....use Laminates



If you know that your funiture will be unmaintained and needs sustainability the best option is to use laminates. Laminates are sheets of processed woods in different colours, textures, designs which help in maintaining the plywood against moisture, termites, humidity, etc. One can find a huge variety in them.

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Identify & Renew Antique or Old Furniture

Like all other material, furniture wears out over the years. Sometimes the entire finish is worn or heavy-use spots are seen. Even if wear and tear adds character, there are some technique which help in restoring furniture.

Let’s start with identifying different finishes. Before you decide to film or recoat the piece, it is essential to determine the finish of the furniture. Try small tests to identify between polish, varnish, paint, shellac, varnish, lacquer, etc.

1. Wax Polish
This is a semisolid polish and does almost no harm to the wooden surface and is widely used in India. It involves a lot of physical labour. Since it is stable and durable, it needs to be applied infrequently. Polish gives a natural and penetrating appearance rather than film-building look to the furniture. It usually has a dull sheen look to it.

2. Varnish
Varnish is a combination of drying oil, resin and a thinner. It usually gives a glossy look though it may be designed to produce satin or semi-gloss look. Usually varnished surface is sanded carefully and then varnish remover is used which can be found in hardware stores. Be careful because there are some varnishes that stay permanent.

3. Paint
It is easy to indentify paint on wood due to its different colour. Most paints are oil based and can be removed with thinners or paint removers.

4. Shellac Finish
Shellac is derived from a resin that is secreted from an insect native to certain forests in Southeast Asia. Shellac is non-toxic and can be added to any colour very easily. To determine shellac finish, use mineral spirit or turpentine and rub it with a white soft cotton rag in an inconspicuous area. The apply denatured alcohol to the spot and leave it for 5 minutes. If the colour dissolves and the rag picks up the colour of the furniture, then it is a shellac finish.

5. Lacquer Finish
Lacquer is a coloured or clear varnish which produces is very hard and durable look. It comes off effectively only with the lacquer solvent.

Simple home cleaner and more....

Always buff and sand the piece of furniture you want to restore.

1. Utensil Detergent
Use warm water and detergent to clean finishes and leave it to dry for a while. Mostly it does works on painted and clear finishes. Do not pour the solution on the wood as it may open up the wood grain and cause damage to it. Soak the cotton rag in water, rinse it dry and then work in sections by wiping it. Take another clean rag and dry the surface again.

2. Thinners
There are several types of thinners. You can find paint, polish, metal...etc thinners at any hardware store. They are easy to use and are very widely used in cleaning surfaces in India.

3. Mineral Spirits or Turpentine
Mineral spirits and turpentine are two different solvents which have similar applications. They both are very good in case there are grease or oil stains and work great on painted and primered surfaces. This one is widely used in restoring furniture. In India turpentine is widely used though working with mineral spirits is easier and safer. These are usually available at paint shops.

4. Denatured Alcohol or Ethanol
Denatured alcohol is weaker and slow-working and good to clean light surfaces. It helps to more easily remove the excess dust that results from sanding wood, because it does not open the wood grain. It is widely used for shellac finishes.

5. Lacquer Solvent
Lacquer solvents are strong and will dissolve them quickly. They are used on lacquer finishes only.

Hope you have got an idea about the different types of finishes that appear on the piece of furniture you want to restore. I will certainly talk more about removing spots, grease and water marks in my next article. For now please try to understand and care for your furniture. Always remember, old is gold. Restore and treasure it as much as you can!!

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Human Dimensions to Furniture Making

Have you ever wondered how furniture should be made or arranged keeping our body dimensions in mind? For example, how much distance should there be between a sofa and your coffee table or how high should a dinning chair be in proportion with the dining table? This is called Anthropometrics – study of human dimensions. In this case, we will incorporate making furniture with anthropometrics to build and use furniture efficiently.

Seating
Depending on where you are sitting, the chair is designed so that you can sit upright or sit back. If you are lounging, the chair is made to recline or while dining, the chair is made upright to help a slight forward motion.
Further, if your feet are unsupported, the body loses stability leading to discomfort. Hence, a bar or some kind of a support is required to help maintain comfort while seating. On the other hand, if the seating is very low, the legs may extend forward which is fine for lounging but not for dining.

Tips while making or choosing Furniture
1. Seat height for dining chairs should be at least 18 inches high.

2. Seat height for lounge chairs and sofa should be at least 16 inches.

3. Knee space under dining table should be a minimum of 12 inches, though 14 is better.

Spacing Requirements while Arranging Furniture
1. Allow at least 24 inches between the side of the bed and the wall so you can get in to make the bed and change the sheets.

2. A dresser and the foot of the bed should be at least 42 inches apart so you can open the drawers easily.

3. Sixteen to 19 inches between sofa and the centre table will give you enough space to get around the table as well as be able to reach it for access.

4. A passage or a hallway created by a wall and the back of the sofa should be 30 to 36 inches wide.

5. Give yourself 36 inches from the edge of the dining table to the wall for easy access in and out of the chair.

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5 Home Remedies on maintaining wooden furniture

All of us want a neat and tidy home. Now the question comes, how do I do it? Some things come easy like dusting and mopping but there are those little irritants which will never make your furniture look clean no matter how much time and effort you waste in maintaining them. Here are some of my 5 Home Remedies on maintaining wooden furniture.

1.Removing water marks. To remove water marks from your wooden furniture, massage mayonnaise into the marks and leave it overnight. To make it work even better, you can add to that a little bit of salt. Just work the salt in with the mayonnaise—it will give it a mild abrasion. The next morning, wipe off the mayonnaise and the marks will be gone. You can also substitute petroleum jelly, butter or margarine for the mayonnaise.

2. Always wipe of any water spilled over wooden furniture. If you have a gray mark, it means moisture is trapped beneath the finish and can be removed using tip no. 1. A black mark means the moisture has penetrated all the way into the wood -- that's the more difficult kind of mark to remove.

3. Petroleum jelly is really good for furniture that has dried out. Rub it in and leave it overnight or longer and then buff it with a soft cloth. Never buff furniture with paper towels because they will scratch the furniture.

4. Making your own furniture polish. All you need to do is combine one fourth cup of white vinegar and one cup of olive oil in a clean container. Shake well and rub the polish on the furniture with a soft cloth. Wipe it off and then buff the surface with another soft clean cloth.

5. A quick way to care and pack your furniture if you decide to move it put on socks on the legs of the piece in order to avoid breakage or scratches.

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