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What’s Old is New Again
by: ARA
(ARA) - Without a doubt, traditional style remains at the top of the popularity charts in America’s home decorating. Gracious and inviting, traditional design evokes images of understated elegance and the grand style of the 18th and 19th century -- and the warmth and classical comfort many of us remember from our childhood homes. But if you equate “traditional” and “grand” with “old and stodgy,” it’s time to take another look. While elegance and history still personify this style, a definite and growing movement to bring traditional design into a fresher, more relaxed realm is well underway.

A perfect example is the new approach being taken to one of the most enduring styles in American décor -- Queen Anne furniture. Queen Anne furniture, named for the English monarch of the early 1700s, was the dominant décor during America’s Colonial period and has become the most reproduced furniture style ever since. Its hallmarks are darker woods like walnut and mahogany finished to a high gloss; artful, shell-carved designs on table and chair legs; tall, broken pediment arches topping cabinets, and eye-pleasing, serpentine curves and cabriole legs that were at the time a revolutionary departure from the square furniture legs of earlier furniture styles.

Thomasville brings a breath of fresh air into this stately style -- and one of its own most popular lines -- with the new Collector’s Cherry collection of bedroom, living room, dining room and occasional furniture. Collector’s Cherry’s intriguing cathedral and quarter-sawn cherry veneers combine traditional bombé shapes and carved pediment scrolls with such updated elements as convenient storage options and simplified brass-finished hardware that complement the beauty of a rich but more contemporary low-sheen finish.

For the bedroom, Collector’s Cherry provides consumers with maximum versatility with several bed, chest and dresser options. In addition to a stately four-poster bed is a sleek sleigh bed accentuated with a high back to accommodate today’s thicker pillow-top mattresses. A signature piece is the Susannah bed, a fully upholstered winged channel-back headboard available in 1,000 fabrics and -- for a surprisingly contemporary touch -- soft and supple leather.

Dining options include an oval and a handsome rectangular double-pedestal table that can be paired with either Queen Anne or Chippendale arm and side chairs, all with graceful cabriole legs. Numerous storage and display options include three china designs: a corner and breakfront china carrying the broken pediment with flame finial motif -- which can be conveniently removed to fit the space constraints of homes with lower ceilings -- and a canted china with four beveled glass doors. In addition to the classic sideboard, the group includes a mobile server with foldout top for convenience and extra serving space.

The line is completed with an array of occasional and wall pieces in a variety of sizes to complement any setting. Standouts include a charming pie-crust top lamp table, three-drawer cocktail table and bombe-silhouetted chairside chest. Wall pieces include a freestanding entertainment cabinet that accommodates today’s larger televisions and boasts lots of storage space for consumer electronics, tapes and CDs.

The Queen Anne period brought the first-ever inclusion of upholstered furniture, introduced in the form of a padded wing chair. Collector’s Cherry includes a version scaled down in size but high in comfort for solitary reading and TV-watching, or conversations with friends. A curvaceous camelback sofa with high-kick pleat skirt and rolled arm that continues around the back is equally inviting. Both look fresh and new in clear, bright pastel and sorbet colors -- another move away from formality that meets today’s more casual lifestyles.

The new identity of traditional is sometimes different, but is still of fine woodworking, craftsmanship and graceful lines. Collector’s Cherry is just one of the many familiar styles that relax the strict tenets of traditional style. In this new, more relaxed mode of traditional decorating, fabric color and texture may seem less formal, albeit no less elegant. At the same time, wood furniture and finishes are being mixed and matched less strictly. Old and new are paired side-by-side without apology. Some tips on energizing this venerable decorating style include:

Choose Colors Wisely: Softer colors impart a more contemporary, relaxed approach to original traditional style. If you prefer a more formal traditional palette, select jewel tone colors with gold and silver accents.

Pair Old with New: Antiques and antique reproductions can be used together successfully and are key to achieving the best possible traditional look.

Mix and Match Fabrics and Textures: When selecting upholstery, accent and drapery fabrics, choose those that work well together, but do not necessarily match. Keep in mind that upholstery fabrics should be able to withstand years of wear.

Accessorize, but Avoid Clutter: Today’s most successful and elegant traditional interiors, keep accessories to a minimum.

Try an Eclectic Take on Traditional: Every piece of furniture in a room does not have to suit a classic traditional vein. It is common today to find a fantastic traditional interior where something from a different genre -- even contemporary art -- is successfully utilized.

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 A Guide to Good Furniture Care
 by: Holly Linington

During my long career in the furniture business I’ve often been asked, “What is the proper way to care for my fabric?” After all, you’ve purchased your dream furniture piece but you’re terrified to use it out of fear of damaging it. But you don’t have to live in fear! After extensive research and testing I have found the following guidelines and suggestions to be helpful.

Upholstered Furniture

Because of the wide variety of fabrics and fiber combinations, there is no guarantee that these methods will be completely successful and I recommend that a professional upholstery cleaner be contacted in particular cases. However, these simple solutions will keep your new upholstery crisp and clean for years!

• Vacuum at least once a week to remove grit that can cause abrasion, and be sure to dust vacuum the top surfaces as often as possible. Professional cleaning is the best way to make a slightly soiled sofa look new again, but weekly vacuuming will make professional cleaning a less frequent event. (Never brush any fabric with a stiff fiber or metal brush, since they’re destructive to the fibers. Instead, use your vacuum attachments like the upholstery brush or the attachment for dusting draperies and furniture. The latter brush has longer bristles and is less abrasive to your upholstery fabric. It may be your best option if your fabric deserves a softer brushing.)

• Reverse the cushions each week after vacuuming. Rearrange the furniture occasionally to ensure even wear of the cushions and other areas.

Cushions and pillows filled with down or similar cushioning material should be hand-fluffed and reversed regularly to retain their original softness and resiliency.

• Protect fabrics from the sun. Fabrics should not be placed in direct sunlight because the ultraviolet light will cause the fibers to degenerate and colors to fade. Occasionally dyes can fade from impurities in the air as well, but protection from the sun is a good way to prevent premature loss of color.

• Keep pets off the furniture. Pet urine and pet body oil can be difficult to remove.

• Use proper care with structural weave fabrics (where the design is created by the weave) to protect against snags. These fabrics may be cleaned by sprinkling dry powder cleaner over the fabric, spreading it uniformly and letting it stand for the recommended period before vacuuming with gentle suction. (However, I do recommend professional cleaning with stains on a woven fabric.)

• Caution those wearing clothing with transferable dyes, such as blue jeans, that the dye could transfer onto light-colored furniture.

Fabric Cleaning Guide

Today’s new fabric treatments improve the chances of your fabric’s survival. Fabric protection products are usually applied by the retail store for an additional cost. Most of the various brands work the same way by causing spills and soil to sit on the surface of the fiber instead of migrating to the fiber’s interior.

Today’s fiber protection products are free of ozone damaging chemicals, and most are hypoallergenic and invisible to the eye. Some even provide additional UV protection from color fading caused by intense light. One of the greatest benefits of fabric protection products is that they come with specific written warranties that provide peace of mind.

Whether your new upholstery has been fabric protected or not, you should follow the same basic guidelines in cleaning liquid spills or surface soil that can’t be brushed off (such as newspaper ink).

Fabric Cleaning Codes

Before attempting to clean a spill or spot on your furniture, you should identify the fabric and the correct cleaning method recommended by the manufacturer. This information is represented by a cleaning code (W, S, WS, or X) often found under a cushion, on the bottom of the furniture or on the manufacturer’s tag. If you cannot find this information, contact your salesperson at the furniture store where the item was purchased.

W – Spot clean only with water-based shampoo or foam upholstery cleaner.

S – Spot clean only with water-free cleaning solvent. Do not overwet. DO NOT USE WATER.

WS – Spot clean with upholstery shampoo, foam from a mild detergent, or a mild dry cleaning solvent. Do not overwet.

X – Clean only by vacuuming or light brushing with a non-metallic brush. DO NOT USE WATER OR DRY CLEANING SOLVENTS. Do not use a foam or liquid cleaner of any type.

Never apply cleaning solutions to visible areas of your upholstery fabric without first testing on areas that are not visible. It is important to pretest for color loss and fabric compatibility.

Cleaning Instructions

As a general rule, when a spill occurs, it is important to clean the fabric immediately. The longer a spot remains, the harder it is to remove. It may even become permanent.

Blot, don’t rub. If the spill is still “fresh”, use a clean, dry and very absorbent 100% cotton cloth. Should you have to use paper towels to blot out spills, be sure the paper towel (or cloth) is white, as colors in the towel may, when applied to a wet surface, fade onto the upholstery. Color from one fabric can rub off onto another fabric, even when dry -- a process known in the industry as “crocking”.

If blotting with a dry cloth doesn’t quite finish the job and you have cleaning directions from the furniture manufacturer, follow those. If none are available, use the instructions provided here.

I hope this information has been insightful. Use these tools when necessary, but most importantly, enjoy your upholstered piece -- it was meant to be used!


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