Are my colors out of style??

If we are asked that question, we will reply based on what we see trending at Market.  We do believe most people are not willing to sacrifice their favorite pieces of furniture for the sake of a trend.

The recent photo of the red chairs prompted a lot of customers to ask: " is red back?"  We didn't know if left!  However, how it is displayed in your home is probably the part of the equation that caused it look dated.  These particular chairs are a custom order for a remodel, and were chosen based on the client's love of the color.  BUT, they will be on a fresh backdrop of pale walls, brightly patterned area rug, even lighter color drapes, and a khaki tan sofa.  The pillows we chose for the sofa will have some of the familiar jewel tones, but the overall look is still a fresher look than the dark golds and muddy browns of a few years ago.

Oh no, you still have the brown chair/sofa and you are tiring of the drab, dark den you loved just a few years ago.  Those pieces aren't out of style, but the feel of the room needs lightened up.  Such an easy fix with a few lighter colors in pillows and/or throws placed around makes a quick change to that! 

So you really are ready to change up a few things, but not sure how to add your other colors of accessories that you still love.  The grey tones you are seeing around really do work with color!  Can you count how many different colors are teamed up with our grey sofa/chaise?  Any and all of those look great with this neutral color, so go ahead, bring on the new color!

We are happy to work with your favorite colors and help you add in the new pieces without having to start over again!  Don't forget, if it's a fresh coat of paint you need, we are available to help you choose that, too.  Come by and we'll talk about how we can help.

Yes, there really are fabrics that are "kid friendly"

If you've visited our store you know we carry several lines of upholstered furniture.  Norwalk Furniture, made in Norwalk, Ohio, has added even more "cleanable and scrubable" fabrics to their line.  They were one of the first companies to offer Sunbrella fabrics, but now they are also able to offer a very similar fabric, BUT AT A BETTER PRICE!

You'll be thoroughly impressed with the feel of these new fabrics, and it's hard to believe you can even clean with bleach if you should need to.  These Olefin fibers DO NOT have a chemical treatment, so no worries about your family and pets being exposed to dangerous chemicals.


                       


Now you can  buy that furniture while your kids are young:  not only is a well made sofa going to hold up to heavy use, but now the fabric will not be at risk from your pets and/or kids!

Enjoy the video of the workmanship that goes into each piece of furniture at Norwalk.

The price of decorating

Most people have a budget when it comes to decorating their home.  However, that shouldn't mean you cannot find those extra items that make your home reflect your personality.  We work hard to find something from all price ranges.   Here are some actual examples of our current shop inventory:

 Something as simple as this scented flower diffuser is a great decorative piece and doubles as a room freshner......$22.00!

 If you have a chair or sofa that needs a change, everyone knows pillows are the quickest and easiest thing to add.  These monochromatic pillows all have embroidery or some special feature, but their prices range from $42 (for down filled) all the way up to $242!  Wow, how can they be so different?  All we can say is look for yourself, you might not be able to guess, or you might know immediately.  It's a good example of our varied price ranges.

You might already have a vase that just needs a touch of spring, so adding a $5.00 stem might take care of that.  Or adding a bright yellow smaller piece, like the one on the right, might be all your coffee table needs to look brighter....$15.00.

These vases range from $14 to $125 each.  If you just need a little added color or you need a special piece for your antique china cabinet, you are likely to find it at MLI.  One of our more popular items are our paperweights, with many of them at $12 each and we often are able to carry some for only $6 (of course they sell out the fastest!).

Don't let looks be deceiving when it comes to prices, come by and see for yourself!

How to choose a sofa

 

One of our newest additions, from the Parisian Loft collection, made by Precedent Furniture, features many ways to customize your sofa according to how you like to relax.

That might sound like an odd way to order a sofa, but we will probably ask you if you like a firm seat or a "sink into the sofa" seat.  Also, do you sit straight on or prefer to curl up with your legs underneath you. 

You  might be familiar with choosing fabrics and colors, but now there is even more to decide.....but they are easy decisions! 

This particular series of furniture gives us 2 options for the depth.  If you like to curl up and watch TV, you'll definitely want a deeper seat.  Or if you are purchasing a sofa for a small scale room, or your back requires you to sit more upright, the smaller depth would be what you are looking for.

Now choose your components:  sectional pieces, chaise, ottoman, chair, etc.

The Parisian Loft series also has 3 arms to choose from, which are more slender than arms styles from several years ago.  This works out great with side tables and take up a lot less space in a room, giving more area for actual seating.  The Track arm is generally considered to be more contemporary, with the Small Roll arm more traditional.  The Flare are reminds us of the English Arm style which has been around forever and is great to mix into more any decor.

The back style has 2 choices, as seen above.  The boxed cushion is traditional but more tailored in appearance with the cording.  The knife edge has a more casual look, but not sloppy.  These cushions fit on the back of the sofa and are not to be confused with scatter cushions.  The nice thing about unattached  cushions are that they can be rotated to keep them from looking smashed down if you tend to sit in the same place everyday.

As mentioned before, welting adds a tailored look, while the unwelted cushions might look less fussy and could also be considered more contemporary.  We have recently been noticing more furniture without welting in all styles and designs.  A note on that is that some welting can be the first to show wear, and the double stitching on the unwelted cushion doesn't.

You can see above that there are optional finishes for the legs.  The shape will probably depend on the other pieces in your room. 

Finally, some of the finished options put together to give you an idea of what your piece will look like.  If you have small children or pets, remember to ask us about fabrics that are easy to clean.  All of our furniture companies are expanding that area of their fabric lines.  The look of pet-friendly fabrics, as we sometimes call them, has come a long way. 

There's a lot more to tell you about our furniture lines, but we'd rather do that in person.  You'll be happy to know that our newest line is also made in the US, as we feel that is an important factor in custom upholstery.  Each piece can be ordered to your specifications, or if you like what we have in your store, we'll have it delivered ASAP.

New Store Hours for 2016

We gave it the "ole college try"! For the last 2 years, Madison Lane has been open on Saturdays and closed on Mondays. We were hoping the new location would draw in weekend shoppers.  

Now,  for 2016, we have taken a look at the traffic patterns for the area and the many people saying they missed us on a Monday, and decided to go with the flow!  Especially looking at our immediate neighbors, Dr. Hayes and Dr. Skaggs who are both open on Mondays, it appears our area is geared for the Monday through Friday shoppers.  Even though Rangeline Road can be a frightening place on the weekends ;)  it seems that is where everyone is going.

OPEN:  MON - FRI 11:00-5:00

If you were one of our Saturday shoppers, just be aware that will are still available for you on that day, just call and we'll make arrangements.  We realize many people shopping for furniture pieces need to bring their spouse in on a Saturday, and we are fine if you give us a 'heads up' on your visit.  

 The majority of appointments are made during the weekdays at 9:00 am if possible.  That allows us to be back in the shop by 11:00 or have someone covering the store for a few short hours if necessary.  We do quite a few "color consultations" during the week, and I'm not talking haircolor!!!  If you need a change and are thinking of painting, give us a call, we can help you get started on your redecorating project.  Also, measuring for window treatments, matching up fabrics for various projects, etc, are all examples of a typical morning appointment.

We are closed down for vacation the week of 1/4/16 - 1/8/16.

Happy New Year to our customers, and look for new things to happen at MLI in the coming year!! 

The secrets of Window Treatments

As I paid for another year of membership into one of the best professional window treatment groups I know of, I thought about all of the information I have learned from this group of professional people.  We gather from all over the US (and beyond our borders) to talk on an online forum about everything from how large to make a drapery hem to how to install 20 ft drapery panels.

I have been a part of the Drapery & Design group (previously called Custom Home Furnishings) for as many years as it's been around.  We have attended seminars, classes and shows and met many of the people who are still part of the professional group.  It's a support system unlike any I know of and you, as a customer of Madison Lane Interiors, benefit from it as well.

We feel that one of our specialties in the home decor business is our ability to meet your needs for window treatments, and most likely exceed your expectations.  We try our best to explore all options when it comes to design and pricing.  If you are have the need for drapes, shades, shutters, or blinds in the coming year, stop by and talk to us about it.  We definitely have all the options for you to choose from and might tell you a few of our secrets, too.

Introducing another furniture line: Precedent

Although we won't have the new pieces of furniture in the store, we do want to let you know ahead of time that we will be representing another line of American made furniture.  Precedent offers a variety of seat depths in many styles, making it so much easier to find "just the right size".

 For over 30 yrs, every piece of Precedent upholstered furniture has been meticulously and sustainably crafted for exceptional value.  They offer over 500 fabrics to choose from, several finishes for no extra charge, custom styling, and the very best cushions for each frame, ensuring that each piece is as comfortable as it is stylish.

 The styling on many pieces of Precedent furniture tends to be cleaner lines, less fuss but very "on trend".  We sat in every piece in the showroom when we visited the showroom in High Point and can honestly say they were all comfortable.  Of course we had our favorites, and we did take notes so we can tell you all about them!

 

OK, what kind of prices are you talking about, you might be saying by now.  Precedent is considered a mid-range priced furniture.  You will be very pleased in the pricing, as we were!  

 The sofa/chaise shown in the above photo will be one of the pieces we are getting with our first order.  We were impressed with a chaise than can be switched to the other side, and not fixed on only one side forever.  This was always something to consider when buying such a set up, and moving to another house which might not allow a right side chaise/sofa.  Another plus is the ability to switch cushions to reduce wear on just one all the time.

 Precedent also offers customized beds, available as full beds or headboards only.  The shapes and heights, styles and fabrics are all up to you.  

 Stop by and look through the catalog or visit the Precedent website.

What's different about a dining room?

If you have a separate dining area you know the issues I'm about to mention.  Most of these rooms are on the front of the house, so the window is visible to everyone driving by.  If this window faces the west you may need a more than one line of defense against the setting sun (since most dinners will be during this time).

Another issue is how to warm up a room that has so many wooden pieces in it and very little upholstery.  An area rug may help, but if you pass through part of your dining room into the next room, the corner of a rug might end up running into the middle of the traffic area.  Or if your room is narrow, it could cause a problem with a hutch or sideboard.

One of the best places to use floor length drapery ends up being in a dining room.  It can solve several of these issues.  First one is that it adds some softness to an otherwise "hard" room.  Another reason is to filter the sunlight and provide privacy (or at least semi-privacy as shown above).   Other rooms have upholstery and small tables that may be  hard to place if a floor length panel is in the way, but a dining room doesn't seem to have this problem.

We know all the measurements we need to take and how to determine the type of drapery hardware you will need, too.  If you thought talking about pinch pleats, returns, leading edges and lining was difficult, wait until we start telling you all the hardware options!  There are so many styles and colors available, but by the time we determine your "needs" it will start limiting all of those choices into something more manageable.

Come by and tell us what is different about your dining room.  We'll solve your problems and find the best look for your decorating style.