Accessories

4 Design Tips On Choosing A Dazzling Dining Room Tables

~ Naomi Pederson

The heart of every dining room is its table! With the right table you can make every dining experience amazing!

While the principle in picking the right dining room table is fairly simple, you might find, like many of Showhome, Furniture customers do, that they would like the help of a professional in deciding the right dining room table for your family.

That is why Showhome Furniture has it’s own design consulting team that is here to help you in this and every other home decorating problem. Just give us a call and book your consultation today.

First look at your dining needs. How many people do you ideally want it to seat?

Now look at your dining room. Will your dining room table that you ideally want fit in your dining room table? You will need at least 30 inches from the table to the walls in order to exit and enter comfortably. It is also good to make sure that your table corner is at least 48 inches away from the door, if it is an open dining room then you don’t have to worry about this space.

If your dining room table won’t fit the dining needs that you want, consider getting a dining room table that will expand and shrink as needed. This is an excellent option for smaller rooms.

Now decide what type of table that you want. Do you want a more elegant table, or a simpler streamlined table.

At Showhome Furniture we have so many choices and our solid wood furniture is by far our best selling table because they fit into so many different styles of decorating seamlessly.

Lastly, pick your dishes and accessories. Even a gorgeous table looks better with a few accessories to help accent your table.

Remember, if you have any questions or would like to book a free consultation, Showhome Furniture is waiting for your call 🙂 !

6 Items Every Pergola Needs

~ Naomi Pederson

This warm weather is so enticing, and I love being outside.  In the summer I like to spend as much time as possible breathing fresh air and getting sunshine.  If you live in Calgary, breathing fresh air and sunshine have been a bit scarce due to massive forest fires all throughout BC.  I am going to hope that all these fires are quickly put out, and plan my perfect pergola to be enjoyed when the sun actually can show it’s face again.

A pergola is just another room to decorate and should be tackled in the same way you would decorate any room in your home.  Look at the space, add your big items, add the items that you want to showcase and then pull it all together with some great accessories.  Here are some great things to add to your pergola to make it truly another room to spend time in.

Curtains are such a fun thing to add to your pergola.  Pergola’s by design are lightweight and have no wall.  Curtains will make your pergola feel intimate and soften the hard wood or metal lines most pergola’s are made from.  Make sure your curtains are made with outdoor fabric for the longest lasting effect, but even sheer inexpensive curtains that last one season are worth spending money on.

At Showhome furniture we know that adding high-quality outdoor furniture is a must.  How can you enjoy a space without comfortable furniture to relax on.  Getting well-built outdoor furniture makes all the difference to your living space and will last for many, many years.

A great way to bring color into your pergola space is using outdoor beautiful cushions!!  Most stores will carry a variety of outdoor pillows to choose from, but if you can’t find what you are looking for, making your own cushion covers is very simple!

Proper lighting in a pergola is so important and can make it so you enjoy your space day and night.  You can string a few large strings of lights around your pergola, or a bunch of outdoor twinkle lights look gorgeous.  If you want to be fancy you can wire up a chandelier or hang a candle chandelier in the middle of your pergola.  Even battery operated candles will add romance, beauty and ambiance to your space.

Live plants are an awesome way of making your pergola feel enticing and delightful.  You can hang them in baskets, put them on the pole of your pergola, or have them in containers.

Plants, even fake plants, really can bring a whole space together in ways that nothing else can.

Now, the last tip Showhome furniture has for you, to help make your pergola one of the most ‘go to’ places in your yard is to add something to the floor!  You can add an outdoor rug, or interesting gravel if your pergola is not on a deck.  Real or fake grass is great or painting the floor is another way to liven up your space!

Creating Cozy Spaces On Large Decks

~ Naomi Pederson

I always dreamed of having a large deck to entertain on.  I thought of all the parties I could throw and all the people that would fit on my large deck.  Finally, I was able to get a home that had a large deck off the kitchen.  I was delighted but soon realized that sometimes decorating a large space can be harder than decorating a small space.

At Showhome furniture we know that it important to balance things out, pick good furniture and define spaces in order to create the maximum entertaining space for your time and money.

deck furniture layout ideas

When I designed my deck, I found it easier to break my space up into different zones.  I had the eating zone and the sit back and chill with friends zone.  Sticking to just two different zones allowed me to also have enough room to move around and look out at the view even when there were many guests over.

For my eating zone, I opted for a gazebo kit to frame in and shade my guests while we ate and conversed.  If you live in a very windy location like a few of my sisters, you might not be able to get away with a box kit and may have to hire someone to come and build you a permanent structure that is windproof.

I learned the hard way when I lived in Southern Alberta near the foothills, that you must build according to the needs of your location.

For the visiting area, I just got a good quality sectional, a rug and a coffee table.

No living space inside or out is complete without accessories, and since we were creating an outdoor living space, I made sure that my deck was loaded with plants or different shapes and colors.

One thing I did not do, but many have is to add a fireplace or fire bowl because even though my deck was large, I wanted to leave lots of space for mingling guests and running children (who are often in large numbers at our gatherings).

What I did do though was add a lot of different candles and lighting to my space.  The mixed lights let me enjoy our deck even when the evening grows long and dark.

Whatever your deck size, decorating it properly is a must in order to realize it full entertaining potential.

 

5 Simple Decorating Tips For Decorating Your Cabin

~ Naomi Pederson

Are you one of those lucky people who own their own cabin that they can use to just get away from the world?  If you are, you know that it can be a challenge to decorate it in a way that is easy to maintain, as well as beautiful.

At Showhome furniture we know that struggle well.  Each day we are rearranging furniture into small mini rooms to help inspire our clients.  We realize that decorating these small spaces take as much thought or more as decorating a larger home.

The first thing to realize when decorating your cabin is that because you won’t be living there on a daily basis, you won’t be needing as many things.  Being conscience of what you allow into your cabin is vital.  Your cabin needs to have the essentials and should not have too many extras. Extra’s create more clutter, are usually not used enough to make them cost effective and cause more work to clean up.  Keeping your things to a minimum will greatly improve the time you spend in your cabin.

Next be careful about your furniture choice.  Getting furniture that is well built and made with natural products will help them last longer.  At Showhome Furniture we offer a 5 year furniture protection plan.  This protection plan is something every cabin owner should consider, especially those who own a cabin by water.

When you are on a vacation rules tend to be bent, and nothing can wreck furniture more than wet sandy kids sitting down on new furniture.  Even well built furniture can benefit from the protection plan, helping make each dollar you spend on your cabin last long.

In a cabin you naturally chose smaller furniture because the rooms in cabins are usually smaller than a regular house.  While it is wise to choose smaller furniture, freeing up more space for moving around, do not worry if you find the perfect large chair or other piece of furniture.  A few larger pieces can help make a small room feel special and inviting.

When choosing what to decorate your cabin with think of the following questions:

1. Do I need this?

This question helps provide you a framework to help you make a better decision on what you should or should not bring into your cabin. As we identify what we need and don’t need, we are able to better choose things that will be useful and bring us joy, as well as say no to the things that will just clutter our cabin and vacation time.

There will definitely be things you will be tempted to decorate your cabin with that you don’t need.  When you find that you are dealing with something that fits this category it is the perfect time to ask yourself the second question, why do I have this?

2. Why do I have this?

With this second question, we are encouraged to analyze more deeply our relationship with our stuff and how they are a part of our lives.

Often you will be surprised at the answers you will come up with to the question of “Why do I own this?”

Many people have found that as they take time to thoughtfully decorate their cabins, that their cabins truly become the little bit of peace and quiet that help us get away from the stresses of life, and allow us to function at our best.

7 Ways To Bring Add Coastal Decor To Your Home

~ Naomi Pederson

I was born on Vancouver Island.  When I was 13 my parents took all their kids (eight in total) on to a boat and we sailed to the South Pacific, living there for four years.  I graduated high school and went to a small University in Hawaii.  You could say that the ocean is a little bit in my blood.

I love Calgary.  I love the busy energy, the different people from all around the world and all the fun things there is to do in Calgary.  I love working at Showhome Furniture with it’s diverse customer base, and city vibe.  Sometimes, however, I do miss coast and so with this in mind, I thought I would share with you are few things that I like to do to add abit of the Coastal vibe into my home, no matter where I live.

First, I look at the furniture I have.  The coastal look usually involved softer colors and worn out beach looking furniture.  If you have an older piece of furniture that could use a new life, now is the time to bring out you paint brush.  A few quick coats of white paint can drastically change your furniture into a brand new item.

Second look at your walls.  Repainting your walls is easy and very affordable.  It is truly amazing how just a change in paint color can alter the feeling of a whole room. 

Remember that just because you are doing a beach theme, it does not mean you have to be shy about color.  There are plenty of bright beach theme idea’s.

After you have chosen your wall color, and also whether you are going to go bright colors or light colors, now is the time to add any new piece of furniture that you might need.  You do not need to replace all your furniture.  At Showhome in Calgary we have a ton of gorgeous furniture pieces that would go perfectly with the coastal theme.  We love the weathered, loved, and well built look and tend to bring them in when ever we can.

The great thing about a beach theme is that it ties in many different kinds of furniture nicely together.  Just assess what furniture you already have, and what if anything you could get to really make your room special.

Get a Rug!  Some people do not realize the importance of a rug.  A rug has a way of holding all the furniture in place.  It is a way of making your room feel lived in, loved, and inviting.

The fifth thing you can do to help tie in the coastal theme is add pictures on the wall or maybe highlight a wall with pallets.  The weathered wood look is very coastal.Next, look for a few light colored, or shell inspired decor items.  A chandelier is a perfect place to tie in the beach theme.   Lastly, accessorize.  Add curtains if you want to, or pillows on the couch to help tie in all the colors and add to the them.  Don’t over do it.  You want your place to feel well dressed but not cluttered. 

Shells and colored glass jars are great accessories.  So are items such as driftwood, or stones.  At Showhome Furniture, we have a whole assortment of different accessories that will help you add those important finishing touches to your rooms.

Do you have a favorite tip for bringing a little bit of the beach into your home?

Furnishing A Vacation Rental

Image ~ ~ Naomi Pederson


Do you have an extra room, suite or even home that you are thinking about opening for a vacation rental?  At Showhome Furniture we have supplied many home with the right furniture to make a ho-hum vacation rental into a stunning retreat.  In the process of interviewing our clients before and after they have started renting, we have come up with some awesome tips on how to design the perfect vacation rental! The first thing you need to do before renting out your property to others is to clean it top to bottom.  Nobody wants to spend the night in someone else’s dirt.  Not only will you have guests who will refuse to stay at your place, you will also have guests that will leave you a terrible review-which will discourage others from renting your home. Make sure you clean out all the clutter of your house, take down random pictures and nick nacks. Nick nacks tend to make a home feel cluttered and make you spend more time cleaning and dusting them between guests.  Make sure you fix anything that is broken and clean your yard.  You want their first impressions to be the best one possible. After making sure your home is  make sure your beds are comfortable.  At Showhome we sell some of the top luxury mattresses.  We know that a good nights sleep is the most important part of keeping your vacation guests happy.  An old lumpy or stained mattress is not something that guests will be happy with.  If there is just one thing you splurge on, a new mattress is one of them.  Be sure to protect those new mattresses with good quality mattress covers to keep them beautiful for a long time.Next make sure you dress up those new mattresses with some new, good quality linen and bedding.  Everyone likes to be spoiled, and walking into a room that holds a beautiful bed just fills the happy spot in most vacation renters.  Don’t be afraid of adding a few extra decorative pillows, and a soft throw at the end of the bed.  Make sure you get good quality sheets and nice towels to let your guests use while they are with you.  You want your guests to feel special and this is one of the best ways to do it.

 Now you need to assess your furniture.  Go through your home and check each piece of furniture thoroughly.  Make sure the chairs are study and the couches look new. If something does not look new or is broken get replace it with high quality long lasting furniture that you do not have to fuss with.
If your table is badly damaged consider getting a new one.  At Showhome we have gorgeous ‘rustic’ tables that are sturdy, beautiful and hold up well to the wear and tear of vacation guests.
 If your couches are saggy, get new ones.  You guests will complain if things are old and grungy.  They will notice if your furniture does not match.  Having new furniture could be the thing that helps you become booked all year.  One trick one of our clients shared was that she replaced her old couches with two matching sofa beds.  She did that because it helped increase the number of guests who could sleep at her place (letting her charge more) and it also made it easy to get ready for guests because she would just leave the linen out for her guests and they would make up their own bed when they needed to go to bed.  Anytime you can let your guests do some of the work, you are making your business more viable.
We know that replacing furniture can be expensive.  At Showhome we have 1 year free financing available.  This can be a great option for your vacation rental because it allows you to use the new furniture for a year as you rent, letting your guest rental fee help pay for them.  The most important furniture to consider are beds, couches, table and dinning room chairs.  Bookcases, end tables, and dressers are nice too, but not as important as the other furniture we have talked about.
When picking out new furniture, look for furniture that is sturdy and easy to clean.  Leather is an excellent option.  Be sure to get the protection plan on your furniture.  You do not want to have any worries if a guest has an accident at your home.
Lastly, be sure to accessorize your rooms extremely carefully.  Accessories help pull a room together and creates a more inviting home, unfortunately though, they also cause your cleaners more work in keeping them dusted.   Get accessories that won’t break easily and add to the look you are going for.
These are some of our top suggestions on how to furnish a vacation rental.  We know these aren’t everything you need to consider when renting your home.  If you have your own suggestion please share them with us.

Amazing Bedrooms For Teens!!

Image ~ ~ Naomi Pederson ~ 1 Comment

Do you have a teen-ager in your home?  If so you are one lucky person.  Teen-agers are so fun to be around.  They are usually full of life, chatty, and kind. . .until they are not-Lol!!  In one year our Showhome Furniture Family will have four teen-age girls.  What a ride we are in for!

With teen-agers comes emotions, and idea’s.  If your child has never had a room of their own, this might be a good time to consider letting them have one.

Teen-agers are going through a lot, and the pressure to fit in can be tough.  Making sure they have a place that is truly there’s can make a big difference.  One thing that we strongly caution against is letting them have a room of their own with a phone of their own. Recent research has revealed the hazards of letting teens have too much time with phones.

When designing a room for your teen-ager involve them as much as possible.  This is a time of change and exploring for kids, so let them have as much freedom in creating their own special space.  Definitely give them guidelines and a budget.  Teen-agers can get confused with too many options, and carried away without a budget.

Next pick the location.  Think of your teens personality.  Is she the kind that push the boundaries more than others?  If so, consider situating her room closer to you and further away from the outside door!  A top bedroom is a good choice.  This is something that you don’t need to tell your child that you are doing.  Just discuss with your spouse where you both think your teen-ager would thrive the best and let them know after the decision has been made.  In parenting I have found that prevention, especially prevention that my kids don’t even know I am doing, is a million times easier and effective than trying to discipline.  Disciplining is going to happen with teens, the less you have to do the better.

Now for the fun part!!  Picking out the furniture.   I suggest you don’t let your teen-ager pick out the furniture without help that will go out of style fast.  When picking out furniture look for furniture that can adapt to different stages of your teens life.  If you are confused at all the different options, speak to our design team at Showhome Furniture.  We love to help our clients design their homes. Once you have picked out two or three different bedroom sets that work, allow your teen-ager to make the final say.

Once you have the furniture it is time to paint your walls.  Wall color is definitely something I would let our teen-ager have more freedom in choosing.  Just like dying one’s hair, paint is relatively inexpensive and can be quickly changed if it is a disaster.

Lastly finish off with curtains, bedding and accessories.  Just like you are never fully dressed without a smile, so is your room never complete without accessories.  Accessories are fun and can pull the room together in such a way that your teen will know how special they truly are to you.

Yes teen-agers can be a handful, but the more I interact with teens, the more I love this stage of life.  It really is fun working on projects with my girls and watching them grow into their own unique selves.