calgary living room furniture

5 Tips On Picking The Perfect Coffee Table!

~ Naomi Pederson

Have you ever been to a friend’s house and noticed their coffee table? Chances are that you haven’t unless it happens to be an amazingly unique piece of furniture. The humble coffee table is used in most living rooms and yet it is often overlooked. Today, we are going to give you some tips on picking the perfect coffee table for whatever space you are working with. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to call us and ask our amazing design team for suggestions. You can also book a free design consultation from Showhome Furniture anytime.

First, consider your space. Once your sofa’s have been picked and end tables arranged, how much space do you have to work with? Designers usually feel that the ideal distance from the edge of the sofa to the edge of the table is 18 inches because that is far enough for you to stretch out your legs and yet still within reach of your drink or magazine. If you need some costume couches made to make having the coffee table work better, Showhome Furniture has a ton of custom Canadian made furniture available.

Make sure you leave enough room for the main passage way. We usually try to leave 30 inches from the table to the TV stand or media cabinet. If you are short on room, 24 inches will be fine.

Next you need to consider the height of the coffee table. You want people to be comfortable when they are setting down their dessert or reaching for the candy bowl. The normal table height is 16-18 inches.

Now look at the style in your living room and match your coffee table to it. It is fine to mix styles for variety sake. For instance, if you have slimmer more streamline couches, a sturdier wood table works great!

If you have kids, make sure you consider this when buying a coffee table. Super fragile tables might not be something you want to invest in if you think your kids are like mine and like roughhousing a bit. Glass tops are also not our favorite for being kid-friendly, but they can be if you choose the right one. Also, you might consider a coffee table that is more rounded and have less sharp edges.

Lastly, get creative. There are a ton of ways of finding or creating a unique focal point in your living room! Coffee tables are not usually well-noticed pieces of furniture, and that is all the more reason to change that in your home!

10 tips to make this year extra special. 

~ Showhome Furniture ~ 7 Comments
Merry Christmas to all you lovely people!

How many of you are so busy shuttling the kids, finishing projects and working the daily grind to decorate for Christmas?

Here at Showhome, we understand that struggle.

In the world we live in there is so much pressure to present the “perfect” image.

Chestnuts roasting by an open fire and all that bit.

So when you actually have time to spend on celebrating the season, instead of binge-watching the Crown in your bedroom, why don’t you try some of our tips?

Below we have a list of some of our favorite Christmas-time traditions of our families that we want to share with you!

And don’t forget to read until the end for a fun DIY!

10 Top Tips!

1. Get together with a group of your friends and do a cookie exchange.

Not only is it a ton of fun, but you will also have delicious cookies to share throughout the season!

2. Secret Santa a few neighbors (kids especially love this)

And it doesn’t need to be anything crazy, just visit the local Dollar Store for something to gift!

Identify a few homes you want to go to, bring your gift, ring the doorbell and RUN!

3.  Find the elderly or lonely in your community to go caroling to.

(Nursing homes are always welcoming)

While it seems nerve-wracking, the joy you bring to other’s lives is worth the fear.

Bring along a speaker with your favorite Christmas music, to help you sound fantastic. 😉

4. Make a hot cocoa bar in your kitchen and have some device-free time sipping cocoa with the family and reading Christmas books.

5.  Go ice-skating! Bowness Park is always fun if you are in Calgary, or hit up some skating wherever you live, plus it counts as exercise!

Bowness Park

6. Do a photo shoot with your friends.
When this winter weather makes you want to stay bundled and warm, cuddled up in your bedroom furniture, you have to put forth effort to actually get out of the house.
Text your friends and make a plan to do a winter photoshoot together!
It seems like everyone I know is an aspiring photographer.
If you have those “soon to be actual photographers” in your life why don’t you hire them for cheap to do a quick photoshoot for you?
It helps them build their repertoire and you get good quality photos out of it!
7. Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
There is no better way to keep the spirit of the season than by serving others.
8. Come visit us at Sunridge Mall.
 Browse our store, share some hot cocoa and cookies and remember we offer interest-free/no payment for one year plans.
PLUS all our accessories are currently 30% off!
9. Play board games!
While some games (like Uno) have the ability to tear a family apart, overall playing board or card games with your family or friends is a great bonding experience.
Sometimes we get so busy getting gifts for those we love we don’t actually spend time with them.
Change that by picking up a classic game and playing with your family.
10. Bake cookies.
I don’t know if you are aware of the Six Sisters, but their recipes are always spot-on!
My favorite is their Soft & Chewy Ginger Cookies that I’ll be sharing with you today.
When you have a minute check out their site: Six Sisters

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • Sugar, for rolling
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and one cup sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in egg, then stir in water and molasses.
  5. Fold in flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt and mix until well combined. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, roll in sugar and place 2″ apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
  7. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack.

CHRISTMAS WREATH DIY

How to make an adorable Christmas wreath in just a few easy steps!

1. Go to the dollar store and buy a plain wreath for cheap

2. Pick trimmings from your tree and add them to the wreath

3. Add snowflakes and a bow

4. Spray with fake snow or sparkles

Now that you have such a beautiful wreath, post a picture of it onto Showhome Furniture’s Facebook page before you give it away or hang it up to make your home more festive!

BONUS TIP:

Take your kids to a live nativity and remember the reason for the season.

Google “live nativities near me” and you will find some great ones!

Calgary Nativity Pageant

This time of year can be hectic and crazy, but we want you to know that Showhome loves you!

Have a very merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading and be sure to share with us your Christmas tips!

Calgary Living Room Ideas

~ Showhome Furniture

Even in those homes with a additional family gathering spaces, a living room can fill many functions and should be decorated to enhance its variety of uses. Often, it’s the first place guests see and should be a great introduction to the rest of your home, setting a foundation for your particular style.

Living Room Design Ideas

 

Ideas To Consider In Your Living Room Design

  • Proper mixing of textures and patterns can be a striking success when you follow a simple color palette. You can’t go wrong with a themed or even an all-white space. However, bring in some variety of textures to stop the feeling of being inside a hospital.
  • Place your sofa under a large window allowing sunlight and outdoor mood be the center point of an otherwise neutral spot.
  • Insert a character into your space with dynamic hues and trendy secondhand finds. Along with your sectional sofa or other major upholstered pieces, add vintage finds like bits of architectural salvage or cabinets of reclaimed wood for a more intriguing blend of old and new.
  • Present tradition with a twist. At Showhome Furniture we carry many unique pieces that can establish the mood and style of a room. Try the OLSEN corner seat, THE TABACCO couch, RIO COOL armchair and HILTON loveseat and instantly you set a direction for the rest of the room.

 

Achieve some drama by adding inexpensive art pieces. Give a random variety of artwork a museum-worthy approach by hanging them collectively on one wall. Update accessories with a few new components each season to give your room a fresh look.