farm table

5 Farm House Designs

~ Naomi Pederson

Beautiful farmhouse decor is a classic that we never seem to wary of. With it’s rustic furniture, warm color tones and earthy textures it feels as if we are just right at home the moment we walk in.

At Showhome Furniture we specialize in solid furniture that goes perfect in every home, especially within a farmhouse styled home. We love to help our customers take their decorating style up a level with our free 1-hour design consultation from our top designers.

Here are 5 tips to turn your home, no matter where you live, into a bit of farm charm. As Aaron Prittchett says “everybody’s got a little dirt road in ’em”

First, check out your colors! Farmstyle uses lots of soft neutral colors. This allows you to set the stage of your home as warm and inviting. Choose warm grey, cream or tan and keep all your walls the same color to carry the theme throughout the whole house. Just painting your house a neutral color will totally change the feel of your home.

Second, for an inexpensive farm update add diamension and texture to your walls. You can do this by putting up shiplap, wainscoting or beadboard on your walls. This extra layer adds interest and charm to the room. Start small and add it to one room at time!

Be bold and mix new and old! We love mixing new and old together in furniture and accessories. We love upcycling and repurposing our furniture. It is amazing how many old tools can be used successful as an accessory.

Farmstyle loves wood! Wooden furniture and accessories, even lights. Wood is nature, long lasting and warm, three things that represent the farmhouse style perfectly

Lastly, don’t overlook your light fixtures. There are ton of brilliant DIY or boughten light fixtures that can really bring the whole farm house feel all together.

I hope this helped you, and if you need any other advise with designing rooms in your home, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free 1-hour consultation from our top Showhome Furniture designers.

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!

5 Ways Of Creating The Craft Room Of Your Dreams

~ Naomi Pederson

Creating something new is such an exciting event.  With new creations, comes new vista’s and new ways of doing things.  Sometimes it is hard to remember how great creating is when we are spending all day at work.  Much research has been done on the benefits of having a hobby.  Whether you collect insects, or like to sew in your spare time, having a room to contain your hobby is a great bonus.

At Showhome Furniture, we try to help each of our customers pick out the perfect furniture for each of the rooms in their homes because we know that the right furniture can make all the difference.

At Showhome, we are excited about letting our children explore their passions, interests and crazy crafty side.  Many years ago, we decided to homeschool our kids in order to help tailor their education to their strengths.  Home schooling 6 girls definitely has it’s challenges, but looking at my 16 year old daughter I can honestly say that it has been worth all the challenges.

First decide where to do your hobby.  Is it an outside hobby or an inside one.  Most crafters would appreciate a room with lots of space to keep their supplies and allow them room to work.  A good desk or table is invaluable.

My sister has a 10+ year old kitchen table we gave her.  It is gigantic and has room for all the kids to work on their projects together.  It was one of the earliest furniture pieces that Showhome used to carry and even after 11 kids using it regularly it is in incredible shape.  We joke that well made furniture like her table will outlast everyone in the family!

A great craft room will have a lot of storage and room to contain all their mess.  This lets you work on a project for a few hours and then leave it without being in your way for the rest of the time.  Some key elements in a successful craft room is organization.  Having great bookcases, dressers to hold pens and paper, and adequate storage units are a must.

Third, make sure your craft room is inspiring.  We love a room that is painted in bright colors and full of windows.  We have found that not only does natural light make a room look great, it also is a great way to feel naturally happier.

Forth, a comfortable place to sit is a must.  A nest chair or a comfy couch is perfect for a craft room.

Lastly, accessorize your craft room to make learning funner. I love a craft room that is accessorized with useful looking product.  A gorgeous clock wall (that you can set to different places in the world) antique globes, and wall maps add an exciting feel to creating.

We all know that hobbies are fun, at Showhome Furniture we believe that great creation are made in great spaces.