furniture calgary

Investing In Canadian Made Furniture

~ Naomi Pederson

As the owner of Showhome Furniture, I have examined thousands of different pieces of furniture and am very well versed in what furniture is going to last and what furniture is not. Unfortunately, as I have visited friends and family, I have found that this talent is not something everyone has. Buying furniture is expensive. Buying cheaply made furniture is even more expensive.

Recently I went to my sisters house. She has a lot of kids and they lead a very active life. With friends and family constantly coming and going, her furniture gets it share use. The last time I went, I noticed her couches. She has two different kinds of couches in her living room. She has an old leather love seat that is easily 12 years old. She also has a beautiful set on couches that are 2 years old made from synthetic leather and bought from a box store. It was interesting to see the difference in the two furnitures. The leather love seat was worn, and a small rip had started at the back, other than that though, it had kept it shape and looked very respectable.

My sisters other two couches however was a very different story. The shiny synthetic leather was fine on the back, but on the seats the cushions were peeling terribly and it made her whole living room look old and tired. Even the couch protectors that she placed over the peeling cushions did not cover up the poor quality of her couches.

At Showhome Furniture, we specialize in Canadian made furniture. The furniture is sturdy and holds up to the rigorous activities of an active family. We know that every family is unique which is why our couches can be made to order. You can pick the color, size, and design of your furniture so that it fits perfectly into your family.

Not only does Showhome Furniture carry beautiful, made to order, Canadian furniture that can be customized to your lifestyle, we also carry other amazing lines of furniture that will last you for years. Our solid wood pieces are built to be an investment that will be something that is cherished in your family throughout the years.

From tables, couches, consoles, head boards and more, Showhome Furniture carries everything that you would need to create a beautiful home that is functional, as well as stunning.

If you are wondering what furniture would best for you and your lifestyle, give Showhome Furniture a call and book a free one-hour consultation from our design experts.

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!

The Home Office!

~ Naomi Pederson

http://myamazingthings.com/small-home-office-ideas/2/

Recently, a staff member at Showhome Furniture in Calgary read that in 2010 there were about 3.6 million people in Canada were lucky enough to work from home.

https://www.facebook.com/ShowHomeFurniture/app/267091300008193/

From someone who has a family business, Showhome Furniture knows how important a space set aside specifically for work is to home workers.  I remember keenly the day my husband moved off the couch of our small rented house and into an old RV he bought to be his office.  The kids thought it was a hoot and I may have rolled my eyes a bit when my sweetheart gave me the tour.  It was small and there were none of the gorgeous desks or decor that we carry in our Calgary furniture store to brighten up the space.  My husband got it for a deal, and it was close to home so we were both happy.

https://www.facebook.com/ShowHomeFurniture/app/267091300008193/

I am sure this ‘new office’ had nothing to do with the fact we had 2 young kids at the time, and I was about 7 months pregnant with twins.  Or with the fact that my pregnant sister with her 2 young kids were sharing the house with us.  Well, I am actually pretty sure this was the main motivator to my husbands ‘move out’ but it probably was a wise move.

https://www.facebook.com/ShowHomeFurniture/app/267091300008193/

Now we are no longer renting, and as we renovated our new house we made sure there was lots of room for a home office.

As we designed our home office, and have helped countless of clients with designing theirs,  we came across 4 awesome tips for making your home office work for you!!

Location Matters:  First pick the best location you can think of.  Make it convenient so that it functions well.  We have our home office on the top floor right beside our bedroom.  Most our kids have their bedrooms on the main floor, and so the top floor is the most quiet part of the house.  My brother-in-law has his home office off his theatre room with an outside door for clients to use.  My younger brother has his home office outside on the beach!  So just look at what works for you and go for it.  Don’t worry if your office isn’t conventional it just needs to be convenient.

https://www.facebook.com/ShowHomeFurniture/app/267091300008193/

Find Beautiful and Functional Furniture:  Next think of the furniture!  At Showhome Furniture we are passionate about helping our clients find the perfect piece for their homes.  A home office deserves as much attention as the rest of the house.  What kind of furniture you need greatly depends on what kind of business you are running.   The most common pieces of furniture pieces are desks, bookcases, and chairs or sofa’s.  You might find that you need a large desk and a small bookcase, or if you are like my sister you will want wall-to-wall bookcases and a small desk.  Think of what you will be doing most in this space and shop accordingly.

Buy A Comfortable Chair:  Picking a good chair is so vital that it has a paragraph of it’s own!  Sometimes people scrimp on the functional furniture and splurge on the showy furniture.  At Showhome we believe that furniture can be both comfortable and functional and suggest that you are extra thoughtful when picking out what you are going to be spending most of your day sitting on.

Decorate:  Once you have a great location, beautiful furniture and a comfortable chair you are ready to paint your office and decorate it!

When my husband was in the RV, I admit, I did nothing to make it look nice.  I was just happy it was close enough for me to send the little ones over while I napped.  This should not be what you do.  Working is hard.  There are a lot of sacrifices you make staying indoors all day.  Treat yourself kindly and make your home office beautiful.

https://www.facebook.com/ShowHomeFurniture/app/267091300008193/

You might want to make it look more traditional, or modern.  There are a ton of different styles to choose from.  If you are not sure what style you are leaning towards, just pop by Showhome Furniture and our wonderful designers will be happy to help you out for free.

Bring Nature Inside: The last tip that our designers at Showhome Furniture have for you is to bring nature inside!  If possible, I would encourage you to make sure your office has a window.  The bigger the better.  Tons of science supports the notion that nature is a great de stressor.  If you are going to have to be in doors all day, you might as well make the most of it.

https://www.facebook.com/ShowHomeFurniture/app/267091300008193/

Opening the window, having some real plants in your office, hanging pictures of nature and having a great view are all ways that you can incorporate nature into your office space.

At Showhome Furniture, we know the value of a great home office.  Working from home, is not a luxury that most people enjoy.  If you happen to be one of lucky few, we hope that these tips will help you design a great place to do work at home.