Buying a high-quality piece of wood or upholstered furniture does provide you with the comfort of knowing your furniture is built to last. But, that doesn’t mean you can just drop it in your home and forget it.

Sometimes it’s the simplest things you overlook that can cause the most damage. So, if you’ve ever wondered what the best ways to ruin your furniture are – we’re laying them out for you. Because, as they say, the best defense is a good offense.

Ordering custom furniture always indicates a lead time. And that's simply because handcrafted furniture takes time. But how long will it take? And is it worth the wait?

We're always aiming to be as transparent as possible so you can be an expert when it comes to making decisions for your home. 

Design trends have a lot to do with what’s going on in the world. The form, function, and futuristic elements of mid-century modern design came out of an optimistic time when anything felt possible. Traditional design was inspired by the opulence of royalty in the 18th and 19th centuries.

So, although they may be fleeting, trends say a lot about the state of the world. And they can be a great entry point into a design project if you’re feeling lost.

After a long hiatus, we’re back with another designer’s pick of the month. We met up with Anne, a Design Consultant in Middleton who chose the Kendrick Swivel Chair from CR Laine.

A basement, unlike most other rooms in the home, doesn’t have a designated purpose. This means that the options are endless when it comes to designing and decorating.

But that doesn’t mean it comes without challenges. Basements, even when furnished, can come across as stark, cold, and unfinished. We met up with the team in our Middleton showroom to get their expert advice on how to design a functional, cozy basement.

There are a lot of factors when it comes to buying wood furniture; cost, color, and quality to name a few. But the most important question, arguably, is what kind of wood you’re getting.

There are, essentially, three types of "wood" used in furniture: solid wood, MDF, and plywood. Within these categories you'll find high-quality and lower-quality versions, which will ultimtaely affect the long-term durability of the furniture and its price.

Much like our retail stores (and other non-essential businesses), furniture factories were forced to pause their production and either close-down for 2 to 3 months or switch focus to creating PPE for essential workers.