Congratulations to our $50 Gift Card Winners from April! We hope you enjoy your prize!

Tracey Ringer
Aric Anderson
Pam Talbot
Karen Riley
Anthony Winnie

Is your home looking dreary next to the loveliness of Spring? It’s common for us to feel a little down as we pack away our cozy throw blankets and sparkling winter decoration. But getting your home ready for warmer weather can be a lot of fun and will make your friends and family feel right at home in the new season!

Start by combing your home for stuff that’s broken or that your family doesn’t use any more. Spring cleaning isn’t just about vacuuming and dusting, it’s about starting from a clean slate so that you can build up and make your home look exactly the way you want it to. So make some hard decisions and take everything that you don’t absolutely love to the donation center. If you aren’t sure whether you’re ready to part with a few items, pack them away for a month and see if you missed them. If you didn’t go looking for them, chances are that you don’t really want them lying around.

Next, select an object or two that completely encapsulates the style that you want for your home during the spring. It could be a colorful vase, artwork, or rug that you love. Use that as inspiration for some additional spring accessories by looking for complimentary patterns and similar color schemes. Switching out accent colors from one season to the next is a great way to keep you home feeling fresh. Throw pillows, small area rugs, lamps, and vases are all easy to change out and can make a huge impact on the atmosphere of your room.

Finally, bring some of that wonderful outdoor beauty into your home! Treat yourself with fresh flowers and potted plants to make your home feel bright and well-cared-for. A simple flower in the guest bathroom or miniature herb garden in the kitchen window will help make your home feel truly special. 

Do you feel energized to give your home a makeover this spring? 

To beautifully mix patterns and create striking styles for you home, you need to create a balance between too much and too little. You don’t want to overcrowd a room with too many different patterns or too much of the same pattern, but if you don’t incorporate enough pattern it may end up looking like an afterthought.

Use Variety – Most patterns fall into two basic groups: organic and geometric. Organic patterns are often inspired by nature and may appear more abstract. Florals are a good example of organic patterns. On the other hand, geometric patterns like polka dots, chevron stripes, and lattices have defined patterns that repeat in even intervals.

Start incorporating pattern into your room by choosing an item with a pattern that you love. For example, you might choose pillows in a floral pattern that compliments your upholstered furniture. Then add another pattern that is more geometric but still uses the same color scheme as the rest of the room. Or, if you initially fall in love with a geometric pattern for your curtains, try incorporating an organic pattern in the area rug. Your third pattern can be either organic or geometric, as long as it follows the second important rule:

Use Different Scales – Whether your first pattern choice is organic or geometric, you need to consider how big or small the scale is before incorporating additional patterns. If your initial piece features large flowers or wide patterns, the scale is large. Usually the larger the piece, the larger the scale for patterns (so curtains, rugs, and accent furniture usually use large scale patterns while small pillows, throws, and accessories have smaller scale patterns).

You don’t want to use all of one type or the other in the same room or the balance will be off and each pattern will compete against the other. Instead, try to use one large, one medium, and one small scale pattern in the same room. This way you can create depth with color and pattern while also maintaining a harmonious look for the room.

Hopefully you feel more confident about mixing and matching patterns and you’re ready to try to incorporate more style into your home.

CONGRATULATIONS to our $50 Gift Card Winners for March! We hope you enjoy your prize!

John Sargalis
Jen Centar
Lucy Boerenko
Nancy Gomula
Laurie Lawton

Congratulations to Michelle Foster! She is the winner of our Ugly Sofa Contest and can claim her brand new England sofa this week! We hope you enjoy your beautiful new sofa!

Thanks to all of our participants. We only wish we could give all of you a replacement sofa! Here’s a link to the Facebook album with all of our Ugly Sofa finalists: Link  We will be sure to hold another Ugly Sofa Contest soon!

Also, don’t forget to visit our store and enter to win this month’s drawing from the New England Appliance & Electronics Group. This month’s prize is a Sony BluRay Home Entertainment System! You can enter April 1 – April 30, and the winner will be drawn May 12th!

After you’ve purchased the furniture of your dreams, you’ll want to take every precaution you can to keep it looking its best for many years to come. These tips come from Protection 1st, which offers a protection plan that ensures your purchase past the warranty deadline.

Avoid direct sunlight and extreme temperature changes. Sunlight can fade wood finishes, leather, and upholstery fabric, so protecting your furniture with blinds and drapes during the day will help your furniture last longer. Also, high temperatures will cause wood furniture to warp and bend, and it will make leather and fabric dry and brittle. Avoid placing furniture too close to a heating vent whenever possible.

Caring for Upholstered Furniture

To protect upholstered furniture, be sure to clean the furniture on a weekly basis by vacuuming both the cushions and under them. To prevent upholstery from becoming wrinkled or flattened, you should fluff and rotate the cushions regularly to help slow wear and to ensure that any wear is uniform.

If more drastic spot cleaning is necessary, be sure to follow the instructions on the manufacturer’s tag. The tag uses codes to tell you what cleaning methods are recommended. As with most spills it is important to clean them as soon as possible to prevent the stain from setting.

Caring for Leather Furniture

Because of leather’s tendency to absorb other dyes, you should avoid placing other printed materials on leather that can transfer and leave a stain. Also, you should follow a simple cleaning schedule and use a clean white cloth to dust every week or two to prevent buildup of regular household soil. If any soil does accumulate, use a damp, soft white cloth to wipe the leather surface clean. But before you apply any moisture to the leather, be sure to place a few drops of water in an inconspicuous spot to make sure the leather doesn’t absorb it. If the leather does absorb water, use only dry cloths. The final step in caring for your leather furniture is to clean every 5-6 months with a mild leather cleaner. After cleaning, apply a protective leather cream to keep it soft and supple.

Caring for Wood Furniture

Due to the damage done by sunlight to wood finishes, constant exposure to direct sunlight can cause dark woods to bleach while lighter colors may darken. The finish may even begin to crack and peel. Try to avoid direct sunlight as much as possible.

The finish on a wood will affect how likely it is to be harmed by liquids, like glasses coated in condensation that are placed on its surface. You should always use a coaster or other insulator between your glass and the wooden surface because water can leave white marks or cause damage to the finish that has to be professionally repaired. Any minor scratches or marks can often be touched up with touch up sticks or scratch removers that can be found in many furniture or hardware stores.

We’re excited to announce that these five lucky people have won a $50 Gift Certificate to Ruby & Quiri! Congratulations on winning our February drawing!

1. Suzanne Field
2. Monique Holmner
3. Michelle Hall
4. Jennifer Knapp
5. William Mykel