6 Ways to Cozy Up Your Home for Fall

Posted

Furniture & Interior Design Studio in West Bloomfield, MI

The transition from summer to fall feels the same pretty much every year; like it happened in the blink of an eye. One minute you’re watching Fourth of July fireworks, and the next you’re digging out the rake from the back of the garage.

Now that the air is crisper and the leaves are turning, it’s time for your home interior to catch up with the changing seasons. At this time of year, that means going from bright and airy summer spaces to warm and cozy ones. Here are a few easy ways to tweak your interior design to achieve that snug and inviting autumn look!

1) Bring out the throw blankets.

Nothing makes you want to snuggle up inside more than the sight of a soft blanket draped over the back of a couch or recliner. Throw blankets are a great way to take your space from summer to fall. You can use blankets to work seasonal colors, patterns, and textures into your interior, as well as provide some practical warmth for the cooler days ahead.

2) Update your throw pillows.

Another inviting touch of décor that offers an opportunity to work in different fall elements is your throw pillows. Swap out pillows on couches, chairs, and bedding with light colors and summery patterns or sayings with ones that are fitting for autumn. Just a few quick substitutions and you’ll have a new level of comfort and visual interest for the new season.

3) Layer in area rugs.

As the temperatures get cooler, area rugs are a practical and visually appealing way to add some warmth and cushion underfoot. Update your floors with fall colors and textures and give them a little extra protection from increased holiday foot traffic at the same time. By layering two area rugs on top of each other, you can also bring in a dimensional element—just make sure the bottom rug pokes out so both can be seen.

4) Infuse your space with autumn scents.

Smell is a powerful trigger that you can use to make your home feel like an inviting fall haven. Candles are the obvious choice for giving your interior a fall aroma, plus they’ll help create a soft and cozy ambiance. But if you’re not a candle lover or they’re impractical for your space, then wall plug-ins, scent diffusers, and potpourri will work just as well.

5) Create displays with fall plant life.

Warm and appealing arrangements of seasonal plants, flowers, herbs, and natural features are a simple way to bring the spirit of fall to your space. For pops of color, focus on fall florals like dahlias, mums, and hydrangeas. Balance out the brilliant autumnal hues with earthy elements like branches, pinecones, and seasonal greenery such as eucalyptus and olive. Don’t forget to polish off your harvest look with seasonal veggies like corn stalks, gourds, and of course, pumpkins.

6) Prep your fireplace.

If you have a fireplace, it has probably spent the last several months gathering dust. As you’ll be using it much more often in the coming seasons, now is the time to get it ready to do its job. Start by giving it a good cleaning and stocking up on wood, gas, or propane. Once you’ve affirmed everything is in good working order, spend some time on the mantle. Decorate with fall accessories, like seasonal florals, artwork, candles, and other décor. It will serve as the perfect focal point for your cozy autumn look.

Whether you’re refreshing your home for a new season, new life stage, or just because you feel like it, Sherwood Studios has everything you need to create the new look you have in mind. Head out to our West Bloomfield showroom to shop furniture and décor of all styles. Need help getting the details just right? Ask us about our interior design services and we’ll set up a consultation.

Visit our store or contact us today to get started on your new fall interior!

Why People Love Minimalist Interior Design (& How to Pull it Off in Your Space)

Posted

Furniture and Interior Design Company in West Bloomfield, MI

Over the last few years, minimalism has really come to the forefront of the interior design industry. Minimalist style is defined by simplicity, functionality, and precision. The concept behind this look and lifestyle is to limit your material possessions and follow a “less is more” philosophy. You may think of minimalism as boring at first, but when you see it in action, the advantages of living in a minimalist space become more and more apparent.

The Benefits of Minimalism

Good for your health

A messy, cluttered home can have a negative impact on your mental health. Think about it; wouldn’t walking into a room with clothes covering the floor, busy patterned wallpaper, and every inch of surface space covered in knickknacks stress you out? The less stuff you have and that your mind has to process, the less stressed you’ll be. Plus, with fewer objects around to gather dust and allergens, minimalism can actually promote better air quality.

Calming, comfortable environment

Less chaos and visual stimulation make for a more relaxing atmosphere. Minimalism is all about light and airy ambiance, achieved through streamlined furniture, light neutral colors, and warm textures. People often find that spending time in a minimalist space allows them to keep their mind calm and rest easier.

Save time and money

Another perk of choosing minimalism for your home interior is that you’ll have fewer pieces of furniture and décor to buy. This saves you money on furnishing your home, as well as time maintaining those furnishings. With more open space, there is less to clean and take care of, leaving you with more time to actually enjoy what you do have.

Simple but luxurious aesthetic

The principles of minimalism come together to create a refined and elegant-looking space. Since you have so few pieces in a minimalist room, the ones you do have should be of the highest quality. While the quantity of your furniture and belongings keeps things simple, the quality gives your space an air of luxury.

Tips for Creating a Minimalist Space

Declutter

The first step to implementing minimalism in your space is to pare down and organize what you have in it. This goes for knickknacks, wall and table décor, furniture, and other accessories. This is key for achieving the simplicity that defines the style. Go through your belongings and get rid of everything you don’t actively use. For the items you keep, organize them using clean storage solutions, such as hidden drawers in furniture or storage ottomans.

Keep furniture and décor to just the essentials.

For your furniture and décor, limit yourself to just a few necessities and carefully-selected details. In a living room, for example, you’d want to stick with just the seating you need, TV/entertainment center, a coffee table and/or a few end tables. Décor in a minimalist living room might include functional accessories, such as an area rug, lamp, and couch pillows, as well as one or two decorations, such as a simple piece of wall art or vase of flowers on the table.

Use symmetry and clean lines.

Symmetry and clean lines are staple elements of a minimalist space. They are used to create balance and place the focus of the room on function and practicality. Flat, smooth surfaces and clean lines will also emphasize each piece in your space to help create visual interest and bold statements. This is especially important to do for minimalist interiors, where you have less to work with to create an attractive and interesting design.

Stick with two to three colors.

A simple color palette is another defining aspect of minimalist design, as it is crucial to keeping your space simple and elegant. The basis of your color scheme should be light neutrals or shades, such as whites, beiges, greys, light blues, light pinks, etc. If you want to be bold with it, make your second or third hue a more vibrant pop of color, used sparingly in your accessories.

Add dimension with textiles.

One thing to keep in mind if you’re going with a minimalist interior design style is that you need to consciously include warm elements. The simple, modern, clean elements of minimalism can become cold and stark quickly without the right balance. Layering different textiles is an easy and effective way to instill warmth and create more visual interest in your space. Play around with inviting textures such as linen, cotton, rattan, jute, and wool in accessories like area rugs, drapes, and pillows.

At Sherwood Studios, we offer a wide selection of modern, streamlined furniture to help you live the minimalist lifestyle. If you’re having trouble bringing the elements of minimalism together in your space, we also offer interior design services to help you achieve the vision you have for your home interior.

For more information about our furniture collections or interior design packages, stop by our showroom or contact a team member today!

How to Choose an Interior Paint Color

Posted

Interior Designer in West Bloomfield, MI

The color you decide to paint your walls can make or break your space. That’s a lot of pressure to begin with, and when you get to the store and see hundreds of different shades to choose from, it can become an even more intimidating task. Paint a room the wrong color and you will completely mess up the look and feel you’re going for. But if you choose the right paint color, you’ll enhance the whole of your space and every piece in it.

As you start swatch shopping, use the tips below to help you land on the perfect wall shade!

Don’t choose paint color first.

People often make the mistake of selecting their paint color first, since it’s one of the biggest steps to finishing a room. For the best results though, choosing paint should be your last step.

The furniture, fabrics, and major décor and accent pieces should be chosen for a room first. Then, pull inspiration for your wall color from those elements. There will be more paint colors for you to choose from than furniture and décor colors.

Use the color wheel.

Although color is seen as an element of art, there is a science to it. Learning the basics behind this color theory will help you choose the right one for your home interior.

The easiest way to use color theory when creating an interior color scheme is to consult the color wheel to see how different colors work and don’t work together. For example, if you’re looking for a bolder scheme, choose colors that are opposite on the wheel. For something more subtle, use adjacent colors to create an analogous palette.

Consider the function of the room.

Paint color is perhaps the most powerful design element when it comes to setting the mood in your space. The mood you’ll want to create in a room will depend on the purpose of that room.

In a home office, for example, you’ll probably want a color that makes you feel productive and energized, such as green or turquoise. But in the bedroom, it’s better to have a hue that helps you relax and feel calm, such as a shade of gray or dark blue. So, as you’re choosing your paint color, think about the emotions you need your space to elicit.

Don’t forget about undertones.

When a color is created by mixing two different colors together, like yellow and red to make orange or blue and yellow to make green, it will have an undertone that is closer to one color or the other. The undertone of your paint color will have a significant effect on how your space looks and feels. Undertones are either warm or cool.

You must be sure your paint undertones complement each color in the scheme you’ve created with your furnishings and décor, otherwise everything will clash.

Test paint colors before buying.

Before you commit to any paint color, you need to see how it actually looks in your home. A color on a small swatch in the store will look different in the lighting of your home against your furniture and decorations.

Get a sample of the colors you’re interested in and paint a few large wall swatches in different lightings to see how they’ll look in your space. If you don’t want to paint your wall, paint a poster board instead that you can hold up in different areas of light and next to your furniture.

Making sure your paint color, furniture, décor, and the other design elements in your space all work together to achieve the look and atmosphere you’re aiming for is no easy task. The interior designers at Sherwood Studios can help you with every detail of your space big and small, to ensure you pull off everything you’re envisioning.

To learn more about our interior design services and home furniture showroom, get in touch with our team or stop by the store today!

4 Home Office Essentials to Complete Your Workspace

Posted

Home Office Furniture & Design in West Bloomfield, MI

Advancements in technology and recent events have made working from home a normal part of many people’s lives. Whether you now work from home on a full-time basis or just a few days a week, having a quiet space where you can focus on work duties can be extremely beneficial to your at-home productivity.

If you’ve been on the couch or in your bedroom since you made the switch to working from home, it’s probably about time you made the addition of a home office. You’ll not only create that professional feel you’ve been missing, but you can add comfort and style to your workday with a few of these home-office essentials!

1) Stylish & Practical Desk

For many, the right desk is the most important part of a home office. It is where you get the bulk of your work done and a space that can house all of your must-haves, such as a laptop, monitor, notebook, lamp and more.

Though you need a desk that can hold all of your work belongings, it’s also important to consider how it flows with the rest of your space. If you have a smaller workspace, it is best to go with a desk that takes up less room and allows for the use of other things like comfy chairs or bookshelves.

2) Comfortable & Supportive Chair

Another must-have when working from home, a comfortable and supportive chair will give you the flexibility you need to get things done while also protecting your health. An office chair that swivels or rolls will allow for the free movement you need to reach important documents, books and more without having to get up out of your seat. Many chairs can also be raised or lowered based on your needs, which can do wonders for your neck and back.

If you have experienced back pain from a chair in the past, consider a more supportive swivel or armchair that promotes good posture as you work throughout the day. For those who want to take their workspace to the next level, consider adding an extra armchair, or even a smaller sofa, so you can be joined by a “work buddy” (two or four-legged) from time to time. 

3) Eco-Friendly Lamp

No matter if you’re an early riser that starts work before the sun comes up, or you do your best work late at night, an eco-friendly lamp will allow you to be productive at any hour of the day. With this type of lamp, you’ll get a soft, warm glow and won’t have to worry about it being on for long periods of time, as it won’t take up as much energy as a standard lamp would.  

If you’re adding a lamp to your space, we again suggest thinking of the area in which you’ll be working. Desk and floor lamps each provide plenty of light, so it really comes down to your individual need or taste.

4) Bold Bookshelf

Adding a bookshelf to your office may seem more like an extra than an essential, but when you consider the many benefits it provides, you’ll most likely want one for your space.

A bookshelf will not only store books that are important to your profession, but it can also be a great design piece to house your favorite sculptures, photos, memorabilia and more. It can show people what you’re all about, add a little excitement to the room, and serve as a great background piece for those pesky video conferences you attend. Consider adding a bookshelf with a bold design that matches the other pieces of furniture in your office to create that truly one-of-a-kind space.

When you’re ready to make the investment in a new home office, or want to add flare to your current space, think of our team at Sherwood Studios. We’ll be happy to handle your West Bloomfield home office design and furniture needs, including everything from desks to chairs, cabinets, sofas, lamps, bookshelves and more.

Call us today at 248-855-1600 to get started!

5 Tips for Giving Your Interior Design an Eco-Friendly Makeover

Posted

Interior Design Services in West Bloomfield, MI

As creatures who benefit from the Earth and all of its natural resources, it is our responsibility to take care of it in return. This sentiment has grown exponentially over the last several decades, so much so that it has become a trend in a variety of industries far and wide—interior design included.

Creating a sustainable home interior has become a shared goal of many designers and homeowners alike. To really feel good in your home, it helps to know that you’re doing your part to protect and preserve the environment. Of course, there is always room for improvement. So, if you’re looking for new opportunities to make your interior design eco-friendlier, we’ve got some effective and stylish ideas to get you started!

1) Choose eco-friendlier materials for furnishings and surfaces.

Cultivating your space with furniture and materials made from natural, renewable resources is a great way to make your interior design more sustainable. Eco-friendly options for design elements such as your furnishings, flooring, countertops, backsplashes, and even décor are becoming more readily available. Look for organic, recyclable materials such as reclaimed wood, stone, bamboo, recycled metal, cork, bio-glass, and jute fibers.

2) Use wall paint with low or no VOC content.

VOCs are volatile organic compounds that are used in products such as household cleaners, paint, and finishes. The VOCs found in these products emit gases that are harmful to the health of the people in your home as well as the environment. Minimizing VOC concentrations will help reduce the number of toxic emissions in the atmosphere. When choosing wall paint, look for products labeled as low VOC or no VOC. Or, consider other sustainable design options for your wall, such as bamboo or reclaimed wood panels, tile, or wallpaper.

3) Incorporate plant décor.

As far as environmentally-friendly décor goes, it doesn’t get much better than plants! Plants help improve the air quality in your home by filtering harmful gases and toxins from the air (by trapping and photosynthesizing them in their leaves) and outputting clean oxygen. Plus, decorating with plants and flowers will provide your space with a natural fragrance, lively warmth, and ambiance.

4) Maximize your natural light.

Relying on natural light to brighten your home will conserve energy by reducing the amount of artificial light you have to use. Outfit your windows with light treatments and sheer or light-colored curtains made with lightweight fabric, to help optimize the amount of light shining in. Just make sure your windows are well-insulated, so you’re not sacrificing heat energy for the sake of light. Choosing a light color scheme and using reflective accents (such as mirrors, metallics, glass surfaces, etc.) are a few tricks to help the light that you get bounce across the room.

5) Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances and fixtures.

Energy-efficient appliances are much more affordable these days than they once were, and they make a huge impact on your energy usage and overall environmental footprint. Upgrade any current appliances that don’t meet sustainability standards, such as your washing machine, dryer, dish washer, and refrigerator, to energy-star models. Take your energy savings a step further with conservative showerheads and faucets for water efficiency too. Keep in mind that although you may be spending a little more money on your initial purchases, you’ll also be saving money on utilities in the long run.

Whether it’s sustainability, functionality, aesthetics, or all of the above that you strive for in your space, Sherwood Studios will help you achieve your interior design goals.

Our West Bloomfield interior design services are available for any type of space to turn any vision you have into a reality. Whether you want to overhaul your entire home or just redesign a single room, there is no project too big or too small for our talent, skill, or passion.

Call us today at 248-855-1600 to set up a consultation with one of our designers!

The Do’s & Don’ts of Accent Walls

Posted

Interior Designers in West Bloomfield, MI

Sometimes, you need something daring to wake up a tired interior design scheme. Whether you’ve simply had the same aesthetic for too long or have suddenly decided you’re done playing it safe, there are a lot of great design features you can use to energize your space. One easy, yet very effective, way to add something striking to a room is with an accent wall.

An accent wall gives you a lot of options for getting creative and making your space unique. But it takes more to achieve the look you want than to just slap any old color on any one wall. Let’s take a look at some accent wall do’s and don’ts to help you pull it off correctly!

DO choose the right wall.

The wall you designate for your accent wall should be the natural focal point of the room. When you walk into the room, which wall is your eye drawn to first? That’s the one you should accent.

If one of the walls has a standout feature, such as a fireplace or bay window, making it an accent wall will accentuate that feature even more. If all of the walls are pretty much the same, choose the most open and visible one.

DON’T be afraid to choose a bold color.

Don’t assume you have to choose a color that blends in with the rest of the room. The point of an accent wall is to be bold and draw attention! As long as the wall color works with the color scheme throughout the rest of the room, it won’t look out of place. You can choose to match the accent colors in your décor and accessories, or go bolder and contrast your primary colors for an even more dramatic effect.

One thing you don’t want to do though is match your accent wall to too much of the room. A purple accent wall with a purple couch, for example, will sort of negate the accent effect and look overwhelming. Also keep in mind that bold doesn’t have to mean bright. A deep cool color can be just as striking and vibrant.

DO balance your accent wall with the other walls.

If you’re going to be doing an accent wall, it’s best to leave the other walls in the room fairly neutral, so it doesn’t overwhelm or look like a mish mosh. An accent color that’s a light to medium shade compared to the neutral shade will help maintain flow in the room and avoid being too stark.

You can even keep the room neutral and still have a bold accent wall. A dramatic contrasting neutral, such as a black or dark brown wall in a white or beige room, will achieve the same dramatic effect.

DON’T limit yourself to just paint.

As we mentioned, you have a lot of options for creating an accent wall. Wallpaper is another great way to make one wall stand out and add visual interest to your space. Or, if you’re nervous about committing to wallpaper, use wall decals instead. You could even use tile or stone wall panels, or create a full gallery wall of your favorite photos and art.

If you still want to use paint but do something outside of the box, paint your accent wall with different colors and patterns, like stripes, polka dots, or geometric lines. A one-of-a-kind mural is another unique way to paint an accent wall.

Nervous about botching your accent wall? Sherwood Studios can step in and help! Our team of interior designers in West Bloomfield, MI, will work with you to understand your vision for your space and come up with a design that brings it to life. Floor plans, furniture layouts, custom pieces, artwork, accessories, accent walls—we can do it all.

Contact us today to get started with a consultation!

How to Feng Shui Your Bedroom

Posted

Bedroom Interior Design & Furniture in West Bloomfield

Feng shui is the ancient Chinese art and philosophy of spatial arrangement. The goal of feng shui is to maximize the flow of qi (life energy), so that individuals are in harmony with their surroundings. Updating your bedroom furniture, layout, and décor according to feng shui principles will help make your space more tranquil, and promote deeper, more restorative sleep. If you’re living with a partner, bedroom feng shui can even help improve your relationship, since the bedroom is also a place of love and intimacy.

So, how can you feng shui your bedroom for better quality sleep, love, and living?

Place your bed to face the door, without being directly in front of it.

The ideal placement for a bed is against a wall where you have a view of the door, but are not directly in line with it. This is considered a commanding position, since you can see potential danger, but are not in its immediate pathway. Sleeping in this position makes you feel safe, which promotes better relaxation and higher quality sleep.

Try to also avoid placing your bed against a wall with a bathroom on the other side, or directly under a beam, fan, window, or piece of bold artwork. All of these things can restrict or disrupt your qi.

Use a headboard.

Another feng shui note on the bed—you should always use a headboard. A headboard provides stability and support, physically and for your energy. Choose a solid headboard, rather than one with bars or spaces in it, as these can cut the energy flow around you as you sleep. Soft upholstery is also recommended for your headboard, for a comfortable and inviting feel. If you’re using a solid material though, at least try to get something with soft edges to offset it.

Feng shui your color palette.

Color is a key aspect of feng shui. For your bedroom, choose hues that are peaceful and/or sensual. This will help set the right tone for sleep and sex, which are the only two things you should be doing in your bedroom. Neutral colors, like cream or beige, earth tones, like soft greens, pale blues, and chocolates, and muted colors, like pinks and peaches, are good places to start.

You should also select colors for your bedroom based off of your own personal needs. For example, if you’re a passionate person who needs a little more vibrant energy, incorporate pops of red to bring in the life you need. Or, if you’re looking for more of a serene vitality, deeper blues will work well. Just keep in mind that you only need small pops of these louder colors to have a big effect.

Declutter.

Clutter in your bedroom stresses you out and blocks the flow of positive energy. The biggest spot to clear out is underneath your bed. You should have nothing there, as it will disrupt the movement of qi around you while you sleep, affecting your restfulness. Organize the closet as well, and close the door at night.

As far as things to remove from your bedroom, electronics, books, and work materials are the big ones. The EMFs produced by electronics, such as a television or cell phone, disturb your sleep. Try to limit them as best you can. Books and work materials also carry the wrong energy to be in your sleep space. Being reminded of work or distracted by books will only activate your mind when you want to be shutting it down.

Create symmetry with pairs.

Feng shui philosophy tells us that pairs promote harmonious energy. Even if you’re the only one sleeping in your bedroom, double up on supporting pieces where you can to help create symmetry. The best items to use in pairs are nightstands, pillows, and lamps. Try to get identical pieces, or at least ones that look similar. Arrange them on either side of your bed for balance.

As trained and experienced experts with an eye for design, the interior designers at Sherwood Studios can create a bedroom that follows the rules of feng shui and aligns with your personal style and needs. We’ll present you with a range of ideas and possibilities for floor plans, furniture designs, window coverings, fabrics, accessories, and everything else you need to complete your tranquil space of rest.

Give us a call at 248-855-1600 to learn more about our West Bloomfield interior design services!

Interior Design Tips to Boost Productivity in Your Home Office

Posted

Home Office Interior Design Services in West Bloomfield, MI

There are a lot of advantages to working from home, as many of us have learned over the last year. The commute is convenient, you get to customize your work environment, and the dress code is comfy and cozy. That’s not to say, however, that there are not certain challenges to working in the same place where you sleep, eat, relax, and go about your normal non-work life.

The key to overcoming the potential distractions that come with working remotely is to cultivate a space where you can stay focused. To help you out, we’ve got a few interior design tips for making your home office as productive of a space as possible!

Choose the right color palette.

The colors around you have a strong influence on your emotions, mindset, and workflow. With this in mind, it’s important to consider which colors and their effects will create the type of environment you need to be the most productive in your home office.

Green, for example, is a color that energizes and stimulates creativity. Whereas red is more of a power color, which is better for promoting productivity in certain roles. Blue and purple can be great to de-stress and help you focus.

Set yourself up to stay organized.

Clutter and mess in your workspace will be distracting and can cause anxiety. To keep your office functional and conducive to getting work done, organization is key. Start with your desk surface. Limit the items you keep on your desk to those you use the most—computer, notebook, pens, essential documents, etc.

Surround yourself with adequate storage solutions to house the rest of the supplies you’ll need regularly. File cabinets, desk drawers, bookcases, and wall shelving are top options to consider. Also, don’t forget that small storage tools, like a pen cup or a desk paper tray, are just important as larger ones.

Add some greenery.

Incorporating plants and flowers into your home office will add some life and fresh air to a stale work area. The colorful leaves and blooms will provide visual variety to make your space more attractive and give your eyes a break from the computer.

The presence of plants also has a calming effect, which can help reduce stress throughout the workday. Just be sure to get plants and/or flowers that will thrive in the conditions of your office (light vs. shady, humid vs. dry, etc.).

Select quality ergonomic furniture.

Sitting at a desk all day can really wear on your body. To combat these unpleasant effects, you need to furnish your work-from-home space with high-quality office furniture designed to keep you comfortable. Most importantly, choose a chair that is comfortable and provides support. Look for something with good cushion, arm rests, and an adjustable height and back.

Along with a good chair, consider furnishing your office with other ergonomic support accessories as well. A foot rest, wrist cushion, and ergonomic mouse, for instance, will make a big difference day after day.

Combine natural, ambient, and task lighting.

Just like color, lighting affects your mood, which in turn impacts productivity. Natural light is by far the best option, if available. Take measures to maximize natural light in your home office, such as using light window treatments, opening blinds and curtains, and decorating with a few reflective surfaces to help bounce the light around.

If you don’t have access to natural light in your work-from-home space or need to supplement it, install overhead or recessed lighting, as well as floor and desk lamps. Stick with cool wattages (rather than warm yellow light) to help you stay focused and provide optimal visibility.

Working from home full-time probably doesn’t leave you with a lot of extra time to worry about your interior design. The interior design team at Sherwood Studios can help solve that problem by creating the perfect home office for your work needs and style preferences! We also have a large supply of top-quality home office furniture in our showroom to help you furnish your workspace comfortably and stylishly.

Get in touch with us today to start the process of making your dream home office a reality!

4 Pro Tips for New Furniture Assembly

Posted

Furniture Store in West Bloomfield, MI

Once you’ve finally found that perfect new piece of furniture you’ve been searching for, you probably want to get it set up and in place ASAP. Larger pieces, such as a couch or upholstered bed frame, are best left to a professional, as they can get pretty complicated. But smaller and medium-sized pieces are often straightforward enough to be assembled on your own at home, if you prefer not to pay for professional assembly.

To minimize the possibility of damage and ensure your new piece will hold up to use, it’s important to take the proper preparation steps and follow instructions carefully during assembly. Here are a few tips from our furniture pros to help set you and your new furniture up for success!

1) Get your space ready.

Before you open any boxes or dig out any Allen wrenches, you first need to prepare the area where you’ll be assembling your furniture. You should be assembling your new piece close to or in the same spot where you plan on placing it. It’ll be much easier to put your new desk together in your home office, for example, than assemble it in the living room and have to maneuver it upstairs or across the house.

Give yourself plenty of room to work with and push all surrounding furniture pieces out of the way. Prepare a sturdy, even work surface, such as a section of hardwood or concrete flooring. You may need to remove carpet, or you can lay the cardboard box your furniture came in out flat to protect the floors and provide a stable assembly surface.

2) Make sure you have all the necessary pieces and tools.

Once you’ve set up your work area, take your new furniture out of the box and see if all the pieces are there. Consult the instruction manual for a list of parts that should be included. As you’re taking inventory, inspect each part for damage and sort into similar groups. You may want to keep all of the hardware (nuts, bolts, screws, etc.) together, for example. Or, you can organize the pieces by what you’ll need to assemble for each step.

You should also gather any additional tools that will make assembly easier. Some furniture comes equipped with everything you need if assembly is simple. Other pieces though may require you to have your own tools, such as various screwdrivers or a hammer. Make sure you have all the tools you need before you start assembling to help streamline the process.

3) Read the instructions.

Too many people assume that they can figure out which pieces go together when assembling furniture on their own and toss the instructions aside. More often than not though, it’s not as self-explanatory as you think. If you don’t follow the instructions, there’s a good chance you’ll mess up without realizing it and prolong the assembly process, or even damage your new furniture. That’s why you need to read through them in their entirety before you begin.

By reading all of the instructions first, you’ll know what the process entails and be able to go into it fully prepared. Reading through the full assembly process is also necessary so you can determine if you’ll need somebody to help you. The last thing you want is to spend an hour putting together your new furniture piece and then get stuck on a step that you can’t manage safely by yourself.

4) Take your time.

Rushing the assembly process is only going to increase the likelihood that you’ll make a mistake. After putting in the effort to search for the right new piece of furniture, investing your money in it, and spending the time to put it together, it’s worth it to take the time to assemble it properly.

Approaching the process with patience will help keep you from getting frustrated and either giving up or messing up. Spend time double checking your work at each step. This way, you won’t make a mistake that you have to backtrack and undo later.

As a premier, full-scale furniture store in West Bloomfield, Sherwood Studios has everything you need to transform and/or complete your space. Our 23,000 square foot showroom features top-quality furniture, artwork, accessories, lighting solutions, rugs, and more to help you achieve the home interior you’ve always wanted. Plus, our experts will be on hand to answer any questions you have about assembly, style, or anything else.

Stop in today to get all of the home furniture you need!

Bringing the Outdoors Indoors for Spring

Posted

Interior Design Studio in West Bloomfield, MI

After a long winter cooped up indoors, most people are ready to embrace the fresh energy of spring by the time the ground starts to thaw. As the days get longer, the weather gets warmer, and the season of growth begins, you probably want to spend as much time as possible outside to enjoy it all.

Unfortunately, life’s responsibilities don’t always allow us to relax and refresh ourselves in nature as often as we’d like. The good news is, there are plenty of creative ways to bring the rejuvenating effects of the outdoors inside your home to relish in all the time. Let’s take a look at a few tricks to get you started!

Decorate with plants.

One of the easiest and most obvious approaches to bringing nature into your space is a literal one. Fresh greenery and flowers add instant life to your interior and literally make your indoor air more refreshing. There are plenty of great plant décor options available these days—potted plants, hanging planters, wall plants, miniature trees, etc. Even something as simple as a vase of colorful flowers or a bowl of fruit centerpiece can infuse a natural energy into a room.

Use natural materials.

Design features, furniture, and décor made from natural materials will introduce life-like textures and a distinct outdoor comfort into your home. You can choose to use natural materials for larger interior elements, such as stone countertops, hardwood flooring, and rattan furniture. Or, you can achieve the same effect with natural accessories like bamboo blinds, silk throw pillows, a jute area rug, and wooden floor lamps.

Maximize natural light.

Natural light makes a space feel bigger, brighter, and more open, which are all characteristics of the great outdoors. By bringing as much sunlight into your home as possible, you will create an inviting and cheerful outdoor ambiance. If your home is not blessed with large windows and skylights, there are other tricks you can use to boost natural light in your home. A light color palette, reflective surfaces, and light, airy window treatments can all help bounce the light you do get around the room for an illuminating effect.

Incorporate organic elements into your décor.

Another easy way to make your home feel like an outdoor oasis is to surround yourself with elements of nature. For example, accessories like seashell wall hooks, jars of beach sand, rock candle holders, and decorative crystals can serve as a straightforward, yet unique, link to the outdoors. If you prefer to make your natural elements more understated, try using them in fabric patterns (rugs, throw pillows/blankets, furniture covers), wallpaper, and artwork.

Appeal to the senses with subtle natural cues.

If you want to cultivate a space that immerses you in nature in a more subtle, but equally as effective, way, target senses other than the visual. Think of creative ways to integrate the outdoors in your home that engage you with smell, sound, and texture. Wind chimes or a nature sound machine, for example, can make you feel like you’re outside, breathing in fresh air. Natural-scented candles, essential oils, and potpourri will also have a similarly relaxing and earthy effect.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to see new possibilities in a space you’ve been in for so long. When you enlist an experienced interior design professional from Sherwood Studios to help, they’ll work with you to identify opportunities to refresh your design, come up with solutions that align with your style, and implement them seamlessly. We also happen to have an extensive inventory of contemporary furniture and home accessories for you to choose from to take your space to the next level.

Give us a call at 248-855-1600 or reach out online today to schedule a design consultation!