Archive for April, 2010


Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Buying for your home office

home officeIn today’s economy, more and more people are finding it easier to run businesses from the comforts of their own homes.  The results of this growing trend mean people are setting aside areas of their home as their office and most importantly now have to buy office furniture.

Whether you are buying a new desk or chair, knowing what to look for can be the difference between enjoyable working area or a painful one.   Follow this guideline for buying office furniture from purchased from your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee and set up your perfect office today!

  1. First, always measure the area you are going to set up as your office before you go out to buy. Knowing these measurements will help you decide what furniture you can purchase for your home office.
  2. Comfort and functionality always trumps looks. You are going to be spending hours at this desk so make sure it is the right height and size for you. Larger desks does not always mean better. Find something you can sit at comfortably.
  3. Think about the materials the desk is constructed out of. Always look for durability. Metal desk are known to hold up longer than wood desks. This is great especially if you have young kids. Wood desks can sometimes be more executive looking, but can get banged up and chipped. Also metal desks are much more easy to clean.
  4. Set a budget. Knowing your limit will help you decide what you can and can’t afford. This budget will help you avoid impulse buying.
  5. Pick a chair that is comfortable, adjustable, and can roll easily on all different types of floor coverings.  The chair is the most important thing you are going to buy. You will be sitting in this chair for hours so do not skimp on this purchase. A little pain in your wallet will be far less than that great pain in your back.
  6. Finally, research. Go online and do some research to see what stores have what offers. This will save you a ton of time and allow you to make great purchases.

Visit your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee to shop our vast selection of affordable, durable and beautiful furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings® Collection.

Saturday, April 24th, 2010

Accenting a living room with end tables

end tablesEnd tables are the perfect accent piece for finishing off the beautiful look of your living room!

Used for lamps, extra storage for remotes and magazines, and a place to put keys or even a cup, end tables serve many proposes but most of all add style to your room.

When deciding on what end table to buy from your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee, the single most important factor you need to consider is the scale of furniture you will place it next too. Small tables with short legs will look awkward when located next to larger couches with lots of volume.  Your end tables need to be proportionate in size to the couches, sofas, and chairs by which they are placed.

End tables should measure about three inches above or below the arm of the piece they will be next too. This will allow them to be reachable when you are sitting. Nothing is more frustrating than going to place a drink down and having to either stand or reach way over the arm of the chair to set it down.

The design of the end tables should match the style of the room they are located in. That does not necessarily mean they should match the other furniture pieces exactly, but should overall match the design of the room. End tables are meant to stick out and be noticeable. Stay away from purchasing ones that have the same exact design of your couch they will be placed next too. Be creative.

Finally, the construction and materials they are created with should be both sturdy and durable. End tables are meant to get a lot of use and have things placed on them . Over a period of time the wear and tear can have a damaging effect to them so make sure they are well-built. Metal frames are the most sturdy but if you are looking for wood end tables, make sure they are made of real wood material. Tables made of press wood are more likely to get damaged if they get wet.

Visit your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee to shop our vast selection of affordable, durable and beautiful furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings® Collection.

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Protect your furniture from getting scratched

cat-scratching-postCats are a great family pet. Their easy maintenance, sweet and loving nature, and great companionship can really add to your family’s home lifestyle. But one of the frustrations that come with having cats is their constant need for scratching furniture.

Cats have a need and desire to scratch, stretch, and flex their claws. The way they accomplish all these acts is by latching on for dear life to your nearest piece of furniture and stretching their body until they feel comfortable again. This can lead to severely damaged furniture and leave you very frustrated.

Follow these steps to prevent your cat from scratching and preserve the look of the furniture you bought through your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee for a lifetime.

  1. Get your cat a scratching post. Put them in locations cats like to be at. For example, cats love the sun and how it feels on their fur, so place a post by a window.
  2. Find a post that best suits your cat. This may take a bit of experimenting on your part, but will be well worth it.
  3. Do some research and find out what type of surfaces or textures your breed of cat likes. This can include rugs, wood, cardboard ect.  Also, what type of post orientations they like. (vertical or horizontal)
  4. Through a reward system, give your cat kitty treats every time they use the post. This will create a desire in them to want to scratch the post.
  5. After the cat takes a long hard nap, pick the cat up and place them near the post. Cats stretch and flex their claws after waking up. This will give them a place to do it on.
  6. Do not punish your cat if they scratch the furniture. This will only teach them to not do it when you are around.
  7. Even if you plan on getting rid of an old piece of furniture, still do not allow your cat to scratch it. This will only teach them to scratch furniture.
  8. Finally, consult your local veterinarian about different treatment option before you give up.

Visit your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee to shop our vast selection of affordable, durable and beautiful furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings® Collection.

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

Mans best friend

stop dogs from chewing furnitureMan’s best friend can also be his worst enemy when it comes to furniture!

It’s normal for puppies to chew on any object they can find. This habit will typically continue until the age of two. No object is safe during this growing time! Puppies will chew on shoes, windowsills, moldings, clothes, sports equipment – but most importantly, your brand new furniture!

Protect the wonderful piece of furniture you just purchased from your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee from becoming a tasty snack for your terrier by following these easy steps.

  1. Figure out why it is chewing. Is it because of teething, curiosity, boredom, or a behavioral disorder? Discuss these options with your local veterinarian.
  2. If your puppy is teething, buy a special teething ring made for puppies or give him a frozen washcloth to chew on.
  3. Keep a sharp eye on your puppy. Don’t let it wander about. Use a baby gate to corral the canine and keep it in the same room as you. Crates can also be useful; keep the crate stocked with chewable toys.
  4. If you catch your dog chewing, distract her by giving her something appropriate to chew on. Rotate toys with various textures so boredom does not become a factor.
  5. Practice obedience with your puppy. Set aside time to play or teach tricks. Your puppy wants your attention.
  6. Finally, exercise your puppy. If you tire him out, he won’t have the energy to chew on furniture.

Visit your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee to shop our vast selection of affordable, durable and beautiful furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings® Collection your entire family will enjoy, even your family pet.

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Don’t forget the accessories

accessories“Oh, NO! Why doesn’t my new living room furniture look as spectacular in my home as it did in the store?”

It’s a question we have all asked ourselves and it’s one of the most frustrating dilemmas for furniture consumers today. What can you do when the piece of furniture or group you have just spent countless hours shopping for has a completely different look in your home than it did in the store?

The solution is simple: Accessories!

Skilled designers accessorize rooms as much as they can. When shopping for that ideal piece of furniture through your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee, make sure you take into consideration the accessories that have been shown in the room setting, such as:

  • Occasional Tables
  • Occasional chairs
  • Curio Cabinets
  • Artwork
  • Picture frames
  • Lamps
  • Rugs
  • Candles
  • Throw pillows
  • Blankets
  • Floral arrangements
  • Decorative accessories
  • Place settings
  • Table centerpieces

When adding new furniture to a room, go shopping in other rooms of your home to find accessories that will add drama and interest around your new piece. You can also visit your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee to shop our vast selection of beautiful and affordable accessories from the beautiful furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings® Collection.

Attention to detail will pay off and soon your rooms will have the same sparkle and shine as a designer showroom!
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Friday, April 9th, 2010

How to set up an entertainment center

entertainment centerThere it is! It’s magnificent!

Standing tall against your living room wall is the entertainment center you’ve been dreaming about. But now the fear sets in as you see a bundle of electronic equipment that you must now, somehow, put together in order for your dreams to become complete.

But have no fear. Follow these steps to install your television, media player and surround-sound speakers to create a home entertainment system that will blow your friends away!

1.      Place the television in the middle of the entertainment center. Connect your Blue-ray, DVD or VHS player to the television using HD or HDMI cables.

2.      Connect the home theater receiver to the A/V (audio/video) output on the television. If the television does not have an A/V Out, then connect it to the DVD or Blu-ray player. It is best to use either RCA or fiber optic cables for this.

3.      Center the channel speaker below or directly above the television.

4.      Place the two front speakers on each side of the channel speaker.

5.      For maximum impact, the channel speaker and two front speakers should be placed equidistant from the listening area in an arched arrangement. They should also be at the same height, ideally at ear-level for the listeners.

6.      Put the two rear surround sound speakers on each side of the listening area behind the listening area. These can be placed above or below the seated listener.

7.      Finally, place the subwoofer around the room and experiment to find the best location. Turn on a movie or music and move the subwoofer to various spots in order to find the best sound.

Visit your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee to shop our vast selection of affordable, durable and beautiful entertainment centers from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings® Collection.

You and your friends and family will soon enjoy the ear-splitting, seat-jarring surround sound from your new home theater set up!

Saturday, April 3rd, 2010

“I can’t find the remote!!”

entertainment centerKeeping your living room in order can prove to be very difficult at times. With tons of new and exciting electronic pieces being made available to you on a daily basis, keeping all of it organized can prove to be overwhelming.  Finding the proper entertainment center through your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee is the key to solving this problem.

When looking for an entertainment center, the first and most important detail you need to consider is the size of TV it is designed to hold. Entertainment centers are designed to fit around the TV. If the center you plan on purchasing from Royal Heritage Home Furnishings® can hold up to 64″ TV’s and you only have a 32″ TV, this will leave too big of a gap on both sides and take away from the look of your living room. It is best to purchase both your TV and entertainment center around the same time, however,  this is not always an option so buy the TV first and then shop for an entertainment center to go around it.

DVD players, DVD’s, CD players, CD’s, Blue Ray players, stereos, TiVo, tuners, and yes VCR’s are just some of the many media pieces you will acquire over a long period of time. Make sure your entertainment center has lots of storage space for current and future items. Glass cabinet doors work best for electronic components.  It allows you to control them with a remote while keeping the doors closed. They will also stay protected if you have children or pets. DVD and CD collections should go behind solid doors. This will keep them out of site and keep the beauty of the room intact.

Visit your local PMD Furniture Direct™ franchisee to shop our vast selection of affordable, durable and beautiful entertainment centers from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings® Collection!