But what exactly is meant when refereeing to a country or cottage-styled home?

Continuing with our design style theme, we will explore the different types of country and cottage designs, and how these styles are represented in homes across the U.S.

If you have ever visited  a home on the Great Lakes, then you probably know what a Classic Costal design is. Designed to look like a beach house, homes that are designed with a Costal look will embrace a relaxed approach and display nautical themes.

However, there are different variations to a Costal theme. Gulf Coast styles bring together Art Deco and vibrant colors, with wicker and rattan, sending you back in time to the ‘50s. Done correctly, Gulf Coast styled homes can be a very cool place to live or visit. Pacific Coast designed homes tend to be influenced heavily by Asian influence, and will be decorated in deep finishes with very comfortable fabrics.  Similar to the Classic Costal look, Atlantic Seaboard designed homes have louvers and shutters with a color palette similar to that of lighthouses.

Emphasized by natural woods with deep finishes, Americana style homes are very simple when it comes to ornamentation but tend to have a very patriotic feel. Fabrics are muted colors and are adorned with starts and stripes. This style of home can be a perfect place to spend a Fourth of July or other patriotic holiday.

On the other hand, a Cottage-styled home typically has lots of wicker or iron pieces of furniture and gets its style from the natural surroundings that encompasses it. Cotton and linen fabrics found in the home will have a floral or checkered pattern giving the home an almost country like feel.

Finally, Rustic and Lodge styled homes are designed with a rugged approach but still offer the advantage of relaxation. Earth tones are predominant here, while exposed wood in very light finishes are adorned with Native American artwork, wood carvings and natured inspired accessories. Fabrics that line the beds and couches will usually have a hand-woven feel.

Whether its Rustic, Classic Coastal, or Country styled homes, visit your local PMD Furniture Direct ™ franchisee and shop their immense selection of cottage styled furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings Collection and give your home the vacation style feel you have been looking for!

We’ve  all been there before. Planning on buying a new piece of furniture can be a very stressful time, especially when there are so many factors to take into consideration. Take your time and don’t make a hurried decision, this will save you from detesting your furniture for years to come. In order to help you find the right piece of furniture, we have assembled a list of factors you need to take into consideration before you go shopping. Each recommendation will help you find that perfect item you will treasure for years.

• Measurements: You want to bring your furniture in your house, right?. Many people find the perfect piece, buy it, get it home and oops it doesn’t fit through the door. Keep in mind that some sofas are simply too big to bring into your home. In order to get the piece into the room, it has to first fit through the door. Measure all your furniture pieces already in the home. This will give you a solid base of measurements to look for in a piece of furniture.  This will save you the stress on the way home about whether it will fit through the door.

• Space is key: How much space do you have to work with? This is the first question you need to ask yourself. It’s simple…regardless of what you want, if you don’t have the space, then don’t even consider it!  The shape and size of your room will help you determine what to look for. For instance, if you’re looking for a living room sectional and don’t have a lot of room to work with, consider a loveseat over a sofa.

• Budget: It’s simple. Don’t buy what you can’t afford. Always plan around your budget. You shouldn’t burden yourself with the added stress that accompanies paying off home décor you can’t afford. Quality furniture costs more, but will last longer. Cheap furniture, while easy on the budget, doesn’t last long and you may find yourself buying furniture again in several years. Determine how long you want your home décor to last and shop for items that fit that time range, and most importantly your budget.

• What’s your lifestyle: What is your life like? Is it just you or are you a part of a large family? Will the piece you buy often have smaller children on it? Your lifestyle determines what type of piece you should buy. If you entertain guests regularly, consider a sturdy, comfortable couch. Buy pieces of furniture that will flow with your lifestyle and won’t leave you pulling your hair out every time you have guests over.

When following these steps for purchasing a piece of furniture, visit your local PMD Furniture Direct ™ franchisee and shop their enormous selection of high quality furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings Collection and leave in peace, knowing you got that perfect piece!

Many times people classify contemporary as a distinct style that doesn’t encompass other design styles. Commonly, and un-knowingly, they think furniture considered contemporary is something they are most likely to find in an upscale art gallery in New York city. What they fail to realize is that the word contemporary simply means “of the present time,” and this can encompass a broad range of designs.

“Artsy” furniture, the most common label for contemporary furniture, is likely to be found in urban locations and lofts. This furniture often has flare and is extremely simple. Furniture pieces in this category are not always adorned with straight lines, but typically showcase curved lines to give them a unique look and shape. Leather and microfibers are usually the upholstery of choice in this case.

If you are looking to stay within the contemporary style but want more of a straight lined look, then look for pieces that are of Danish or Scandinavian design. Contemporary Scandinavian designers often use straight lines in their designs and leave their pieces unadorned and crafted of walnut and teak. Sometimes their pieces will have gentle curves, but these will not be at a premium.

Finally, minimalist styled furniture takes the contemporary look to the extreme and is known for its use of straight lines. The Minimalist approach was inspired by Bauhaus design and puts emphasis on free space, functionality, and economical design. You won’t find a lot of furniture in a minimalistic room. Instead, you will find one of two pieces accompanied by a lot of space.

Whether its straight lined or curvy lines, minimalistic or urban, visit your local PMD Furniture Direct ™ franchisee and shop their massive selection of contemporary furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings Collection and give your home the modern style you are looking for!

If a piece has an European feel, it most likely means the wood will have a curvilinear design and commonlywill be constructed our of dark woods. Sofas and chairs will have an arched back giving them a more formal look and feel.
Tropical looks combined with British styles are what makes up the British Colonial and West Indies fashion. These pieces are most likely built with wicker, rattan, and other lighter woods but completed in deep dark finishes. The lines and edges of these items will be much cleaner and simpler when compared to the curvy lines of the European brand of style.

When looking to give your room a traditional look that will last for centuries, visit your local PMD Furniture Direct ™ franchisee and shop their enormous selection of furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings Collection so your home can have the class and style it deserves!

Keep it clean and simple

Today’s current fad is a contemporary style. The modern-and-chic look is one of simplicity, where only a few items are used to bring life to the room. Use colors sparingly in this instance, and stay away from over-using pastels. Go with a calm color for the walls.  This will allow for wall murals or cozy rugs to stand out more, adding style to the room.

Avoid hazards you can see

Keeping the room safe doesn’t just mean ensuring the edges of furniture pieces are rounded and protectors are in the plugs. You have to protect your little one from things that cannot be seen. This means staying away from synthetic materials that give off formaldehyde gas. Items like press board and plastics are the culprits in this case. Instead, choose furniture made out of natural wood that is not finished. It’s pretty much guaranteed that during your baby’s gumming stage, s/he will come in contact with the crib or other pieces of furniture. Be sure to stay away from painted or stained materials for their safety as well.

Natural Baby Bedding

Toxins can also be found in bedding. Your baby’s skin will be in contact with nursery bedding for many hours each day. A baby’s skin is very sensitive in the early years, so it’s important to keep their skin safe from substances that cause irritation. Choose natural fabrics like cotton instead of synthetics. This also goes for crib bumpers, pillow inserts, covers and changing pads.

Safe walls for little hands

On the theme of non-toxic products, it’s important that the walls of the room are safe from any artificial materials. If you’re choosing wallpaper for the room, look to have it professionally installed with non-toxic wallpaper paste. If you choose to paint, zero-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) is your best bet here and can be customized to match almost any color you need.

When designing a safe and hazard free nursery for your new arrival, visit your local PMD Furniture Direct ™ franchisee and shop their massive selection of children furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings Collection so you know your baby’s nursery is a safe place to be!

Wabi-Sabi

Reclaimed wood is one of the most popular trends in green design.  The reshaping of recycled wood falls under the Japanese art form, Wabi-Sabi, an art devoted to finding beauty in imperfection.  This new spin on an old design philosophy presents both contemporary and traditional items that are sure to brighten any space.

Paint it “Green”

The green movement no longer only applies to the construction of furniture.  Now, the green movement extends from your floor to the ceiling, literally.  New chemical-free paints – which contain no volatile organic compounds – make spicing up your interior an eco-friendly exercise.  Today, chemical-free interior paint has expanded from only a few shades to the entire spectrum of the rainbow and beyond.  You can paint your rooms and feel good about your effort to reduce the damage inflicted on mother nature.

LED is a Y-E-S

While compact fluorescent lighting is a better choice for the environment than the old incandescent bulb, it gives off a drab, bluish glow.  Fluorescent bulbs used to be the only environmentally sound choice, but now a brighter option is in the making.  New LED bulbs, made in the same shape and size as incandescent bulbs, will soon hit the market.  They give off a brighter, more natural light than incandescent lights while offering much more durability than the older models.

When giving your room an eco-friendly boost, visit your local PMD Furniture Direct ™ franchisee and get those eco-friendly furniture pieces from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings Collection so you can enjoy the environment all the time.

Plan for the long term

Your focus when planning for longevity needs to be solely on the furniture pieces. This is where designing a room time-and-time again can become very costly.  Kids are very hard on furniture. That’s a fact. Buying quality, well-built pieces is vital here. This doesn’t mean you have to break the bank and buy the absolute best. But look at the manufacturer’s warranty and take it into consideration when deciding what to buy. Also, heavier woods are sturdier and will last longer, but can be more expensive. Woods like pine are not as high quality, but will save you money.

Stay with the traditional

With the amount of TV and movies your children are exposed too, it’s hard to say what characters or themes they will like from one day to the next.  So when your child decides it’s time for a new style in their room, simply change the wall hangings or the painting scheme. This is something that can be inexpensive and easy to change. Kids outgrow themes on a daily basis, so if you purchase a new bed with every theme, plan for a lot of spending.

The sooner, the better

When designing for a nursery, stay away from gender specific colors like pink for a girl and blue for a boy. Thinking long term means using neutral shades for paints, and then adding bolder colors to the accent pieces. Accent pieces can be changed down the road and are fairly inexpensive.

Wall stickers are also a great way to decorate. They peel off very easily and are inexpensive as well.

Finally, multi-stage pieces will also help when planning for the longevity of the room. For instance, cribs that convert into toddler beds will last for years and serve a multi-purpose.  As will a six-drawer dresser with a changer on top instead of just a changing table.

When designing your child’s room for longevity, visit your local PMD Furniture Direct ™ franchisee and shop their enormous selection of furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings Collection so you know your child’s furniture will last a lifetime!

1. Maximize the sense of space by painting the room in a pale color. White, beige and cream are just a few examples.
2. Use ceramic or wood flooring that runs in a diagonal pattern. Diagonal lines appear longer than lines running perpendicular or parallel.
3. Get rid of the headboard and footboard. Headboards and footboards push the bed off the wall and take up space.
4. Use a metal mattress frame and keep the bed close to the floor. Large frames give the sense of a large mass and appear bulky.
5. Sleep sofas or a nice futon can be great for utilizing space. Couch during the day … bed at night.
6. Don’t use too much furniture. Excess furniture can choke a room and its traffic pattern. A bed, nightstand and a dresser is all your room needs.
7. Storage pieces that rise vertically, like a highboy, are better than pieces that jet out horizontally.
8. Minimize the use of patterns in things such as rugs, curtains and wallpaper. Patterns such as polka dots, flowers, stripes and plaids can really fill up a room and take away the sense of space.
9. Refrain from placing a large amount of pictures on the wall. Many designers state that one wall should be left bare to give the psyche a chance to relax.

Designing for a smaller bedroom can be very simple, visit your local PMD Furniture Direct ™ franchisee and get those ideal bedroom pieces from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings Collection that will give your bedroom never-ending space!

Avoiding Color

Don’t be afraid to experiment when painting your walls even though many believe the myth that bold colors negatively affect your home’s resale value.  Use colors that thoroughly express your tastes and personality instead of slapping on a coat of beige to “make the room look bigger.”

If you are reluctant to paint your rooms in bright colors, just try the accent effect where you only make one or two of the walls stand out while keeping the others more conservative.

Weak Windows

Window treatments are an easy, cost-efficient way to really put a good touch on a room, but many times, the curtain frame is hung too low or the curtains do not fit the window.  This either makes the ceiling look low or the curtains appear cheap.

Six inches to one foot above the window molding is the best range to hang your curtains.  This allows more light into the room and it makes ceilings look taller.  Also, curtains should hang from the curtain rod to the floor.

Floating Rugs

A rug should either be large enough to provide a surface for all of the furniture to rest on or the right size for the furniture to perfectly frame it.  Rugs that are too small for a room end up creating an island that really breaks up the design and the scheme of the furniture.

Accessory Overload

Accessories should be nothing more than small additions.  They are not meant to control their settings.  Crowding your tables with frames, candles, and vases is overkill.

Display your accessories so that your favorite pieces receive the most attention from visitors.  You can even keep these items in a rotation so that you can always add something new to the room.

Poor-Fitting Furniture

There should be three feet, if not more, separating larger pieces like sofas from the rest of the furniture so that people can easily pass through the room.  On top of that, try not to fill big spaces with little pieces since it really disturbs the flow of your décor.

When protecting yourself against design follies, visit your local PMD Furniture Direct ™ franchisee and shop their vast selection of furniture from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings Collection so you can have the ultimate decor for your home!

At one time or another it has happened to all of us, but the great thing is it doesn’t have to anymore! When working with limited space, finding a way to set up your bedroom can be very tricky. The following steps will help you not only add more comfort and style to your bedroom, but it will save you from mornings filled will toe throbbing pain:

1. Sketch the layout of your bedroom on a piece of paper. Include measurements and placement of all radiators, doors, and windows.
2. Get the measurements of all your furniture. You can either write it down or if you are creative enough, make cutouts of each furniture piece.
3. Place the cutouts on the paper and move them around until you get the desired layout you want. Make sure the spacing between furniture pieces is big enough, giving you the peace of mind knowing that you won’t be bumping into anything when you wake up.
4. Make sure your room is clutter free! Clearing out clutter from the corners of the room will give you better energy flow. Exposed electrical equipment emits electromagnetic waves, which can hinder a peaceful night of sleep. Instead, hide wires from electrical equipment in units with doors.

When designing the perfect layout for your bedroom, visit your local PMD Furniture Direct ™ franchisee and get those perfect bedroom pieces from the Royal Heritage Home Furnishings Collection so you can start your mornings off pain free!