Cell phone chargers are scattered across the kitchen counter (one for each phone in the family). The computer sits on the dining room table, cords snaking around the ankles of anyone who sits down to work. No matter how tidy the bedroom, it still looks cluttered with electronics and personal papers overflowing the dresser.

Sound familiar?

Most home offices aren’t offices. We’ve carved out corners of space in dining rooms, dens and bedrooms, then filled the space with hand-me-down furniture — the cast-off desk from the kids’ room when their computer desk was installed, a spare kitchen chair, an old bureau-turned-filing cabinet — not to mention climbing over the treadmill to get to the computer workstation. Even if you’ve gone wireless, you still need a place to dock.

“Consumers are looking for home furnishings that make their lives easier,” says Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance. “Hidden storage, connectivity, charging stations … these are all important innovations to the category shoppers are embracing. As long as their are new electronics and technology devices, there will be a demand for multifunctional home office solutions.”

Function, storage and organization are key elements needed in home office furnishings — without looking like “office furniture.”

The same is true in modular home office furnishings, such as Techline. “When people come in, they have a certain look in mind, but functionality usually wins out. People want wood veneers, they want nice-looking pieces, and they want the printer that fits in a cabinet with a pull-out shelf, the desk where they can shut down the laptop and slide it under and out of the way. They don’t want any stuff showing when they’re not working,” says Brian Nichols of Techline Studio in Waterloo. Read more »

What happened the last time you walked into a store intending to buy furniture? Did you make a purchase? Or did you leave discouraged?

A recent survey of 2,500 households for the trade journal Furniture/Today estimated that $47.5 billion was lost last year because consumers didn’t find what they wanted when they shopped for new furniture. The biggest percentages of nonpurchases were for futons (50 percent), motion sofas (43 percent), curio cabinets (42 percent) and dining room sets (40 percent.)

Think price is the obstacle? Not always. Industry pros say the furniture-shopping experience is far more complex, a combination of emotional and merchandising experiences. Read more »

When it comes to décor, especially outdoors it’s easy to make it classically comfortable with Adirondack furniture. You may be thinking that Adirondack furniture is better suited for a resort on the East coast or a cottage in the woods. But, it now comes in so many shapes, sizes and materials that it is virtually impossible to not find some piece that will compliment your patio or deck.

The Adirondack style has been around since the early 1900’s when the first chair was created by, Thomas Lee for his summer home. He gave the design to his carpenter friend Henry Bunnell, who began making and selling them after he patented the design. Adirondack furniture has graced patios, decks and yards with style and ease ever since.

The traditional image of Adirondack style furniture is a wooden slat seat, angled back, high arm rests and usually an ottoman to put your feet up and really relax. While this hasn’t really changed much there are variations to fit your style. Beyond the classic design there is the fan, back, the shell back, the wave back and even a Chippendale inspired back. In addition to the chair, there are rockers, gliders, garden benches, settees, tables and even trellis and arbors. So, any type of furniture you desire to complete your patio is available in the Adirondack style as well as your budget. Read more »

William Bew White III has a lofty goal for the family business he founded in 1978: He wants to make Montevallo-based Summer Classics “the Ralph Lauren of outdoor furniture.”

White seems to be on his way. The company’s outdoor furniture line — which includes table and chair sets that cost $4,000 or more — is sold in 48 states and several foreign countries. Through retailers such as Williams-Sonoma and Restoration Hardware, sales are projected to reach $60 million this year and $76 million in 2008, up from $20 million just four years ago.

At that pace, White says the $100 million sales mark will soon be eclipsed.

“This is an incredible business that started from nothing,” he said. “We’ve grown it with people that believe in the business model and take ownership as if it were their own business.”

More growth is planned. White intends to open a large showroom in a high-profile spot along Interstate 459 in the Birmingham area, adding to the 11 the company already operates in places such as Huntsville, Gulf Shores, Nashville, Tenn., Charlotte, N.C., and San Antonio. Read more »

Agio is one of the leading names in outdoor patio furniture including umbrella, fire pits and outdoor pub tables with many contemporary designs. Max Furniture is now an importer of Agio Reserve Outdoor Patio furniture. Whether you have a small patio or a complete outdoor living area, you will need furniture to complete that space, and Java teak outdoor furniture can be an excellent choice.

Agio Patio Furniture may be just the answer to enjoyment of the new season’s arrival. By joining with Max Furniture, two companies are joining to create a lovely lifestyle at your convenience. At Max Furniture, all items are delivered direct to the customer’s door and fully guaranteed to arrive in new condition. With years of experience in providing outstanding value and customer service, Max Furniture can meet your home decor desires. Read more »

Before you decide to run to the store and buy new patio furniture, check your budget – and your design style.

Manufacturers are strutting out bold pieces that can do double duty indoor or out. Sectional sofas are taking center stage in collections. Overstuffed cushions, custom fabrics, tassels and trims are now becoming the norm alongside chairs that look like they belong in the family room and tables carved from glamorous granite slabs and manufactured synthetic stones.

The new “outdoor room” has taken on a new meaning with homeowners – it’s an extension of their home. Read more »

The time has come to move outdoors and set up for barbecues, kids playing in the backyard, gardening — all the good stuff that this time of year brings. So how does your outdoor furniture look?

If you’re like me, you’re probably a bit discouraged. Without proper storage, the larger pieces remained outside; others have been stuffed under the porch to become a cozy nesting ground for furry animals. But don’t despair. With a little elbow grease and some paint, you’ll be sitting pretty in no time.

Here are my tips for rescuing outdoor furniture. Whether you have just been to the flea market or you are renewing your own tables and chairs, check first for major flaws. If you do not have the ability to fix broken slats, ripped wicker and wobbly legs, then recycle the piece for someone else to repair. Read more »

Painted furniture is all the rage, and the Crossville Arts Council, with the help of many local artists and craftspeople, has put together the best selection of painted furniture you’ll find in Middle Tennessee. They’ll have chairs, tables, stools, benches, shelves and much, much more. Some are painted antiques, some are contemporary pieces. You can bid on all of them at a live and silent auction called “Mountain Chair-Ubs” on Friday, May 25, at 6 p.m. at the Community Complex Fair Grounds.

If you missed finding just the right gift for Mother’s Day, tell her you’re going to surprise her with a one-of-a-kind gift that will be worth her wait. She might like a chair with a cameo painted on the back, or a peacock chair with real peacock feathers and beaded legs. Read more »

He’s a record breaker… On Sunday May 13, 2007 Marek Turowski broke the Fastest Furniture Land Speed Record by driving the sofa.com high speed sofa at 92mph. The previous record, 87mph, was set in 1998.

The record attempt was witnessed and verified by a representative of The Guinness Book of World Records and the feat will appear in the next published edition! The record was broken at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Lutterworth Leicestershire, on a two mile long 60 metre wide racing straight normally used to test top-secret specialist Ministry of Defence projects.

Footage of the sofa speed record is now available online. Read more »

Enjoy the summer months in style with the new cast aluminum sets now available from www.patiopreserve.com, a recently launched discount patio furniture online retailer.

“People are creating second living and dining rooms in their backyards and need stylish, yet sensible patio furniture—and they choose cast aluminum exactly for this winning combination,” said Jenny Jiang, president of Patio Preserve, a Michigan-based patio furniture manufacturer. Patio furniture has changed drastically to accommodate this growing trend and there are a wide variety of weather friendly materials on the market today. Cast Aluminum is an ideal material particularly for outdoor patio furniture because it’s durable, non-rusting, resistant to the sun’s heat and light, and relatively lightweight yet heavy enough to adhere in heavy winds. Read more »