All posts by MichelleWebb

prepare your summer patio by visiting an outdoor furniture outlet

Prepare Your Summer Patio in a Snap By Visiting an Outdoor Furniture Outlet

July 5, 2013 MichelleWebb 3 Comments

No matter how hard we try to foresee the future, the weather can be an unpredictable force. The local news will show predictions of what the next week will look like, and there’s even an entire channel dedicated to showing rain patterns and cloud movement. Despite these efforts, we are still often surprised by heavy rain falls, freak snowstorms, or freezing cold windy weather. Sometimes people forget about the glory of summer when they’re making their way through the rest of the year. The brisk cold of fall, the endless snow and chilliness of winter, and the dreary rains of spring eventually fade away into glorious, golden summer. One day you may wake up and realize that it’s the middle of June! When this happens, your eye may turn to your empty patio. You may wish to entertain friends and guests with the aid of some outdoor furniture. Don’t feel as though you’ve procrastinated and now it’s too late to enjoy the summer weather. You can still have your best friends over and enjoy the warm weather even if you’ve waited a while. Visit an outdoor furniture outlet to find the perfect set for your patio without driving yourself crazy with effort or spending your savings account. Before you know it, you’ll be relaxing outside under the hot sun and enjoying the company of your nearest and dearest. Here’s a rundown as to why an outlet is your best choice to prepare your patio for summer fun quickly.

Don’t Spend Your Retirement Account on the Best Patio Set Possible

Shopping for seasonal goods can be risky sometimes. You’ve likely gone shopping for a bathing suit or some sandals when summer is in full swing, and been horrified at the prices. Traditional retailers know that people who are buying their summer goods are willing to pay out the nose. If you don’t want to fall into this trap, then it’s time to find another seller. An outdoor furniture outlet will keep low prices all year round. This option ensures that you won’t be shelling out big bucks that line the pockets of traditional retailers.

Save Money and Still Get the Best Pieces Available

Society has carefully trained the average consumer to see a larger price tag as a sign of greater quality. You may be worried that going to an outlet and buying furniture for a lower price is simply too good to be true. However, the outdoor furniture outlet can afford to have these low prices without sacrificing the quality of the product. Whereas most retailers are located in central, urban, populated areas where rent is high, outlets are by their nature more secluded and lower in maintenance. You can go to an online outlet with the furniture you’ve been dreaming of without having to withdraw your entire savings account.

Visiting an Outlet is a Welcome Respite From the Summer Shopping Frenzy

Going shopping in the summer can be a hectic, overwhelming experience. This worry and stress is multiplied when you’re looking for expensive goods that require a great amount of thought, and seasonal goods that have a ‘time limit’ on them. It can feel like you’re competing with dozens of other people, all looking for the best deals and the most attractive pieces. Shouldering your way through swarms of people and being hustled past the furniture you want to examine by eager shoppers can really throw you off and make you confused about what purchase you want to make. Meanwhile, an outdoor furniture outlet is a breath of fresh air. These online shopping centers have the entire inventory for you along with pictures and descriptions. You can take as long as you like to look at every set, as well as take advantage of deals. A trip to the outlet is relaxed, and you can take your time and pick the set that you love. Don’t allow yourself to be rushed through a shopping trip when you’re looking at a large purchase. Take your time and do things right.

Select From a Wide Variety of Furniture With Fashions From Around the World and Across Time

When you look out on your patio and envision the perfect summer set up, you likely want to put those ideas into reality. When you visit traditional retailers, you often find that your dream has tight restrictions on it. You may feel forced into picking a set that isn’t anything like you pictured. When you visit an outdoor furniture outlet, these restrictions vanish. Traditional retailers have a limited amount of real estate and space, and so they often end up picking only the most fashionable and likely to sell sets to put on display. If anything is going to sit, take up space, and gather dust, they have no need for it. However, these sets that are less popular are often the ones with the most personality. You may find yourself bored and uninspired by the sets at a traditional retailer, but an outlet can have vintage sets or unusual builds that are far more exciting. Browse a variety of sets before you settle on the one that will grace your patio all summer long.

You may have lost track of the time, and suddenly summer has rolled around. Don’t worry; you can prepare your summer patio for entertainment and relaxing without wasting away the best weather of the year or taking out a second mortgage. Simply visit an outdoor furniture outlet for a superior method of summer shopping. When you try to check out traditional retailers, they’ll have punishing season prices. An outlet lets you dodge this money sink and enjoy reasonable prices. You’ll also avoid the frenzied crowd of consumers who turn into a mob and ruin your placid experience. On top of these bonuses, you can enjoy a larger selection of outdoor furniture. Before you know it, you’ll be heading home with the perfect patio set. Enjoy your summer with friends and family by looking at Beliani’s selection of outdoor furniture and dining sets.

Beliani offers modern patio furniture that is both tenacious and gorgeous

Backyard Living, Outdoor Furniture

Pick Modern Patio Furniture that Neither Wind Nor Water Can Thwart

July 3, 2013 MichelleWebb 1 Comment

If you’re a homeowner, then you’re probably aware of the amount of maintenance that furniture and decorations can require. This can be enough of a pain when you’re dealing with your indoor rooms; the list of chores can be endless! Sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, dusting, laundry, vacuuming, and polishing everything in your home is a time consuming task. This workload adds up and can make countless hours of your free time vanish. Who wants to add a new dimension to cleaning and maintaining their furniture? Many types of outdoor furniture require careful upkeep and a constant eye on their status. Why is this furniture so needy? Being outside exposes this furniture to the fury of the elements. Mother Nature is a cruel force, and wind and water can destroy the frames of your furniture. When this damage is already done, it can’t be reversed, and you can end up with worn down, visually unappealing furniture. Replacing a patio set every time this happens is an unsustainable practice. Despite these dangers, purchasing and applying expensive sprays and carefully washing and protecting the frames of the furniture take the fun out of a summer set. There’s another option that allows you to enjoy the luxury of a summer patio set without having to break your back and drain your free time protecting it from wind and rain.Modern patio furniture is equipped to handle the risks that summer weather brings, while also being comfortable and stylish. It can be hard to tell the difference between furniture that will resist damage and furniture that will be ruined at a glance. This guide will outline the dangers of wind and water and explain why modern outdoor furniture can resist them.

The Danger of Moisture and Summer Gales Explained

When you’re standing on your patio on a lovely summer day, it’s hard to see the surrounding world as dangerous. However, the weather can be volatile, with sudden changes. One day, there can be a beautiful blue sky without a cloud in sight; the next, pouring rain and rumbling thunder. If you don’t see the natural elements as a danger to your outside furniture, then consider rock formations that have been smoothed away by erosion. If mountains can fall, then so can your patio furniture. Here’s a rundown on exactly why these two forces must be taken into account when picking modern patio furniture.

Moisture Breaks Your Outdoor Set Down From the Inside Out

The Trojan Horse is a tale of a clever case of subterfuge carried out by the Greek army. The Greeks had been sieging a wall for 10 years, and finally they decided to take another approach. They constructed a huge wooden horse and hid their most elite troops inside, then left it behind as they pretended to give up in defeat. The Trojans brought the horse inside their walls, and the soldiers crept out, slew the guards, and opened the gate. Moisture takes the same nefarious tactic when it assaults your outdoor furniture. Rain and water in the air makes its way into small cracks, imperfections, and holes in the frame of the furniture. There it lies in wait, slowly corroding away at the integrity of the frame. If the temperature drops, this water freezes, expands, and causes even more damage. So why can modern patio furniture ignore the risk of rain and humidity? Their frames are made out of resilient materials like resin wicker or certain kinds of wood. These types of frames don’t allow water to worm its way inside the frame to cause trouble.

Wind Can Speed Up and Apply Extreme Pressure to Your Patio

Moisture isn’t a surprise hazard to many homeowners, but some people don’t realize what a problem wind can be. The issue isn’t with a light breeze, but instead a gusting gale. Wind can damage furniture by knocking it about, or in extreme cases, sweep it far off the patio. Modern patio furniture is designed with this problem in mind, and can take far more of a beating than older sets. With extreme weather becoming more and more common each year, you’ll want to be prepared.

What is the Difference Between Modern Patio Furniture and the Alternatives?

‘Modern’ is a prefix that lacks meaning to some people. What is ‘modern’ in the context of outdoor furniture? What does it mean? The answer is that these kind of patio sets were constructed from the ground up with modern needs in mind. Even classic elements can be appropriated with modern twists that make them safer and easier. Instead of picking out the first glass set that wins your heart but risks breakage, you can look at tempered glass that has passed quality control standards. Synthetic wood-effect finish takes the randomness out of natural grown trees while giving you the same look and feel. Additionally, extreme weather has become more common in recent years. Modern furniture takes these problems into account, thus reducing the risk that you’ll have to shell out for a replacement patio set. If you’re looking for modern patio furniture, one of the biggest signs you should look for is the material of construction. Teak wood, resin wicker, rattan furniture, and steel are all popular and affordable materials used in modern furniture. All of these materials are durable, stylish, and most importantly resistant to wind and water, making them an excellent choice for adorning your back yard.

The elements can be unforgiving on outdoor furniture. However, that doesn’t mean that the solution is to spend valuable time and money helping protect and shield your patio set from the elements. There’s a way to enjoy the luxury and relaxation of your backyard without constantly applying expensive sprays and other protection. Modern patio furniture offers homeowners a great solution. Enjoy the summer without worrying about moisture or wind and the upkeep of your furniture. Prepare your patio for summer hosting with a set of modern outdoor furniture from Beliani that fits your personality and your life!

Indoor Furniture, Leather Sofas

Entice Your Guests with the Finesse of Modern Leather Sofas

June 13, 2013 MichelleWebb Leave a comment

Every time you open up and speak, you thrust yourself in the battle to make good choices with your words. What makes your speech attractive or repulsive are the words you use and how you say them. That’s why first impressions are always so dicey. Furniture has the same effect. Have you ever walked into a room, office, or some other space that set off a warm and inviting feeling?

There’s a good chance that the furniture in the room sparked those positive feelings, and you can most likely thank good stylistic choice and artful arrangement for the effect. If you want to allure your guests with the same warmth you felt in that room, consider adding modern leather sofas to your interior decor. You’ll be amazed at how you can alter the atmosphere in a room with the addition of these furniture pieces. In fact, the careful selection of modern leather sofas can turn an otherwise dull room into a vibrant space that draws people in!

Matter Hypnotizes Mind

While it’s true that the mind has great power over the body, the reverse is also true. In a similar way to how music affects your mood, furniture too affects your emotions. It usually happens in very subtle ways, and it sometimes explains a feeling of discomfort that seems to arise for no reason. How?

No Room to Breathe, No Room to Relax

How do you feel when your mind is cluttered with tasks, appointments, chores, and assignments? It most likely feels like a brain overload. The human brain and sensory systems receive an in-flux of stimuli, but they can only process and make sense of a few things at a time.

Therefore, clutter creates stress, especially if you are actively trying to process everything all at once. When clutter overwhelms the brain, anxiety increases and the mind riles up into a flight-or-flight-like state, and your concentration, productivity, and creativity all go down the drain.

A room that’s filled with furniture in awkward places may not literally drive someone crazy, but it will feel uncomfortable and uninviting. It’s not a good sign when couches and single chairs make walking space as narrow as the gaps between parallel parked cars on a downtown street. Neither is it fun when you have a sofa positioned at an angle that turns walking through a doorway into some sort of obstacle course. Those feelings of claustrophobia give your guests the impression that they’re not welcome in your place of dwelling or business. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your furniture layout, since it can make the difference between repeat visits or one-time shows.

Modern Furniture Puts an End to Clutter

You may think that furniture clutter is inevitable to a certain degree, but that doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, modern leather sofas have the ability to create a layout that’s easy on the eyes and easy to maneuver through. Yes, just the way they look can give the impression of more space and less clutter. But let’s first discuss how they can physically create more space in your home.

Shape – Many modern leather sofas are unique and distinct in shape, and this allows you to choose a set piece that fits your room or office. It becomes easy for you to overcome things like room shape and dimensions, because modern sofa shapes can wrap around and fit in with the current elements of your room. Whether it’s L, C, or I shaped, you can be sure that at least one of them will fit the room you want to arrange.
Sectionals – Another way these sofas reduce the clutter of a room is due to their ‘sectional’ nature. Unlike the majority of classic furniture styles, you can usually separate or combine portions of modern furniture styles according to the room size and the number of occupants.

With Furniture, Looks Matter

Vanity is perfectly acceptable when it comes to your choice of furniture, and it’s fair to say that a lot of people don’t display this attitude based on what sits in their rooms. If you’ve ever been in a room that looked dingy and off-putting, there’s a good chance the furniture dragged things downhill.

In all fairness, not everyone has the eye of a designer. Some people pick up furniture pieces based on their favourite colours, and even worse, the choice of furniture they see in other places.

Here’s what’s wrong with these deciding factors. A favourite colour may create an ugly contrast with the colour of the walls and the colour of a carpet. Many people forget that certain colours just don’t mix well, and the effect they create can be as unpleasant as the sight of mould on toast.

There’s nothing wrong if you model your choice after seeing a piece of furniture on a reality show or at the home of another person. But you have to make sure that it fits the presentation of your room – a factor that many furniture buyers seem to forget. So even though you may want that patterned, red-orange sofa you saw on HGTV, it might look disastrous with your purple wall paint.

Modern Leather Sofas Paint a Pleasing Picture

It’s true that personal preference varies when it comes to the way someone views a furniture piece. Yet still, the subjectivity has a limit, and there are some pieces of furniture that can leave you questioning why they were even manufactured in the first place. There’s no need to become the unfortunate owner of such items, as long as you know the traits of good contemporary design.

Lines – Modern leather sofas are crafted with sharp lines and crisp angles, and these lines create shapes that are bold and impactful. The result is a blend that makes elements of a room flow with one another. The focus on linear expression gives your furniture a sense of energy, and this is emphasized when complimented with abundant space and the right use of colour. Although subtle, the energy and harmony created by these lines resonate well with the eyes, and they garner appreciation from those in the room.
Colour – Modern sofas made with leather usually rely on solid colour schemes that are monochromatic in nature. In other words, a single colour dominates the room and the furniture, but there are varying tints, tones, and shades. These colour schemes make it easy for you to choose colour, since it’s a matter of picking one hue without the worry of another causing things to look unbalanced. Also, one colour that varies in terms of intensity has a huge impact on the way a room alters mood and emotions.

The Effects of Mind-Altering Furniture

Human beings are emotional creatures. Just about everything involves a degree of emotion, and that includes logic-dominated pursuits such as law and business. If you can appeal to a person’s emotions or alter their mood, you will be able to wield the power of influence over them with ease. Now that isn’t a call for you to become a manipulator, but it’s a reminder of how you can make your furniture work for you no matter the space or location.

Impress First-Time Visitors – Do you want to feel the euphoria of first-time guests praising how great your living room looks? A combination of shapely furniture and solid colour will get you and your guests giddy with pleasure.
Show a Date Your Substance with Style – If you’re inviting a date over for the first time, you may feel a bit nervous about what they’ll think of your home. But you can dazzle them with your taste by arranging the right choice of modern furniture in your living room.
Hook Your Clients and Customers – Maybe you run a restaurant or a salon, and you want that secret ingredient that adds a kick to your customers’ experience. Modern leather sofas can be that extra ‘something’ that makes the store inexplicably fresh and energetic.

A Touch of Modernism Grabs Attention

So if you’re looking for a way to give your guests a memorable experience, consider the possibilities of modern leather sofas. Like most modernist design, the subtle focus on things such as lines, shapes, and colour allows contemporary furniture to alter mood and emotion in ways that often go undetected. Don’t dismiss the emotional aspect of modern furniture as something that’s just a matter of preference.

Look around. Modernism is in style, and has been trendy for a while now. The simplistic yet bold arrangement of modern furniture elements are attractive to human eyes, and therefore, attractive to human minds. So consider using modernist leather sofas for your living room or business space to spice things up, and you’ll certainly leave a lasting impression on your guests!

To browse through a selection of elegant modern leather sofas, click here.

Outdoor Furniture

Keep Your Outdoor Dining Set Safe from the Meddling Hands of Kids and Pets

June 3, 2013 MichelleWebb Leave a comment

It’s amazing how some people look at the same object with varying perspectives. Sixteen year-old “Susan” sees an old, gold necklace as a means for some fast cash, while her grandma sees it as a relic of their family ancestry. Or maybe nineteen year-old “Johnny” sees a brand new tablet as a cool gaming device, while his dad sees it as the perfect tool to manage his documents outside of the office.

When it comes to your furniture, a similar thing can occur. Although you know that your furniture has a special purpose, your children and your pets may see it as something to play with. Therefore, it is important that you keep your outdoor dining set in the best environment possible so that it doesn’t become a toy. But how do you keep your furniture safe from the hands of your smallest family members? While it can be a challenge, there are ways to do it without having to take drastic measures.

Threats to Your Furniture

Your outdoor furniture is like an animal in the wild with natural predators. As you know, if it is lower on the food chain, it has more enemies to deal with. Likewise, your kids and pets are two natural enemies, which roam your backyard and pose a threat to your furniture. While they won’t try to eat a chair or cushion, they may cause damage due to their activities around the furniture or with direct contact as they play.

Furniture Misery: Child’s Play at Work

Your children are the most precious thing to you, and they’ll remain that way even as they grow up. However, there’s no denying that they can be troublemakers at times, and they aren’t always easy to handle. Aside from things like broken windows and vases, kids are notorious for ruining furniture.

Spills– You’ve dealt with this before. Kids like to fill their glasses and cups to the rim, and if they’ve mastered the art of holding it properly, the vessel topples. Spills aren’t always a big problem, but for certain types of material and colours (white), things like fruit punch and sodas can leave difficult-to-remove and unsightly blemishes.
Stains – Kids love their crayons and markers. They’ll focus their attention on their colouring books or the pictures they draw rather than the furniture they are sitting on. As a result, an open marker or gel pen might leak onto the furniture, and it may even scratch it. Trying to clean it up is no fun at all!
Tears & Scratches – Your kids may even use your outdoor dining set as a playground, so you’ll need to watch out for that. For example, a table might become the new driving lot for toy cars, and you know that this could lead to scratches on the surface.

Making Your Furniture Set Child Proof

If you have children, does this mean that your outdoor furniture is doomed to an existence of ripped fabric and ink stains? Of course not! There are many methods you can use to keep your outdoor dining set safe from your kids’ activities, and they don’t involve huge amounts of time or money.

Establish Boundaries! – Keeping your outdoor furniture safe starts with you. You need to set clear boundaries, so that your children know what they are allowed and not allowed to do on your furniture. For example, you might tell them to avoid eating and drinking on certain pieces of furniture. Also, you might have to restrict the use of pens and markers to their own bedrooms, and you might have to do the same with toys and objects that scratch.
Protective Finishing – Kids will break rules sometimes, so it’s good to have a backup plan. Stain-resistant coatings and spray-on finishes can be a great way to minimize the appearance of stains. Furniture sets often come with these finishes, but you can always pick up a stain remover as your plan B in the event of a spill or stain.
Covers, Coasters, and Mats – A simple and effective way to keep your furniture in good condition, is with protective covering. When your furniture is not in use, you can protect it with a cover, and this works as a deterrent for kids who may get too close. Also, a cover keeps your dining set safe from the elements. While your dining set is in use, make sure that you use mats and coasters to prevent liquids from forming sticky spots on tables.

When Pets Get Too Playful

If you have pets, you most likely view them as precious family members in addition to your kids. They too, however, can be a nuisance around your outdoor dining set, and you should pay close attention to them when they roam nearby.

Claws & Scratches – Some animals, especially cats, are known to enjoy using their claws when they don’t need to. If you’ve been scratched by a cat before, you know how powerful their claws are. When they scratch a material like leather, they dig deep, and they can easily tear away at the fabric.
Going to the ‘Bathroom’ – While cats love to use their claws, they’re pretty good at using their litter box as a routine. Dogs, and other animals, however, sometimes forget that furniture is not the place to use the ‘bathroom’. When a pet has an accident on your furniture, it leaves more than just a foul smell. It often leads to deep stains that are difficult to remove.

Put Their Paws on Pause

Yes, pets can be like your kids since they aren’t aware of what you’ll have to go through if they mess it up. However, if you have a feisty feline or canine family member, you can still keep your outdoor dining set safe from their activities.

Take them to school – One way to keep your pets under control is by putting them in training. A good instructor understands what makes animals tick, and they will use effective methods to make sure that pets learn to avoid making your furniture their playground. Remember that pets are pretty good at understanding you when you scold them for certain behaviours. Therefore, don’t be afraid to let them know when they cross the line.
Give them a distraction – Pets sometimes attack furniture out of boredom. Therefore, make sure to give your furry friend toys and other objects that occupy their time. A cat post is perfect for your kitty if he or she loves to use their claws, and a chewing ball can be the right distraction for your dog if he or she loves to nibble on fabrics.

Vulnerable Surfaces

There are some types of furniture that have an easier time of sustaining damage. You most likely have at least one or more of these furniture types in your home, so it’s good to know how you can keep them safe.

Wood – Prone to spots and blemishes (grease, crayons, paint), and gum spots
Leather – Prone to tears (claws, sharp toys) and blemishes (paint, nail polish, ink)
Glass – Scratches easily, can break easily if a child or pet accidentally topples glass object (also could lead to serious injury)

Keep Your Furniture in One Piece

It is certainly a challenge to keep furniture safe from the hands of kids and pets. However, it doesn’t have to be an impossible one! With the right mix of planning, boundaries, and protective measures, you can keep your outdoor dining set in tip top shape. You can keep your items safe from damage without having to spend an excess amount of time or money. All it takes are a few simple measures to keep your set free from the damage of meddling kids and pets. Make the effort to safeguard your set, and you will free yourself from the burdens of ruined furniture!

For more information on outdoor dining set maintenance, visit the Beliani website.

Outdoor Furniture

Having Due Diligence Before Purchasing Your Next Outdoor Furniture Set

March 4, 2013 MichelleWebb Leave a comment

Have you ever heard the saying “keeping up with the Joneses”? This cliché refers to the idea of buying things for the sake of having them, not for the purchase itself. The end result of hasty buying and looking for appearance over function can be expensive, wasteful, and frustrating.
When we get a home with a space for outdoor furniture, be it a patio, a backyard, or a balcony, we’re generally very excited for the new possibilities.

We look at the space and see assorted ideas: pool parties with friends, a barbecue where we can debut our newest masterpiece from the grill, or a place for the kids to run and play. It’s no surprise that we immediately want to decorate our new space and fill it with beautiful pieces of furniture, or assemble exquisite outdoor furniture sets. There are so many options for you to choose from: material, style, size, and price, that it’s easy to get lost in the details. Many shoppers begin to lose vision of the forest for the trees; the big picture is lost for all the small choices. When looking at the many variables, you must always remember to consider the vendor of your purchases. Are they trustworthy? Do they have a good reputation? Will you be struck with a terrible case of buyer’s remorse? Every large purchase comes with an element of risk that must be handled carefully. If you treat picking up your outdoor patio furniture like a military operation, where you focus on getting in and out as quickly as possible, you risk having serious problems with your furniture down the line that can hit you in your wallet and cause chaos. You might be dealing with issues that can plague you for weeks or months: broken furniture, warranties that the vendor refuses to honour, or cheap materials that break under normal use. Before you know it, your dream set has turned into a nightmare. When you visit an outdoor furniture outlet, you may want to take some precautions and do your due diligence in researching the merchant. The alternative can be too expensive, time consuming, and frustrating to take the risk.

What Could Go Wrong?

When you buy your furniture in a hurry, you risk running into problems and suffering many drawbacks. These include, but are not limited to:

Spending more money than the furniture you purchased warrants.
Buying from a vendor who will not honour warranties or agreements.
Buying furniture that is going to break or become uncomfortable within weeks or months.
Having to deal with a vendor with terrible customer service, leading to long times playing ‘phone tag’ or sending e-mails that go unanswered.

In the face of such aggravating, expensive, and avoidable problems, it’s important to do some research and make sure you don’t become a victim of scams or substandard products. Make sure you go to an outdoor furniture outlet that you can trust. If you’re not sure where to start on your due diligence, here are some crucial steps.

Ask Around

Check and see if your friends or family have dealt with or heard about this outlet before. People remember bad shopping decisions very clearly; many people will hold a grudge against a company that has done them wrong in the past and will share the news in a heartbeat. If you have friends or family who are experienced with buying outdoor furniture, ask them where they purchased their goods and what they thought of the experience. What did they like? What did they dislike? Is there anything they regretted? Have they had any issues? Having these answers will be valuable for understanding the character and reputation of the outlet you plan to visit.

Check the Web

If you don’t have anyone in your social circle who can answer your questions, don’t panic: Just go online. There are multiple ways that the Internet can give you an idea of your vendor and what problems you have a chance of encountering. Start by searching Twitter and Facebook; these are popular social networks where people will air their grievances or show their appreciation to companies they’ve just dealt with. Search for the names of the outdoor patio furniture stores you plan to visit, and see what people have to say. You might be surprised at their online reception and reputation.

If you can’t find much dirt on Facebook or Twitter, it might be time to check a review site. Some sites aggregate reviews together to create a ranking or a grade. Yelp and the Better Business Bureau are two examples of sites that collect complaints about companies. Keep an eye out for patterns: maybe this company has a history of selling defective products or awful customer service. If it’s happened to other consumers, it can happen to you too. Outdoor furniture is a fairly high end product, so you want to go into the transaction as prepared as possible; the risk of losing money on poor goods is far too high.Trust your gut during the research process. If a complaint seems damning, then avoid the vendor. Don’t throw money at someone who you don’t trust or respect.

For people who plan to visit an outdoor furniture outlet, there are more concerns to deal with than which material lasts the best and what size table to pick out. Many outlets and vendors deal with unsavoury behaviour, and no one wants to fall victim to these schemes and scams. Take the time to do your due diligence first. The stakes are high, and you have a lot to lose. Talk to your friends and family, look online, and do some research on your vendor before you make a large purchase. If you spend time on the research then you’ll likely come out ahead and be much happier with your purchase. You deserve to end up with an outdoor set you love!

Indoor Furniture

Protecting White Leather Sofas From the Threat of Damage and Stains

February 11, 2013 MichelleWebb 3 Comments

Why People Love White Leather Sofas

Nothing can replace the look and feel of a white leather sofa. It manages to quietly exude elegance while acting as a major statement piece within your home or office. Much like how designer clothes or fine wine can raise one’s social profile, the ubiquitous leather couch helps create a sense of luxury and grandeur. Its rich, buttery texture cannot be replicated by other lesser fabrics like velvet and suede, (which are also harder to clean and attract dirt and dust like nobody’s business.)

There have been few status symbols that have endured through the years like a white leather couch. Leather upholstery has been popular since ancient times, but it really took off during the Industrial Revolution, when new tanning techniques made it easier to bring this expensive commodity to the masses. Nowadays thanks to the large assortment of dyes, you can find modern leather sofas in a variety of colours to compliment any décor style – but white leather is still a favourite among the elite upper class. And it’s easy to see why. A crisp, white couch acts as the perfect backdrop for a VIP event and is super fresh and chic.

But it’s also a lot harder to hide damages or stains on a white surface, even one as tough as leather.

Leather has been used for a multitude of materials over the years (the Egyptians and Romans used it for clothing and weaponry). Favoured for its durability and loved for its luxe qualities, it’s not as absorbent as fabric, but that doesn’t mean it’s indestructible. Like any other furnishings, they need to be properly and consistently cared for in order to extend their shelf life.

How Leather Couches Can be Damaged

Think about it this way: leather reacts the same way as your skin. It reacts negatively to drastic changes in temperature, so it’s important to keep an eye on the room temperature and also to avoid these following things:

Direct Sunlight, Heat, or Humidity

Exposure to direct sunlight or common heat sources like fireplaces and furnaces can have a major effect on the look and feel of your leather couch. While it’s a durable and versatile fabric, it is capable of cracking, fading, and peeling (much like dry skin!).

Excess Water or Moisture

It’s impossible to avoid accidental spills if you’re hosting a special gathering or if you have a few rug rats running around. However, it’s important to remember that if you ever spill anything onto your white leather couch use only a bit of water and use it right away. But if you accidentally use too much water, just blot it with a cloth and then let it air dry. Trying to speed up the drying process with a blow dryer or other heating source will only make it worst since you’re changing the chemical structure of the material. The result will be cracked, or worse, peeling leather that is starting to stretch and lose its original shape.

Dry Air

If we go along with the skin analogy, then it only makes sense that dry air can also have a poor affect on your leather sofas. Just like how dry weather can cause dry or cracked skin, poor ventilation can also cause your smooth and pliable leather to become brittle and start to peel. To prevent cracking and keep your furniture supple, use petroleum jelly as a moisturizer.

How to Care for Leather Sofas

Although leather is a resilient fabric, it should be treated gently during the cleaning process.

If you’ve just bought a couch and are unsure of how to care for it, always start off by using the gentlest cleaning methods first. This way you can avoid using something that’s too acidic or harsh that may cause irreparable damage.

Regular Maintenance

On a regular basis you should vacuum and clean your leather couch using either a damp cleaning cloth or a gentle disposable wipe like Pond’s Towelettes to keep it looking brand new. Disposable wipes are great, because that way you can avoid using too much water during the cleaning process and ruining your couch. Remember to never scrub away (even at stains), but to only wipe gently. Scrubbing can wrinkle the fabric and cause it to sag.

Using Leather Conditioners

While you should be cleaning your leather couch on a weekly basis, use leather conditioners sparingly. They are effective at maintaining the look and feel of your sofa, but using too much can also have a negative effect. They should typically be used every 6-12 months since most formulas are very potent.

However there are other gentler formulas out there like Leather Honey which is a non-toxic and water repellant solution, or ELON Leathercare, an all-natural cleaning agent that contains no alcohol, ammonia or abrasives.

Having a product which is water repellant is beneficial since–although it won’t make your leather couch “water proof”–it will help minimize any water damage that might occur in the future by acting as a protective seal over the surface of your sofa.

It’s also good to work with a solution that only has a minimal amount of ammonia (or better yet, none at all). This is important because harsh ingredients like ammonia can potentially bleach leather or cause severe discolouration. Products with a neutral pH make it easier on you since you don’t want to deal with harsh chemicals and damage your own skin in the process!

The alternative is to make your own leather conditioning formula with some water, ammonia, and vinegar. This way you have full control over the ingredients that go into the solution and can see if your couch benefits from gentle or stronger mixture.

Prevent Mold & Mildew Growth

These are some steps you can follow for regular maintenance and as a way to prevent stains, but what if your couches are damaged by mold and mildew?

Mildew and mold are caused by excess moisture and humidity, so as a preventive measure you can invest in a dehumidifier, which will help you accurately track and regulate the room temperature. Also, try not to use plastic covers! They might help with preventing spills on your new white couch, but they will also increase the chances of mildew growth and the presence of mold since there’s no ventilation action happening. However, if your sofa has already been contaminated with mildew, you can use a gentle soap like Murphy’s Oil Soap or make your own solution of water, vinegar, and apple cider to kill unwanted bacteria.

Now that we’ve covered what can potentially damage your white leather sofas (heat, moisture, dry air, etc.) and how to care and prevent damage and stains in the future, here’s one last tip for extending the use of your leather sofa, which is ridiculously easy and won’t cost you any money at all: ask your seller how to maintain and care for your sofa. A lot of the time, how you care for your leather varies with its place of origin, so it’s good to ask questions right away so you know if you are taking the right measures, and doing all that you can to make this luxurious investment a worthwhile and long lasting one.

A white leather sofa might be just what you need to elevate your home or office’s appearance and give it a more sophisticated feel. So check out our fine selection of high-quality, genuine leather sofas.