Top Furniture Tips

The first time I heard the name kneeling chair I thought it was some kind of freak furniture. I didn’t know what a kneeling chair looks like before. The only information I had then about this small office furniture is from an employee of a company which includes the chair in their retail line. The guy often suggests I should try one of those because I indulge long hours sitting in front of the computer.

 

 

 

The original kneeling chair was the Balans chair. It was developed in 1979 by Norwegian Peter Opsvik, along with three other designers, on the initiation of Hans Christian Mengshoel. Their intention was to create furniture that would give support and comfort to the natural and balanced sitting positions.

 

 

There may be some people who will look awkward the first time they try to use the chair. Others may even feel stiffness. It is only natural, especially if they have been only accustomed  sitting on a conventional office chair.

 

 

I would suggest, that on the first day of using your kneeling chair to sit on it for 30 minutes only and then adding increments of another 30 minutes every day, for about a week. Keep your original office chair so that you can alternate between the chairs until you get used to your new sitting experience. This procedure should  be able to adjust your body to comfortably sit on your kneeling chair for longer hours.

 

When sitting on a kneeling chair your body is positioned in such a way that it forces the hips more forward, meaning you will have an open angled hip. This kind of position significantly reduces the pressure on your lumbar, thereby preventing back pain.

 

 

Kneeling chairs are mostly recommended for people whose work or activity requires long hours of sitting. There are several ergonomic and health benefits one can derive from this office furniture. It increases productivity while at the same time relieving you from possible back pain.

 

 

 

Other  Health Benefits

 

 

Aside from being a solution to back pain kneeling chairs also helps in the correction and improvement of posture while at the same time keeping your spine healthy.

 

 

Kneeling chairs give you the true sense of balance and composure by easing the pressure on your  spinal column and diaphragm, and improves your alertness and ability to breathe freely.

 

 

Some Disadvantages

 

 

I would have to say though that kneeling chairs are not the perfect ergonomic office chairs. they also have disadvantages. First off, the sitting position limits movement and obstructs circulation in your legs.

 

 

In kneeling chairs your knees bears the  more weigh of your body which can be a cause of concern to some. But there are new models today where the shins rather than the knees are resting on the forward support pad.

 

 

Another disadvantage is that it will be inconvenient to get in  and out of the chair because of the tight spacing between the angled seat and the support pad.




 

 

 

What is a piece of beautiful furniture doing in a room if it does not serve its purpose? The next important thing after buying furniture for your home improvement is how to properly arrange them in such a way that it will be comfortable, in harmony with the other items in the house, and you will really “feel at home”.

 

 

There are no hard and fast rules in furniture arrangement. It really depends on your own taste and ideas of how you would like your room to look like. There are,  however, rules of thumb which could serve as simple guidelines on the correct furniture placement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poor furniture arrangement can look very unappealing to other family members and to your visitors. It can make the room small and cluttered. Here are my 6 rules of thumb that should help:

 

 

From Largest to Smallest

 

 

What you must do is first things first. Start placing the largest piece of furniture in the room. In the living room it should be the sofa or the love seat. In the bedroom the largest is the bed, of course. In the dining room, I don’t think there is any other bigger furniture than the dining table.

 

Next to move inside are the second to the largest furniture pieces like chairs, ottomans, center tables or night stands. Keep a pair of chairs together if they are of the same size, color and shape. Separating a set in the arrangement loses its impact.

 

 

Identify a Focal Point

 

 

The proper furniture placement should have a focal point, an area or a feature in a room that gets much eye attention. It could be a fire place, an entertainment unit like television or sound system, or a piece of beautiful painting hanging on the wall. Once you have determined the focal point direct your furniture towards that position.

 

 

Furniture Placement on Carpets

 

 

This is one rule of thumb in which everyone including professional decorators sometimes ignore or maybe don’t know at all. If you are having a carpet or rug in an area of your room, the rule of thumb states that the furniture must be placed completely in the carpet or out of it. So it’s either you place all the four legs of the furniture on the rug or all the four legs outside of the rug. It cannot be that two legs are in and two legs are out.

 

 

Pathways and Walkways

 

 

Flow of traffic in a room must also be considered. The rule of thumb is to allow 3 feet of walkways or pathways especially in living rooms. In rooms with large areas it will be a breeze. But on small rooms this allowance can take off a lot of space. I would recommend just 2 feet as pathways for small rooms.

 

 

Give Sense of Balance

 

 

Keep furniture in the room proportionate to each other. Arrange them in differing sizes and heights around the room so as to give a sense of balance and create a visual impact. Choosing a color theme is another important factor in giving balance to your room. A successful furniture placement largely depends on how you give rhythm to your room.

 

 

Feng shui is a practice  which is starting to gain wide acceptance as very effective in furniture placement. It is said to give good health and good luck by teaching the do’s and don’ts of arranging your furniture.

 

 




Related articles

• Contemporary Design and Decor 101

Some people would like to refinish their own furniture because they can give it their own personal flair and thus have a sense of accomplishment. Besides, DIY refinishing furniture can also save you a good sum of money on your pocket. So if you can do it yourself and you think you are good at it why hire other people? There is a segment of furniture refinishing however that does not bode well for others to do.

 

 

I would like to share a furniture tip to those who hate the part of sanding their wood furniture before putting on paint or whatever finish they would like. I don’t blame them for hating sanding. I also have my own reason for avoiding sanding as much as possible ─ I get skin irritation after doing it. But for me, any painting job will not be professionally done without the preparatory sanding.

 

 

 

 

Furniture refinishing as a whole is a messy job and the sanding part is truly an untidy one. There is a way though to greatly reduce this hassle of work, but you will still have to do some sanding. This type of solution will speed up the stripping of the old paint, lessen the time of using sandpaper and enhance the preparatory work of refinishing. So you will still have to do some sanding- I’ll tell you later why.

 

 

Using Liquid sandpaper

 

 

Liquid sandpaper helps in stripping the stubborn paint which otherwise cannot be quickly removed by sanding. Also called deglosser or liquid deglosser, it is a chemical solution that removes the glossy layer off your wooden furniture. They are mostly used in high gloss paint.

 

 

Even if they are called liquid sandpaper they do not actually perform any sanding. You must first thoroughly clean the surface of the  wood furniture and let it dry before applying the deglosser. What it does is soften up the layers of paint by rubbing in the chemical compound over the painted surface you want to degloss. After having set some time you can then wipe off the solution on the surface with a clean drop cloth.

 

 

Drawbacks and Benefits of Deglosser

 

 

One drawback of liquid deglossers is that they remove the existing paint on a surface roughly and unevenly. It is not like the conventional method of sanding which leaves a smooth, regular surface. On the other side liquid sandpaper does not leave dust behind like what sanding does, which would require extra cleaning.

 

 

Liquid sandpapers also cannot level out bumps or other imperfections. However, liquid deglossers are efficient when it comes to removing paint and other type of finish on carved surfaces with intricate designs and on grooves that can be hard to reach with sanding paper. For this reasons I consider deglossers or liquid sandpapers as complementary to sanding.

 

 

Dangers and Safety tips

 

 

Exercise extreme caution when applying deglosser. Skin contact is dangerous because it contains toxic chemicals. If it gets in your eyes it may cause blindness. Always wear a glove, masks and goggle as protection, and work in a well ventilated place.

 

Naptha and toluene are solvents of liquid sandpaper which are flammable. It is best to keep the compound away from open flame and materials and that may cause it to ignite. Also, do not place deglosser in near proximity to electric equipments.

 

 

The leftover from using the liquid sandpaper would already be classified as hazardous waste and therefore should not be emptied in a drain or dispose of the can by throwing it in bin where the small children could reach. Be sure to follow regulations in your area for the proper disposal of the waste.

 

 

Below is a very good how-to video on refinishing a cabinet by Rust Oleum 258240 Cabinet Transformations Cabinet Coating Kit
. Pay attention to the segment on applying the deglosser.

 

Other interesting posts:

Spray Painting Tips for Your Wood Furniture

The Secret to Spray Painting Without Sanding

How to Remove Shellac or Lacquer Finish on Wood





Some people are probably unaware that most of their furniture upholstery today are treated with a fire retardant which is supposed to be designed to delay the combustion of the material touched by flame, thus preventing the outbreak of fire. In the United States, Canada and also in Europe there are  regulatory requirements to every furniture manufacturers to meet a certain flammability standard on their products.

 

 

Fire Protection vs. Risks

 

 

On one hand it is a good thing to have our furniture protected from being easily consumed by flame.  It has been noted 0n several occasions that burning furniture is a major contributor to the spread of fire. Because of this purpose the flammability standard was adopted by some states in America, notably in California, to reduce fire deaths and injuries associated with furniture upholstery.

 

 

On the other hand however, the health risks involved in having the upholstery of your furniture treated with flame retardants far outweigh its assumed benefits. Studies have shown that flame retardants contain toxic chemical ingredients dangerous to humans especially when exposed to high quantities and in longer periods.

 

 

Flame retardants are not only found on furniture upholstery but also on paints, plastics and thermo sets. Fire fighters wear fire retardant clothing when they are on a call of duty. Fire retardants in its purest sense are not harmful to humans or to the environment. The types of chemicals found on some retardant materials are what we should be concerned about.

 

 

 

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (PBDE)

 

PBDE is the hazardous chemical compound present on most fire retardants in which materials for upholstery particularly polyurethane foam are treated with. The two types of PBDE, PentaBDE and OctoBDE contained in foam for upholstery had been already phased out reportedly due to widespread contamination to humans and animals.

 

 

The bad effects of PBDE on humans include cancer, lower IQ in offspring, thyroid problems and reproductive damage among others; these chemicals do not easily go away from the atmosphere and in fact become concentrated inside the bodies of humans and animals via ingestion and inhalation.

 

 Reduce Exposure to PBDE

 

It may be good to know that furniture upholstery materials made from 2005 are no longer treated with PBDE after their phase out. However, chair pads, mattress pads, couches and other types of foam bought before 2005 may still contain these chemicals. It is very hard to totally avoid these toxic chemicals but you can lessen your exposure to them by doing these procedures:

 

1.) If you know your furniture had been bought before 2005 you must inspect the foam. Replace those that are torn or have deformities. If replacing is not possible cover the torn part with a sturdy cloth.

 

2.) Use a vacuum cleaner fitted with a Hepa-filter which is very efficient in trapping large amounts of tiny particles which otherwise will only be circulated back to atmosphere if you are using ordinary vacuum.

 

3.) Before buying new furniture ask the retailer or manufacturer about the type of fire retardant used on the upholstery foam or fabric. Do not purchase the item if it is treated with brominated retardant.

 

4.) As much as possible buy upholstery with natural fibers such as wool or cotton. They re also naturally fire retardant.

 

5.) If you really need to protect your furniture from getting caught easily by fire choose flame retardant products that do not contain PBDE.

 

Fire’z Off is a fire retardant PBDE-free spray that prevents the spread of dangerous flame and smoke. It is non-toxic and do not stain the fabric.

 

 

Each year,  April 22 is Earth Day.  It is an environmental event which focuses on the appreciation of nature and learning the ways on how to protect the environment from abuse and misuse.  With the issues of global warming, pollution and other “environmental crisis” facing us today it is high time that we contribute to this cause  even in our own little way.

 

 

Buy Eco Friendly Furniture

 

 

One way to show our support for Earth Day is to buy  green furniture which uses  materials that are not only good for our body but also good to Mother earth. By choosing green furniture you are  going beyond for opting more than  just aesthetics.

 

In a recent survey of  consumers, including those who purchase furniture items, it is quite sad to note that 46% are willing to buy eco friendly furniture or other green products provided they are convenient and at an acceptable price. The remaining  43%  who are actually buying green products are not even considering the environmental impact of their action.

 

 

 

 

Earth Unfriendly Furniture Materials

 

 

Many of us are unaware about the risks  posed by non- green furniture  in our homes.  Most upholstered sofas, chairs or headboards uses polyurethane foam  and fabrics which are treated with chemicals to make them flame retardant. Studies have shown that these chemicals adversely affect our health.

 

Even though  polyurethane foam or fabric treated with flame retardant do not burn, still the chemicals in them migrate from the furniture into our homes. We  in turn inhale or ingest the chemicals when the dust get in our hands. Small children and pets  have more chances of acquiring the chemicals because they spend lots of time on the ground.

Particle boards, veneers and furniture paints and sealants also contain volatile organic compounds (VOC) which have toxic ingredients  in them.

 

Another practice which do not contribute to the cause of Earth Day is making  inexpensive wood furniture harvested from endangered forests. Cutting logs from these forests are  already prohibited because the number of trees are no longer sufficient to make it sustainable for harvesting.

 

 

 Eco Friendly Furniture Materials

 

 

There is no shortage of materials which can be incorporated in the making of green furniture, although some of them could be hard to find and expensive because of their being popular.

 

Reclaimed wood

 

This type of wood has been used before for other purposes but can be an excellent choice for re-use in making eco friendly furniture. Other advantages of reclaimed wood over other lumber is that of being stable and well-seasoned.

 

 

Rattan and Wicker

 

 

These material  grows faster than forest trees and they are abundant in forest areas and thus they are sustainable. Wickers and rattan canes can be easily harvested and transported not like forest trees which needed heavy duty tools and heavy equpiments. They can be used in a variety of  furniture, from sofas and beds to dining sets.

 

 

 

Jute

 

 

Labeled as golden fiber because of its resemblance to gold color, jute is a very popular eco friendly material in making eco friendly furniture. Jute fabric are most commonly used as rugs, curtains or sacks but is now fast gaining in acceptance as upholstery material.

 

 

There are still more organic and natural materials out there that can be utilized to make an eco friendly furniture and thus contribute to the success of Earth Day. What I have given are the prominent ones but they are not necessarily more superior to the other less known.

 

 

Below is a video of how a discarded oak wood from an old pier was reclaimed and given a new life:

 

 

 

This furniture tip is  for people looking for a way to eliminate  the extra preparatory work in painting their furniture; who think they can save time and cost by not sanding their wood furniture.

 

 

The usual procedure in preparing wood furniture for painting includes sanding the surface in order for the paint to adhere properly. However, some people do not have time for sanding or they just simply hate the part of the job. There is a way of skipping it though. But it does not mean that you should neglect sanding your piece every time you do some painting job.

 

 

 

Sanding the wood furniture before coating with paint is what makes the difference between work that looks great and something that has been done hastily. I had already mentioned this necessity  in my earlier post Spray Painting Tips for  Your Wood Furniture 

 

 

Bonding primer eliminates the need for added surface preparation such as sanding. Intended for use on glossy surfaces, bonding primer can be used not only on metal or plastic but on wood furniture as well. Other than applying by spray painting, bonding primer can also be brushed-on on any glossy surface.

 

If you are refinishing or putting on a new coat over the old finish you must first clean the surface of contaminants such as wax, polish, grease or oil. You can use  an abrasive detergent or just plain soap and water. After all is cleaned and dried you can then go ahead to applying the primer

 

 

The purpose of bonding primer is to seal the surface of pores in wood as well as to block wood tannin bleed, ink, grease and other stains. But their most important job is to ready the surface for the painting by creating a uniform surface.

 

Several paint manufacturers sell different types of bonding primers according  to the project requirements. STIX Bonding Primer is a waterborne urethane  acrylic that strongly bonds to hard, glossy paints and other challenging substrates aside from wood. It levels to a smooth film to dramatically improve the top coat appearance.

 

Here is a video which shows tips on how to spray primers and paints. It also gives solution on common spray problems.