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Quick Tips to Care for Outdoor Furniture

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With a few simple steps, you can keep your outdoor furniture looking fresh and new for many years.

The American Home Furnishings Alliance offers the following care and maintenance tips:

Aluminum Frames

Clean with mild soap and water. For non-textured surfaces, apply an automotive wax every few months. On textured finishes, periodically apply baby or mineral oil. Occasionally spray oil lubricant on chair swivels or glides.

Tempered Glass

Starting from "One"

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Here’s a question we recently received (and hear relatively often):

My fiancée and I will be married soon. We don't have much furniture and we'd like to purchase one nice piece to start our married life together. What do you suggest as a good first piece for a young couple?

A new bed or sofa are two wonderful starter pieces. I would suggest a new bed, if you don't already have a queen or king size bed – unless you prefer a double.

A sofa is also a great place to start – wonderful for everyday use, watching videos and entertaining friends.

Finding Your Personal Design Style

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If you’re having a hard time figuring out your particular design style, you’re not alone. Most people take a hybrid approach when it comes to their decorating style.

To make the most of your competing style preferences -- in a complementary way -- one suggestion is to pick a dominant style and then have accent pieces and accessories in another style. Read through some home decorating magazines and watch some home decorating shows – doing so will help you decide which style is best for you and your home.

Guard Against Furniture Tip-Over

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Thousands of children visit emergency rooms each year with injuries received from climbing on or pulling over furniture.

Despite warnings about furniture tip-over hazards from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the number of these injuries has increased since 1990.

"Parents and caregivers need to be aware that these accidents tend to happen quickly — usually while a child is left briefly alone in a room," notes American Home Furnishings Alliance Vice President Bill Perdue, who recently helped update a voluntary furniture tip-over safety standard for manufacturers.

Writing Your Own Style Rules

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Maybe you know the answer to this already, but we’ve been getting this kind of question a lot recently:

“So many of the decorating books suggest how to decorate if you are a ‘country’ or a ‘traditional,’ but I like a lot of styles. Do I have to follow the ‘rules?’”

We’re going to make this easy on you: Rules are made to be broken! If you like it, buy it – those are my decorating mottos!

Do what feels best for you. If you want to do a mix of country and contemporary, go for it. Your home is an outward expression of who you are and your passions in life – go for it and enjoy!

Cool Furniture for Hot Summers

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Patios that are both comfortable and attractive seem to bring out the best in summer barbeques, get-togethers, and relaxing.

Luckily, there are a multitude of options available today in outdoor furniture.

For your patio area, I would recommend something made of teak, aluminum or resin – or a combination of those materials. All of those materials are attractive, durable and will withstand the elements well.

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