What's Your Style?

When you are looking for furniture, the salesperson will often ask you, "What style furniture are you looking for?"  At our store, we feature a few different styles.  I thought it might be helpful to point them out and that way, you'll have a better idea what to say if a salesperson asks you that question in the future!

Contemporary or Modern Style:
This style is characterized by rounded edges.  Usually there is no hardware on the doors or drawers, just a slot-style cut-out for the fingers to pull open the drawer or door.  Sometimes you will find round wood knobs, but not always.  The lines on Contemporary or Modern style furniture are rounded, clean, and smooth.  No sharp corners.  No fancy trim.  See the pictures below for Contemporary or Modern style examples.

Traditional style:
Traditional style is characterized by classic-style trim.  There may be crown molding, dentil molding (looks like little squares...or teeth, hence the name 'dentil'), or other types of trim that give the furniture that classic appeal.  Traditional style furniture can also have wrapped moldings - where the trim is not only across the front, but it extends around the sides of the piece, such as can be found on TV stands, desks, or dressers.  It can also be found with flush sides - where the trim is only across the front.  This is handy for bookcases, where they will be set directly next to each other, or a TV stand that fits between entertainment piers.  That way, with flush sides, the pieces can be snugged right up to each other.  See the pictures below for Traditional style examples (these examples all have wrapped moldings).

Mission style:
Also known as Arts & Crafts style, Mission style furniture has enjoyed immense popularity over the years.  Comprised of mostly straight lines, this style is clean and elegant.  Craftsmen such as Gustav Stickley popularized it in the early 1900s and desire for its understated beauty has not diminished.  Although it is often seen in a reddish brown "Cherry" stain, many manufacturers offer other finish colors that also look beautiful in this style.  See the pictures below for examples of Mission style.

Rustic style:
The Rustic style is one characterized by a distressed finish, where wood rasps have roughed spots on edges, nail holes are made in the surface, all to make the appearance of being worn and aged over the years.  Rustic furniture can also incorporate the use of stonework, such as natural slate inlays, to enhance its charm.  It is a particularly popular style for cabins or homes in the Southwest.  See the pictures below for Rustic style examples.

Besides these 4 styles - Contemporary, Traditional, Mission, or Rustic - there are other furniture styles, but these are the basics.  They will help you identify what you have or what you like and hopefully help you in your search for furniture which complements your style.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great week!  :-)

Quick Gourmet Chicken Salad to Welcome You Back!

It's amazing how time zips by - and suddenly I realize that I have been focused so much on regular life and the store that I let our blog get a bit neglected!  Hmm...a bit embarrassing.  Well, it's time to resurrect our blog!

Although talking about furniture can be interesting, it's not the most interesting thing all the time.  So, in our blog, I will post not only furniture-related posts but I will also post a variety of things - food, crafts, pets - you'll have to wait and see exactly what!

After polishing and buffing this blog back into shiny new-ness, I will start my posts with a recipe I love (well, my family loves it, too!).  I found this originally on Real Mom Kitchen and once I tried it, I never went back to regular chicken salad.  It is that good.  The recipe is Quick Gourmet Chicken Salad.  It lives up to its name since is quick and it tastes gourmet - like you would get at one of those fancy sandwich eateries!  Mmmm...it is so yummy, we've eaten it as a sandwich on small french rolls or even put open-faced on sliced pieces of toasted sourdough.  It is a favorite for lunch or dinner and I am sure you'll love it too!  I put my substitutions in parentheses in the recipe.

Quick Gourmet Chicken Salad

2 (12.5 oz) cans of chicken (or 3 cups diced cooked chicken)
3/4 cup light mayonnaise ( I use Vegenaise)
1 cup red grapes, halved
1 green onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 cup diced apple (I dice 1 whole apple)
salt and pepper to taste
pecans or cashews, optional
bread or lettuce leaves - for serving

Directions:

Drain the chicken (if using canned) and shred.
In a bowl, combine the chicken, mayo, grapes, green onion, celery, apple, salt, and pepper.
Mix together gently with a spoon until well blended (don't smash those grape halves!).
You may need to add more mayo, a spoon at a time, if the mixture isn't sticking together enough.
Serve on rolls, bread, or croissants.
Sprinkle with some cashews or pecans, if desired.
For a lower carb version, it can be served on a lettuce leaf instead of the bread.

Personally, I don't use the nuts on it - I like it as it is.  But some of you may like it!
Do try it and let me know what you think!

~Suzanne
aka Furniture Gal