The Magic Of Oak

The Home of the Future

2011-10-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

Home life is changing, according to a recent survey of the International Furnishings and Design Association.

They surveyed nearly 2,000 members to find out what trends they expect to see for the American home. Interestingly, they forecast that formal living and dining rooms will become spaces put to many purposes, from home offices to entertainment areas and media rooms. That makes sense to me - when we moved into our home 6 years ago, we didn't see the need for a formal dining room, since when our family gets together, mostly we center around the kitchen or eat at the everyday dining table (when we're not in front of the tv). ;-) A formal dining area would just be space we'd rarely use. And as we all know, space is an in-demand commodity in the home, so my husband and I turned the formal dining area into a game/entertainment/workout area - the room is put to great use and we've been very happy, not missing a formal dining area at all.

The survey also indicated that designers see furniture becoming more multi-purpose, with modular and moveable furniture being more popular than large or built-in pieces. Buying furniture that is multi-purpose can be money-saving, and in this economy, that's a plus.

They also pointed out that nearly everyone is working at home in some form or another, so having a home office is a necessity. I can agree. I can't imagine not having a home office area. Having a separate area to keep files and use the computer keeps the other areas of the house free from the paper clutter and most times, when I want something, I know where I can find it (even if I didn't remember to file it). Having a functional desk, a hutch, a couple of files, and some bookcases works for me. Although, somehow, I still have more books than can fit into the bookcases. But, that's for another blog.

Just wanted to share the forecast regarding the home trends of the future. Don't forget to check us out at www.oakforless.com for some furniture options that will complement your home.

Remembering and Reflecting

2011-09-11T14:33:00.002-07:00

On this 10th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, the family of Oak For Less® joins everyone in remembering the lives lost and the heroes that rose up in the midst of those life-altering events. We pray for comfort for the families and for peace for our world.

Updates and More Updates

2011-07-26T12:52:00.003-07:00

Wow - time sure flies! I can't believe it's been such a long time since my last post, but so much has changed.

Who knew updating a website would be so time-consuming? We updated our website recently and it took nearly a year to complete (it's one of a couple reasons I haven't updated our blog until now).

We thought it would take just a few months, but good things take time. Everything from colors to pictures to the design and content needed to be just right. It was basically starting over from scratch with everything except our logo, so I've been working closely with the web designers/programmers at BBB Systems (great guys here in Phoenix that we hired to do our new website design). It has been a long process and sometimes it seemed as if it was going on forever, since I had to double-check and update all of the products & their descriptions - over 650 on the website. But all in all, it has been well worth it. Our website has a brand-new look along with a new ability for customers to buy online! We also have been able to expand our deliveries beyond our Phoenix Metro area and now offer shipping/delivery services to not only Arizona, but California too. Hooray! Check it out at www.oakforless.com and let me know what you think.

Are all of your items made of solid oak?

2010-04-05T17:31:00.002-07:00

This is a great question and we get asked it quite often, so here's the scoop:

Some items are solid oak while many others use oak veneer over plywood or oak veneer over MDF (medium density fiberboard). We offer dining chairs in solid oak as well as certain dining tables. Most desks, entertainment centers, hutches and buffets, and bookcases will have solid oak doors, drawer-fronts, and trim, but the large, flat areas of the top and sides will be real oak veneer over a substrate, such as plywood or occasionally, MDF. We also offer a budget-friendly variety of items with solid oak doors, drawer-fronts, and trim over a substrate of particleboard. Substrates vary by manufacturer, and are often used to provide stability where a single solid piece of wood may have a tendency to warp or split. In addition to oak, we also offer items made in alder, walnut, and Asian hardwoods such as rubberwood (funny as it sounds, rubberwood is in fact a hardwood).

If you're not sure, never be afraid to ask. At our stores, we're happy to answer any questions you may have about the quality and construction of our furniture.

Next, I'll explain about using solid wood vs. veneers...

Welcome!

2010-04-04T21:55:00.004-07:00

Hello and welcome to our blog for Oak For Less furniture! Blogging is a new thing for us and we hope to provide you with some interesting topics regarding wood furniture and anything related to the furniture industry.

A little background... Serving the valley for the past 17 years, Oak For Less is a small family business that does its best to provide quality wood furniture at discounted prices. Currently, we have 2 locations - both in the lovely Valley of the Sun in Arizona. One in the city of Mesa and the other in the town of Gilbert.

Our furniture includes a wide variety: entertainment (wall units and tv consoles), bedroom (headboards, dressers, chests of drawers, and nightstands), dining (tables, chairs, and hutch/buffets), home office (desks, writing tables, and files), bookcases, and curios.

Currently, we are only able to ship within the Phoenix metro area, in Arizona, but due to numerous requests, we are working on methods of shipping out of state. If you would like to check out our website, please do: www.oakforless.com.

That's it for now. Please check back soon for our next post!