Mixing Furniture

« Design

Share

Homeowners seek interiors with fine furnishings and accessories. Whether enlisting interior designers or doing it themselves, many are turning to a popular trend of using traditional furnishings in a range of juxtaposed décors.

"With emphasis on comfort and personal style, many homes include varied elements of aesthetic form and practical function," says Mike Howarth, president and owner of Englishman's Fine Furnishings, a national company specializing in customized furniture and interior kitchen design. Planning spaces boasting this combination has challenges but is attainable. Having designed English- and European-style reproduction furniture for many years, Howarth provides the following advice.

Q. What makes a well-furnished room?
A. Begin with style and design; then follow with size and placement. Rooms should have space for traffic paths with unblocked openings. It is good to scale spaces with layout plans, or even tape out the sizes of the pieces onto the floor to visualize placement. Customization is also an ongoing trend. We've customized furniture in most every size and style according to specific space constraints.

Q. How does furniture hold value?
A. Fine-quality pieces hold value as they age. Value is characterized by handcrafted manufacturing that entails subtle or ornate detailing and careful attention at every stage. Long-lasting value comes from furniture manufactured by skilled craftsman with experience derived from studying high-end pieces from past eras. To learn more, visit www.englishmansfurniture.com.