Home Decor

Paint Protection: Keeping Paint Off Of Furniture, Windows, and Hardware

There are many steps on the pre-painting checklist that you want to make sure are completed before you whip out the paint brush. Prepping the walls and covering the floors are a great start, but there are other aspects of a room many homeowners don’t consider that require protection from potential paint spills! The professional Danbury, CT painters at CertaPro have put together a guide to help you prepare your furniture, windows, and hardware before you begin a painting project.

  • Furniture: It can be a hassle to remove all the large furniture from a room. Some pieces may even be so large that they won’t fit through a doorway without disassembly. To save effort and time, you can simply cover your furniture and get the job done without worrying about paint damage. To protect furniture, you’re going to need large sheets of plastic covering and tape. These items can be found at any hardware store. The main idea is to cover each piece of furniture so that the possibility of paint spills and splatters is eliminated. To cover a sofa, take the plastic covering and lay it over the entire couch, making sure it reaches the bottom. To hold the plastic in place, tape around the perimeter of the couch. If it’s easier, you can tape the plastic to the floor for maximum protection.
  • Windows: Paint drips on your window can look messy, and scraping dried paint off with a razor blade can cause damage to your windows. By taking the necessary precautions, accidental paint drips become less of an issue. If you have trim or a frame around your windows, start by taping off the outer edges with painters tape. This will ensure that the edge that is to be painted will have crisp, clean lines. To protect the window itself from any possible paint splatter, it’s best to use the same plastic covering used for the furniture. Cut the covering to the approximate size of each window pane and tape it down, making sure there is no space for paint to potentially drip through.
  • Hardware: To protect the hardware around your home, including light switch plate covers, doorknobs, and vent grills, it’s best to remove them completely while you’re painting. During the painting process, be sure to paint as close as possible to each fixture, as painting around the approximate shape of each piece of hardware could leave you with unwanted paint gaps. If removing hardware pieces is something you would rather skip, the best thing to do is to tape around the edges of each piece with painters tape and paint very carefully!

Preparing your walls and floors for a painting project seems like the most common thing to do, but you don’t want to forget about the little details. Keep your painting project clean and organized with these paint protection tips!

Office Cleaning Guide

In order to maintain a clean office, there are some things that need to be taken care of daily. By completing these tasks, you’ll prevent a buildup of dirt, germs, and clutter and be able to enjoy a happy and healthy office space.

  • Wipe down the table and desk tops: At the end of each day, your desk and any tables around the office should be wiped down. If your office has a kitchen area, countertops should be wiped down as well. This quick action will prevent any food from getting caked onto surfaces, as well as stop the spread of bacteria. Remember to use cleaning solutions that are natural and safe to use. Light dusting done daily will help prevent the accumulation of unsightly dust all over your office. In the spring and summer months, dusting each day can also help prevent allergy flare-ups.
  • Give everything a place:  Your desktop should be clear to allow enough room to get work done without distraction. Pens should go into a pencil case or kept organized on your desktop. Extra paper, note pads, and folders should be kept in a desk drawer or in a storage closet. Keeping your desk and your belongings organized will help prevent clutter from forming, and make the daily wipe down at the end of each day easier.
  • De-clutter your workspace: Putting things away where they belong should ideally be done daily. Prior to leaving the office each day, take the time to organize piles of paper that may have accumulated on your desk. This will make dusting easier, with less to move around when you dust, and make coming into your office the next day less stressful. Invest in a filing cabinet or shelving unit to keep your books, binders, and other paperwork neat and organized.
  • Leave the big stuff to the professionals. Larger cleaning projects, like vacuuming and cleaning the bathroom facilities, should be left to expert janitorial services. Professional cleaners come in after office hours to give the place a deep clean, using the right chemicals, tools, and practices to make your workspace clean and safe to work in.

Having a clean office definitely help improves work morale. While daily cleaning helps maintain cleanliness, every office needs a good scrub down at least once a week to really get a deep clean. Tackle the small stuff daily, but leave the big stuff to the experts!

Home Decorating Do’s and Don’ts

Interior decorating is an art that requires some basic know-how’s in order to create a space that is inviting and well put together.  Whether you’re a new homeowner or you’re just looking for a change, these home decorating do’s and don’ts will help you take your home to the next level!

  • Don’t decorate large spaces with small items. When it comes to decorating large open wall spaces, try not to hang small pieces of art, as this will make a wall look bigger, like it is ready to engulf the entire picture. Try using multiple works that are on a slightly larger scale, or use one piece, like a large painting, to balance out the space.
  • Do buy the couch you want separately, and think outside the box when it comes to additional seating. For instance, pairing a solid colored couch with patterned armchairs can really give your living space a great look. Avoidbuy matching furniture sets, which normally include two or three identical seating options. This can make your space look too dull and uniform.
  • Don’t display too many décor pieces, such as picture frames or candles, as these can make your space seem cluttered and stuffy. Instead,incorporate a few decorative pieces into the room for a clean and well put together look.
  • Do add to a recessed light source by using table or floor lamps for a warm look. They make a great addition and can be used along with ceiling lights or just on their own. Don’trely solely on recessed lighting, as this can make a room seem uninviting. Although most homes already come with fixtures for recessed lighting, avoid using them as your only source of light.
  • Don’t push all of your furniture pieces up against walls. This will give your room a sharp, defined look which can make the space seem smaller and create awkward, open space in the center of a room. Instead,placecouches and chairs on a perimeter that is smaller than the room to give the appearance of a more evenly distributed open space.
  • Do use a large area rug. This will enable you to layer furniture on top of certain sections of the rug which creates a more cohesive space. Don’t use a small rug in a large space, as it can end up looking out of place or it can look like an item that has no purpose, especially when placed in between furniture.
  • Don’t choose your interior paint color based on the sample in the store. The light and layout of your room can affect the way the paint looks. To avoid any mishaps, ask to take a sample of paint home and test it out before you choose the final color. This will ensure that you are making the best choice!

Following these home decorating do’s and don’ts will help you transform your home, but if you’re not a DIY-er, you can trust Carbondale, IL interior decorators to guide you through the process with their unique expertise.

How To Get The Best Sleep

Have you ever thought about what happens to your sleep cycle as you move through life? You start out alone and peaceful and in the blink of an eye, your bed has turned into a family gathering space rather than a quiet sanctuary where you dream, when you marry and have children. In honor of Better Sleep Month, Jaron’s has put together a guide on how you can get the best sleep, no matter what your situation.

Sleeping Alone:  You can do so comfortable in virtually any size mattress, and you have the freedom of making the space work for you. As a child, you work your way up from a crib, to a small twin size bed of your own, and then eventually to a full-size mattress, perfect for a single adult. You may sleep on your side, your stomach, or your back – it’s all about personal preference.

  • Con: It can get quite lonely!
  • Pro: You can sleep whenever and however you like!

To get the best sleep you can, create an atmosphere that’s set directly for your preferences. A dark, quiet, cool room is the ideal sleep situation and since you are alone, you can choose the perfect temperature and level of darkness without worrying what works for someone else.

Sleeping With Another Person: As you mature, you seek the companionship of another human being. Eventually you start dating, form a relationship, and may even get married. This drastically changes your sleeping situation. Suddenly you have several things to consider about your partner. Do they snore? Are they a blanket hog, or worse, a bed hog? Do they talk in their sleep? Do they sleep walk? You’ll learn a lot about your partner just by sharing a bed with them!

  • Con: Your significant other may create a sleep-debilitating problem for you!
  • Pro: You’ll have the comfort of having another person to cozy up with at night.

To get the best sleep you can, choose the right mattress. Your actual bed can make all the difference in the type of sleep you are getting, so it’s best to be comfortable. You want enough room so that when you and your partner are done cuddling, you can each roll over and get an undisturbed sleep.

Sleeping With A Pet: If you have chosen to adopt or buy a pet, they may start out in a crate or on the floor, but sooner or later, they’ll probably start sleeping with you in your bed. You’ll learn to accommodate them and allow them the space they need at your feet, or if they’re really lucky, a place cuddled up right next to you.

  • Con: You’re sacrificing your space and possibly your maximum comfort level.
  • Pro: You’ll further the unconditional love your pet has for you.

To get the best sleep you can, unfortunately you would have to keep the pets out of the bed all together. If you have guilt about putting them in a crate all night, why not create a sanctuary just for them? Buy your pet a luxurious bed and keep it in your bedroom so they’ll still be close by. They may actually enjoy that even more than your bed.

Sleeping With A Person and A Pet: If you’re living with a significant other and you own a pet, you’ll notice that space is becoming limited in your bed. Two bodies means less room for your pet, pushing them to another area of the bed, be it by your headboard, curled up at your side, or lying across your feet. Your significant other may take your sleeping needs into consideration, but your pet will not and you may start sacrificing your own comfort for theirs.

  • Con: The lack of space may start to annoy your significant other or pet, causing them to want to sleep elsewhere.
  • Pro: You’ll never feel neglected by anyone!

To get the best sleep you can, train your pet to sleep in a certain spot on your bed. If they are trained to stay in one spot, they may be less likely to try and takeover you and your partner’s personal space and get up and roam around the bed in the middle of the night.

Sleeping With The Family: As life goes on, you may choose to have children. As these children grow, with them grows their impending fear of the dark and need to sleep with you. This means everyone piles into bed at night – the spouse, the children, the pets, and you. You may wonder how you don’t end up on the floor every night considering the serious lack of space.

  • Con: It may seemed cramped at times
  • Pro: Once you adjust and find where you’re most comfortable, you’ll realize that you wouldn’t rather be sleeping any other way.

To get the best sleep you can, create a schedule where everyone has to go to bed at the same time. If everyone is lying down at once, there will be less in and out of the bed. This would also be extremely beneficial if everyone wakes up at the same time. Going to bed and getting up in the morning at the same time every day really optimizes the quality of sleep you are getting on a daily basis.

Remember, in order to get the best night’s sleep, you need to learn how you sleep as an individual. Making sacrifices for your pets and loved ones is something that happens every day, but in order to live a full, healthy lifestyle you cannot neglect your sleep. Check out Jaron’s selection of mattresses to find the one that’s right for you and your situation and be on your way to your best sleep yet!

Library Furniture

Many people enter a library to further their knowledge on a certain subject, while others simply wish to escape from their everyday stresses. Whether you’re seeking refuge in a home library or headed to your school campus to study, a library is a quiet sanctuary where knowledge and productivity are abundant. The atmosphere of a library is essential, and how a library is furnished plays a large role in that.

In honor of School Library Month, Jaron’s wanted to touch on the importance of furniture within a library. Read on to discover the furniture we offer that is a perfect fit for any library!

Lounge areas are a great spot in a library to get comfortable and dive into the latest novel. The Alfresco Chair would be perfect around any coffee table in a library. Not only are the colors vibrant, but the plush cushions are so comfortable you may never want to leave them.

The Sonoma table and chairs would be put to great use in a workspace. The table is large and sturdy enough to fit at least six people working simultaneously. There is enough room for patrons to bring their laptops and paperwork and get down to business. Plus, its oak coloring is perfect for a library.

What’s a library without bookshelves? The Cross Island Collection comes in three different sizes and has a beautifully detailed richness that enhances whatever space they occupy. These shelves can be lined with books, magazines and periodicals of different sizes. If it is a home library you’re looking to set up, you can add photos or sculptural pieces to the shelves for some added flair.

If you’re looking for additional storage for organizing card and media files, there is no more need for the boring, old metal filing cabinets of the past. The Lobink File Cabinet is a sleek, contemporary piece that still serves its office function.

For those who like to work alone, the Hamlyn Small Leg Desk might be the spot for them. It is a very traditional, yet elegant desk that is most suitable for those who are looking for their own space. These desks can be scattered around a school library in little nooks to optimize privacy, or placed in the center of your home library as a stand out piece.

Here at Jaron’s Furniture Outlet, we are happy to accommodate all of your furniture needs, whether you’re furnishing a home library or a school library. We offer unbeatable prices and a variety of selections to choose from. Say goodbye to your traditional library furniture and create a modern space with Jaron’s Furniture today!

How to Keep Your Home Extra Cozy This Winter

The winter months are quickly approaching, which means colder days, freezing nights and the potential for snowfall. When there is a significant amount of snow, many schools and workplaces have to declare a snow-day to keep everyone safe. There is nothing better than spending a winter day at home, especially when you have a cozy house to get snowed in to! Here are a few tips of how to make sure your home is snow-day ready.

Add an over-sized ottoman to the mix. Gone are the days where every house has a traditional coffee table. Over-sized ottomans are a great replacement! Many ottomans have built in storage and can also be used as a foot rest, additional seating, and a table when adding a drink tray. There are many ways to dress up or dress down an over-sized ottoman in your living space, but on snowy days it’s a nice addition to have where you can curl up and rest your feet while watching a movie with your loved ones.

Warm up with blankets and throws. Wishing you could add pops of color to your living space this winter? The perfect temporary fix is to add additional blankets and throws into your living area. Drape a throw across the back of your couch as an accessory. Place a pile of blankets in a basket next to the couch at an arm’s reach to keep yourself warm on the coldest days. Also, extra blankets around means you can build a fort with the kids when they have a snow-day from school!

Soften the space with pillows. Another way to add color and texture to a room is to add a mix of pillows. They come in all different shapes, sizes, materials and colors and are an easy accessory to add to a living space. This winter, change up the look of your living space by adding extra pillows to your couch, making it an inviting and comfy place to relax. Try to find pillows in warm tones like red or maroon to keep the room festive well after the holiday season.

Cozy up with a good read. Do you have trouble finding the time to read a book or catch up on your magazine subscription? Snow-days are a great excuse to sit and read all day. Place a stack of magazines and books on your ottoman for added décor and for something to read when the snow starts to fall.

Play games! Snow-days can be tough when people feel they are stuck inside with no activities planned. A great way to combat boredom is to decorate with some board games and puzzles. Start a puzzle on your ottoman for people to add pieces to. Place a chess board on a side table for easy access. Having these little activities around will not only be great for those snowy days off, but also to entertain all of your holiday guests.

Try these tips this winter to keep your living spaces cozy, warm and inviting.

How to Coordinate Furniture & Paint Colors

Whether you’re moving into a new living space or refreshing a room in your current home, one of the most difficult interior decorating problems you’ll have to solve is how to coordinate your furniture with the paint colors that you’re going to want on the interior of the house. If you’re having trouble figuring out how best to match your interior paint to your furniture, here are a few guidelines to get your creative juices flowing:

Bold colors bring natural and neutral furniture to life. If your furniture is neutrally toned, settling for white or beige walls may be safe for avoiding clashing color combinations, but the result is boring at best. Instead, venture out of your comfort zone and try something different, like lime green or royal blue to liven up the space. Injecting a little bit of color into an accent wall will breathe life into an otherwise bland living space.

Don’t forget the molding. Crown molding is an often underrated aspect of interior decoration. If your furniture is neutral and your walls are bold, keep your molding neutral to keep the visual aesthetics from becoming overpowering. Likewise, if you’d rather have colorful furniture and neutral walls, consider painting your crown molding an exciting color to add an accent to the room and complement your furniture.

You can’t go wrong with classics. If you’re nervous about incorporating bold colors in your home, bring in color through other ways, like throw pillows, vases or other small accessories throughout the room.

Pick a favorite and run with it. You can never go wrong with your favorite color because the more visually appealing a room is to you, the more satisfied you’ll be. After that, it’s a matter of picking accents and balancing the aesthetic with neutral white or off-white tones.

Embrace the unknown. Though a professional interior decorator will tell you that there are a lot of rules to the decorating game, the fact is that rules were made to be broken. You might surprise yourself with a pleasant combination.

With limitless options, decorating can be puzzling. If painting the walls is your biggest concern, contact a reputable contractor like Park City Painters who will get the job done right while helping you decide what fits your vision.

Tips to Consider When Purchasing New Living Room Furniture

Shopping for new living room furniture can be a daunting task for any homeowner. Furniture sets are a big investment, so you need to know exactly what you want and what will look great in your home prior to the purchase.

Follow these tips to make a clear choice in your transition to new living room furniture:

Do your research. Always compare prices online with various stores in the area. Knowledge is power and can help you to save on what you like. It is also important to know that the brand you are choosing is quality. Know what you are doing before you walk into the store.

Consider the shape of the room. One of the most important things you can before furniture shopping is to measure the size of the room and know what size furniture will fit. Measure the width and length of the doorways leading to the room. Use this information to determine the correct sizes for your new furniture.

Determine the type of material. Leather and microfiber are just a few of the different types of material available. In most cases, leather is durable and resistant, but it can show scratching easily.  Microfibers have a nice suede look and feel to them and tend to appear stain proof.

Test out your purchase. An obvious but sometimes overlooked step in buying furniture is to make sure you have thoroughly tested out your purchase. Comfort is a major part of what new living room furniture is about. Bring your family along and make sure your new furniture set is one that everyone will enjoy.

Entertain guests this summer while making your new purchase as smooth a process as possible. For more information, contact the experts in living room furniture at Jarons Furniture Outlet today.

Buying Furniture on a Budget

One of the more costly components of owning a home is furnishing it, and if your pocket is already strained from your new mortgage payment or other home repairs, it can seem like a frustrating process. However, the good news is, there are ways to budget shop for furniture. Below are some tips to ensure you get great new pieces for your home while not breaking the bank:

Knowledge: Before you even step foot into a local furniture store, take a moment to gather your thoughts and ideas. Make sure you know exactly what you want, and which furniture pieces you need the most. If you don’t have either a mental list or a written list of what you need most, you will most likely find yourself buying pieces that you don’t necessarily need and therefore spending too much.

Unfinished Furniture: One route you can take is looking into purchasing unfinished furniture. Your local furniture store will most likely offer an array of unfinished pieces, and with a little bit of time and hard work, you could have a completely unique family or dining room, all while saving a little bit of money.

Buy Used or Discount: Primarily buying used or discount furniture instead of new will help you save as well. Your local furniture store may have some assorted used pieces, but you can also look for yard/garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, or public auctions to find unique older pieces. A little restoration work and those pieces can look good as new!

Jaron’s Furniture Outlet has a selection of clearance furniture called “The Heap,” where everything is discounted 20%-80% off of our everyday low prices. Click here to learn more about our clearance center: http://www.jarons.com/clearance-center

Selecting the Right Furniture Style

Decorating your living quarters is no easy task. With so many various styles and finishes to choose from, diving into the variety of options at hand may seem overwhelming for any newcomer.

Fortunately, the unique factor about this entire process is that the creativity lies entirely in YOUR hands. What style fits you the best? Which style expresses you the most? What colors do you find most aesthetically pleasing? The following furniture styles will help guide you through this rather seemingly tedious process with ease:

Traditional: Stemming from early 16th century European ideals, traditional furniture was intended to mimic many of the royal elegancies from that time period. Known for its hand-carved and stained wood features, carpenters would deeply-carve pieces that radiate the utmost sophistication- after all, many royal families throughout Europe were noted for utilizing this style, and despite its early roots, many people are still found using this style today.

Modern: Offered as a refreshing break from the previous traditional styles, modern furniture marked the start of a new era of design. Heavily influenced by the concept of modernism post World War II, modern furniture originally brought abstract and distinctive styles into homes and apartments throughout the globe, contrary to the classical elements of its traditional predecessor. Instead of wood, a variety of steels and plastics were blended together, ultimately reflecting the breakthrough in technology around that time.

Contemporary: Popular in many urban areas, contemporary style contains many similar features to modern styles, with a twist. Virtually the same materials are highly regarded in both styles, but the idea of minimalism is what sets contemporary style apart. Contemporary design is meant to be simple yet sharp, which means the fewer pieces in a room, the better. Many furniture trends lie in contemporary design, so if you like to keep up to date with style, this may be the look for you.

While there are hundreds of more in-depth and specific styles of furniture originating from each culture in the world, the three described seem to be the most popular among professional decorators and homeowners alike. So, feel free to be creative and use any of these styles in the  manner you desire, and take a look at our online store for some possible ideas. Happy decorating!