Hot Trends in Retro Furniture

February 17, 2016 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Be Inspired by Creative Displays at Our Furniture Store Is retro your style? Come to our furniture store for some amazing decorating ideas incorporating unique modern and vintage pieces! From sleek to chunky and whimsy to kitsch, we’ll help break out the interior designer in you. Even the simplest retro look can transform your living room and bedroom into a chic and trendy space. Follow our simple tips for a quick and stylish makeover. Find your style: Retro typically takes its inspiration from the fashion, art and pop culture of the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. To avoid a chaotic, messy look and confusion of styles, pick an era you would like to pay tribute to.  Each has its ...

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Reinventing Classic Design and Versatile Functionality

February 5, 2016 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Creating Your Own Signature Style with Fine Furniture It’s time to reinvent classic designs with modern styles of fine furniture and decor. While “fresh” and “versatile” dominate 2016 interior design trends, many customers ask us how they can avoid being swept up in the winds of constant change that modern styling demands. Here are some expert tips on how to achieve a balance between classic, retro and new to create your own signature style. Come and see our high-end furniture displays for ideas. Fusion of styles: The mixing of old and new gives you the option of retaining your classic furniture while introducing some fine modern pieces to be trendy and functional. Splurge on high-end Distressed Cane Settee accent seat ...

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Tips to Help You Differentiate Between Superior Quality and Inferior Antique Furniture

April 5, 2015 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

While age does matter, not all antique furniture is created equally. While some pieces are extraordinary and come from exceptional craftsmanship, others are a poor attempt at restoration. As a buyer, you need to know what differentiates superior from inferior quality.  Doing so will not only help you purchase a piece that will last, but ensure you are not overpaying for a poor piece of vintage furniture. What to Look for When Buying Antique Furniture When looking at antique furniture, there are five factors you will need to consider: rarity, aesthetic appeal, desirability, authenticity and the craftsmanship. Rarity - Not all antique furniture items are rare. If, however, the item is something that cannot be easily found in your city ...

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Tips For Keeping Antique Upholstery Clean

July 15, 2014 BY Carrocel Interiors | 10 Comments on Tips For Keeping Antique Upholstery Clean

  Cleaning and maintaining your antique furniture is necessary, but sometimes, cleaning antique upholstery can actually destroy the value of the piece. Most antique furniture pieces have very delicate fibres used to upholster them, which means using the wrong furniture refinishing method could permanently destroy the piece. The main purpose of furniture refinishing is to preserve the original techniques, materials and beauty of the item. Therefore, it is best to consult an expert before refinishing your own vintage furniture. Tips For Maintaining Antique Upholstery While a professional is your best option for antique furniture upholstery, there are ways you can maintain and clean your upholstery without destroying its value. Some things you can do, include: Taking Care Of Spills Appropriately ...

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Different Styles Of Antique Furniture

August 26, 2013 BY Carrocel Interiors | 19 Comments on Different Styles Of Antique Furniture

How To Identify Different Styles Of Antique Furniture Need some help with identifying antique furniture? Here is a quick guide to help you distinguish between the different looks. It will also help you pick out the one that closely matches your décor and taste. Jacobean: English style (1640-1700), medieval in appearance with straight lines, rigid designs, sturdy construction, ornate carvings and a dark finish. Early American: Modelled after European furniture styles (1640-1700), particularly from England, France, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Spain. Rudimentary utilitarian furniture made from local woods. William and Mary: Dutch and Chinese influences, characterized by trumpet turned legs terminating in a ball or Spanish foot, padded or caned chair seats, and Oriental lacquer-work. Named after William and Mary ...

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Mixing Modern And Antique Furniture

August 12, 2013 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Combining modern and antique furniture can make an impressive statement of style if you achieve the right balance and tone. Knowing exactly how much to keep simple and where to introduce the drama is the key to success. Understand Design Terminology Antique Antique furniture pieces refer to collectible items with high value due to their age. Items are typically considered antique when they are over 100 years old. Vintage These are furniture pieces or designs from a previous generation. A true vintage furniture piece will be over 50 years old. Traditional Design Traditional furniture design is characterized by comfort and elegance. One unique feature of traditional furniture designs is the dark wood tones, including black, espresso, and cherry. It also ...

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This Week In The Studio…

September 6, 2012 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

We gave our studio a new look! We decided to change the walls and floor from white to a mid-tone gray in order to minimize reflections and glare when shooting, and to also assist in bringing out the true tones of the wood grain, as well as any colours that appear on the piece....

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What To Look Out for When Purchasing Antique Dining Tables & Case Pieces

January 31, 2011 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

When purchasing fine furniture for your home, it's important to know what you're getting and that what you are paying for is worth the money. Today's furniture market is littered with misrepresentation, ambiguous terminology, and even deceit in some cases. Given these unfortunate facts, understanding what to look out for when purchasing furniture is more relevant than ever before. You want to feel confident with your purchase and happy that you have a new piece of furniture without any regret or buyer's remorse. So, I've come up with a few pointers to keep in mind to help guide you in your search for quality furniture. Construction The construction of a piece is the most important thing to inspect. Ideally, the piece should be made from ...

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Carrocel At Home

January 6, 2011 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

We have some beautiful pictures of our work in our customers' homes! Check them out here: Here are some previews... ...

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European Beech vs. North American Beech Wood

December 10, 2010 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

European beech is a wonderful wood. All of our newly made chairs are made in Italy from European beech and so this makes it an important topic for us and our customers alike. For starters, it's necessary to make the distinction between North American and European beech as they are different despite originating from the same family. In fact, there are several differences between the two, however, for our purposes we'll simply focus on their properties and uses. They are both classified as hardwoods but their appearance and workability are not quite the same. For instance, North American beech is mostly a reddish brown and has a considerable colour variation between boards. The grain is usually very straight, closed, and much coarser ...

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Furniture Woods

November 15, 2010 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Today and in the next coming days, we will be exploring the most commonly used woods in fine furniture. From dark to light woods, these posts will offer useful information on the origins, purposes, and characteristics of the woods used in fine furniture. So, let's begin. Mahogany Perhaps the most widely known wood for furniture, mahogany is our starting point. Even if you don't know much about wood furniture, chances are you've at least heard of mahogany. As previously blogged about, mahogany is part of the dark-coloured hardwood category of woods. True mahoganies belong to the genus Swietenia which are found in the Caribbean and in Central and South America. Mahogany also, however, can originate in Africa in which they belong to the genus ...

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Wood Types

October 26, 2010 BY Carrocel Interiors | 1 Comment on Wood Types

When working with wood or buying wood furniture, it's best to know what you're working with or spending your money on. Understanding whether you are dealing with a hard or soft wood can dictate the wood's appropriate purpose, how they take to stain or lacquer, and how durable it is. Here I put together a brief explanation of wood basics. In the next post we will visit specific wood types and their roles in furniture. Hardwoods vs. Softwoods Solid woods fit into two categories: hardwood and softwood. A hardwood is extracted from a broad-leafed tree (i.e., no needles) and include mahogany, oak, teak, birch, walnut, ash, beech, poplar, rosewood, elm, etc. Not to get too scientific, but specifically hardwood trees are angiosperms (plants that ...

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Furniture Styles Continued

September 14, 2010 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Louis XVI This style dawned the age of neoclassicism and was modeled an on idealistic view of ancient Rome. Despite the use of elaborate inlays and ormolu mounts the basic shape is rigid and square, unlike the rococo or Louis XV which flows all over the place. The cabriole leg disappears and is replace by a more straight leg. Apart from brass mounts and classical carving, the surface is flat and decorations takes the form of geometrical marquetry. French Provincial This style draws plenty of inspiration from the patterns of Louis XV. As is often the case with country furniture, designs were simplified and nonessentials removed so that the end result is often more appealing to modern taste than the original elaborate source. The armoire ...

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