Rustic Furniture Pro

I can tell that spring is on its way! Lately we have enjoyed some beautiful weather. Yesterday it was 81 degrees! It’s amazing! I really am not the biggest fan of cold weather so the thought that spring is on the way is absolutely wonderful! I cannot wait to enjoy the morning sunlight and my rustic furniture outdoors again. So, with spring on the way, what is on everyone’s minds? You guessed it, spring cleaning.

There are some people out there who dread this time of the year, the cleaning part I mean, but I really like it. There is nothing like having a beautiful, fresh clean home just in time for spring. So, all of you rustic furniture lovers get out your gloves, sponges and muscle. Its spring cleaning time and I have got 10 tips to help you get the job done right! 

I am going to begin on the inside of the home and work my way outside.

Cabinet and Pantry Organization: This is one of those places none of us really look forward to cleaning and organizing, but when we actually set aside some time to tackle our cabinets and pantries the payoff is immence. It is inevitable that when I clean out my cabinets I will find kitchen appliances, dishes or other gadgets I forgot I even owned. Suddenly I am thinking about various dishes I could make and all the different ways I could serve them in my new found platters. The pantry holds the same excitement. I always find things in the pantry I have forgotten about, and again I am thinking about the next dinner I will make! So, go out and get some organization for your dishes in your cabinets and your canned food in the pantry. You will be glad you did!

Laundry Room: This is one of those rooms that gets a lot of use (not always by choice) but not a lot of attention when it comes to cleaning. So, set aside some time to clean your laundry room. If it’s anything like mine, it could use a good vacuuming or mopping, dusting and some reorganization. This spring keep your laundry clean and fresh by giving a little love to your laundry room.

Carpets and Rugs: Since its spring cleaning, you cannot forget your carpets and rugs. Just recently my husband and I rented a carpet cleaner and went through our entire house cleaning the carpet. The results were amazing! Even with puppies our carpets can be clean and fresh this spring. If you have pets I would highly recommend a pet stain remover while you are cleaning the carpets. So, grab your spouse or a friend and get those carpets clean!

Dusting: It is time to dust your home, and I mean really dust your home. Throughout the winter dust has accumulated throughout your home and it needs to go.  Even the other day I was looking over my bookshelves and noticing all of the dust. So, dust those bookshelves, hutches, cabinets, footboards, books, picture frames, mirrors, furniture. Make your home clean and help reduce the allergies by dusting your home.

Check back soon to see the rest of the tips for spring cleaning!

Color Trends 2011 for Rustic Furniture

I have to admit I am ready for spring, and I am officially tired of the winter weather. Lately I have felt a little tempted by Mother Nature to start unpacking my spring clothes an bust out my flip flops. I really did consider wearing my flip flops today, but I am glad I decided against it. Winter is definitely not gone yet, but I can’t wait for the spring days with the beautiful sunshine, birds chipping and morning where I can enjoy my breakfast in my rustic furniture on the back porch.

Well, with all this thinking about spring and summer weather I got to thinking about color. You see I am already trying to slowing transition my home from winter to spring. I like to change out the pillows in my living room, the throws over the sofas, my accessories become brighter and more vibrant, and I like to change out the dishes on my table-scapes. With every season change I feel inspired to go out shopping for new things to make my home feel appropriate with the current season. So, with spring on the way, I wanted to find out what colors or topping the color trends chart for this year.

For 2010 the most popular colors consisted of various hues of purple, some pinks and then of course a soft green pallets which some say reflect peoples’ current emphasis on eco-friendly lifestyles.  I can definitely see the purples and obviously the soft greens working well with rustic furniture, but the pink had me a bit stumped. I guess if you wanted to do a really feminine rustic ranch than pink would be a fun color to use. It might take more creative than the purple and green, but I know that pink would compliment the rich browns of rustic furniture nicely!

So, what do we have to look forward to in terms of color trends for 2011?

Color experts are saying that this year’s popular colors will include both bright hues and then some more earthy tones as well. This will provide a great mix for all of you rustic furniture lovers out there. I can picture some beautiful rustic homes using this color mix. Color specialists were saying to look at natural elements such as fruits and vegetables for your 2011 color inspirations. Items like applies, turnips, peas, carrots, and greens. They are also saying that more earthy browns will replace the recent appeals of grey tones. Just like last years’ color trends green will be a big player this year for color in the home.

Well, for all of you rustic furniture lovers out there, I think these upcoming color trends really give us something to work with! The color pallets will allow you to accentuate your rustic furniture in your lodge, ranch, western retreat or cabin, and the brown emphasis will help you add some natural elements into your space as well.

Well, now that I know what the popular color trends are of 2011, I think I will hit the stores and get some new pillows, accessories, and perhaps even a new rug to help highlight my rustic furniture. Maybe I will even get some new colorful pillows for Rustic Furniture Pro!

Rustic Furniture: Preparing for Spring

Like I mentioned earlier, I am ready for spring… really ready. I am ready to pack away all of the winter coats, the sweaters and even the cute boots and colorful scarves. In fact I am even ready for spring cleaning. I mean, can you tell, I am really ready for spring.

Some of my favorite things about spring:

1)      Weather: I absolutely love the spring weather. There is nothing like waking up to a beautiful spring morning with fresh air a warm sunlight. In the spring, I pretty much spend every moment I can outside enjoying my rustic furniture. When I wake I want to go take the dogs out, where as in the winter, I kindly let my husband get that job. At work during my lunch break I go take a walk around the office buildings and get some fresh air. When I get home from work, I immediately go hang out in the backyard.

2)      Spring Mornings: I love waking up to spring mornings. There is nothing like waking up to the sunshine, fresh air and the sound of birds chirping. I must admit I am not a morning person, but that all changes when the spring comes around.

3)      Meals Outside: I love eating meals outside during the springtime on my rustic furniture. Whether it’s a picnic in the park, or coffee outside in the early morning, being outdoors in the spring is a must for me. My husband and I love to prepare meals outdoors for dinner and of course there is a lot of grilling at our house all spring and summer.

4)      Walks: Every spring I love taking walks in the evening. My husband and I take our dogs for long walks and enjoy the even longer evenings. Sometimes instead of walking we go on bike rides. Again, anything to be outside.

5)      Flowers: I don’t really have a green thumb, but boy do I try. I love to plant flowers and I have pots scattered amongst my rustic furniture on my back patio. Spring is a wonderful time to enhance the home with color and life through flowers.

6)      Wardrobe Change: I love to go through my closet and get all of my extra colorful spring clothes out as well as all of the cute shoes.

Well, that only begins my very long list of things I absolutely love about spring. But, I need to wait a little bit longer before I jump in. So, yesterday I just slowly started to welcome spring by going out and buying some new scents for my home. With spring on the way, I just cannot help but begin filling my home with fresh and even fruity scents. It is just a simple way to begin the slow and steady transition from winter to spring within the home.

How about all of your rustic furniture lovers out there? What do you like to do during the spring?

Rustic Furniture Pro' Rustic Chandelier

Proper décor is essential if you’re trying to preserve or extend the feeling of ambiance for your lodge or cabin. To that end, you’ve probably made sure that the construction of your entire building–down to the furnishings–conforms to the feeling you are attempting to portray. But have you considered including rustic lighting in your efforts?

The truth is, a little thing like the lighting for rooms can well affect the cozy, comfortable feeling you have worked so hard to deliver. For instance, review the following example.

Imagine being a customer who will be staying in a lodge. You follow the directions they sent to you. Luckily, your GPS confers and doesn’t instruct you to turn into the abundance of fir trees off to the left. Taking a turn off a barely paved road, the trail of dust you see in your rear view mirror is evidence that you’re now on a dirt road. A chipmunk scurries across the road but you’re in no danger of hitting it when your top speed is a mere 10 miles an hour.

After about five minutes, the lodge appears ahead of you. Its parking area is only gravel, preserving the rustic setting. The lodge is made of logs and the steps you traverse as you carry your luggage in are made of wood. In the reception area is a sturdy old wooden desk. The rustic home furnishings are quaint and the cubby holes for room keys look like something out of an old Western movie. But a harsh, glaring light from fluorescent fixtures overhead leaves no shadows as nothing escapes its presence. The owner failed by not utilizing rustic lighting.

Fifteen miles away, another lodge welcomes a family into its reception area. The new guests walk into their “home” for the next seven days and are completely satisfied. The ambiance is exactly what they anticipated. Rustic home furnishings, walls, and rugs all complement each other. And the fact that the rustic lighting is not an issue is testimony to the fact that it is unobtrusive and acceptable.

The difference in the two hypothetical examples above was subtle but significant at the same time. Harsh, glaring light can easily permeate a person’s perception of an environment. Remember the old cop movies where a hood is interrogated under a bright single bulb lamp? This wasn’t an idea thought up just for the big screen–the light in the person’s face can be quite disconcerting. Over a period of time, it would wear a person down and be the impetus for the con to spill his guts. The same logic applies to lighting in a lodge or your cabin.

Rustic Furniture Pro’s rustic lighting sets a mood. There’s absolutely no doubt about it. Using another analogy, when someone wants to set a relaxing, perhaps even a romantic mood, it generally involves turning down the lights. And if you’re looking to complete a feeling or mood, make sure you also have rustic home furnishings.

When you want a quaint look in your lodge or cabin, don’t forget rustic lighting to complement your rustic home furnishings and complete your ambiance.

Searching for the perfect place for your rustic swing? Check these ideas out!

Find the Perfect Rustic Swing for Your Home

For the homeowner that wants to add a touch of nostalgia to his or her residence, perhaps nothing can conveys this message better than rustic swings. Constructed from old recycled teakwood, these carefully crafted pieces of outdoor furniture last for year after year, providing comfort and enjoyment to their owners.

Now maybe you like the idea of rustic swings, but you aren’t sure where you would put one. If that describes you, here are a few places that owners of rustic swings might place them. The possibilities are literally endless.

• In a garden located in West Rupert, Vermont. Surrounded by beautiful flowers of all varieties, nestled under a large arbor with lush green vines curling in an out of its latticed sides, are placed not one but two rustic swings. Overlooking a gently sloping hillside where Mother Nature has created scenery worthy for an artist’s finest work, a couple is seated on each of the swings, lost in thoughts of tranquility and contentment.
• On a lawn in West Palm Beach, Florida. Carefully manicured lawns amble down to sturdily constructed bulkheads; homes in the area border man-made extensions that bring sea water to each home’s backyard. Boats attached to docks creak at their moorings and move gently up and down in response to the swells made by crafts that are heading out to sea. Several lawns have rustic swings and rustic tables. On one swing children watch boats as they pass by; on another sits a young man with a pair of binoculars.

Check back tomorrow to read more about perfect spots at your own home for a rustic swing!

Well, it’s another snow day! I feel like a little kid who is missing another day of school! I have already been outside skating through the streets and now I am back in my PJ’s working from home. Sometimes snow days are just what the doctor ordered.

As you can probably imagine, I love rustic furniture, especially rustic teak furniture. I am passionate about Rustic Furniture Pro’s product line and I have several pieces at my own home for family and friends to enjoy.

As I have mentioned before, we only recently moved into our first home. We have been here a little over two years so there is still some decorating/painting/furniture purchasing to come. One of the areas that have not been dealt with too much yet are our front and back yards. When we first moved in we planted two oak trees in the backyard which made a huge difference and last spring I planted a rose bush. But outside of that, not too much has happened.

So, in an attempt to make the backyard a bit more appealing I have scattered about some choice rustic furniture pieces. I have four rustic chairs, two rustic coffee tables and a beautiful rocking chair (a favorite of everyone’s who comes over). In order to add some mood lighting to our backyard I also have two rustic lanterns. Whenever spring arrives I think my next purchase will be some rustic plant stands so I can add warmth and color to my yard.

There are people all over the US that share in the same appreciation for rustic furniture. Many of those people have some pieces outdoors. So, since the ground is covered with a wintry mix I thought today was a great day to go over how to protect your outdoor teak rustic furniture. Here at Rustic Furniture Pro we provide you with the highest quality teak furniture for both indoor and outdoor use. While most of these furnishings (with exception to some tables with planking) can handle all Mother Nature can throw at it, there are ways to help better preserve your rustic furniture.  

#1: When you receive your teak furniture it comes with a beautiful rich brown finish. If you want to maintain that finish you will need to keep an eye on your furniture. It is hard to say how much time it will take, but eventually your furniture will need a bit of attention. And by attention, we mean polyurethane. We suggest a high quality outdoor poly to keep your furniture looking great! When you see your teak furnishings started to lose a bit of their luster, simply paint on a coat of polyurethane. Once it has dried, following the instructions on the can and lightly sand the furniture and then apply a second coat. This is a small amount of maintenance that will help keep your furniture looking beautiful! If you like the grayish tones of teak, you can let the furniture weather on its own.

#2: When your furniture is not in use, bring in indoors or under a covered area. This will mean less maintenance for you and it will protect the wood. Right now since it is winter, all of my rustic furniture is kept under the porch away from snow and ice.

Shepherd's Pie

It is the week of the Super Bowl in Dallas and of course we are hit with another on of our random ice storms. It is just amazing how that works out. Fortunately, all of this bad stuff should be out of here soon so we can get back to focusing on football!

Today, most schools and many businesses are closed and I am actually working from home today. This is a nice change. I am sitting in my home office with my husband beside me. He also got the day off so we are hard at work from home. There is nothing like sleeping in a little later and walking across the hall to work. I will probably spend the day in my pj’s, snow hat and fuzzy socks. There is just something about working from home. Oh, and the other perk is that my two dogs are curled up at my feet enjoying a winter morning.

Well the snow just started falling again so it’s the perfect time for this blog. For all of my Rustic Furniture Pro readers out there today I wanted to share a wonderful winter recipe with you all. Maybe we can all go home tonight and make this meal for our families. So, today’s Rustic Furniture Pro blog is all about Shepherd’s Pie!

Ingredients:

• 5 Tbs. olive oil
• 5 lb. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 lb. button mushrooms, quartered if large
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Guinness or other stout beer
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup mushroom demi-glace
• 1 bouquet garni
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 bag (14 oz.) frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 1 1/4 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
• 6 cups mashed potatoes (see related recipe at left)
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Working in batches, sear the beef until browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter.

Warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil in the insert. Add the mushrooms cook, and stir occasionally, until browned and tender, for about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the platter.

Warm the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil in the insert. Add the yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and flour and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the beer, broth and demi-glace and bring to a simmer. Add the bouquet garni, salt, pepper, beef, mushrooms and pearl onions.

Place the insert on the slow-cooker base, cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Add the carrots, cover and cook for 2 hours more. Stir in the peas.

Preheat a broiler. Spread the mashed potatoes over the beef mixture, forming a 1-inch layer, and sprinkle with lots of cheese. Transfer the insert to the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. This awesome recipe serves 12.

Recipe from the Williams-Sonoma kitchen, www.williams-sonoma.com.

Wherever you are we hope you enjoy this winter recipe with your family and friends. Happy winter from all of us at Rustic Furniture Pro.

Keep Your Family Warm

Creating Warmth in Your Rustic Retreat

Right now we are all dealing with some cold weather. Our rustic furniture pro team members’ Texas definition of snow may not match you northerners’ views, but all of us are dealing with winter right now. The current landscape is snow, cold temperatures and a lot of leafless trees.  So, while it’s cold outside, let’s talk about some Rustic Furniture Pro tips to warm up your home on the inside.  

KEEP YOU FIRE BURNING

If you want to add warmth to your home both physically and visually keep your fire burning. Fires not only create warmth when you walk into a home, but they also provide a warm yellow orange glow to the room. Family and friends gravitate towards the fire so it’s the number one way to add warmth to your home during this winter. Another aspect of fires is the smell they create. I love going on walks and smelling someone’s fire. Just the smell makes me feel warm!

WARM DRINKS AND LARGE MUGS

Want to keep your family, friends and home feeling warm, then have a constant supply of warm and toasty drinks on hand. Hot chocolate with large marshmallows, hot cider, coffee, and tea are a must have for these cold winter days. So, gather your large mugs and some wonderful hot drinks to keep everybody warm this season.

HAVE SOMETHING IN THE OVEN

Since we are already spending time in the kitchen talking about warm drinks for your loved ones lets head on over to the oven. This winter warm freshly baked cookies are a must! I like to have cookie dough ready. Just last night my sister called at six and asked if she could come over dinner. I whipped up a quick dinner and then out came the premade cookie dough. Just prepare your favorite cookie recipe, roll the dough up, and freeze them. You can’t go wrong with freshly baked cookies and there is nothing like walking into a home and being greeted by the warm smell of gooey chocolate chip cookies!

SPRUCE UP THE WHITE LANDSCAPE OUTSIDE WITH A FEW BRIGHT COLORS

Since everything outside the window is white and sometimes dreary, spruce up the inside of your home with some color. In the winter I like adding some hues of yellow throughout the home to bring some warmth to the space. Go out and purchase some new colorful pillows and a nice throw. Bring some warm tones into your home.

ADD RUGS TO WARM UP THE FLOORS

Want to make a space feel warmer? Cover those cold floors. Adding a simple rug to a space will instantly change the visual temperature. Add a nice rug to the bathroom floor or a large rug to the great room.

TRUNK OF BLANKETS

One of my favorite ways to add warmth is to place a trunk in the media room full of blankets and cozy pillows. There is no better time than winter to snuggle up on the couch for an evening of movies. Keep your family warm with an abundance of blankets in a fashionable trunk.

BRING IN SOMETHING FRESH

Add instant color and life by purchasing some fresh flowers. In the winter I love putting fresh flowers in my home. They offer color, a wonderful aroma and life to a room. What an inexpensive way to warm up a space.

KEEP THOSE FEET TOASTY

Lastly, keep those little feet toasty warm this winter. Buy your family members a new pair of slippers so they can stay warm. You can find the cutest slippers to capture the personality of each family member.

We hope these tips from Rustic Furniture Pro help make your home warm and friendly this winter!

Snow in Texas!

Ok everybody its official we have had our first snowfall for the year! That is a huge deal because it’s Texas and we never get snow! All of the Rustic Furniture Pro team members had fun enjoying snow for a day. Another exciting part about the recent snow is the fact that it was my puppies’ first experience in the snow. Don’t worry I will be sharing photos for sure!

Since many of you readers out there are very familiar with snow and lots of it, I thought it would be fun to share with you what Texas snowfalls are like.

Here are some funny facts about snow in Texas.

Weatherman Freak-out

If we are expecting even the tiniest, shortest snow flurry, the meteorologists instantly begin freaking out. Suddenly the only thing on TV is weathermen warning us of the inch of snow we may or may not get. This may seem boring to watch, but everyone (me included) becomes addicted when Texas is getting snow.  

Dallas Becomes a Ski Town

When the temperatures drop below 50 degrees Dallas suddenly starts resembling a ski town, without the mountains, piles of snow and pine trees of course. Everyone starts busting out their ski clothes to brave the cold weather.

Closings

When the snow starts barely falling everything starts closing. From schools to businesses to church events, the city shuts down. Of course we don’t really complain about this, because who doesn’t want a “snow day”!

Snowmen Pop Up

One of my favorite parts of getting snow in Texas is the snowmen that start popping up everyone’s front yards. What is great about these snow men is that it takes all of the snow in the yard to make one. So you have this small snowmen surrounded by grass.  

Roaring Fires

When temperatures drop below 50 everyone starts their fires to stay warm.

It’s time to Ice skate

Then there is the ice skating. As a little girl my sisters and I used to hose down our concrete patio and try skating on it. Obviously we never got the ice thick enough to use real ice skates so our shoes had to work instead.

Well, I hope you enjoyed some fun facts about Texas snow days from Rustic Furniture Pro. I also hope you like the pictures of my pug pups in the snow. They absolutely loved the snow. It was precious to see them bury their faces in the snow and also try to eat snowflakes right out of the sky.

Hopefully we will have some more snow days here in Texas this year, but for now we will have to wait and see!

Pug Pups First Snow

Hides make the perfect rugs!

I will admit it. I love to decorate, and I mean love to decorate. I am one of those people who are constantly rearranging my rustic furniture and accessories throughout my home.  I cannot tell you the number of people who tell me that whenever they come to my house it always looks different. To some that may sound weird, to me it’s a huge compliment.

I am always looking to see how I can redecorate to make a room look better. How can I add more interest to this corner of my space? How can I enhance the wall space or make the bookcases more interesting? I also love to decorate by seasons so keeping and updated look helps. Right now I have my winter pallets out of light blues, whites and blacks.

Lately I have been on a lamp buying spree. It seems like I can’t get my hands on enough lighting. I do not like overhead lighting so I am moving all of my rooms to lamp lighting instead. None of my bedrooms have overhead lighting but instead they have lamps that fill the rooms with soft, flattering light. I have gotten to the point where I can’t really fit any more lamps. So now I recently moved on to something new.

My next obsession was picture frames and rustic art. There really is nothing like adding artwork and photographs to your home’s walls. I recently went on a frame shopping spree and got all of these beautiful, large frames (that were on sale) to hang throughout my house. I cannot believe the impact that these frames have had on the rooms. There is so much more interest in the rooms and I was able to draw the eye around the whole room by accessorizes some of those bare spots on the walls. My dining room also underwent a huge transformation by simply hanging a large mirror and two large prints. After living in my home for a little over a year, it is really coming together and starting to feel like a home that truly reflects my personality.

Ok, so I took care of the lighting in my home and the walls. Now I am on to my new obsession with are rugs. Throwing a rug on the floor dramatically changes the look and feel of the room. You can create different ‘rooms’ within one room by the addition of rugs. In order to accent my rustic furniture, I have decided to purchase hide rugs. I already have one black and white cowhide in my media room and now I am crazy about hide rugs. I know I have mentioned this before but I have two small puppies that are still in the major chewing phase. They spend a lot of time in our media room since that is where the dog door is and they have yet to destroy my hide rug. Hide rugs are extremely durable (of course) and you can vacuum them. Since they are natural you don’t have to worry about being delicate with them. Now I am searching for some white and cream hides with a few small spots to place under my rustic coffee table in my great room. If you are like me and love rustic furniture, then you definitely need to look into hide rugs for your home.