When Budget Matters Get the Most Value from Atlantis Furniture

Solid wood, especially hardwood, is becoming more and more expensive. As it is also becoming much more of a precious commodity, you may want to consider other options for achieving the same beautiful look of expensive wood. One of the ways is through the use of veneer for stylish, contemporary, yet affordable furniture.

Veneer furniture is furniture made of a solid substance such as MDF (medium-density fiberboard) or plywood of various types, and then overlaid with a thin layer, or outer covering, of a higher grade wood veneer. The practice of applying wood veneer to furniture is a centuries old one, and has been practiced by generations of carpenters and cabinet-makers.

Veneers may be made from any number of materials, but among the most common and widely available are wood veneers. Maple, mahogany and exotic hardwoods are among some of the materials used to craft thin wooden veneers. But veneers are limited to wood; some furniture will even be designed with veneers of plastic, concrete, or melamine. Same with wood, these veneers are applied in a thin layer over a solid surface furniture base or form.

Applied by skilled craftsmen, veneers are applied with wood glues and other strong adhesives for a present a uniform and long-lasting final product. Availability of veneer furniture is widespread and some of the furniture designs available in are truly unique and absolutely as beautiful as they solid wood counterparts.

Typically you’ll find that veneer furniture is much friendlier to your household budget, being a more affordable option for furnishing your living room, dining room, bedroom, office study, family room, children’s play room, and even storage area in a utility area or in your garage. If you are looking for ‘green’ solutions, you can also take pride in doing your part for trees as a diminishing commodity.

Many people do associate veneer furniture with discount pieces that come in kits, to be assembled at home by the consumer, and don’t last long. Although this may be true to many products and suppliers, there are equally as many examples of veneer furniture in higher quality and designed for lasting longer periods of time. Instead of pressboard, some quality manufacturers choose to use solid wood sections for durability coupled with less expensive composites covered with veneer to achieve extremely stylish, yet affordable high-end designs.

A wonderful example of combining a variety of materials to produce a highly stylized and appealing collection would be to consider the Atlantis Furniture Collection by Bentley Designs. With a character all of its own, the Atlantis Dining range features highly polished reflective granite set into laminated solid wood frames with oak veneered panels in a ‘natural’ finish, creating a stylish look.

The Atlantis Dining Collection is an ‘earthy feel’ and designed to offer lasting appeal. With a selection of sizes, the Atlantis table can be combined with a choice of slatted back or fully upholstered black leather chairs. Highly polished granite slabs are set into laminated solid wood frames with oak veneer panels in a natural color finish that make the Atlantis table a lovely option for your cotemporary home.

Because so many modern homes are designed with open space or a ‘great room’ you might consider these useful pieces in the Atlantis Dining Collection to complement your dining table and chairs:

• Landscape Mirror
• 2 door Sideboard
• Coffee Table
• Corner TV Unit
• Entertainment Unit
• Hi-Fi Cabinet
• Lamp Table

If dark rich colors are more to your liking, you’ll find the excitingly stylish lines of the Bentley Designs, Tokyo Collection truly beautiful. Celebrated as the ‘king of woods,’ the Tokyo dining table and complementary dining room pieces uses walnut. The collection is crafted from veneers and solids of American Black Walnut, noted for the beautiful character of the grain, producing more figure variation than any other wood. Walnut offers a wonderfully lustrous patina over the years.

To assist with the overall cost of furniture, many manufacturers take advantage of minimizing shipping costs. This cost savings is reflected in the price you pay for furniture with component materials as shipping usually means less weight and space. Since many suppliers do not offer fancy showrooms, you are also afforded savings because your selection is shipped directly from the manufacturer.

Furniture shipped directly to you in boxed units may require some assembly at the end destination. When considering purchasing your furniture from an online supplier, be sure to investigate the shipping and delivery options. A number of suppliers will provide services to ensure the complete assembly and placement of your furniture.

Dining with Bentley – Furniture to Fit Your Lifestyle

A dining table in every home is an essential piece of furniture. Just as dimensions and décor will vary in each home, your lifestyle has a great influence on the type of dining table or tables you might chose for your home. Traditionally the dining room was a very formal room in the house and the dining table specifically was a very formal piece of furniture invariable was constructed of some hardwood. If you had a flair for traditional décor, the dining ensemble would typically be very heavy and very ornate.

As lifestyles and especially dining has become more informal, so have our choices for furniture. In most homes today, you’ll find the kitchen nook, kitchen bar, or even dining in front of the television much more of the norm. Although formal dining room ensembles are still very prevalent, you’ll find the majority of dining tables being made with some type of base wood covered by a veneer that mimics the appearance of a more attractive wood grain. Hence less money is being spent on dining room furniture because in many cases, less time is being spent in the formal dining room.

Tables are also not limited to wood these days, just the opposite. You’ll find vast selections of tables in all sizes using glass and marble as the table top with mixtures of wood, chrome, and steel for the legs or table base. You’ll even find some extremely ‘edgy’ or very contemporary furniture being completely made of think resin materials.

The formal dining room is always the room of choice for special occasion dining; whether it for an intimate dinner for two or a large family gathering. Tables come in a choice of sizes and shapes and should always be selected based upon the room size. Do don’t want something too small or too large. It’s important to consider a table with the ability to resize when you have a need to accommodate more seating. Whether square, oblong, oval, or round, most dining tables are designed with the ability to expand using a ‘leaf’ or extension insert.

Since ‘size matters,’ it’s important to measure the space you are looking to fill. A round table will comfortably fit four to six people, but typically square or rectangle work best in a defined room. Perhaps your space is intimate and small, maybe a bistro table for two is appropriate. More kitchens are being designed with small dining nooks and use of a high pedestal table is a fun place for your morning coffee or evening glass of wine.

No matter what, you should choose the right table for you home understanding what will work well within the space and within the overall design and style you are planning for the best of your home. Choose the table based on the shape, design, and size that will be pleasant to the eye, work with the elements of the space, and make your dining room feel inviting to family members and guests alike.

If you are looking for a clean, stylish, and upscale feel for your home, you’ll find a number of affordable leading suppliers of quality furniture in the UK. Bentley Designs, established in 1988 takes pride in capturing the very best of the latest market trends. You’ll find Bentley furniture to be crafted of high quality timbers and veneers to create some of the most exciting and comfortable dining room and bedroom ranges to be found.

If you seek to furnish your home in the rich tones of walnut, the Tokyo range is a beautifully crafted sleek design using veneers and solids of American Black Walnut. The collection includes a beautiful dining table with cleverly concealed drawers. The drawers also form part of the top overhanging panels of the sideboard, coffee table, and lamp tables. With more and more dining areas becoming less formal to accommodate busy lifestyles, perhaps you’ll find the Tokyo Coffee Table to be your perfect dining spot!

As alluded to above, not all dining room tables are constructed of wood. More and more ensembles today use multiple materials to best express a contemporary feel. A great example of how oak veneer panels are combined with highly polished granite can be found in the Bentley collection called Atlantis. The Atlantis dining table offers an earthly feel all its own by combining wood and stone. The table can be finished off with either slatted-back chairs or beautiful faux leather chairs.

No matter how you dine or where you dine in your home, there’s a contemporary and comfortable solution just for you. Just narrower it down to size, shape, style….because the right choice is there to meet your individual character. Here’s to dinner!

Lyon Collection from Bentley for your Dining and Bed Room Makeovers

Although the finest furniture collections, found around the world, are crafted from hardwoods, they are often out of budget for the average buyer. If you are in the market for new furniture, there’s a good chance that the purchase is coupled with moving into a new home or completing a major room renovation.

As a potential buyer of new furniture, you’ll find much of today’s market trends for stylist and affordable pieces to be crafted with a combination of solid wood pieces for structure and strength and with veneer. Composite Woods are made rather than grown and represent the least expensive wood available. Furniture can be called “real wood” furniture, even if it is created using composite wood.

Veneer is a thin layer used on the surface of furniture; typically veneer is bonded to the surface of a less attractive or interior material. Veneer furniture is any type of furniture finished with a thin sliver of wood or other material on the surface of the piece. This thin exterior coating is known as veneer and may be composed of real wood, wood laminate, or a resin product designed to mimic the look or marble or other natural elements. In general, veneer is used to provide a richer look to furniture constructed with less expensive materials.

As with any furniture piece, there is a proper way to keep it clean. Like solid wood, veneer, with proper care can also last a long time. Here are some simply instructions to keep in mind for your furniture cleaning. Your cleaning supplies should include wood soap and cotton rags; remember to allows protect your tabletops with coasters and hot pads.

• Use a cotton rag when wiping down your wood veneer finish. Dust left on furniture too long can damage the surface, as the dust particles build up, clump together, causing scratches in the finish when it is dusted.
• Wet or hot items placed directly on the veneer’s surface can cause damage so remember to use coasters and hot pads. Condensation from a glass can damage the veneer surface. Hot items, such as a pan, will leave white marks on the surface. Just as with real wood, the rings are almost impossible to remove.
• Use warm water and a wood cleaner, like Murphy’s Oil Soap, to clean the veneer’s surface. Rinse with clear water and dry the surface thoroughly with a soft, cotton rag.
• Avoid furniture sprays and waxes. These polishes can leave a build-up that appears blotchy or spotted. If build-up has occurred, removed it with warm, soapy water.
• To protect the wood veneer surface from scratches, use coasters, tablecloths or other coverings. Glasses, picture frames and decorative items can cause scratches and gouges when they are moved around the surface. Place a table mat or doily on the furniture to protect the wood veneer.

If you are in the market for dining room and bedroom sets, and want the best in style with an affordable price tag, you might consider Bentley Designs among your selections to view.  You’ll find that Bentley Designs is one the leading suppliers of quality furniture in the UK and Ireland, especially when it comes to inspirational designs to meet the ever-evolving customer desires. The manufacturing plants use the most up-to-date automated finishing line and processing equipment to ensure the highest standards of quality and workmanship. Their workmanship includes the use of natural grain hardwoods and veneers.

Extensive oak and walnut collections offer uncompromising quality and versatility. Bentley designs capture the very best in the latest market trends to create better living for your bedroom and dining room space. Strikingly clean and simple designs help to show off the natural beauty of solid, knotty American oak furniture.

Their classic selection of furniture includes the sprung slat bed, offered in both oak and walnut finish, includes soft closing drawers and a display unit with soft internal lighting. The Lyon bed comes in three sizes, a double, king, and super king for your consideration.

The Bentley Lyon Dining Collections are offered in a walnut finish and an oak finish. The collection includes the Lyon dining table offered in six different shapes and sizes, expandable with up to two extensions measuring a total length of 260cms to seat your additional dinner guests. You can also select from three different styles and sizes of leather chair and fabric chair.

Along with the practical nested coffee and lamp tables, this range demonstrates true versatility. Also available in this collection are the glass top tables and faux leather chair options. Simple yet stylish, they complete this range’s modern appeal. Sideboards with soft closing drawers and a display unit with soft internal lighting reinforce Lyon’s qualities and a striking open shelf unit completes this stunning range.

Come to think of it, why wait for a new home or major room remodel? Perhaps it time to just spurge and upgrade your dining or bedroom experience. Enjoy the classic feel of either oak or walnut at a small cost to your budget.

From Denver to New England – There’s Lots of Geography Covered in this Furniture Collection

Veneer is not a modern invention; it’s really thousands of years old. As a matter of fact, fabulous veneer work in ebony and ivory was put into King Tut’s tomb in Egypt. During the Renaissance, veneer techniques became very sophisticated, using tiny pieces of exotic woods and burl grain to create intricate designs or lavish scenes. Much of the finest royal furniture for hundreds of years employed lavish veneer construction, using the finest species of wood and tiny pieces of burl or exotic grain.

With that in mind, we should rid our minds of the notion that furniture made with veneer, rather than solid wood, is something to avoid. Veneer simply means a thin layer of wood glued down to other wooden boards. Cabinet makers will say that factors of thickness, workmanship and condition determine whether veneering is good or bad.

The technique of veneering allows a beautifully grained wood to be glued to more stable wood with less attractive grain for results that are beautiful and durable. Attractive appearance on curved surfaces is another use of veneer, for example, the curved case of a grand piano is always veneered.

Around 1970 industrial furniture manufacturers developed the technique of gradually making veneer thinner, and today, hardwood veneers are as thin as 1/64 of an inch. This modern veneer looks like typing paper, it is almost transparent, and can never be sanded, refinished or significantly touched up if damaged.

On most modern furniture and kitchen cupboards, veneer is not glued to natural hardwood, instead it is attached to particle board, which is a mixture of sawdust and glue which is pressed into large sheets.  Often the edges are finished with real wood, so the veneer and particle board construction is not visible.  On better furniture and cabinets, real wood is used where it shows – legs, raised panels, edges, etc.

For consumers today, it ultimately means a vast selection of beautifully crafted furniture that is extremely stylish with clean, sharp modern lines….all at much more affordable prices than solid wood counterparts. Engineered and crafted with the same diligence as old world furniture makers, modern designs combine visual appeal with functionality to meet your lifestyle.

Versatile yet style conscious, Denver Furniture, for your dining and bedroom, is created from American white oak solids and veneers inset with contrasting American black walnut veneers. Optional oak or walnut finished handles plus a selection of storage units to choose from, complement your interior scheme to perfection for today’s modern world.

There are thirteen pieces of furniture available in the Denver Dining Room Collection from Bentley Designs. The collection includes:

• Coffee Table
• Dresser or China Hutch
• Entertainment Unit
• Extending Dining Table (180cm) for 6 or 8 seating capacity
• Fabric Dining Chairs
• Slatted Dining Chairs
• Lamp Table
• Landscape Mirror
• Nest of Tables
• Sideboard
• Tall Display Unit

Like the dining collection, the Denver Bedroom Furniture Collection is Versatile yet style conscious and created from American white oak solids and veneers inset with contrasting American black walnut veneers. With the option of oak or walnut finished handles plus a selection of storage units to choose from, you can complement your interior scheme to perfection. The appeal is enhanced thanks to self closing drawers, whilst paneling detail with solid end grains gives the range a look of sheer quality.

There are ten pieces of furniture available in the Denver Bedroom Collection from Bentley Designs. The collection includes:

• One (1) Drawer Nightstand
• Three (3) Drawer Nightstand
• Five (5) Drawer Wide Chest
• Seven (7) Drawer Tall Chest
• Eight (8) Drawer Dresser
• Double Wardrobe
• Double Wardrobe Base
• Double Bedstead
• King Size Bedstead
• Landscape Mirror

Using the same construction techniques for providing a completely different look for your bedroom or dining areas, Bentley Designs has assembled the following collections:

• Alaska Furniture Collection combines clean and simple New England Shaker styling with the light and airy feel of the an ivory finish. Designed to work in a contemporary or classic home, Alaska offers a striking yet neutral two-tone of oak and oak veneer paneling.
• Cuba Acacia, Cuba Black, and Cuba Oak are each bold and modern examples of fashionable style and exceptional value for money. Each offers a timeless look that blends seamlessly with traditional and modern homes, new or old.

For those less familiar with the design styles and time periods, here’s a short recap to finish off our quick discussion of time periods and use of veneer through the ages:

Federal (1780-1820) – Combined the neoclassic furniture style characteristics of Hepplewhite and Sheraton. It is characterized by graceful straight lines, light construction, tapered legs, and the use of inlay, and contrasting veneers.

Sheraton (1780-1820) - Named for English designer Thomas Sheraton who published his designs in “The Cabinet Makers and Upholsterers Drawing Book” in 1791. It is a neoclassical style characterized by delicate straight lines, light construction, contrasting veneers and neoclassical motifs and ornamentation. The Sheraton style was the most reproduced style in the United States during the Federal period.

Shaker (1820-1860) – A simple and utilitarian style produced by the religious group, the United Society of Believers, in self-contained communities within the United States. It is characterized by straight tapered legs, woven square chair seats and mushroom shaped wooden knobs.

Seems to me, veneer furniture is a timeless as the ancient Pharaohs. What do you say?