Why Does Your Sofa’s, Construction Matter?

Many of you may have a sofa or chair that squeaks, sags or wobbles and needs replacement. And if you have not bought one yet, read on to find out how to avoid these problems. The materials and methods used to construct your sofa and chairs will ultimately determine how comfortable and long-lasting your furniture will be. The frame’s material, construction, and suspension are the three factors affecting whether your upholstered furniture will sag or not. So the key is to start with a solid foundation: Strong frames and springs.

The frame supports the entire construction—plus the weight of all the people who sit on it for years. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending good money on a sofa that will not last, no matter how gorgeous it is.

Most elements of sofa construction are not visible to you, but they can make the difference between one that will last a few years and one you can hand down with pride. Furthermore,  a high-quality frame keeps it out of landfill.

Since I am aware of this as an interior designer, I am careful to check how the manufacturers build the frame and suspension. Rest assured, Lynteriors has high standards regarding frames and springs found in your upholstered furniture procured by me.

What to Look for in a Quality Upholstery frame

  • hardwood or engineered hardwood with at least 7 layers of solid hardwood
  • double dowel joints
  • corner blocks
  • joints reinforced with glue or screws or staples

RULE 1: A SOFA IS ONLY AS GOOD AS ITS FRAME.

Frame Material:

For a sofa to last for more than a couple of years, it must be built on a sturdy frame. Pine typically has knots, so it is prone to crack or warp. Other softwoods can sag too. Hardwoods are stronger than softwoods, so these problems are less pronounced.


Furthermore, kiln-dried hardwood is the most reliable choice for durable sofa frames. Kiln-drying removes any water in the wood. Moisture in the wood can warp the wood over time. So kiln drying makes the hardwood frame even stronger. For example, Perri’s Fine Furniture uses kiln-dried maple hardwood to produce its frames. Perri offers a lifetime warranty on all frames. If a piece has a lifetime warranty it implies that the frame was put together well.

You want to make sure your frame isn’t going to warp or crack, so you should only consider buying sofas made with kiln-dried hardwood or engineered hardwood. That said, engineered hardwood is a broad category of materials, which means it’s harder to determine quality. You want to avoid any engineered woods that are listed as medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particle board, or inexpensive standard plywood. The best-engineered hardwood is made by pressing at least seven layers of solid hardwood wood together to create a material that is exceptionally strong.

For example, Van Gogh Furniture Designs has engineered hardwood frames with seven layers of solid hardwood that make up their frames. So sofas, loveseats and lounge chairs made by them will last a long time.

Any factory can assemble a frame made of particleboard and MDF with loads of glue. And when you try it out, that sofa might feel sturdy enough. But with use, sags and squeaks develop and in some cases, even the entire frame will develop a wobble. Big box stores like Ikea sell sofas made of laminated veneer lumber, plywood, particleboard, and fiberboard mixed in with solid wood. So their warranty is often only for 10 years. Unfortunately, these frames will lead to sagging over time. Buyers beware!

Rule 2: Frame Construction Needs to be Considered too

Corner block reinforcing a corner of a chair. It is further reinforced with screws and staples. As you can see, this one is reinforced with screws.

Furniture is made by joining pieces of wood together. So it’s the sturdiness of the joints that leads to upholstered furniture getting wobbly. And to it even breaking. Solid types of joints to look for are:

  • Mortise and Tendon:  This produces the strongest joint. And it is used when two pieces of wood meet at a 90-degree angle. One part of the joint has a hole, and the other is cut to fit into that hole.
  • Double Dowel: A dowel is a small, wooden cylinder. It gets inserted into a small round hole drilled into two pieces of wood to hold them together. It is likely to loosen over time, though. Unless the joint is reinforced with corner blocks.
  • Corner Block Reinforced: When there is a corner, an extra piece of wood is placed at an angle and screwed into place.
  • Reinforced Joinery: The joint is then reinforced with glue, screws, or staples

Check that your upholstered furniture is connected by mortise-and-tenon or double dowels. If they’re only glued or stapled together, the sofa or chair will not last long. Also, the corners of chairs or sofas need enforcement with corner blocks. At Perris Fine Furniture, the corners are double-dowelled and reinforced with corner blocks which screw into place. So you know your sofa or chair will last a long time.

An example of a saggy sofa

RULE 3: Good Quality Springs Prevent Saggy, Squeaky Sofas Too

 The springs refer to the suspension, which is the part of the sofa under the cushions. The springs ensure you don’t end up sitting on the floor!

  • Eight-Way Hand-Tied Web and Coil: It is the most costly option. But it is the mark of a high-quality piece of furniture. Numerous coil springs are supported by metal or fabric webbing. Also, the springs are secured to one another with twine. They are hand-tied in eight different spots per spring that link each spring to the next. This construction method keeps the springs from shifting. They also ensure the suspension won’t start to squeak over time and ensures longevity. At Perris, most pieces are available as web and coil.
  • Drop-In and Pocket Coil Springs: Drop-in coils are coils mounted on a metal frame. They are a less labour-intensive and less costly version of a spring suspension. And they are added to the furniture as a single piece. This system isn’t supported on the bottom. So it will start to sag before other suspension types. There are a lot of metal-to-metal contacts, which can lead to squeaking. Some manufacturers will take these drop-in systems and add twine. They then call them eight-way hand-tied even though they aren’t the real thing. Pocket coils are similar to what you’d find inside a mattress. They are coils wrapped individually in fabric. It seems to be of higher quality than the drop-in coil option.
  • Sinuous springs: It’s the most common suspension in low-to-mid-priced sofas. This suspension is made of zigzagging pieces of metal set in rows running perpendicular to the front of the chair or sofa. Some people say that eight-way hand-tied is the best. Other people say that sinuous springs can perform just as well at a lower cost. Sinuous-spring sofas are indeed less expensive than eight-way hand-tied. If properly made, they will perform better than a drop-in spring system. The steel wires need to be at least 8-gauge though. Perri Fine Furniture and Van Gogh Furniture manufacturers both offer these types of springs too.
Love seat procured by Lynteriors from Van Gogh Furniture. It is made with an engineered solid hardwood frame and 8-gauge sinuous springs

There you go—this is how I curate a long-lasting sofa or chair here at Lynteriors. You don’t have to worry about these criteria because every sofa procured by Lynteriors is built on a solid foundation.

A sofa doesn’t just need to look pretty or feel comfortable. It has to be made well and has quality bones. This is the key to sofa longevity! If you have questions about upholstered furniture frames and suspensions, contact me at asburylynn@gmail.com.

I, Lynn Asbury, am the owner of Lynteriors, an interior design firm based in Aurora, Ontario.

A Spring Decorating Tip for Affordably Refreshing Your Rooms: Slipcovers

Redecorated living room in Aurora Ont. by Lynteriors

It is spring, so you may be thinking of refreshing your furniture and your space. Especially if your sofa, loveseat, or chair has seen better days! One solution is to give an update to your tired furniture with a slipcover.

A slipcover is a fitted or loosely fitted piece of cover material that slips over a piece of furniture. Custom-ordered slipcovers fit snuggly over your existing furniture. But other slipcovers come in a loose-fitting style. Read on to find out more about slipcovers. And why slipcovers may be the solution to your decorating problems.

An Affordable Decorating Idea: Slipcovers

Cottage great room decorated by Lynteriors

I think you can have a beautiful home if you want one. But buying a brand new sofa from your local furniture store can be expensive. Even if you have a small interior decorating budget, there’s still plenty you can do to create a stylish, inviting home for yourself.

For example, you can save by not replacing furniture. Have you ever wanted to change the style or character of a room but could not afford new furniture? Well, there is a solution, and it is called slipcovers. Rather than buying an entirely new sofa or loveseat, purchase a simple slipcover to give your space a new look. Slipcovers are a stylish accessory that lets you change your home’s look on a whim.


The chair slipcover pictured above stretches to accommodate the contours of your chair. And it attaches to the chair by its elastic edge. The ivory white coloured slipcover updates this cottage’s great room giving it a rustic modern farmhouse look.

Slipcovers: A Room Accessory that Changes the Room’s Look

After photo: Decorated living room in Aurora, Ontario

There has been a renewed interest in the interior design industry for slipcovers and the popularity of a more informal interior design. Loose-fitting slipcovers create a relaxed style such as the modern farmhouse style. Or it supports a beachy vibe in a cottage or lake house too.

The slipcover above changed the look of the traditional-style living room in Aurora, Ontario. Below is the before photo of the living room. A looser fitting style allows the covers to fit more pieces of furniture too. The slipcover above fits a variety of sofa sizes because it is loose-fitting.


This slipcover has ties which help it fit the contours of curved arms. Furthermore, this slipcover can be tucked into the sides of the sofa to ensure fit. It gives the living room and the sofa a modern farmhouse style feel, even though they looked more traditional at first.


A perfectly fitting slipcover looks so polished you can’t even tell it’s not a permanent part of your sofa. If you prefer a more polished look, you can get slipcovers to fit snugly. But you’ll need to custom order these types of slipcovers. Lynteriors can help you with this.

Before photo: Aurora, Ontario living room and traditional style sofa before the slipcover was added

Protect Your Furniture with a Slip Cover

If temporary protection of your furniture is what you have on your mind, then slipcovers are a great way to protect your prized pieces of furniture if your situation for wanting a change is due to young children or pets. They can protect your sofa from stains and damage.

They are great too if you have a cottage or pool as well. Since slipcovers protect your sofas from outside dirt.

Many Slipcovers are Machine Washable

And the fact that it’s removable means you can easily pop it into the wash. If your pet or child soil the slipcover, it is easily removable, and most are machine washable. Check that it is machine washable if that is why you want one.

Home Staging and Slipcovers

Summary

Slipcovers may be the solution to your decorating problems. Your slipcover can give your tired sofa, loveseat or chair a magazine-worthy makeover. Slipcovers create a clean minimal look: especially if the fabric has a neutral colour such as white.


Also, a white slipcover is another option if you need to stage your home or cottage. But do not want to rent furniture.


Finally, they are budget-friendly, they protect your furniture, and many are machine washable. Feel free to contact me at 416-721-6217 if you have any questions. I will be glad to answer them.

I, Lynn Asbury, am the owner of Lynteriors.

4 Spring Home Decorating Ideas

Spring is here, and a seasonal refresh may be what you are after. After all, the change from winter to spring requires a wardrobe change. So you may want to give your home a seasonal update and refresh too. Furthermore, as winter turns to spring, you may crave nature more than anything. So you may, like me, want to surround yourself with items that bring that sense of nature to the inside of your home.

Read on if you are thinking about renewing your space by redecorating.

By Lynteriors, an interior design company in Aurora, Ontario

1. Green is Trending for Spring 2022

More than purely decorative, colour creates a mood in a space. This means it can change how you feel in your home. So it is key to making your house feel like home. Neutral colours, earth colours and blue are trending this spring, but so is green.

Green is everywhere in interiors right now. It’s synonymous with nature and calming qualities, which could explain its popularity for creating a mood in a room. For example, Benjamin Moore picked a stem-green colour for their colour of the year called October mist. It is a soft sage shade that is nature-inspired. Plus, it looks good with wood tones.

Since it is trending, green is a colour to use when decorating. But it is a great colour to use in home staging too.

2. Change Out Home Accessories such as Pillows

Home office chair with a green pillow as an accent colour

Spring has always been the season of pastels. The muted green accent pillow in my home office helps to refresh this room. And it brings that spring feel into it too.

Furthermore, green is the perfect hue if you want a peaceful feel in your space. If you are like me, you may find you work better in a calm environment. In which case, green is the perfect accent colour for your home office too.

I am a home stager as well. So I think about staging often. I know that painting a wall green, particularly dark green or vibrant green, takes a long time. It takes even longer to repaint. And dark green walls need to be painted a neutral colour such as white, gray, and beige when you want to stage your home. But adding pastel green pillows or darker green pillows to a room takes minutes. They are also easier to remove than repainting your walls.

Staged by Home on Stage, the staging branch of Lynteriors

Green is an accent color for wall art, throw pillows, and things like that—and [in] lots of different shades. Green is also fast becoming the new black for glassware, ceramics, and cozy accessories. So in other situations, it is used as a neutral color. For example, I used it in my home office as an accent colour.

In a neutral colour scheme, green would be considered a neutral colour. So, it would be considered a neutral colour in the staged living room in the photo above. In other words, if you added a floor plant to a neutral coloured room, the green in the plant would be considered a neutral colour.

3. PICK OUT A LEAFY DESIGN FOR A SERENE FEEL

Home staging by Lynteriors

A color psychologist will tell you that green is the most tranquil of shades; add an element of nature to your room’s design, and you’ll maximize the effect. Therefore, if you’re after green room ideas that will create a serene space, a leafy green wall art could do the trick.

So two of the new trends are uplifting greens and botanical motifs which are coming inside the home in everything from wall art to pillows. The wall art in my home office is an abstract piece featuring muted gray leaves with a touch of green. Above is the same wall art and pillows in another home office that I home staged.

4. Interior Design Using Greenery

Using greenery as home decor

The connection with nature can be presented through plant-focused decor such as the leaf-themed wall art mentioned above or by physically bringing plants into your space. I added an artificial plant in a white pot to my home office. Whether your goal is to bring nature inside or to freshen up your home office with natural hues, live or artificial plants is another way to achieve these goals. This spring creating a calming environment by incorporating plants into your room is another spring decor idea you may want to consider.

Summary:

Space planning and furniture procurement by Lynteriors an interior decorator in Aurora, Ontario

Sprucing up your home office or other rooms for the spring season ahead can be a source of joy. And sometimes, incorporating a few fresh changes is all you need to do to prepare your rooms for the spring season.

I wanted to bring the outdoors in. I also wanted to create a tranquil home office. I did this by adding a grey green-leafed abstract wall art, pastel green pillows, and artificial plants. I hope these ideas inspire you to liven up your interiors today too!

Also, I am wondering, are you interested in receiving free design tips and tricks monthly like the ideas above? These tips, though, go straight into your inbox. Furthermore, perhaps your spring decorating project includes purchasing new furniture. But you are not sure what size furniture to pick?

So, as a thank you gift for subscribing, you will also receive a complimentary guide. It will explain how to size your furnishings. So, they fit your space. Click the button below to subscribe and receive the gift!

Yes! Send it to Me!

I, Lynn Asbury, am the founder of Lynteriors which provides interior decorating services in the York Region, in Aurora, Ontario, and in the surrounding area.

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5 Tips for Spring Cleaning and Decluttering

Home office spring cleaning includes replacing winter decor with spring decor. In the home office it can mean adding spring themed wall art such as the wall art in this home office. It can also mean replacing dark coloured winter throw pillows with pastel green ones such as pictured on this office chair.

The birds are serenading you, and the snow is melting. But your house still feels as if it is stuck with the winter blues. Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows you to freshen up your home and get a head start on the spring season. You may feel it is a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Here are spring cleaning tips to get you started.

Tip #1. Spring Cleaning and Decluttering: Organize and Clear the Clutter

A big part of spring cleaning is getting rid of clutter. One of the steps to carry out is to decide which areas of your home need to be decluttered. In this article, I decided to pick the home office as the room to be decluttered. I picked it since many of you may be still working from home. Now that you narrowed it down to one room you can begin picking out problem areas in that room. Identify these problem areas, analyze reasons for the clutter, determine solutions, and implement them. Sorting your belongings into four categories—trash, giveaway, store, or put away—can also be effective as you go through the spring-cleaning process. Move the clutter out as soon as possible – whether it’s bringing a donation box to a charity or planning a yard sale.

Now that you removed the clutter, you can do a more thorough cleaning in your home office. For example, if you remove clutter from the top of furniture, it is also easier to thoroughly clean it during your spring clean. You can do a more thorough spring clean now and do a better weekly clean throughout the year. The challenge is to keep the furniture, such as tabletops, decluttered all year round!

Tip #2. Organizing Tip: How to Organize Your Home Office Paper Clutter

One problem area in your home office may be your desk. I know it is mine. You may use your home office as a place to pay bills or to prepare presentations for work. It is one of the easiest rooms to load with clutter. Bills end up here, papers are strewn about, and that big desk makes the perfect tabletop for piling catalogs and books. Take baby steps to organize this room and begin with a shakedown of the things you don’t need anymore.

Tip #3. Home Office Storage Ideas

The faux wood filing cabinet is an example of a home office storage idea. It helps to store important papers that clutters up the home office desk for example.
Filing cabinet vignette designed by Lynteriors

First, corral the clutter as much as possible. Set up an effective file storage system. This includes knowing documents to keep and which ones you can throw out (or shred). A filing cabinet, like the one pictured above, helps to store important papers.

Tip #4. How to Do Spring Cleaning

This tip can be applied to all tabletops in all your rooms. Since this article focuses on the home office, it will focus on tabletop tips for that specific room. So after you have removed the clutter off your home office desk, filing cabinet, or shelf, then remove any tabletop decor. Next, dust the furniture with a clean cloth. Wipe anything else on the desk with a damp cloth to remove any dirt or other items stuck to it. If your tabletops are wooden, then follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Follow their instructions about how to clean the wood furniture.

Tip #5. Establish New Cleaning and Decluttering Habits

Don’t try to do all of your spring cleaning in one day. Instead, tackle items such as spring cleaning your home office desk for just 15 minutes each day. On the first day, remove your desk clutter. Another day dust and then do a more thorough desktop clean. Continue throughout the year to declutter your office desk every day or weekly. That will help get you in the habit of tidying up daily or weekly. Dust and clean your tabletop weekly. If you establish these house cleaning habits, it can make the next spring cleaning easier too. Now that you decluttered and did a thorough spring clean you may want to learn how to decorate your home office desk. Click the following link to receive home office desk decorating ideas and more. https://lynteriors.wordpress.com/2021/02/08/my-redecorated-home-office-reveal-tips-for-bookcase-decorating-included/

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I, Lynn Asbury, am the founder of Lynteriors which provides interior decorating services in the York Region, in Aurora, Ontario, and in the surrounding area.

Need Help Picking Appropriately Sized Furniture?

The Empty Nesters and Their Decorating Story

You may be wondering how to pick furniture that will fit your space. Many people wonder how to do this too. Or you may be wondering if you should remove furniture from your rooms. This blog is about a homeowner who struggled with this too. I found out that a Newmarket homeowner who was an empty nester wanted to buy furniture for her lovely renovated dining room and attached family room. The homeowner shared some of her dreams for the dining room with me. She also shared what she wanted in her family room too. We collaborated to ensure that her dream rooms were created. As you will see in the blog and the testimonial that follows, I did work with her ideas. I will work with your decorating dreams too. So your dream rooms become reality as well.

Dining room furniture and accessories procured by Lynteriors for the Newmarket customers. They were empty nesters.
Dining room furniture Procured by Lynteriors for Newmarket Empty Nesters

Proper Furniture Placement and Spacing Planning

Amount of Space Between a Wall and Table

One of the first aspects of interior design to consider when you are decorating your space is space planning. Space planning is necessary: especially if your space is small. The size of the furniture and the amount of furniture that you are going to add to your room requires careful thought. For example, there were too many pieces of furniture in my customer’s dining room. They included a dining hutch and a small sideboard. Since the design of the glass on the dining hutch echoed the glass design on her kitchen cabinets, she wanted to keep the hutch.

I suggested moving the small red sideboard into the family room and using it as an end table. This way, existing furniture in the dining room could breathe. And the table and chairs she wanted to purchase could breathe too.

It was important for space-planning logistics too. There should be at least 3 feet between a table and the wall in the dining room so that the chair can slide out easily from under the dining table. A chair could not slide out easily with a sideboard in the space. This was important to consider because they wanted to add a chair here when guests came over. There is now room for a chair here. The above photo shows the dining room designed by Lynteriors. The design included the furniture, wall art, and table accessories.

Appropriate Size Furniture

We measured too to ensure the new dining chairs and table fit the space. The measurements and furniture plan helped confirm what size furniture would work in their room. A furniture plan can help you see that the furniture will fit your space too.

Home Design Help

You may need design help. For example, you may have decorating ideas. But you may need help making it work in your room. I can help you see what will work using drawings. I have training and expertise in interior decorating and in drafting design drawings. Interior design drawings are tools to show you what works in your space based on what you told me you want. For example, you may want to add a new chair to your living room. You may not know which size is best for the room size. A furniture plan will show you and the designer what size chair will work in your living room.

Drawings such as furniture plans and three-dimensional drawings can help you see what I suggest too. For example, I may come up with an idea for your space based on what you told me you want. The drawing shows you my design idea. Click the following link to see examples of these drawings. https://lynteriors.wordpress.com/full-service-interior-design-service/.

This page explains what my full-service interior design is all about. It also shows examples of drawings too. An example of a three-dimensional drawing is at the beginning of the page. And an example of a furniture plan is at the end of the page.

Family room with love seat procured by Lynteriors for the empty nesters. It also includes the sideboard that was formally in the dining room.
Family Room Furniture Procured by Lynteriors for Newmarket Empty Nesters

I did an interior design drawing for the family room. So I knew for sure the design I proposed for their family room would work. It showed that the love seat and red sideboard would work together side by side. I showed it to the customer, so they could see how everything would look together too. Above is the photo of the red sideboard and love seat together.

If you want to learn how to create a similar drawing for the furniture in your room, access your free guide by clicking the button below.

Yes! I want my free guide now!

The Testimonial from the Newmarket Client

Lynteriors received this Facebook review from Heather:

Lynn is fantastic at seeing how things will look in your room. She worked with my ideas that I had and was wonderful with her suggestions of furniture changes and lighting too. She took us shopping and was so helpful with the details. When our order arrived she came over to make sure everything was as expected.

Heather, Newmarket

Lynteriors can help you create your dream rooms too. If you want to find out more about how to work with me click the following link, https://lynteriors.wordpress.com/work-with-me/. You can find the original recommendation and review on my Facebook business page. Click the following link to see the original review.https://www.facebook.com/lynteriors

This is the photo of me, Lynn, the owner of Lynteriors. I provide interior decorating services in Aurora, Ontario, and the surrounding area.

I, Lynn Asbury, am the founder of Lynteriors which provides interior decorating services in Aurora, Ontario, and the surrounding area.