image source:the36thavenue.com

Spring is a great time to refresh your home! We all know that upgrading your home takes some serious time and serious money so we broke it down for you, room by room and suggested little tweaks here and there that will give your home a new and upgraded look.

Living Room: Revive your living room by rearranging your furniture. If you have already maxed out on layout options then add a new houseplant, mirror, or rug to brighten up your living room. You’ll be surprised with how much cheer comes along with a new houseplant. Don’t forget to dust!

image source: myscandinavianhome.com

Bedroom: Nothing feels better than new, clean linen! Celebrate and treat yourself with pure linen sheets. Add a few new toss pillows to incorporate more texture and color. Your bedroom will look and feel good as new.

image source: escapebuttonblog.com

Kitchen: Revitalize your kitchen by sprucing up the hardware on your kitchen cabinets. Whether they’re knobs or handles, this small change can really make a difference. Update your metal knobs with glass ones or add a splash of metallic with bronze handles. For an easy swap, make sure your new hardware is compatible to your original screw holes.

image source: mydesignchic.com

Dining Room: Sometimes all you need are new brightly colored placemats and/or tablecloth to ring in the new season. Freshen up your dining table decor with candles and a vase full of fresh tulips.

image source: 2ladiesandachair.com

Bathroom: First and foremost, you can’t rejuvenate your bathroom without a thorough cleaning, top to bottom.  Next, add some new linen to your bathroom. New hand towels, guests towels, a bathmat, or shower curtain. If you want to change up your bathmat, consider a bamboo mat. It’s more sanitary than a traditional bathmat because the water doesn’t soak into the mat, resulting in mold and mildew. A bamboo mat is also low-maintenance since you don’t have to throw it in the wash.

image source: trendecor.co

image source: sayyes.com

There are many options when it comes to deciding what to hang on your walls. Wall art is the best way to showcase your personality. From framed fabrics to black and white photographs, your wall is your own little art gallery. We gathered several wall art ideas that are currently trending on Pinterest and here’s what we found:

Vintage and Antique Mirrors: The Hall of Mirrors doesn’t only have to exist in the Palace of Versailles. Create your own wall of mirrors with vintage and antique mirrors. If the frame around the mirror is too worn out, spray paint them another color, perhaps something bright and fun to balance out the vintage vibe.

image source: instagram: bohoside

Kids’ Artwork: If you have kids or even grandchildren, you probably have admired over their unique drawings and paintings. Why not frame them? They’re bright, colorful, and one of a kind.

image source: thecreativityexchange.com

Polaroids: Don’t tuck away your Polaroid pictures in an album, display them on your wall! Attach bulldog clips to the wall with sticky tack to create a gallery wall with Polaroids. The best part of it all, it’s quick and easy to change out the photos.

image source: jaymeesrp.com

Maps: If you love traveling or just love maps in general, you might want to consider framing and displaying your collection of maps. Maps of places that you’ve been to or  places you love, from countries to cities or even the New York subway map or a national park map, the options are endless!

image source: http://thetouristoflife.com

Same Frame, Same Size, and Black and White: If you like the more uniformed, clean, and sophisticated look, then you will love this idea. Each photo, no matter what it is, family, friends, pets, vacations, etc. is black and white, the same size, and in the same style of frame. 

image source: feedpuzzle.com

Let’s face it, we’re not all interior designers so we tend to make decorating mistakes here and there. We put together a handy dandy list to make sure you’re not making the same decorating mistakes as everyone else. 

image source: remodelaholic.com 

Not considering proportion and scale. Always measure the space where you’re going to place new furniture. Eyeballing the space and hoping it fits is never a good idea. Also, it’s important to consider proportion in relation to the other pieces in the room. 

Everything does not need to match. When decorating a room or your entire home, focus on what goes together more than what matches. Matching color schemes or decor can often overwhelm a room and also appears outdated. 

image source: atelierdore.com &  craftandhomeideas.com

Too much clutter. You don’t need to display everything you own. Clutter makes a room appear crowded and less comfortable. Invest in stylish storage baskets to store on open shelving.

image source: clevelandcourage.org & decoholic.org

Don’t just focus on color, focus on texture. Texture makes a room come alive. You can add texture through textiles, like toss pillows and throw blankets, plants, area rugs, and furniture, like a suede accent chair or a craftsman style dresser. 

image source: younghouselove.com

Not testing paint colors. The last thing you want is to paint an entire room and realize it was the wrong shade of color. When painting a room, you have to consider the natural light in the morning, afternoon, and night and artificial light. Natural light affects the shade of the paint color. What looks light grey in the paint bucket, might appear dark on the wall if you don’t have enough natural light shining through the windows. It’s worth to buy several small buckets of paint and paint a small portion on the wall to see how lighting affects each shade of color. 

Let’s face it, natural lighting does not flood every room of your house. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can do to brighten up a dark and small space.

Clean Your Windows: Clean not just the inside of your windows, but especially the outside. With less dirt, dust, and streaks on your windows, more light will brightly shine through. 

image source: http://www.joyelick.com

Mirrors: Mirrors reflect light and they make the space appear much bigger. If it’s possible, place a mirror parallel to a window to reflect the natural light shining through. Other places to hang a mirror are over mantles, over couches, over side tables, etc. They are like windows that open up a room. 

image source: https://www.decoratingyoursmallspace.com

Light Colored Flooring: Dark flooring can sometimes make a room appear dark and heavy, especially if there aren’t enough windows to bring in the beautiful sunshine. A light and bright area rug can quickly solve this problem! If you don’t like rugs, painting the floor will also do the trick. 

RF&D’s RUG Sale is happening NOW till April 30th, 20% off ALL rugs. Come visit our showroom to see all our rug options! 

image source: https://roomed.nl

 White Paint: White paint is a lot trickier than you think. To brighten up the walls of a dark gloomy room, you have to choose the right shade of white. Avoid glossy paint because it will create a glare, rather than reflecting light in every direction. Benjamin Moore’s White Dove is crisp, light, and airy.

image source: https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/

Open Shelving: Open shelving eliminates dark, closed in cabinets. It also adds depth to a small room. If you’re worried about open shelving looking too cluttered, use baskets to add storage. 

image source: https://diyshowoff.com

Keep Dark and Bulky Furniture to a Minimum: Depending on the size of the room, dark and bulky furniture overpowers the space. Choose wisely with your bulky furniture. If you have a boxy, espresso stained coffee table, switch it out for a light toned table with legs so you can see the floor. 

image source:http://fromluxewithlove.com

Why waste furniture, when you can recycle it? Millions of household items are sent to landfills every year, but recycling furniture helps in bringing this number down.

Here are a few things you can do to prevent your old furniture from being tossed in the dump:

Sell: If you’ve outgrown some of your old furniture, try selling it to put money towards new furniture. You can host a yard sale and invite family and friends to join or search if there’s a neighborhood yard sale event. You can also sell it on Ebay, Etsy, Craislist or Oodle. Selling your old furniture is especially worth the time if it’s still in perfect condition. 

Donate: Donate your old furniture to charity or give it to someone who needs it. Freecycle, allows you to list unwanted items that local people can pick up from you if they are interested. You can also request a pick up from Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, or Salvation Army. 

Recycle: Often you can recycle the material of the furniture itself. Search for places near you that recycle furniture. Urban Ore, located in Berkeley, recycles and sells old furniture. Their Building Materials receiving department accepts items like doors, windows, lumber, toilets, sinks, fencing, etc. Their General Store receiving department accepts clothing, furniture, and electronics.

Refinish and Reupholster:  All you need is a little imagination! Before getting rid of your old furniture, consider refinishing or reupholstering it. Reupholster an old accent chair or couch with new fresh fabric. Refinish old dressers with new paint and they will look as good as new. Pinterest has a lot of helpful DIY tips on recycling furniture. Also, you can contact your local upholsterer for tips and quotes on revamping your old couch, accent chair, dining room chairs, etc. If you’re in the Oakland area and interested in reupholstering a few pieces, contact Gonzalez Upholstery or Kay Chesterfield.

image source: homedecorativefurniture.com

Green furniture is specialty furniture made from eco-friendly materials, have low- toxic material levels, and are locally manufactured.

Are you searching for green furniture, but don’t know where to start?

Here a few things to know about green furniture:

Recycled Furniture

A piece of furniture built from other pieces of old furniture. Often it’s a variety of reclaimed or recycled wood, paper, metal, or plastics. Recycled materials require less processing and fewer resources.

Natural Furniture

Furniture made from renewable resources and built with machines that use eco-friendly, renewable resources. Most common materials used in natural furniture is wood, bamboo, and hemp.

Certified Sustainable Wood

Wood must be harvested in a way that it is not detrimental to the environment or wildlife. There are nonprofit organizations, like Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. that are dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management. SFI Inc., “forest certification standard is based on principles that promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitats, species at risk, and Forest with Exceptional Conservation Value.” Read More about SFI Inc..

Bamboo

Bamboo is a fast growing crop that is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. It self-generates from its’ own roots and for most furniture companies, bamboo is the ideal building material.

Hemp

Mostly used for textiles, hemp is naturally resistant to most pests, unlike cotton. It also thrives on less water compared to most crops. Hemp fibers are one of the most versatile natural fibers. 

Low-Toxic Furniture

Almost all furniture offgasses, which isn’t bad, but materials treated with synthetic substances offgas chemicals that are toxic. When you bring new furniture into your home, open all the windows and maybe even have an air purify in hand. You can also find furniture that has the Greenguard certification, which ensures furniture is low toxicity. When you purchase, you can also ask if it’s untreated or treated with natural substances, like natural wood finishes, or naturally tanned leather. Read more about Greenguard.

Say No to Flame Retardants

When buying furniture, always ask which are free of flame retardant chemicals.  Flame retardants and formaldehyde are typical volatile organic compounds, aka VOCs, offgassed by furniture and have been linked to birth defects and cancer. Luckily, we now have the “TB 117-2013” law, which ensures better fire safety without the need for flame retardant chemicals in the filling materials of furniture. Read More About TB 117-2013.

Let’s face it, with the hustle and bustle of everyday life we don’t have time to paint an entire room. So how do you perk up a room without sacrificing your entire weekend? We listed a few brilliant places in your home that only need a touch of color. It’ll save you time and you won’t need a whole gallon of paint!

image source: www.remodelista.com

DOORS: Everyone paints the outside of their front door, but what about the inside? Painting the doors that are inside your home is a quick and easy way to brighten up your space. 

image source: www.housebeautiful.com

EDGE OF A DOOR: Sometimes it’s the little things that bring charm to a room. Paint the edge of your doors a contrasting color. 

image source: www.apartmenttherapy.com

ENTRYWAY: Same idea as painting the edge of a door, painting an electrifying color on the inside of an entryway adds a jolt of style while dividing the space. 

image source: www.coastalliving.com

KITCHEN CABINETS: Brighten up the inside of your cabinets and your tableware will really pop!

image source: www.vtwonen.nl 

HEADBOARD: If you don’t have a headboard for your bed, try painting one instead. Painting a shape above your bed not only adds color, but it adds a touch of personality rather than the same generic fabric headboards. 

image source: bhg.com

Spring is almost here, which means beautiful California weather and outdoor parties! Now that you’ll be entertaining more, perhaps it’s time to finally update the kitchen.   

Does your kitchen look dull and tired? Too many grease stains to even count?

Give your kitchen a fresh new look with these TOP Kitchen Paint Colors for 2018. 

Greens: From Sage Green to Apple Green, it’s earthy, warm, and looks amazing next to wood accents. Give your kitchen an organic vibe this Spring with this lively color.

image source: traditionalhome.com

Blues: Any shade of blue works well in a kitchen. Benjamin Moore’s, Come Sail Away blue is crisp and airy, as if a cool sea breeze has just washed over your kitchen. It pairs well with ivory accents, bringing in a beachy and calm atmosphere. If you’re going for a more modern look, try Royal blue. Often seen on kitchen cabinets and islands, it’s vibrant color that looks sophisticated next to stainless steel appliances and bright white accents.

image source: thekitchenthink.co.uk

Greys: Grey brings a sense of shadow that softens the environment. In the dark, certain greys can appear almost black, but with lots of sunshine it can also bring life. Grey is a fun color because it changes a lot in different conditions. Grey pairs perfectly with black appliances and white marble countertops.

image source: instagram: immyandindi

Reds: If you want a completely new look for your kitchen, go for red. All different shades of red can really enhance the character of a kitchen. But be careful with this bold color, because it can appear overpowering if not used sparingly. If your kitchen is mostly cabinetry, try painting the walls Red Geranium. It will add a pop of excitement to your seemingly dull space. If you’re not quite ready to dive into this bold change, but love the color red, you can always turn to pale pink. Pale pink is more muted, unlike candy pink. Pale pink can be a refreshing start to your new kitchen.

image source: blog.styleestate.com

Accent chairs come in all different shapes, sizes and color. Not only do they provide extra seating, but they add an extra layer of style and silhouette to any room.

With so many options to choose from, which one is right for you? Here are a few of our favorite styles with tips on where to place them and why they’re perfect for you. 

SHOP CHAIRS>>

Club Chair: Traditionally, they come in leather upholstery and nail head trim. They have deeper-than-normal seats and high arms, perfect for curling up with a book or taking a nap. Most like to place their club chair near the fireplace or in a reading nook.

Swivel Chair: An accent chair that literally turns heads! The swivel chair’s unique design disguises its’ rotating base. It’s a fun and comfortable chair that’s perfect for any seating arrangement.

Wingback Chair: One of the most stylish and formal accent chairs, known for its’ tall back and winged sides. They bring a classic style to any room. Can be placed at the head of a dining table, a reading nook, or even used as a desk chair if you’re looking for a more formal design. The wingback chair is also the perfect accent chair to pair next to a large sofa, to create a balance in scale. 

Slipper Chair: If you live in a small space, but need to add extra seating with style, then the slipper chair is right for you. It’s an armless chair, notable for its’ sleek, streamlined design. The slipper chair is usually found sitting next to a coffee table or a couple are placed at the end of the bed to fancy up the bedroom.  

Arm Chair: The most popular type of accent chair because of its comfort and support. Arm chairs are found in a wide variety of fabrics, materials and sizes.

Barrel Chair: Referred to as the barrel chair, for its obvious barrel shaped design. The back of the chair is rounded, like a barrel with a high back and high arms. This accent chair adds a natural and rustic feel to any room. 

SHOP CHAIRS>>

Rockridge Furniture & Design’s Sofa Sale, includes Accent Chairs too!

Find great deals NOW through April 1st. Come visit our showroom or call

(510) 652-5753 for more information!

image source: thespruce.com

“Feng Shui is a Chinese metaphysical and quasi-philosophical system that seeks to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment.”

We gathered a few Feng Shui principles pertaining to the living room sofa and broke them down to simple do’s and dont’s so your living room can feel inviting and the positive qi can flow freely throughout your space. 

DO place your sofa against a solid wall. This gives support and security. If the sofa is not anchored against a solid wall and is floating in the middle of a space, you might feel vulnerable and uneasy because you do not have the support behind you. The belief is that when you sit against a wall it creates stability.

image source:cupofjo.com

DON’T face your sofa away from the main entrance of the living room. While relaxing on your sofa, you should be able to see the living room entrance so you are aware of who is entering the space. If this isn’t possible, hang a mirror in such a way that you can see the entrance through the mirror’s reflection. The idea is to eliminate the “unknown” factor.

image source: burlapandblue.com

DO place a large house plant behind the angle of an L-shaped sectional. L-shaped sectionals, inherently forms a large hard angle, also referred to as a “poison arrow”. Placing a plant at the angle serves as a buffer and the arrow shape is decreased. 

DON’T have clutter in your living room. If you want clean and positive energy to flow freely throughout your place, you must eliminate the clutter so good feng shui energy can dominate the space.

image source: instagram: shopstyle

DO let in as much natural light and fresh air as possible. Natural light opens up the living room and fresh air helps the energy move throughout the room. Open the windows as much as possible because stale air makes the living room feel congested and traps any negative energy. If you don’t have enough natural light coming through the windows, try layering indoor lighting. Besides a ceiling fixture, add floor lamps and a couple of table lamps.

image soure: livingroomideas.eu

Rockridge Furniture & Design’s Sofa Sale is happening NOW through the end of March. Come visit our showroom to find great deals on custom sofas!