Rustic log patio furniture is the way to go this summer!

Summer is coming and soon the time will be here to relax on the porch on your outdoor log furniture with an ice cold lemonade, chatting with the neighbors or friends.

With the Amish log furniture, you will be able to relax, knowing that your furniture is built to last and will withstand the weather and won\’t blow off the patio in a strong wind!

As with any outdoor log furniture, we recommend putting an oil base stain on it or get in finished with a clear lacquer finish. Then refinish it every few years to protect the wood. Handcrafted of lodgepole pine, which is known for it\’s durability and strength, you will have beautiful furniture to last many generations, not to mention it\’s character and beauty because of the natural checking in the wood.

Get a rustic log deck bench or better yet, the log patio glider for couples or to relax honeymoon style. The log swing set is a beautiful addition as well and can be put on the deck or in the yard. The unique half log bench can be purchased in any length to fit into the corners you have left after setting a few log patio chairs and benches around or just to have as an ornamental bench to set your planters on.

These are simply 12 in. diameter logs cut in half and set on legs. Very sturdy and unique!

If you need a table, the log kitchen table and rustic log pub tables both work well on the deck as a log style picnic table.

Pitch those white plastic chairs and replace them with handcrafted log furniture that will last a lifetime. With a few rustic deck benches, a rustic log glider or two and perhaps a half log bench, you will be all set to entertain all summer long on your porch all \’decked\’ out with rustic log patio furniture!

Click Here to see a full line of the Montana Rustic Log Patio Furniture. Amish handcrafted for you!

Summer is around the corner. You want new outdoor furniture for your yard or patio, or around your pool (you lucky soul!). You are not alone. Many people see their outdoor spaces as an extension of their home. You can furnish that space with love seats, chairs, dining sets; even rugs and lamps. There’s a vast array of choices available to you. Where to begin? Perhaps by considering exactly what you need, you’ll be able to narrow down the choices and focus on finding the right outdoor furniture pieces for you and your lifestyle.

• Do you use your outdoor area primarily for personal/close family relaxation, or large-group entertainment?
• How large is your area?
• How often do you use your outdoor area?
• Do you have a tendency to use it at particular times of day?
• Do you use the area in the evening or night?
• Does the outdoor area receive a lot of sun?
• Is the area sheltered, or is it completely open to the elements?
• What pieces of furniture do you have in mind? Do you want chairs only, or a dining set; or lounge chairs? Do you want a bar or cocktail arrangement?
• How formal or casual do you want your area to be?
• Do you plan to move or rearrange furniture often?
• Does your area experience harsh winters?

Answers to these questions will help you to identify the ideal type of materials your new outdoor furniture should be made from, how many pieces of furniture you need, what types and which accessories. You want outdoor furniture made with the comfort and style you desire as well as the strength and durability you need. This will help you to make the best furniture choice for you and your lifestyle. For example, if you plan to move chairs and other pieces around often to accommodate guests, you may decide to choose lightweight materials like recycled plastic and aluminum. If you have young children, you may look for materials that are very durable and clean easily. Cushions should be made with fade- and weather-resistant fabrics. As you begin to identify materials like teak wood, outdoor or synthetic wicker, recycled plastic, etc, you can determine how easy or difficult it will be to maintain your new outdoor furniture at its best.

If you mostly use the area for casual breakfasts with your family, a bistro-style outdoor furniture set may be more appropriate than an elaborate dining set for twelve. Of course if you want to relax outdoors, you’ll consider recliners and deep-cushioned seating with ottomans. If your area is open and receives a lot of sun, you may want to think about adding a patio umbrella, awning; or if space allows, a portable gazebo for welcome shade. Nighttime use may call for lighting with torches, or electric or solar powered lamps.

Also consider the climate where you live. If you live where winters are harsh, will your outdoor furniture be able to remain outdoors year-round, or will you have to store your furniture during winter? Do you have the required storage space? Investing in outdoor furniture covers will help maintain your outdoor furniture at its best.

Once you define your outdoor furniture needs and desires, you can begin to compare those needs against the wide variety of offerings and price points. Hopefully these tips will guide you to make the best decision. Happy summer!

Zenzele Adwin writes frequently about outdoor living and gardening. Visit her blog at http://www.backyardutopia.com for more tips and information on outdoor furniture and patio furniture.

I am there for you after a long day at work. I am there for you on the weekends, when all you want to do is plop yourself down and let the television wash over you. I am there for you when you rent a DVD to help turn your living room into the most comfortable theater around. I am even there for husbands who are unexpectedly expelled from the comfort of their beds by an angry wife. I’m your sofa, and I’m always there for you. I’m probably the most underappreciated piece of furniture most of you own, yet also the most used. I am as reliable as a best friend and as consistent as the sunrise.

Choosing a new sofa can be as agonizing as choosing a new car. What kind of upholstery do I want? What color? Any special features? Am I going to like it a year from now, how about five years? Once I’m brought home and put in my assigned place, though, I’m all but forgotten. I become a fixture in your living room almost instantaneously, effortlessly blending in with my surroundings like a chameleon. I can eventually become an unofficial member of a family, a step below the dog and cat, but definitely above the goldfish.

I silently and steadfastly endure a ton of abuse. From spills to crumbs to pet hair, and anything else you can imagine, I sit there and take it. Scotch Guard or no, I do my best to repel every wine and soda spill and of course, every leaky diaper. I’m also often vilified for doing nothing more than keeping valuables safe and sound. You accuse me of “eating” items such as earrings, loose change, and, of course, remote controls. This is a definite misnomer as I get plenty of nourishment from the aforementioned food and drink spills. What’s happening here is I’m simply holding on to these items for you until you need them. Kind of like the safety deposit box you never knew about.

I require no thanks or fanfare for my loyalty and dependability. All I ask is that you try not to sit on my arms and that you please change any diapers on the carpet. You could probably mix in a salad and skip dessert every now and again too. That’s just me looking out for your health, though. Also, please don’t send me away to your teenager’s apartment when you’re done with me. I deserve a more dignified retirement than that; I’ll take my chances at the Goodwill.

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Shopping for furniture online is easy and fun with huge selections, buying guides-including huge discounts on bedroom, living room, kitchen and kids furniture. The following are tips on how to furnish your home for less.

Checking for online clearance outlets and sales. Most online furniture stores have centers with on going or periodic furniture sales. Check dates on when the prices will be reduced. This is usually between 30-60 days.

Buy furniture that matches the theme of your rooms. Choose a style that you like and stick to it. It’s cheaper to furnish your home with a popular style since most pieces are available.

Consider buying furniture with versatility in function. For instance, buying kids furniture that is functionally multifunctional will maximize floor space, cut cost and make it easy for parents to prioritize the right tools for sleeping studying and storage, as opposed to buying each piece for a different function; this may turn out to be incredibly expensive.

Decide on what price range you can afford and stick to it. For online furniture buying, shop around a lot. Visit different online furniture stores and get an overall feel for what’s out there. Perhaps a list of the furniture you need and one of all you want would help.

Buy the best quality you can afford and available. Poor quality furniture is less likely to hold up, which means that you may have to buy the item twice.

Consider the space you have. Measure your rooms before shopping for your piece. This will ensure that you know the amount of space available. This will prevent incurring the cost of returning and restocking a big piece that didn’t fit in a small room.

Buy with an eye to refinish. Sometimes you won’t be able to get what you want and you’ll need to be creative. Begin by considering its line, scale and details. A dark wood can be repainted and updated with new hardware. A beat up coffee table can be sanded and stained.

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Home decoration justifiably ranks among the top priorities for the socially active members of the society. Furniture items have, over the years, undergone a marked change of perception for their patrons. With varied change in the choices of furniture, people have the option to choose from amongst the best. And wood furniture is the top choice of the connoisseurs of exquisite furniture items. The pride in owning a priceless piece of excellent quality wooden furniture is unmatched and addictive.

The furniture made of oak, cherry, cedar, rustic pine and their ilk adds value to your dream home. In particular, Amish made furniture items are the real turn on if you love the art and craft on your furniture. The Amish handcrafted furniture is a delight to gaze and pride to possess. If you want your home to depict a picture of your true self, Amish furniture is the way to go. Made by extreme toil and sweat and requiring great skills to master the art of making marvelous pieces, Amish furniture is available at all the major furniture retailers. However, if you are looking to strike a good bargain, try to find a reputed wholesale Amish furniture dealer who can also offer extended guarantee along with attractive prices.

Hardwood is a privileged and most preferred choice. Available in varied natural colors and ranging from darkest to lightest ones, hard wood is considered as most durable among the kinds of woods used to make furniture articles. Moreover, hardwood requires least amount of care among all the other woods. Due to its sturdiness, it is long lasting and largely maintenance free.

Extreme caution is, however, required before you buy wooden furniture. This is because of the fact that a number of trick dealers have emerged in the market that will sell you fakes in the name of wooden furniture. As a general rule, heavier wood furniture ensures better quality and durability. So, the best way to check its authenticity is try to lift it. If it is genuine, you will feel considerable weight.

A thorough examination of the wooden furniture article is always called for before deciding to purchase it. Cuts, bruises, fractures, protruding nails, dents etc. can mar the otherwise beauty of the product. Gently run your hand all over the surface of the furniture to detect any kind of superfluous flaw in the finishing of the article.

However, if you find that the finished article has a minor flaw that can be easily corrected, always ask for extra discounts. Most often, the dealers will oblige to preserve their goodwill and make a new customer. Similarly, if you are looking to save some extra dollars, just ask the dealer if he is game for selling the display piece. The display pieces usually look old but actually, most of them are in perfect shape barring the odd fading. This can be easily made up by a swift coating of paint or polish. The dealers are, generally, on the look out for the buyers interested in display pieces. Obviously, these pieces are sold on a much higher discount.

Make the most of your wooden furniture and always buy cheap!

The author likes to try out new and delicious Amish Recipes. The Amish make as good furniture as they make food. You can buy some great Amish furniture for your home and office in online stores. Visit http://www.amish-furniture-home.com for some great deals in wooden furniture.

Choosing the right furniture for the outside of your house can be just as important, and sometimes difficult, as choosing furnishings for the inside. When furnishing your patio or yard, you should take under consideration the same factors you did when decorating your house. This is important because you will most likely want the outside of your house to reflect your lifestyle and personality, just like the inside probably does.

There are many ways to furnish your patio or deck. The location of your patio or porch can make a major difference. For example, most people would not place a table and chairs on their front porch. Instead, a rocking chair or swing would most likely be appropriate. Still, if you wanted to place a small table on your front porch, you probably could, given it would fit. Most people probably spend more time on their back porches than on the front porch, which is one reason why tables and chairs are placed there. Also, back yards usually allow for more privacy, and are often great for entertaining. Whether you entertain frequently, or simply enjoy the privilege of your back patio or porch, you want to be sure it is furnished to fit you.

The location of the furniture can make all the difference. For instance, a benched placed a shade tree can add to your decor. Before beginning, think about where you patio furniture will be placed. Then, you can decide how much of it you will need, and what specific pieces you will buy.

When choosing your patio furniture, consider the views you would like to enjoy. If you live on or near the water, you might want to place your tables and chairs in a location that allows you this view. Consider every option before making a decision.

You should also consider the specific location of your patio. For example, if your patio furniture will be placed close to the house, it is advisable to keep the architectural style in mind. The further away from the house the furniture will be placed, the more the possibilities that will open up. In this case, you will be able to be more creative because you don’t have specific geometric shapes and placement to consider.

Consider placing furniture at a focal point. For example, placing a bench in the distance could be eye-catching, inviting, and appealing. Consider the side of the furniture that will be most easily viewed. If you will see the back of the furniture, consider the appearance of that side of each piece. If you wish to move your seating around frequently, consider purchasing lightweight furniture.

Discount Outdoor Patio Furniture

With the housing prices touching sky high and the available area falling consistently, the notion of a dream home for the buyers has undergone a radical change. With a collection of decoration and household items at their disposal, people are having second thoughts about their worth. People seem to be at a loss when it comes to adjusting their prized possessions in the limited space they now possess. Under such trying circumstances, it becomes vital to manage the limited space well and optimally utilize all the area is your home. This article aims at stressing about the need for space management in your home and gives some useful tips on how to arrange your furniture in the limited space options.

Firstly, assess the available space before seeking out storage solutions. It may be possible to de-clutter the space that is occupied by unimportant or obsolete or misfit things or they are simply not properly arranged. The ‘dumping’ of shelves and drawers should be undone and instead, small boxes can be used within the drawers to organize different things. The shelves should not be used as another ‘dumping ground’. Remove all the items that look worn away or not in tune with the times.

Any hidden space in the home must be utilized to dump the unwanted furniture items for the time being. If you are planning to buy new furniture, the old ones should be disposed off as early as possible to make way for the new one.

The size and style of furniture must be balanced so as to make the home more presentable. Amish furniture can be an ideal choice if you want variety and compatibility. Amish made furniture come in all shapes and sizes to fit the bill perfectly. For genuine and varied options, it is pertinent to buy it from wholesale Amish furniture dealers who also provide requisite guarantees and warranties.

For proper space management, it is vital to arrange and re-arrange the furniture thoughtfully. You have to balance occupied space and the free space in order to give out a comfy feeling to the visitors and the residents. You can also make some intelligent alterations to the color of paint on walls and ceilings. Bright colors are often recommended to create illusion of more space.

The cornered spaces should be utilized optimally. Try to make slim cabinets around the corners that’ll cover less space and gives a lot more to your furniture and decoration items.

The space around the beds can be decreased (if feasible) to make way for an extra chair in the room. The space under the beds, sofas etc. can also be very handy in storing the things required less frequently.

Some decoration items make things appear bigger. For instance, a large hanging picture of beautiful landscape would obviously make your room appear like an open space.

Folding furniture can also be given a try if it suits your tastes and requirements. Always remember to fold it when not required.

Space is available at a premium and it just makes sense to mange the limited space optimally.

The author likes to decorate her home with Amish Oak furniture Exclusive Amish handcrafted furniture makes your house stand out amongst others. You can some great Amish furniture for your home and office in online stores.

The winter chill has left most the country and spring is finally in the air. The baseball season is right around the corner and March Madness is in full swing. These are signs that it is time to leave the sofa or recliner and head back into the “great outdoors.” But as your back yard and patio await another season of barbeques, parties, and family get-togethers, how ready is your lawn and patio furniture? Has another harsh winter taken its toll on your old patio set?

If you answered “yes” to the above question or perhaps just want to give your yard or patio a little makeover, here is some information about what types of lawn and patio furniture are out there and which may be right for you. Teak wood is one of the most popular choices for outdoor furniture, and for good reason. This tropical hardwood native to the south and southeast of Asia is exceptionally weatherproof and durable even when left untreated. Teak has natural oils that make it suitable for exposed locations, so it is ideal for those yards and patios without a cover or awning. The one drawback to teak furniture is the price. Teak patio sets can run double the cost of an equivalent cherry or pine set. But as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for,” so if you’re looking for lawn and patio furniture that will stand the test of time and won’t need to be replaced any time soon, teak may be the choice for you.

While teak is definitely the ideal wood for outdoor furniture, other suitable options are out there, and one of these may be better suited for you. These woods include cherry, pine, and white cedar. These lesser woods are ideal for those who plan on staining or varnishing their outdoor furniture, and they will probably require you to do so every couple of years. Also, if you are able to store your outdoor furniture in a garage or shed for the winter, patio sets made from these woods may be the right choice for you.

For those not in the market for wood, some excellent synthetic materials are out there that offer superior quality and value. One such material is Poly-Wood. This industrial plastic lumber is made from post-consumer and post-industrial recycled plastics–materials that were headed for the landfill. But Poly-Wood is more than just an environmentally responsible product; it is also completely maintenance-free and lasts virtually forever. Most Poly-Wood products are available in six colors.

Find a HUGE selection of teak and Poly-Wood patio furniture at http://www.eco-furniture.com Follow this link to see it all: http://www.eco-furniture.com/main_lawngarden.html

Dovetail joints often hold two boards together in a box or drawer, almost like interlocking the fingertips of your hands. As the dovetail joint evolved through the last one hundred thirty years, it becomes a clue for the age and authenticity of antique furniture. The type of dovetailed joint, especially in drawers, reveals much about furniture construction and dating. With just a little study of these examples, it is easy to spot true hand made construction vs. machine made furniture.

The name “dovetail” comes from the appearance of the joint, resembling the triangle shape of a bird’s tail. The earliest examples are from furniture placed with mummies in Egypt thousands of years ago, and also in the burials of ancient Chinese emperors.

For thousands of years, a dovetail joint was created by a skilled cabinetmaker using small, precision saws and wood chisels. Tiny angled saw cuts were followed by careful cutting by a sharpened chisel on both sides to avoid splintering. One board had tiny “tails,” and the other had the larger “pins,” carefully measured to match and fit together exactly. When the joint is expertly executed, it is a thing of beauty, and a secure joining of two boards that can last for centuries. A little glue cements the connection, and a good dovetail joint has great strength and durability.

Hand cut dovetails were used to hold the sides of drawers together, but also to join the structural members of case furniture. Hand made screws and nails were relatively expensive and could rust and expand, sometimes cracking the wood they secured. Glues of the period sometimes weakened. Dovetails have great strength, holding pieces of wood in perfect alignment over long periods of time. Simpler country furniture often had larger dovetails, or even a single tail and pin.

Genuine hand-made dovetails like these were the standard of good furniture craftsmanship until about 1870, when American ingenuity developed the “pin and cove” or round style dovetail, often seen on late Victorian and Eastlake furniture. These were cut with a jig or pattern, and an apprentice could create a very well fitting and attractive joint. Popular here into the 1890’s, these joints never gained acceptance outside of the U.S. and Canada. European cabinetmakers continued their hand-cut dovetails well into the 1900’s.

The next technological development in joinery was again American. In the 1890’s, American furniture began to be mass produced, with interchangeable parts and speedy production for the growing and affluent middle class. The slow and laborious crafting and carving, one piece at a time, by a master woodworker was not suited to the new mass market. Steam power, transferred by pulleys and leather belts, operated saws, carving machines and routers that could copy an original pattern exactly.

These routers were ancestors of the electric precision tools of today, and could be used to rapidly cut a machined dovetail joint. Each cut is exactly like the others, each “tail” and “pin” are exactly matched. A close inspection shows no irregular saw cuts or variation from a skilled craftsman, but rather a precise and identical manufactured machined joint. These machine-cut dovetails are as strong and long lasting as the hand-made joints, and became the standard of better American furniture ever since the late 1890’s. Other drawer joints include sliding keyhole or French dovetails that were have been used since the 1890’s.

European cabinetmakers continued to produce hand-cut dovetails through the 1930’s. Electric power tools, like routers and various types of saws were put into widespread use after World War II in the 1940’s. There was resistance - in England, carpenters unions went on strike over the use of electric saws, fearing the end of their livelihoods. Nevertheless, by the 1950’s, power tools were used in almost all furniture construction across Great Britain.

The use of hand tools and hand-cut dovetails is now the province of hobbyists and a few small shops creating authentic replicas of antique furniture. This overview of the dovetailing techniques should easily help identification and dating of most furniture from the last 200 years.

Ken Melchert is a co-owner of The Harp Gallery, a renowned antique furniture gallery located in Appleton, WI. Ken and his wife Rebecca have been selling and restoring superior antique furniture for over 20 years. Harp Gallery Antique Furniture

Looking at antique furniture, we often seek clues for authenticity and age. There are many factors that show true historic construction, but one clue that is often overlooked is the type of nail used to hold the piece together. Nails in antique furniture are often barely noticeable, but they are another key to unlock the history of wooden pieces. The quest for the ideal nail has taken centuries of development. As Churchill noted, “To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.”

The ancient Egyptians and Romans used organic glue for wood furniture, especially with decorative veneer techniques, but like much advanced technology, glue for wood became a lost art after the collapse of Rome in 476 until the Renaissance, around 1400, when glue and veneer techniques reappeared. During the Middle Ages, furniture was held together with pegs, dovetails, mortise and tenon joints and a few nails.

Archaeologists have found hand made bronze nails from as far back as 3000 BC. The Romans made many of their nails from iron, which was harder, but many ancient iron nails have rusted away since. The hand-forged nail changed little until well into the 1700’s.

For thousands of years, the traditional hand-forged nail was square and tapered, with a hammered head attached by the blacksmith. One nail at a time was heated and laboriously pounded out to shape with a hammer on an anvil. Nails were fairly valuable, and ruined buildings were often burned and nails were scavenged from the ashes to reuse.

Carpenters still speak of nail sizes by the “penny,” abbreviated “d” for the Latin word for penny, denarius. The name refers to the price of nails in England in the 1600’s: the price of 100 nails for one penny gave the size: 100 4d (4 penny) nails cost 4 English pennies or pence. One hundred larger 10d (10 penny) nails cost 10 pence.

Most local blacksmiths made nails. Thomas Jefferson, a true Renaissance man, made nails on his plantation. Until the very end of the 1700’s, most nails in better furniture had a head that was rose-cut or faceted like an old miner’s cut diamond. Some nail heads were “butterfly” shaped, with visible facets where the iron head was hand-hammered, one nail at a time.

The next phase of progress in nails was the appearance of “cut” nails, beginning in the very late 1700’s. As plates of flat steel became available, a simple hardened steel knife was used to “cut” one tapered rectangular nail at a time. This new technology was also employed by Jefferson, and the new cut nails had rectangular heads attached by another machine, one nail at a time. This greatly accelerated the manufacture of nails, and these rectangular nails quickly became dominant by the early 1800’s. These cut nails are often called “square,” but they are really markedly rectangular, as are their heads, and easy to distinguish from the truly square and entirely handmade earlier variety.

Very tiny nails, used especially for trim and moldings, were made with a single cut, resulting in an “L-shaped” nail.

Cut nails continued as the standard until the end of the 1800’s, and were used in building construction, ships and furniture. These nails fairly accurately date furniture to the 1900’s, although it is worth remembering that sometimes modern nails were added in subsequent repairs.

Machinery was developed to produce cut nails in the 1900’s, and they are still used in flooring and concrete applications, where holding power is paramount, and power nailing tools are standard. Machine made cut nails are also made for use in reproduction or hobbyist replica furniture, but they are so perfect and identical that it is usually easy to see that they are new.

In Europe in the 1850’s, steel wire was made into tiny nails known as “brads,” with only a very small widened head. These continue to be used to attach small moldings and trim.

About 1880 in America and in Europe, the modern wire nail was developed. Machinery was invented to cut pieces of steel wire, sharpen a point at one end, and put a flat round head onto the other end. These nails were much cheaper to produce. Because their sides were straight rather than tapered, they have only a fraction of the holding power of cut nails with tapered sides. Nevertheless, the reduced cost factor made wire nails the standard very quickly. By 1910, wire nails were 90% of the total market. A reasonable date for furniture originally constructed with round wire nails is after 1880.

The simple nail serves as a key to furniture dating. Until about 1800, nails were hand-forged - tapered square shafts and hand-hammered heads. During the 1800’s, cut nails have tapered rectangular shafts and rectangular heads. In the 1900’s, the round wire nail with straight sides and a round head are the standard. Nails are one of many clues to the age and authenticity of antique furniture and building construction as well.

Ken Melchert is a co-owner of The Harp Gallery, a renowned antique furniture gallery located in Appleton, WI. Ken and his wife Rebecca have been selling and restoring superior antique furniture for over 20 years. Harp Gallery Antique Furniture