How to Keep Your Furniture Flawless | Sklar Furnishings

Once you have your furnishings just the way you like them, it’s important to make sure you’re keeping them properly maintained so that you can enjoy and keep them beautiful for years to come. Whether fabric, wood, leather or outdoor, we’ve got some handy pointers that can help you get the most out of your furniture.

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Leather

Leather is a classic, beautiful, and luxurious material. It can also be a little bit finicky in terms of care, but regular inspection and care can keep it looking great for decades. For cleaning, you’ll want to wipe with a soft, dry cloth regularly. Oils, soaps, and detergents can stain and discolor leather, so for spills, you will want to blot off liquids immediately with an absorbent cloth. Long-term maintenance is fairly hands-off: rubbing in leather conditioner once or twice a year should be enough.

How to Keep Your Furniture Flawless 4 | Sklar Furnishings

Fabric

Fabric isn’t too demanding: a weekly or monthly vacuuming, using short overlapping strokes and an upholstery attachment, can keep dust and debris at bay. Plan to deep clean your fabric upholstery about once a year, and check the care instructions to see what type of cleaners you can use to spot clean stains—always test first in an unobtrusive spot.

Steam cleaners can be very useful for deep cleaning fabric upholstery as they will pull out dirt, deodorize and disinfect at the same time. Synthetic fabrics like Ultrasuede and Crypton are high-performance, making them easy to clean with warm water and detergent, and typically stain and spill-resistant.

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Wood

Regular care can keep well-built wood furniture looking great for decades and even centuries: there’s a reason wood remains such a popular material for furniture. It looks amazing and it’s low maintenance, but does require some care to stay in tip-top condition. Some wood finishes are susceptible to heat and moisture, and all wood can be dented and scratched, so we recommend using coasters or a glass top.

Wiping wood surfaces with a damp cloth, then a dry one to remove moisture, is the best way to clean it regularly when dusting isn’t enough. We recommend soft cloths with natural fibers, as some types of synthetic fibers may cause scratches. Controlling humidity is another important factor, especially in our humid climate. Wood readily absorbs excess humidity in the air, which can cause warping, swelling, or rot.

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Outdoors

Outdoor furniture is built to be durable, but it isn’t immune to decay, so a bit of preventative maintenance can be very helpful. It can be cleaned with a cloth or soft brush and some mild soapy water; cushions can be spot-cleaned, brushed and vacuumed when needed.

We recommend using waterproof, breathable covers to protect outdoor seating from the sun and rain when you’re not using it and to prevent fading, mold, and weathering. If you’ll be away for a long time, it’s worth storing furniture somewhere indoors if you’re able to.

For metal furniture, regular inspection can help you catch scratches, chips and dings before they turn into rust spots. Regularly oiling joints, hinges, and moving parts will prevent those from rusting and seizing in the future.

Wicke, whether it’s rattan, bamboo or plastic, is another fairly low-maintenance option for outdoor furniture. A wash with an oil-based soap once or twice a year can protect every type of wicker from mold and mildew.

A Little Care Goes a Long Way

Regular cleaning and inspection can keep your furniture in top condition and catch issues before they become problems so that you can enjoy your pieces for years. Simple maintenance can prevent issues entirely, so a little effort can pay off handsomely over time.

If you’re unsure about any piece of furniture or upholstery, check with the manufacturer to see what they recommend for cleaning and maintenance. The right process and a bit of caution can prevent major headaches! If you have a particularly tough cleaning job on a beloved piece, cleaning experts are only ever a call away and can save you a lot of trouble and heartbreak.

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Creating Home Hubs

Though many trends for home interiors were initiated by the pandemic’s stay-at-home orders, hubs may be the most useful. Home hubs are purposefully designed areas that offer the separation needed to focus on work or study, but which can also be used for relaxation.

What makes home hubs attractive is that they reclaim separate uses for the home and allow it to fulfill our changing needs. Hubs are best supported by flexible and multipurpose furnishings that can quickly pivot when the purpose of a room change, and can support the normal open plan home once the crisis is over.

Flexible Surfaces

Whether your intent for a hub is play, study, relaxation, or work, having a collection of surface options will prove helpful, and a dash of style never hurts either!

The Amerigo Coffee Table is a wide, low table with solid metal construction. An attractive bronze finish and plenty of surface space make this an ideal table for relaxation or even play.

Versatility makes the Haven Small Office Desk a great option. With a dynamic form, spacious top, and small footprint, this desk can easily do double duty as a stylish console around the home when it’s not supporting work or study.

The Rollo End Table is a great choice for home hubs, as its wheeled design makes it easy to rearrange. A very nifty form and design make it useful for relaxing or working and allow it to roll in close to where you are.

The American Leather Uno Ottoman is an interesting piece that combines mobility and convertibility—as a footrest, seat, or small coffee table. Though it offers only a small surface compared to a desk or dedicated table, sometimes that’s all we need.

Sensible Storage

Good shelving storage is a useful component of creating hubs, as it can help to establish a sense of separation that’s key to hubs. Additional storage and style is never a bad thing even when we no longer need hubs!

The all-glass construction of the Quiller Libreria Uto Balmoral creates a transparent barrier between areas, which can be filled with books, boxes, plants, and decor elements to create an effective screen.

Screening with openness is also easy with the Arches Shelving Unit. Floating shelves and metal elements create a gorgeous presence and form a screen once filled with your favorite items.

The Haven Bookshelf offers a more substantial screen than the two options above. A wooden back pairs a solid barrier with the openness of shelves that extend just beyond.

A Simple Recipe

The pieces above are a small sample of what can create hubs. Between flexible surfaces and sensible storage, it’s easy to build a screened-off and peaceful hub that supports your needs.

If you’re looking to create a multifunction hub and don’t know where to start, please give us a call or come by the showroom, we’d be happy to help you build the home hub of your dreams!

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How We Create Your Dream Space

By Sklar Furnishings

How To Guides & Product Care

April 15, 2020

At Sklar Furnishings we pride ourselves on having a diverse and skillful interior design team. Our team is a passionate group and through their amazing talent, have helped us serve and delight clients for many years and through many rewarding projects.

Recently, we have seen a shift in interior design work from redesigning individual rooms to working on entire residences. We feel this is part of a culture shift of people wanting to express themselves and explore more unique styles.

Unique, custom, beautiful—it’s what we do. Whether you’re thinking about redoing one room,or an entire home, we have the skills to make it happen and make it uniquely yours.

Our Process

When you come to Sklar Furnishings with a project, we start with the discovery phase, where we have a conversation to learn more about you. We ask how you’ll be using the home, whether it’s full time or a secondary home, if you’ll be renting it out, if you have kids or grandkids. Knowing your preferences and needs helps us create a design that’s unique, gorgeous, and functional.

After the conversation, we conduct research and begin creating design concepts to present to you. Once we have an approved concept, we move from the big picture to smaller details.

The next step is space planning. This helps us see what furnishings will fit your space, budget, and preferences. Now we work on aesthetics. We create a color story, pick materials, then select finishes for wood, fabrics, leathers, and all surfaces.

In the final phase, we pick accessories to accent your space: area rugs, window treatments, impactful lighting, and the artwork that will create the perfect impression. We can handle every aspect of the design project, through planning and execution.

Your Potential

At Sklar Furnishings, we’re serious about custom design. Our team is experienced and skillful. We have built up a network of suppliers and partners that allow us to create new and unique designs.. We do millwork, closets, furnishings, accessories—everything an interior (or exterior) space needs to be stylish, comfortable, and liveable.

Recently one of our clients had a condo and was concerned about the small dining area. We solved the concern by designing and implementing a banquette with seating for six without compromising the space. Another client had a tiny closet but she had a lot of accessories to showcase. Our eventual concept doubled her storage space while showcasing handbags and shoes—an out-of-this-world solution with gorgeous aesthetics.

Endless Capabilities

Sklar Furnishings can design for any client, and we’re proud to say we don’t have a minimum project size. From one room or closet to your entire condominium or home, we can help you get the look and feel you want that is expressly you!

Feeling inspired? Check out the full range of our design services, meet our team, explore your possibilities, and start planning your dream space!

How to Design a Multifunctional Guest Bedroom

By Sklar Furnishings

How To Guides & Product Care

March 8, 2019

Having a designated space for guests in your contemporary home is one of the biggest challenges that you will face when designing your house. Having a private and a well-designed space for the house guests is a must in every house, but not all houses are equipped to manage it well. Maybe there is no extra room to host guests or the guest room is not being used very often leading to waste of space. But there is an easy fix for both the situations – a hybrid guest room. A multi-functional or a hybrid guest room utilizes the space in one’s house smartly, so that the guest room can be used by guests and be converted into a home office or a workout space when not in use by guests. A multifunctional guest bedroom needs to be welcoming and have a warm feeling attached to it, all the while being functional for other needs.

Ways to make a guest bedroom more versatile for multifunctional use:

Maximize space with a sleeper or a sofa bed

A sleeper sofa or a sofa cum bed is a great way to accommodate sleeping area in tight spaces. A sleeper sofa when not in use also creates more room for other activities or functionalities. American Leather offers a huge variety of sleeper sofas which stretch out to provide 80 inches of sleeping space. The American Leather Lyons Comfort Sleeper and Pearson Comfort Sleeper are two examples of contemporary furniture units that are stylish and multifunctional in their approach. Decorating the sofa with cushions during the day and putting them away at night will also help in upping the style of the room.

Create a creative yet flexible space

If your guest bedroom will double up as your home office, workout space or a playroom, you need to make sure that the room doesn’t appear and feel like a corporate office or a nursery. Try playing with use of the different furniture units. The bedside tables can have multi-purpose too, one can be a console table to be used for work, and the other one for night-time storage. Rollo End Table is a beautiful contemporary table with storage capabilities.

Color and texture

Using soft colors in the guest bedroom makes the room even more welcoming. The pastel shades and the light blues and light greens give out the aura of relaxation and coziness amidst all the hustle bustle of life. While colors are important, textures play an equal part in creating a warm feeling of the room. Using soft linen, silk and chambray will go a long way in making your guests feel like home.

A bed wall unit

The On/Off Alcova Wall Unit by Tumidei is a gorgeous wall unit that is designed to perfection. It is perfect for spaces that serve multiple uses such as a guest bedroom, a living room with a small desk for a home office, or den which requires temporary seating options. The wall unit comes with an integrated bench, and storage, and is the perfect companion for contemporary styles.

How to pick the right sofa

By Sklar Furnishings

How To Guides & Product Care

August 29, 2018

When it comes to picking the right sofa, there are a number of factors that you should consider. Oftentimes, once people get into the market for a new sofa or sectional, they follow a similar pattern of picking a style, then size. What we hope to achieve in this article, is to expand the way you approach buying a sofa, so that you’ll find that perfect fit for your needs. We love a great sofa at Sklar Furnishings and if we can inspire you to pick the right one to fit your interior design needs, and your personal needs, then we’d consider that a success.

Now, before you pick the style of couch, sofa, or for our Canadian friends, a Chesterfield, you need to determine where it will be going in your home. A living room sofa needs to be inviting, comfortable and have as much seating space as your room can comfortably manage. And for those who love to watch movies or binge-watch their favourite series on Netflix, a motion sectional such as the Verona Sofa Sectional by Chateau d’Ax will really provide a theatre experience. Alternatively, a foyer sofa will be more formal and structured, providing a brief moment of support or comfort for your guests coming or going. One of our favorites for this purpose is the Monti Sectional by Dellarobbia.

While we encourage everyone to browse the plethora of options online to narrow down their preferences, we always recommend buying a sofa in person. As with any expensive purchase, there are too many factors that might impact your purchase decision that can’t be adequately made without you being there.

Take seat height, for instance. Italian sofas tend to be lower to the ground than American ones, and for some, it may not be preferable to something that is a bit more elevated while others may be looking for a low and broad look that these can offer. Another dimension that’s important is seat depth, which can really influence how someone may like or love one model over the next. These are all personal preference measures, so what might work for some, may not for others.

While finding the right size for your needs is very important, we would also suggest finding the right size for your room is equally important. If your space will be filled wall to wall with a 10 person sectional, you won’t be able to enjoy the room as much as you would with a 7 person sectional. Having space for those people to manoeuvre freely will create a stress-free environment that’s welcoming and comfortable. We love that the American Leather Berkely Sofa comes in various sizes so when you find the right look you can customize the rest.

Above all else, find a sofa or sectional that speaks to your design style. A couch can be the perfect size, fit the room to the inch, and have all the necessary creature comforts that you could ever wish for, but if you don’t love it you’ll likely want to replace it sooner than you need to. Design is very subjective, and can be overwhelming for some. That’s why Sklar employs interior design professionals to guide our clients through the hundreds of options of styles, colors and fabrics to ensure everything works perfectly with the existing décor. Our job is to inspire our clients to narrow down to a small selection, then work through all the customization options to make the sofa truly their own.

How to Prepare Your Home for Social Events

By Sklar Furnishings

How To Guides & Product Care

July 10, 2018

A lot of planning and thought process goes into hosting a social event. After all, it’s not everyday you open your home to your friends and family. There are a lot of things that go into organizing a great event – but ensuring your interior design is able to cope with larger groups, or even mingling in spaces that have traditionally been set up for other purposes, can put a strain on the flow and function of an event. We’ve put together some great tips for how you can ensure your home is party-ready so you can enjoy the event as much as your guests.

Multi-functional furniture
Multi-functional furnishings are some of the most popular pieces year after year – and for good reason, they’re dynamic and in a few quick seconds, allow you to modify them to meet your needs. The most popular of the multi-functional pieces are our extendable, or transformative tables. The Ozzio Transformable Dining Table is a great example of a contemporary extendable furniture piece. The geometric scrolling of the tabletops allows the table to quickly adjust to the size that you need in a very easy manner. The perfect practical and stylish solution for any number of guests that you host.

Extend the party outdoors
Even though South Florida is quite hot and humid over the summer months, it’s nice to open up your outdoor patio or yard to give your guests more space to mingle throughout the evening. Years ago it was acceptable to have simple patio furniture in your home, but with the huge advancements in material design, we’re seeing a smaller difference between indoor and outdoor furniture more than ever before. The South Beach Sectional is a beautiful multi-purpose outdoor furniture piece available for order from our Sklar Furnishings Boca Raton showroom. Placing bar carts with snacks, ice buckets, glasses and napkins outdoors is also considered a nice gesture, as it will keep your guests comfortable and engaged in the moment without having to excuse themselves for a refill. Verra Bar Cart is a must-have this season. It brings a timeliness design, all the while being very contemporary to match almost any décor.

Note: Don’t forget the outdoor lighting.

Go simple
Simple is always on-trend. Furniture pieces with minimalistic designs elevate contemporary spaces and a simple Oak Dining Table will give your living room a timeless charm, all the while being very easy to clean and maintain. Keeping your décor simple for an event requires you to pull some of your favorite design accessories away, but keep that show-stopper out – there’s nothing like a bold art piece to break an awkward segue in a conversation.

Window Coverings Treatment and Care

By Sklar Furnishings

How To Guides & Product Care

May 31, 2018

Window treatments are an investment and not only add to a room’s décor but also serve a number of important functions. They protect floors, furniture and accessories from sun damage; provide variable light control; improve the acoustics in a room by absorbing sound; and provide energy efficiency through insulation. Whether you choose blinds, shutters, drapes, or shades, the treatment and care of your window coverings is important to maintain their quality and longevity.

Blinds
Blinds are one of the most popular types of window treatments given their high functionality and appearance. Blinds can come in a range of materials and the type of material will dictate the best way to clean them. Aluminum and wood blinds can be dusted regularly with a vacuum cleaner fitted with a soft brush dusting head or a feather duster. Metal or vinyl blinds can be cleaned using a solution of ammonia and water. Wearing gloves, dip your fingers into the solution and carefully run your fingers on each side of the slats. Or for a deeper clean, remove the blinds and wash each slat with soapy water and then rinse clear.

Shutters
Shutters are usually made of wood slats that overlap each other and can be kept open for lots of incoming light and fresh air or kept shut for privacy. Shutters add an old-world charm to one’s room, and a sense of timeless style. One can take care of the shutters by cleaning them every few months. Dry dusting or wiping the surfaces with a microfiber cloth will help in cleaning the shutters and make them last longer. As with wood blinds, do not use soap or water on wood shutters.

Drapes
Drapes are like curtains, except they are heavier in weight and block more light from penetrating the room than curtains. They both add style and elegance to a home while providing privacy and sunlight protection to the interiors. As with blinds and curtains, drapes come in a variety of styles, colors, fabrics and patterns. Drapes can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment for regular weekly maintenance. Cleaning will depend on the material that the drapes are made of. Drapes that are made of nylon, cotton, or polyester can be machine washed and dried on a low heat setting. Remove the drapes immediately from the dryer to minimize wrinkles. Hand washing, dry-cleaning or steaming are all options depending on the materials.

Roman shades
Roman shades are traditional window treatments that are usually made from fabric or jute. When raised, a Roman shade folds each pleat onto the next, creating a large stack of fabric at the top. To clean Roman shades, dust or vacuum with a fabric brush to remove allergens and dust. Pay special attention to the folds of the shades where dust can collect. If your shades happen to get stained, try to remove these as soon as possible. Club soda can help to lift a non-greasy stain and spray stain remover works well for greasy substances, but always follow manufacturer instructions when using cleaning products. If the material can be washed in the washing machine, you can clean them on a gentle cycle using cold water. If in doubt, have them professionally dry-cleaned, especially for Roman shades made of silk, wool, linen or other delicate materials.

How To: Clean Sunbrella Fabric

By Sklar Furnishings

How To Guides & Product Care

April 11, 2018

When spills on upholstery happen, we almost always react exactly the way we’re not supposed to; wiping the smear with a napkin or scrubbing it incessantly with soap and water. And very often, furniture owners are left with the worst kind of stains—water stains—from reactive and pressed cleaning attempts.

Thankfully, we now have Performance Fabrics, and these have become real game-changers in the upholstery industry. Why? Because performance fabrics are essentially bullet-proof; they’re textiles that provide added benefits such as waterproofing, stain protection, odor detouring, antibacterial, flame resistance, etc, in order to ensure ultimate durability and quality.

While many brands are claiming to offer “performance fabrics”, some aren’t delivering on durability. If you’re in the market for a high performance fabric that performs under pressure year after year, rest assured you can trust Sunbrella. Sunbrella Fabric has been hailed as the best outdoor cushion fabric options available. Manufactured by Glen Raven Inc., Sunbrella fabrics are used for a variety of applications including outdoor furniture, indoor furniture, boat covers, convertible automobile tops, and awnings.

Crafted to last, Sunbrella Fabrics are high-quality, child-and pet-friendly and are as durable as they are beautiful — and feel as great as they look. In this video you’ll learn how to clean Sunbrella Fabrics in the event of spills.

How To: Choose The Perfect Dining Table For Your Home

By Sklar Furnishings

How To Guides & Product Care

February 20, 2018

When it comes to dining room tables, the options are endless. How do you know which one to choose? While the modern home is all about a wonderful amalgamation of several different styles, trends, textures and shapes, you don’t want to purchase a misfit. This guide will help you get you through your décor conundrum and choose the right dining table for your home.

Determine Your Needs
Do you host large dinner parties, or small intimate family gatherings? Do you need seating for 12, or for 4? Do you want the flexibility of a table with leaves to add additional seating? Think through how you plan to use your dining table and determine your basic needs. Having a clear idea regarding how often you are going to use the table, helps to narrow down your options.

Measure Your Space
There are a few simple and standard numbers that will get you through this difficult part. Ideally, there should be at least 36 inches and up to 48 inches of space around your dining table to allow for people to pass by, and for chairs to be pulled in and out. A quick measurement of your dining room will give you a rough idea of the best table size for your space. We suggest you chalk out this area, cover it with a tablecloth or bed sheet, and then use it as a template for the maximum and minimum size of the table you intend to purchase.

Choose The Shape
If your room is square, you may want to choose a round table. A long and narrow room is better suited for a rectangular or oval table, while a square dining table looks good in long, narrow rooms, as they offer a sense of proper proportion. Ultimately, the shape of the table is equally important in creating a beautiful and comfortable space.

Pick Your Finishes
Crafting that brilliant dining room is all about getting the theme and the style right. A glass and chrome dining table like the Plateau is well suited for contemporary homes while wood tables like Karma with refined design are classic and suit a multitude of décor styles. If your home is more eclectic, consider tables with unique finishes like mirror or rustic wood and metal. We love the Phantom by Glassisimo. Ultimately, your tables will create an instant focal point and set the tone for the entire dining area.

 If you can’t make up your mind or aren’t sure which option suits your lifestyle, our Design Associates at Sklar would be happy to make suggestions and guide you through the process; after all, a dining table serves as the backdrop for countless important life events.

How To: Properly Accessorize your Coffee Table or Console

By Sklar Furnishings

How To Guides & Product Care

November 2, 2017

There is an alluring art when it comes to arranging accessories on your coffee table, side chest, console or entry table. The furniture pieces in these places are truly versatile which means the options for what goes on top are endless. Yet, there is no one magic formula or specific guide you have to follow in order to achieve an inspiring, high end display. The coffee table could be a place to make a dramatic decorative statement or the console could simply serve as a clean surface to drop your keys. Irrespective of how you intend to use the space, our interior designer tips will give you some ‘how to’ accessorizing ideas that will make you think twice about the space.

Share your Personality
Small surfaces such as high end consoles or luxury coffee tables are the perfect place to inject your personality into your home. It’s an opportunity to reveal details about you or share your interests. A few interesting objects or a small collection of something fabulous, visually intriguing, but also personal can bring added character to your room. A whimsical structure like the gold jackrabbit  by Nima Oberoi is an example of a charming, playful addition to your display.

Store It and Stack It
For an orderly, precise arrangement that reduces clutter and keeps your table from getting filled up with odds and ends, consider using decorative storage boxes. The Klein box set  is an elegant, sleek option that will easily store all your keepsakes.

Task Lighting
Ideally it’s best to use objects with different heights and textures. You want the items to vary and add dimension to your room. Why not adorn your console with a simple pair of standing lamps. These polished brass lamps  by Saunders are a beautiful accent that will add symmetry to your display and a rich glow to your room.

Ultimately, whatever excites you and the more visually interesting the better. With these simple styling tricks, you too can give your high end console or luxury coffee table a new purpose and a splash of visual intrigue.

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