Archive for February, 2009
When kids head back to school, a home’s carpeting can serve as a memory of summer fun. And, tough summer stains can be really tough to remove. “Shop Cop” and home furnishings expert Jennifer Litwin offers these tips:
What kind of carpeting is the most difficult to clean?
Olefin is an oil-based product which picks up stains [...]
TIPS FOR BUYING THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE IN YOUR HOME
Couch potato jokes aside, the sofa is the piece of furniture that takes the most abuse — and gets the most use — in a typical American home. And, with most couch prices ranging from $500 to $10,000 it is important that consumers compare apples to [...]
Buyers, Beware! Furniture shoppers can get duped by untrained sales clerks and retailers who use hidden practices to sell furniture. That, according to Sotheby’s-trained, home furnishings consumer expert and author, Jennifer Litwin, who spent a year “undercover” visiting more than 500 furniture stores. She found that most furniture salespeople know very little about the products [...]
As Featured in the Arizona Republic
Most Americans will pay down their debt. Some will sock it away for a rainy day.
But about 24 percent will use their tax refunds this year to buy something pricey, such as a big-screen TV, car or vacation, the National Retail Federation reports.
Of course, financial planners wince about taxpayers getting [...]
Catalogues and giant anchor tenants in malls dominate the housewares industry, but while their purchasing power can mean lower prices on some items, most national retailers are locked into a rigid pricing structure, which means no haggling.
As featured in the Arizona Repbulic
Next to our homes and cars, furniture likely is the most expensive purchase we’ll make.
And just like with home- and car-buying, it’s best to make informed decisions when purchasing sofas, chairs, chests and dining tables.
What should you look for? Comfort, style and function top the majority of most people’s wish [...]
Such a simple and utilitarian item, a bookcase. Why, then, is it so challenging to find the perfect one? House- &Homes Assistant Editor Cindy Dampier has been searching for months-on-end for a bookcase to put in her 2-year-old son Thomas room. Shed like a vintage version but is finding that age often equals unsafe. Sometimes other types of furniture, such as stacked benches or bureau drawers, can make tempting bookcases, but its hard to know whether theyll work. With this challenge in mind, we approached two local furniture experts for a good read on what makes the best bookcase.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, hundreds of everyday items found in the home will be recalled just this year alone. How do you know if any of these products are in your home? What do you do if you do own a product that has been recalled? What popular products have been [...]
As we enter the summer months and think about entertaining outside we are faced with furniture and fabrics that look dirty, rusty and faded. Spending money on outdoor furniture and fabric is not always a priority because we know that natural fading, discoloring and breakage will occur as the furniture sits outside.
According to The Freedonia Group, the $5 billion outdoor furniture and grill industry will continue to grow 5.4% annually through 2008. An obvious indicator that Americans are “living to the outdoors” more than ever.
Home furnishings expert and author Jennifer Litwin explains that the “outdoor room’s” popularity among homeowners is driving patio furniture and grill sales. [...]