furniture

Technical difficulties!

Sorry everyone if you saw some gibberish-computer-language the past few days.   Apparently a Word press backup plugin was faulty and I had to deactivate it before it caused more problems.

It’s ironic because the plugin that started NOT working was a ‘backup’ plugin that is suppose to backup the database incase something were to happen.   Well, if the plugin creates problems, I sure hope that it backs up the files before it screws it up any more.

The good news is that it was fairly easy to fix; i just deactivated the plugin.

The bad news was that it erased all the categories that we file our posts on, but luckily I was able to refresh the database and get back all my categories.  Whew.

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Okay, I don’t know if I am suppose to announce this early, but we are having a Free Shipping promotion on ALL of our items selling in our furniture website, www.visiondecor.com

Here is the verbal discussion I had with the sales manager:

Me:  Did you get the memo, we are doing free shipping on ALL items!
Sales Manager: Yah, we had a great year and it’s time to give back to our customers.
Me:  Free shipping is great, can I write a post about it?
Sales Manager:  Well, you can, but the details aren’t out yet.
Me:  Okay, I’ll keep it simple and get more information later.

There is No Coupon needed and No Minimums.

Here’s the catch:  It will end very very soon.  Once we hit 200 orders (or January 2, 2009) we will pull the plug on this deal.

Stay tuned for more details!!

Update #1: Promotion starts on Dec 24, 2008 until Jan 2, 2009, or 200 orders whatever comes first.
Update #2:  It’s LIVE!!! Also, if anyone sees any problem with the free shipping promotion, please comment below!  I’ll try my best to fix it and give you a better deal!

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One of the most important parts of our business is our ability to ship large and heavy items, via FedEx or trucking, keeping in mind that there is a high rate of damages that can occur in transit.

To start, shipping ‘high-touch’ items is difficult when you do not have the right materials to package with.  Often, the first idea is to ‘over-pack’ items to the point that labor and materials become an expensive element for each item.  We ship out hundreds of packages a day, and we often go through pallets worth of packaging material in order to safely ship out furniture to our customers.

I searched on the internet for a ‘how-to’ guide so that I could critique it.  But I decided to change gears, and I found someone who asked the question (link):

How to ship furniture easily:  Shipping furniture halfway across the country. I haven’t the foggiest….

My parents have given me a sofa and two chairs, all quite heavy and appx. 2000 miles away. How can I go about having these shipped from Texas to Oregon (specifically, Amarillo to Portland) with the least amount of fuss?

First things first.  There is a difference between case good items and assembled items.  Case good items, with extra packaging and care, can be shipped via FedEx.   Of course depending on the item, some large case good items should be shipped via a freight carrier.  But since this person has an entire sofa room set, we cannot simply ship this with FedEx.  This will have to go with a trucking service.

Here’s my advice:  Find two pallets and buy some pallet wrap.  This should cost you $10 a pallet, and $20 for the pallet wrap.  Put the sofa on it’s side and anchor the piece down to the pallet and put the two chairs on the other pallet and anchor those pieces down.  Then look at uShip and post an advertisement from your location to your destination and advertise that they are all on pallets and shrink wrapped.  I would advertise about $300 (OBO) for the shipment and leave plenty of time for transit and delivery.  There is a slight possibility that the item could be damaged from forklifts, it might a good idea to stack an additional pallet on the bottom or create a guard around the base of the item like a tray.

This is basically a two-step process:  Pack and Ship.  Simple!

Pack: You will need to spend extra time packing if you want to ensure that your item arrives safely to it’s destination.  Depending on the shape of the item and the weight, you will need to access what parts of the might get damaged (legs, arms, anything sticking out.)  A good rule of thumb is to protect you item from punctures and, if it is handled by hand, drops.

For example, a dining set is usually the hardest type of item to ship.  From the awkwardness of the chairs, the length of dining table, and to the weight of the set you will need to prepare a lot to protect this item from being damaged during shipping.  You must stack the chairs in a way where they are uniform and protected from ’snagging’ on other shipments.  You must secure the large table onto it’s own pallet.

Note:  It is best if you either crate or ship the item using a pallet.  So that there is less handling.

Ship:  Shipping can be tricky.  If you are shipping a small item that could go via FedEx, you should consider over-packaging the item and try to distribute the weight of item as much as you can over a few different packages.  This will prevent the item from damage when it gets dropped (and it will get dropped).  Otherwise, you can use a company called Uship.  They specialize in “less than truckload” (LTL) shipments where you can spend a very small amount to ship a product on a shipment that is already heading in the direct of your destination.  From my experience, shipping items from Chicago to Los Angeles, it could cost about $80 to $100 a pallet (up to 250 pounds).  But then again, I know someone in the trucking business and Chicago is a central hub in the trucking industry.

Note:  You can save some money if you hang out at a warehouse that uses pallets and if you are nice enough they might just give you one or two pallets for free.  (Sometimes grocery stores leaves them out in the alley, check there too.)

So, what have we learned.  Your packaging will be dependent on the shape of the item and how you plan on shipping it.  If it is small enough to ship via FedEx, make sure it can survive a good amount of dropping and buy plenty of insurance.  If you are planning on hiring movers, be prepared to get a lot of quotes and research different moves to get the best quote.

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Your living room décor defines your home as it is the room that welcomes your guests and your family home, it is the focal point of your home and your lifestyle.  It is the first impression made when your guests enter the living room, so the furniture and furnishings chosen to decorate the living room should welcome them and give off an inviting feeling.  Your family will come home to first join and relax in the living room; thus the furniture should both be comfortable and style defining.  In this article, we will go over some tips on decorating, style, lighting, color, and spacing for furnishing your living room.

The first impression. Your living room furniture and decorative pieces will make a statement about your home, so it is important to choose the right style and practicality that invites your guests, gives off warmth, and makes an impression.  When choosing the furniture pieces and furnishings to go in your room, you should think about how you will use the living room.  Do you use the room more for mingling with family and friends?  Is it more for relaxation by sitting down and reading the paper or a book?  Is the room media enhanced for watching your favorite TV show?  Do you like doing work in your living room, or do your children do homework comfortably with the company of family?  All these questions are important, as it is your lifestyle that defines your living room and in turn making a statement about your lifestyle.  More seating and table top area will be needed for mingling; Lighting will be important for reading and work tasks; Making sure entertainment shelves, TV stands, or media units match will be important in incorporating your media with the living room.  Overall, the impression you make through your living room is a statement of your lifestyle, the things you enjoy doing the most, from leisure to entertainment.

Coordinating Colors for the right mood.  The colors you choose include the walls, the carpet, and coordinating furniture pieces.  If you have wood coffee tables and leather sofas with dark tones, you should choose a wall color tone that complements those tones.  The carpet should be a comforting match to your walls while providing the foundation of color for your furnishing pieces to rest on.  Also, remember to consider any paintings, portraits, and most importantly the color of their frames to match when displaying them in your living room.  Also remember that accessories can add nice touches to accent your living room color, such as pillows, window treatments, slip covers, candle holders, vases, etc.  Look to your personality to choose the warm colors, cool tones, or classic feels you like when in your living room.

Space to shape the living room.  The way you position your living room furniture pieces can change the orientation of the room and even make a small living room space feel larger, more cozy, or intimate.  A combination of suggestions from the colors chosen and tips noted above can make statements that come alive to your guests in the living room.  For example, mirrors can be used for depth and spacing.  Also, don’t forget the style and color of the mirror frame along with its shape to complement or contrast with the statement you are making for your living room décor.  Statues, lamps, and stand alone accents will add more perspective and depth to your living room.  For optimal space and flexibility, it is best to utilize furniture pieces that can be used in a multitude of ways, such as a storage coffee table ottoman that can be used as a table top, foot rest, magazine and item storage.  Make sure to always measure the space for the major pieces you are incorporating into your living room décor, such as sofas, loveseats, sectionals, chairs, chaises, loungers, cocktail tables, and side tables.  Orientation and space can be used as an opportunity to innovate on your living room décor, this way you can add furniture pieces that enhance style and practicality for your living pleasures in the room.

Do something new and adventurous. Many people place their living room furniture to how it fits than rather how it can enhance the experience of sitting in the living room and walking through the living room.  For example, you can decorate behind dead space, such as the corner of the walls behind sectional sofas with a lamp.  Or you can move your sofa up a foot from the wall, and place plants or décor behind it to enhance the sitting experience.  This way you can mix the traditional style with a modern concept of decorating that will add to the depth of style and practicality of decorating your living room.

Lighting for mood and effect.  Your living room décor, color, and spacing can be enhanced and manipulated through a well implemented lighting plan.  Take into consideration the lighting you need and want for tasks and décor.  Factors that play into effect are table lamps, floor lamps, the lamp shade (beaded, fabric, metal), wood lamps, metal lamps, the color, wall lamps, and ceiling lamps/chandeliers.  Lighting can be categorized in these groups:

-Background Lighting.

-Decorative Lighting.

-Functional Lighting.

Background lighting is the light that defines your room.  It can be the natural sunlight during the day, and a background halogen torchiere or Ceiling Pendant during the night.  Whatever you choose, background lighting is the first level for which the rest of the room’s lighting will jump off of.

Decorative lighting will accent and also enhance accessories.  Items such as spot lighting and candles will help you create the mood and effect you want.  Accent lighting should create a luminescence, as a candle would naturally, but also artificially.  It sets the tone and mood of the room at your control.

Functional lighting is for practical purposes, so the fundamental requirement is that it is chosen to do the job it needs to get done as well as match the overall style of the background lighting and décor.  Arm adjustable lamps are great for reading and customized positioning behind/next to the chair or couch.  Task lighting need not be direct, as it can also provide plenty of functional lighting bounced off the wall.

The Living Room is both literally and figuratively stated:  A room for living.  So it should provide for you and your family to communicate, play, relax, and most importantly to live.

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