Article Source: Freshhome.com

Winter is dark, cold, long and, well, expensive at least where heating a home is concerned. The cost of heating oil climbs each winter and electricity is not cheap. Each year people everywhere begin to contemplate the best ways to save money and still keep the house at a comfortable temperature. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to curb heating costs and most are easy to implement. My ten tips will help you to enjoy the season and worry a little less about the expense of heating your home.

Energy Audits

It’s hard to know what changes can be made to help lower your bills, but help is a just a phone call away. The local electric company is happy to assess your needs, family lifestyle and patterns of energy usage. They will go through your home to check for areas to be improved. They will survey your appliances, inspect the home’s structure, and measure your insulation. Once done they will make suggestions and help implement needed changes for more efficient energy consumption. Often times the suggestions will come with rebate incentives that will help reduce your bill.

Air Leaks

Whether you are in a new house or an older one, drafty windows, doors and attics will allow air to sneak out and along with it heat. It is important to seal up any air leaks to keep heat inside. Start by checking the weather stripping around your windows and doors; replace if it appears worn. Next, check for any leaks where hot air can seep out into an unfinished attic space. Cuts made into the drywall to install lighting fixtures and ceiling fans create easy escape routes for air too. Seal the openings using a silicon or latex caulk. By sealing air leaks, you can realize about thirty percent in energy savings.

Thermostat

It is very tempting to set your thermostat for a comfortable seventy-five degrees during the winter months, but it is a sure fire way to boost your energy expenses. The lower the setting the more savings you will realize. The commonly agreed upon lowest comfortable setting is sixty-eight degrees. If you keep it at sixty-eight during the day your savings can be 6.2%, and for every degree above that, costs will go up. For example, a room that is seventy-five degrees can cost fifteen percent more. While sixty-eight may seem chilly, you can always wear a sweater and comfortable socks to stay warm. Setting the thermostat at sixty-two overnight will also save on your energy bill. If you leave for a few days turn the temperature down to fifty-five, it is the lowest setting without the pipes freezing.

Proper Insulation

Insulation is perhaps the most important feature to keeping a home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. To save money make sure you have the proper level of insulation in both the attic and between the inside walls. Insulation has an R-value measured by the amount of heat allowed to pass through it. The higher the value the less likely heat will escape, resulting in lower energy bills. Heat rises and easily escapes through an attic if not properly insulated. Heat losses can add close to thirty percent to your energy bill too.

Fireplace

Fireplaces are excellent sources of heat and can warm a room in a matter of minutes. Snuggling with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book in front of a fire is a relaxing way to spend a cold winter evening too. Fireplaces do have their drawbacks though. Similar to air leaks in drywall and unfinished attic spaces, a fireplace damper left open when not in use is a welcomed invitation for heated air to escape and cold air to funnel into your home. After every use close the damper and more importantly, open it before you decide to enjoy a cozy fire or your home will fill with smoke.

Air Vents or Radiators

Air vents and radiators can be eyesores in a room; designed to be functional not pretty. In an effort to be pretty, furniture or window treatments often hide the air vents. Pretty screens can cover the radiators to hide the unsightly monsters also, but these methods only serve to obstruct the airflow, making the furnace work much harder. It is best to accept that they are rather ugly and keep the airflow moving freely throughout the space. One trick that will help to hide these while not hindering airflow is to paint them the same color as the wall or the flooring so they fade into the background.

Ceiling Fans

High ceilings are wonderful features in a room, but can increase your heating bills as warm air rises, trapping it close to the ceiling. If you have a ceiling fan, change the direction of the blades. Instead of it circulating to cool the hot air set it to push the air downward along the walls by reversing the flow of the fan. Circulating the air back through the room will heat the room more evenly and ease the effort your heater needs to keep the room at a comfortable temperature.

Window Treatments

Window treatments are beautiful features in a cozy living room or romantic bedroom, but they can serve a great purpose besides adding color to a space. Full drapes made of a wool cotton blend, when open will let a natural source of heat, the sun, into the room and warm it up. In the evening as the sun goes down and temperatures dip, closed curtains help to insulate a room from the cold air seeping through the windows. Line the window treatments and you will provide more insulation and another layer to keep out the chill in the evening.

Space Heaters

It may seem like a great idea to turn on a space heater for a little extra warmth in a small space, but they pose several threats. First, they are expensive to run regardless of the type. Electrical ones just run up your bill and kerosene can be costly. Secondly, they are dangerous. All it would take is for someone to knock it over starting a fire and causing personal injury too. The perceived savings is not worth the risk of burning down the house.

Area Rugs

Area rugs often used as a design element in a room, add color and style while unifying a space. During the cold winter months, they serve an important function too. Rugs add another layer of insulation to the floor, trapping the cool air underneath and keep it from seeping up and cooling the room. The warmth of the rug will keep your feet toasty too.

The best way to hold your heating costs down is heat your home efficiently while keeping the cold out. A little more insulation in the attic, heavy window treatments or an extra layer on the floor will help to keep a room warm. Keep hot air flowing, moderate the temperature and before long savings will be realized. Then take the savings and venture somewhere warm or invest in something special. Either option is a better than paying high heating costs. What would do with the money you save?

From September 2012 Flare Magazine:

Fashion Trending: Ryan Korban is the designer’s designer. From overseeing the look of Alexander Wang’s stores and residence to the abodes of supermodels Jessica Stam and Natasha Poly, Ryan Korban is the go-to interior designer of New York’s fashion crowd. This décor whiz is only 28 and is said to be very unpretentious (don’t we love that?!) His feelings on House Proud: “Your mattress might be on the floor, but a gorgeous set of linens adds opulence. Splurge on home accessories the same way you would on shoes or a handbag.” Top Tip: The perfect shade of grey paint can make an apartment feel much chicer. My favourites are Pavilion Gray and Cornforth White by Farrow & Ball.”

We’ll definitely put Ryan on our radar.

Ryan Korban
Photographer: Richard Perry
Source: The New York Times

September is a time of change. The “dog days” of August are over and we anticipate the Canadian “Indian summer” that hopefully lies ahead – shorter days, but deliciously warm and sunny. With our climate, it’s best to stave off winter as long as possible!

It’s back to school, the start of new jobs and new beginnings… time does not stand still.

And The Chesterfield Shop does not stand still! Gorgeous merchandise is pouring in from last April’s Highpoint Spring Market, and the fresh new styles and colours match and mirror the colour palettes of your favourite clothing retailer! Leafy greens, navy blues, metallic sheens and winter whites all figure prominently in leathers and fabrics. Carpets, tables and wall art personalize your individual space.

Sofabeds are hot for the month of September! With so many new leases being signed all over the city and space at a premium, there’s nothing like an amazing sofabed that’s both comfortable to lounge on – and incredible to sleep on. Thin mattresses and pokey metal frames of yesteryear are gone, replaced by sumptuous mattresses and frames without bars and springs. Hello comfort! A sleeper’s dream comes true!

The Chesterfield Shop has Canada’s largest selection of sofabed styles and price points to choose from! In leather or fabric, they come as sofas, loveseats, sectionals and chair-beds to fit your individual space and hundreds are in stock for immediate delivery.

This month we are featuring American Leather Sofabeds – all with an extra 5% discount off of our already guaranteed lowest prices. American Leather Sofabeds come in 13 styles and 6 sizes, with high resiliency foam mattress, no bars, no springs and a huge selection of fabric and leather covers.

The Chesterfield Shop has five great locations to serve you in Toronto’s GTA and beyond!

And with our Mississauga store moving soon (only a couple of blocks down the road), we are featuring a SHOPWIDE MOVING SALE for the entire month of September!

Come into any of our stores for full details, we are looking forward to seeing you!

For fall 2012, furniture seating is all about these five hot design trends:

1. Glamour

The economic slump in the U.S. and Canada has brought us a fresh optimistic glamour with rich materials, sophisticated colours and stunning curves.

2.Metallic Leather

This new glimmering leather treatment puts a shine on classic furniture shapes and accessories.

In upholstery, we see tailored looks and fashion details everywhere.

4.Small Space Solutions

For the condo and apartment dwellers, there’s a whole new niche being carved out of designers specifically manufacturing savvy pieces for small spaces.

5. Green and Gorgeous

Green is finally making it to the trade shows, and
suppliers are detailing their
new green designs and green manufacturing techniques.

By: Christina Wallaert

(From the blog: Not A Shopaholic)

Once upon a time there was a lovely girl who grew up in the suburbs and dreamed that one day she would be able to afford a condo in the city somewhat bigger than the size of a shoebox. When that day eventually came, she packed up her fantastic wardrobe, IKEA bedroom set and moved into said condo with its hardwood floors, spacious bedroom and gigantic balcony. Having lived with her parents her entire life, she had no furniture to speak of. The bigger than a shoebox condo remained relatively empty for over a year. A leather club chair, ottoman and barstools were the only furniture pieces to keep her company. After a year and a half of owning one piece of furniture and scouring the city and suburbs far and wide for a sofa that would fit in her beloved condo, the girl decided to buy a sofa and a slipper chair from a reputable retail chain. After many visits to the store, many searches online, measuring her living room and furniture selections, she came to terms with the price and took the plunge. The girl filled out the proper papers, picked out fabric for her furniture that would have made it magazine worthy and handed over a deposit. Now she was tortured with waiting 8-10 weeks for her magazine worthy furniture to arrive.

She waited patiently for the day her furniture would finally arrive, well maybe not that patient but she did the best she could. At the 8 week mark she called the store to check on the date of arrival, after all this was the most important day of her life. To move the story along quickly, it turns out the magazine worthy furniture was never ordered by the reputable retail chain. Hmmm, what? Yes, you read right. The order was never submitted. She wasn’t going to be getting furniture anytime soon. They offered to rush the order, but this girl had had enough. She demanded her deposit back from the big bad retail chain, much to the horror of her family and friends who thought she should have stuck with the original order. But lovely girls in the city don’t believe in rewarding bad behaviour so this girl set out to take her business elsewhere.Now, the situation wasn’t as bad as you might think, for this girl already knew where she was going to go. Having visited a friend’s condo a few months before, she was smart enough to inquire as to where the friend had purchased her furniture. When the friend replied “The Chesterfield Shop”, the girl had no idea what she was talking about. After the big bad retail company screwed up her order, she knew she had to look up The Chesterfield Shop and check it out. The salesperson was very sympathetic to her predicament. He was a great help in pointing out their condo sized sofas, provided her with pricing and matching fabric to her sample. Within an hour of entering the store, she had a sofa and fabric picked out and signed on the dotted line. This purchase ended up costing less than the previous so some good came out of it. She settled in to wait another 6 weeks for her sofa. Luck was on her side this time because at 4 weeks she got a call and her sofa was delivered on a beautiful Saturday morning in September. It was so pretty and nice she didn’t even want to sit on it for risk of getting it dirty. It has become the centrepiece of the living room and this girl couldn’t be happier. Now her condo resembles an actual home thanks to The Chesterfield Shop and many other stores. The Chesterfield Shop will always have a special place in her heart. It is now the store she recommends to anyone who needs furniture. As it turns out, the lovely girl’s best friend and husband ended up buying furniture for their house there too. And they saved money compared to the place they had originally been looking at. See a trend here?

So now that the lovely girl has her beautiful sofa in her beautiful condo, what is she to do with her time? Why search for her Prince of course!

Authors Note: While I was working on this piece, I came home one day and there was a delivery truck from The Chesterfield Shop parked in front of the condo building next to mine. Its was pretty funny timing.

My sofa and I are very happy together.

What is a Chesterfield? The first Chesterfield Shop was opened in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood in 1948. It is said that the first Chesterfield – an elegant sofa with deep buttoned, quilted leather upholstery and low seat base – was made in honour of Philip Stanhope, the Fourth Earl of Chesterfield (1694-1773).

How the times have changed for all of us. In 64 years of selling furniture in Toronto, our name may have century-old origins, but our contemporary products say otherwise!

On that note, got back recently from The 25 ^th International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York with lots of new and inspiring ideas to share with you.

The ICFF was exactly what you would think it would be…eclectic, colourful and sometimes pretty out there. (See BRC Designs’ intricate American Pipe Dream Chair below.)

On the trend front, tufting and nail heads were front and centre. Tufting was not just on the front and seats of sofas and chairs, but on the back and sides, as well. Nail heads came in all shapes, sizes and materials, including copper, bronze and silver. Tangerine is still making a splash, but mostly as an add-on cushion accessory to bring you into the summer season. Great colours for fall are navy and the ever-present shades of white. Bring on the stain-guard!

It’s a cool show; New Yorkers are always at the forefront of fashion. And then there’s the fabulous Aqua line of clothing at Bloomingdales… and the incredible Meatball Shop…but I digress.

Buying a new piece of furniture can be both enjoyable, stressful and also a conundrum! Depending on your room space and budget, what is the best item to purchase? A pair of chairs? A sofa or loveseat? A sectional with a chaise? A sofabed? And then there’s the cover treatment dilemma: fabric or leather? And what about kids and pets? Both awesome…but they can change the whole story with regards to wear and tear! So….what to do?

First of all, take a good look at your room and don’t forget to measure. Elevators and doorways can be narrower than you think. Make a drawing, even on a napkin! Decide on a budget. What else needs to go with your new furniture and what can be reused? The table and lamps? Sometimes all you need is a fresh coat of paint on the walls, a new sofa and you’re done. Pick a colour that makes you happy. There are some gorgeous earth and sky palettes that will completely and easily transform your room.

Now for the fun part- shop around! Make notes in each place and decide what is worth a re-visit. Where are you in your life? Will spilled beer get absorbed or come out easily? Dog hair? Baby spit? A durable leather or a soft one? A muted fabric with texture or a lovely soft micro-fibre? Does it have great legs? (Everyone loves great legs! They can be fabulous in wood or metal or can present a hazard to your zooming vacuum cleaner or errant baby toys.)

Ask about special custom orders, leather and fabric cleaners and delivery. Will the retailer provide a warranty for their products and do they have a good reputation? Will they be around in a year or two if you have a cleaning or service issue?

Make sure you sit, lie, lounge and pull out your TV remote control (just kidding…but people have brought them to the store, honestly!)

Comfort, style, quality and value are the keys to a great piece of contemporary furniture.

Are you starting to see all the sunny shades of ORANGE and CORAL around? Winter is starting to make way for the stunning colours of spring, with clothing stores rushing to bring out their bright new goods. The Fashion Colour Report for Spring 2012 is touting gorgeous hues with names like Tangerine Tango, Sodalite Blue, Bellflower and Driftwood. You can easily brighten up your room by painting a wall a gorgeous new colour, add some fresh new sofa cushions and your space is suddenly new again! But if it’s really time for a change, there are some fantastic new furniture pieces you won’t want to be without. And the GREY is the new brown when it comes to sofa colours! Nothing says “contemporary” better than a gorgeous grey sofa with a neat square arm, some buttoning or tufting and a textured or microfibre fabric or supple leather application.  Your room will be gorgeous!   

Wow, there is so much to talk about! First off, welcome to The Chesterfield Shop Blog, a brand new outlet for us to connect with you, our valued customers. The Chesterfield Shop has been in business for more than 63 years and with five stores in Toronto and the surrounding area (Mississauga, Kennedy Rd, Newmarket, Yonge and Eg and Thornhill), we’ve got all your furniture needs covered.

So, you might be wondering, why do people come to us? That’s a good question! Simply put, The Chesterfield Shop has an amazing selection. We do things other retailers don’t do – like special order sofas with a particular leg style, arm style, back style, fabric, leather or micro-fibre. Our stock isn’t from overseas, so you never have to wait long for your furniture, or be limited to a certain style and colour. We keep a large selection of items right in our warehouse so if we have exactly what you want, and our drivers are available, you can usually have it the very next day. Best of all, we have terrific warranties backed by 63 years of customer service! How great is that?

Don’t forget to listen to us on 680News, check out our website and Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, keep your eyes peeled for our many billboards, and read about us in The Toronto Star and The National Post.  And of course, drop in anytime, we’d love to meet you and help you find the piece of furniture that is perfect for you!