Cool Outdoor Benches to Enjoy Pleasant Weather

Consider the fun and romance of well-made outdoor benches next time you’re upgrading your patio furniture at Ivan Smith. When the summer days are waning as they are now, there’s nothing like snuggling on a park-style bench in your own yard to share the sunsets as the crickets sing. You might even see a deer or two depending on where you are. Lucky for you, you can get your choice of fine outdoor seating at Ivan Smith for less. Your selections include both the park style and the fun dining benches optional in many outdoor furniture sets. Kids seem to take a big liking to these sturdy picnic-style benches so they can resume playing after enjoying your barbecue, or dry off poolside! The possibilities are endless with well-chosen outdoor benches from Ivan Smith.

Traditional Wood Outdoor Benches Perfected

If like us you’re a big fan of the look and feel of classic wood outdoor benches, our selection of park-style models made of solid hardwoods have a coat of lamination applied on top of the finish to keep mold and other threats to natural wood at bay.

Extra Protection: Polywood Outdoor Benches

Throughout Ark-La-Tex, Ivan Smith customers looking at outdoor benches are saying, “Hooray for Polywood!” This patented material takes the ruggedness and weather resistance of polymers to the next level. No matter if you prefer a traditional or contemporary design, your new Polywood outdoor bench is guaranteed for 20 years with no cracking or other weather damage. Better still, Polywood is made from all recycled plastic so your new park-style bench, while man-made, is earth-friendly!

Check out the outdoor benches in-store and available on order from our Tyler, TX furniture store and all our other Ark-La-Tex Ivan Smith locations, where savings are a given!

For Peace at Home, Rearrange Your Furniture the Feng Shui Way

Feng Shui’s roots run way back to ancient China, where it was practiced to harness a room’s energy. Basically, it’s a glorified practice of decorating that places an emphasis on practicality and spaciousness. But if we take out the spiritual elements of Feng Shui and strip it down to its bare bones, we are left with some great ideas for furniture arrangement! 

Assess Your Living Space

Using Feng Shui to artfully arrange your home furniture can yield some great results, because you’ll end up creating a space that works practically and has a comforting feel. Think about how jarring it can be to walk into a place that has stuff everywhere – boxes on the floor, trash scattered about, silverware on tables, cups on TV stands, window sills with change on them, an unnecessary television – you get the idea. It can make you a bit anxious, right? Now, think about how nice it is to walk into a place that is open, neat, organized. It’s peaceful, isn’t it? 

Basic Feng Shui Rules

When shopping for your new living room sofa, TV, table or any other piece for your home, consider the following so you can maximize your space and get the most out of your furniture!

Get rid of the clutter! That goes for trash, clothes and anything that doesn’t belong in a living room. If you simply don’t have the space to put out-of-place things elsewhere, fret not. Just make sure they are neatly placed somewhere out of the way.

Optimize the amount of natural sunlight getting into your living room. So if you have stuff on your window sill, move it! And, at every opportunity, open those shades and blinds to wash your space in beautiful sunlight. 

Keep your furniture out of pathways – basically, don’t make it difficult to move around. You don’t want an obstacle course in the room where you relax. Think about the room’s entry and exit points when considering this.

Put your sofa and chairs against walls. These are your main pieces because you use them to rest. Having them “anchored” against a solid object will ensure you’ve got the most space possible to walk around. Also, if you can, make sure the people sitting have a line of sight toward the room’s main entry point. Why? Because it’s inviting to walk into a room and be greeted by the people who are already there. Plus, no one can sneak up on you!

Have a focal point, whether it’s a TV, portrait of your family or simply a candle on the coffee table. Build your room around it. Also, group objects that are related to one another. For example, don’t have a sofa on one wall and two chairs on the other; don’t put an end table next to the television, etc. 

We hope you found this useful. The next time you’re thinking about adding to or enhancing the Feng Shui of your living room, stop by our Carthage, TX store or any of our other locations. We have great deals on accessories, couches and everything else you need to create a comfortable living space on a budget!

Re-Arrange Your Living Room Furniture to Nurture Yourself

When you think about your living room, what activities does it conjure up? If you’re like the bulk of us these days, your thoughts probably go straight to the watching of TV, and the glancing at your laptop or smartphone. But it’s refreshing to detach from the technological and focus on the world around us sometimes—including our friends and families, as well as our living spaces.

All of these things can directly affect our moods and our state of minds every day. It doesn’t take a psychologist or fortune teller in Alexandria, Louisiana to tell you that one, either. But when you confer with us, we’ll conjure up exotic visions of your living room: ones in which you see yourself reclining on a dreamy sleeper sofa, gripping your favorite paperback or hardcover.

Reimagine Your Living Space: Visualizing a Two Piece Sectional

Pause to appreciate the space in which you find yourself. The relationships between people and their homes are usually reflected in the places where they linger the most when they enter them, as well as those they avoid. Perhaps you don’t read or study as much as you’d like because you don’t yet a place to which you can truly retreat, far away from your bedroom, and concentrate.

Cozy Chaises for Resting, Reflecting and Recalibrating Yourself

Who hasn’t dreamt of letting it all hang at your sides, as you press your back against mahogany: the epitome of cozy and chaise. Therapists employ stitched seating for a reason—it allows you to decompress from all the stresses of the day. Once you turn off the buzzing and reflect in total comfort, you enter a higher state altogether—one that runs and exudes another energy entirely.
Don’t delay your own metamorphosis. Get down to the nearest Ivan Smith and get excited by all the colors, styles and orientations of our living room and home furniture, all over again!

Celebrate Spring at Ivan Smith Furniture!

Springtime is a season of growth, rebirth, and new beginnings. It’s time to bid farewell to dark days and the frosty winter chill, and say hello to warm weather and vibrant surroundings. While the world outside begins its colorful transformation, we recommend that you take the opportunity to transform the inside of your home as well. With these three simple tips, you can have your home Springtime ready in no time!

Out with the old, in with the new

When you hear the term “Spring cleaning” what comes to mind? Do you imagine sorting through an endless array of boxes, or maybe cleaning up cobwebs from your attic? Believe it or not, Spring cleaning doesn’t always have to be so tedious. Sometimes all you need to do is take inventory of the furniture in your home and get rid of any pieces that are worn-out or unused. Replace your old furniture with fashionable new pieces, and your home will look and feel revitalized. At Ivan Smith Furniture, you can find an extensive collection of affordable home furnishings that will allow you to update your décor without exceeding your budget. If you are looking for a truly money-saving deal, you can purchase one of our complete furniture sets. For example, we have complete living room sets that include a sofa a matching loveseat for less than $1000.

Freshen up your home with a Spring-friendly color palette

Nothing says Springtime like bright and cheery colors. Replace your dark winter color palette with colors that reflect the flowers in bloom. Depending on your tastes, you can opt for bold and vibrant colors or delicate pastels. Neutral tones such as cream or beige will also help to bring a light and airy atmosphere to any room. Our furniture store has a wide array of home furnishing items in fresh Spring colors, including beautiful bed sets featuring light wood finishes. Is buying a new piece of furniture not within your budget? Replacing your bedding with a colorful new comforter set or duvet cover is another affordable option.

Enhance your home décor with nature-inspired accents

The most affordable (and perhaps even the most fun) way to update your home décor is by adding a variety of accents inspired by nature. Bring the outdoors into your home with images of blooming flowers, lush greenery, and lovely wildlife. Our home furniture store has a large collection of diverse home accents, and we can provide you with nature-inspired wall art, area rugs, throw pillows, and so much more.

If you are ready to update your home to reflect the bright and lively atmosphere of Spring, stop by Ivan Smith Furniture today to see all the elegant home furnishing options we have to offer. You can visit us in Shreveport, LA or at any one of our other Southern US locations. We want to help you create the home of your dreams!