To start the restoration process, clean the piece thoroughly with warm soapy water.  When the piece is dry, put on protective gloves and coat it with paint stripper, and then leave it on for the recommended time period so that it will completely penetrate the varnish (or paint).  Use fine wire wool to take off the softened varnish, replacing the wire wool as soon as it gets clogged with material.  When the varnish is removed, sand the piece with fine sandpaper, always working in the direction of the grain.  Do this until all that is left is the original wood.

Wipe the wood down with white spirit using a clean, lint free cloth; this will serve to both remove any dust and neutralize the paint stripper.  Do not skip this step because if the paint stripper is not neutralized it could negatively affect the new finish.  Next, apply wood restorer to the entire piece with a clean cloth; this should be applied using a circular motion, and will help to get rid of marks and bring back the natural look of the grain.

There are a number of ways to finish off the piece including painting, staining, varnishing, oiling, or waxing it.  Which finish you choose will depend in large part on the purpose of the piece.  A piece such as a chair that will be used a lot will need a hardwearing finish, and in most cases should be varnished.  A table may only require a few coats of wax or oil.

Whichever finish you opt for, follow the instructions on the packaging to the letter, and do not skimp on the number of coats you apply; along with making the piece look great, the finish helps to protect the furniture from wear and damage.

The dining area should be a location in which families gather each day to exchange stories, and is also where friends gather to share home cooked meals, play games or just relax.  The importance of a designer dining table cannot be overestimated.

For those with large families, a designer dining table that seats a larger number of people will be necessary, while couples or singles will usually not need as much seating.  Finding the perfect designer dining table to fit your needs is made easy with a collection of innovative choices.

One of the most common choices is the extending dining table.  These are available in a large number of materials, shapes and sizes.  A few smart designer dining table choices for the larger family will include the Arcos Extending Dining Table by Tonin Casa and the Matrix Extending Dining Table by Ozzio.  These pieces allow for maximum seating while saving space when not fully extended.  

Others such as the Bexley Dining Table by Tonin Casa or the Papiro Dining Table by Fiam Italia are highly evolved artistic pieces of furniture that serve as much as an art piece as they do a practical and necessary piece of furniture. 

There are a large range of styles and materials to choose from when seeking the perfect designer dining table.

Chesterfield furniture used to be very costly, but today the pieces are offered for any budget.  All of the pieces are made with the finest craftsmanship available and no matter how many pieces you use in the room, the room will take on a life of its own.  Comfortable, soft, elegantly stylish and easy to care for, a Chesterfield sofa – in fabric or leather – will last for years.  They are made to be durable and are elegant for any setting and you and your guests will appreciate the piece for itself.

What are the benefits of purchasing a Chesterfield sofa?  They are practical.  They are affordable and fit in your budget.  They enhance and create a positive living area.  They are durable and you are ensured that they will withstand anything you throw at them, with durable leather and construction designed to last a lifetime.  If you want quality furniture, then you want a Chesterfield.

The offshoot of this company is known as Me Too.  This is a furniture line designed just for the young.  Children between the ages of two and six were somewhat forgotten in the furniture lines and Magis sought to create a line of whimsical and functional items that they can call their own.  Tables and chairs can be turned into forts and castles, the animal collection by Eero Aarnio is a very entertaining lot of various stools that resemble abstract cats, dogs, and elephants and come in various sizes to suit your child’s needs.

Magis is now a multimillion pound operation.  There are many designers that are utilised in the Magis design pool and each of their art pieces is sold as furniture.

Thus began a new love affair with furniture that mimics art, or is at least considered art in itself.  The functionality of it is interesting as there has never been a sculpture that you could actually sit on, play with, or iron your shirts on.

Choosing a company that reflects exactly what you want to be known as ‘your taste’ can sometimes be a challenge.  For those seeking the very best, there are several contemporary designer furniture companies that provide excellence in craftsmanship, design, innovation and service.

Whether for your home or business, companies such as Bonaldo, Antonello, Ozzio and Trabaldo offer the very latest in furniture design.  Their home pieces are meant to serve as the centrepiece of a room while remaining functional and practical.  Their outdoor pieces include unbeatable patio sets, wrought iron chairs, couch sofas and garden tables, as well as outdoor showers and open kiosk beach bars.

For the latest in contemporary designer furniture for the office, Trabaldo has a range of office chairs and desk stations, work tops and large furniture office systems.  Their collection also includes computer desks, office sofas and partition walls.

For the best in contemporary designer lighting, Flos lighting offers elegance and beauty.  The company’s minimalist approach to lighting solutions is a great way to enhance ambiance without distracting from other major focal pieces in the room.  However, if your current décor demands a lighting solution be the centrepiece in the room, then Penta lighting is your best choice.  The company offers a vast collection of lighting that will solve any lighting dilemma.

They come in a variety of sizes so you can choose just one small one that is just over a foot tall, choose the extra-large piece which measures nearly 32 inches tall, or buy a whole zoo full of varying sizes and colours.

Other pieces of art furniture by Eero Aarnio are also available to complete the look of the child’s room or play space.  There are chairs to read in and sit on and tables to create crafts and play with building toys on.  The other pieces are whimsical and stimulate the imagination, just as the puppy sculptures do. 

One of the chairs, for example, the ball chair, resembles a large white ball on a stand.  It features an opening to crawl into, which creates a pod like place to cuddle up and enjoy some quiet time.  For other whimsical creatures to sit on, the Tipi chair and the pony are also interesting and sure to spark the imagination of any child.

Safety is always the first priority when choosing contemporary furniture for children.  With contemporary furniture, some risk has already been removed by the design style itself. Contemporary furniture is usually constructed without visible screws or joints but all furniture purchased for children should be inspected for removable parts or sharp edges.

The modern design of contemporary furniture may be a great space-saving tool for decorating your child’s room.  Many of the new modern designs incorporate the principle of multi-purpose use.  The sofas you buy for a pre-teen or teenager, for instance, can, with the click of a remote, become a bed, or an adjustable coffee table may serve as a work desk for study.

For smaller children, modular furniture may be an excellent choice.  Modular furniture can be purchased with soft rounded edges and washable fabric.  A storage chest can then also serve as a stool or bench.

Because contemporary design has bright, bold colours, it is a perfect choice for children.  These colours can also be reflected in interactive play area rugs with letters of the alphabet or numbers. Stools in abstract shapes, like the Magis Puppy, can be used as a toy and are excellent choices for a child’s room.

With the right choices, contemporary furniture of high quality may very well serve your child for many years and through several stages of growth.

Choosing the Furniture

So, how do you go about selecting a contemporary dining table and chairs for your home?  Take a look at the rest of your home and think about the decor you have chosen for the other rooms.  Most people, though they prefer contemporary furniture, like to lend a natural warm feeling to the dining area.  There is a wide selection of contemporary furniture made from natural woods on the market, indeed most modern dining room furniture is made of cherry, mahogany or oak.  Alternatively, you may prefer a glass or metal table and to mix things up by adding wooden chairs to the room.

Time to Shop

When you are shopping for dining room furniture it is a good idea to take into account the quality of the material the pieces are made from.  You want to get the most for your money, so items made of the best materials will be a worthwhile investment.  Remember, you can always mix traditional and modern pieces for a truly unique and chic look.

Northern Italy has spawned a number of important designer furniture firms in the past few decades, and their design teams have come up with a range of interesting and innovative new ways of combining colours and materials to create dynamic pieces of furniture that add a new dimension to any home and invigorate its atmosphere.  Companies such as Calligaris, Bontempi, Magis and Effezeta in northern Italy have flooded the market with wonderful new designs that will complement any home and suit a wide range of tastes.

Danform in Denmark is another leading player in the market for contemporary furniture.  Danform specialise in bentwood furniture, characterised by clean planes of wood without the traditional joints, and their innovative ‘chair-leg’ system gives even more choice by allowing customers to combine their preferences in different models and create a tailored chair.

Contemporary furniture offers a great opportunity for transforming anyone’s home, with designer furniture that will not date as it is based on classic forms that have been proven to transcend superficial fashion trends.

With the ever-growing demand for stylish, attractive furniture, Bontempi beat their rivals hands-down in terms of service, range of products and fantastic customer feedback.  In an overcrowded market, Bontempi Italian furniture stands out from the crowd.

Bontempi Casa offers a wide range of designer furniture products to grace the home and add that touch of class that only the Italians seem to completely understand.  They combine the best craftsmanship with the finest materials and the most exquisite comfort.

The Shark Dining Chair Set, for example, will find a fitting home in any modern kitchen area, with chrome metal legs and a round seat exuding modernity and minimalism without sacrificing comfort. The thick Italian leather with fine finish is a bit different to what you would normally find in a kitchen but blends in with the rest of the decor superbly.

The Conico Modern Dining Table from Bontempi is a charming yet robust addition to any home, with its rigorous lines, basal truncated cone support and transparent or smoked-glass top.

Modern designer furniture comes in a vast range of products, exquisitely crafted and hand-finished, whose sheer quality radiates throughout the home and gives it a new lease on life.  Italian food and wine cannot be better served than on a Bontempi Casa table.