The Barn Furniture (1945) on Sepulveda Blvd. one block south of Victory Blvd.

This picture was taken in 1945 soon after the Tubermans bought the business from an unfinished and patio furniture shop owner for $8,000 inclusive of land and inventory. Phil Tuberman brought his experience in the bicycle business and Millie Tuberman brought her love for design to The Barn Furniture and the two made an unstoppable team.

In the early years, redwood patio furniture was a significant portion of the business due to its durability and rot-resistant properties. However, because cutting redwood was not ecologically safe and considerably expensive, The Barn drifted away from this west coast wood. Fortunately, The Barn Furniture has recently found that east coast red cedar provides the same rot-resistant properties that the redwood provided without the same shortage.

If you have a dog or a cat for a pet, you know that not every interior decorating idea is going to work. Just like those with young children in the home, you have to take your pets into consideration when you decorate. Fortunately, these days those in search of pet-friendly décor have plenty of options.

Pet-Friendly Flooring Ideas
Even with the most well-trained animals, things like mud tracks and bathroom accidents are bound to happen. In this situation, you’re best off going with a low-maintenance flooring option in your home.

Carpet is probably the worst flooring options for households with pets. Both animal hair and dander are hard to remove and thus tend to stay in the carpet for a long time. Likewise, mud, urine, and other pet stains are also harder to remove from carpet than other flooring options.

For households with pets, the best flooring options are hardwood floors, laminate flooring, and ceramic tile. Not only are these types of floors easy to clean, but they can endure more traffic from your pets.

If you do decide to go with a hardwood floor, be sure to put a finish on the floor to protect it from your pet’s nails. Otherwise, you need to be sure to trim your pet’s nails on a regular basis. Add some area rugs to these types of floors for more color and comfort. Just be sure they can easily be cleaned in the washer and dryer.

Pet-Friendly Home Fabrics
Your choice of fabrics is another huge décor consideration that comes into play when you have pets in the home. This is especially important if you have any kind of pet that goes on the furniture, whether it’s a dog or a cat or even another pet like a bird or a lizard.

For pets like dogs and cats, be sure to choose a fabric that’s easy to clean so you don’t have to worry about pet hair being a constant problem. If pet hair tends to be a problem for you, then select fabrics that are close to the color of your pet. This way, you can avoid having to clean the couches every day. If you already have a black-haired dog or cat in your home, a white or tan couch might not be such a good idea.

Another important thing to consider is how easy the fabric is to clean. Microfibers tend to be much easier to clean than other fabrics. Woven, textured fabrics are harder to remove stains from and will actually trap any pet hair.

If you decide to get new furniture, you might also consider putting a stain guard on your furniture. Then stains can easily be lifted off by following the manufacturer’s directions.

If you have a pet in your home, everything about the décor is going to be influenced in one way or another. For example, if you want to put a flower arrangement in your living room, like on a wood coffee table or oak end table, you need to be sure to find a place that your pet will not be able to access. Thus when it comes to pet-friendly decorating, be sure to not only pay attention to the flooring and fabrics but to the smaller details, like flowers and candle placement.

Do you find that the current look of your home is boring? Are you just looking for something different? There are plenty of simple ways to accessorize any room in your home. To give any room an entirely new look, you don’t need a lot of money or an interior decorator. You can easily accessorize any room in your home using any of the following simple suggestions.

Add Some Extra Flair with Throw Pillows
An easy place to start is by adding throw pillows to the sofa or chair. You might also place a throw blanket on the back of a sofa for added texture and color. Be sure, however, that these items are not the same exact color as the sofa or chair. After all, they should work to add some interest and design element to the room. For instance, if you have a tan sofa, find decorative pillows where tan is not the main color in the design or pattern. By finding accessories that match other complementary colors in the room, you can really pull the room together.

Update Your Lighting Fixtures
Give your room a whole new glow by updating your lighting fixtures. Whether you have older fixtures or small ones, installing new lighting can make a big difference. There are many inexpensive ones available that are easy to install. Not only do you want to find a design style that fits the room, but you want to be sure the fixture gives off plenty of light to make your room brighter and therefore more welcoming.

Go Green with Your Living Room Accessories
You can easily add more color to the room with a houseplant or vase of flowers. No matter your style, you should be able to find some really beautiful fake flower arrangements at your local craft store. Otherwise, if you’re creative enough, you can make one yourself. To really brighten up the room, place the flower arrangement in a prominent spot. If you decide on a houseplant, real or fake, it should also go where it will garner more attention. For instance, if you want to draw more attention to the fireplace, you might try placing a houseplant on both sides of it.

Fill Up a Blank Wall with Framed Pictures
If the walls in your room are boring, purchase a few picture frames in various shapes and sizes to hang up. You should be able to choose from a wide array of unique and stylish frames that will not only help you display your pictures but will also add some interest to the room. Try matted pictures or black-and-white images with only a touch of color for a dramatic look.

Reorganize Knickknacks with Shelving
Do you have a lot of knickknacks in your room that are getting lost in the shuffle? Consider grouping them together on a mantle, wood bookshelves or installing shelving on the walls. They will better accessorize the room if you display them together in a stylish arrangement rather than just letting them get lost in the room.

Adding simple accessories allows you to easily redecorate or switch around the style design of a room. If you really want to do something totally different, you might look into moving the furniture around. You could also add new pieces of furniture to the mix, such as a new side table or oak coffee table. Adding accessories to a room should be neither hard nor expensive. Rather, just get creative and let your style show.