The Record Homescape 03-05-2020 | Page 2

2H ❚ THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2020 ❚ THE RECORD P HOMESCAPE / ADVERTISING SECTION Bulletin Board YOU CAN BE IN HOMESCAPE! We invite our readers to submit photos and background information for four of our recurring features: q CALENDAR Rutgers’ Crawford Vintage Advertising at garden club tonight Collectors Show n “MY HOME PROJECT” — Do you love tackling home improvement challenges? Is it your idea of fun to build shelves, stencil walls or refinish furniture? Maybe you’ve even reno- vated a large area on your own! If you can provide a short write up and high quality “before” and “after” photos of one of your projects, we’d like to share them with our readers. n “COMFORT ZONE” — Do you have a “go-to” or unique space in your home designed to cater to your special interests? It could be a game room, fitness center, workshop, audio room, unique retreat where you indulge in your favorite hobby or just hang out with friends. “Scouting shots” are OK for this feature, because if your room fits our criteria we’ll have our photographer photograph the space. n “COLLECTIONS” or “FAMILY HEIRLOOMS” — Are you an ardent collector of interesting items that fit a theme and are integrated into your home décor, or have you discovered a family heirloom that you’ve restored for display? We’d love to see your collection or learn about your heirloom’s special history. HARRINGTON PARK – Guest lecturer Bruce Crawford will to speak on “The Wonders of Plants” at tonight’s meeting of The Garden Club of Harrington Park. The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m., upstairs in the Harrington Park Library, 10 Herring St., Harrington Park, NJ. Crawford is the director of Rutgers University Gardens and is an adjunct professor in the Landscape Architecture Department at Rutgers University. In addi- tion to managing, designing and develop- ing the 180 acres of the Rutgers Gardens, Crawford teaches and shares his love of fun and unusual plants with students, garden clubs, community groups and garden visitors. The program will be followed by a “Q&A” session and refreshments. All gardeners, from any town, are invited to attend. For information, call 201-768-2615. POMPTON LAKES — The Metro Vintage Advertising Collectors Show will return to the Pompton Lakes Elks Lodge 1895 on Sunday, March 29, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The annual collectors show has been held at various locations in northern New Jersey for 22 years and has been in place at the Elks Lodge in Pompton Lakes since 2015. The show features various categories of collectibles for sale, including petroliana, automotive, vintage advertising, old toys, garage art, tv/music/movie memorabilia and much more. Parking and admission are free. Donations benefiting the ECCR home for handicapped children will be accepted. Food and beverages will be available. The Pompton Lakes Elks Lodge is located at 15 Perrin Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ. Kitchen Magic recognized at NARI awards K itchen Magic was the recipient of two 2020 Contractor of the Year (CotY) awards that were presented at the NARI award ceremony on January 24 in Pine Brook, NJ. The National Association of Remodeling (NARI) recognizes members who have demonstrated their outstanding ability to deliver exceptional renovation results through a multitude of criteria. Each project is reviewed and judged based on customer objective, the scope of the project, sustainability, unusual constraints, and creative solutions. These stringent measures ensure only high-quality projects are awarded. This is the seventh time Kitchen Magic, of Nazareth, Pa., has been honored with the CoTY distinction. The judging panel is comprised of a committee of remodeling experts and industry professionals. Furniture: Prioritize and buy quality pieces CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1H Contact James Emolo at [email protected]. opposed to hand-tied metal that’s only as good as the person who tied it.” When choosing a fabric, Leeds says wear and durability ratings should be listed on the back of fabric samples, which should help you choose what will stand up best to everyday use, kids, and pets, if you have them. SHOP THE SMART WAY “Don’t be afraid to look closely and ask questions,” adds AHFA’s Bowling. “Turn wood chairs upside down and examine the joints. Are they snug and free of excess glue?” Drawer interiors should be smooth, and open and close easily. And all drawers and doors should fit well with the hardware attached securely and straight. “Also make sure the piece doesn’t wobble or sway.” When evaluating tables, the AHFA rec- ommends, “You may want to get down on all fours to see whether corners are reinforced, and legs are securely attached. It you are considering a table with leaves, make sure to have the opening and closing mechanism or technique demonstrated.” CUSTOM PUB SPECIALISTS James Emolo and Joseph Ritacco NORTH JERSEY MEDIA GROUP 1 Garret Mountain Plaza, PO Box 471 Woodland Park, NJ 07424 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT PRODUCED BY THE ADVERTORIAL DEPARTMENT OF THE RECORD AND HERALD NEWS To advertise, call 973-569-7800. For content, call 973-569-7895 or email [email protected] Copyright © 2020 North Jersey Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of NJMG is strictly prohibited. If you’re watching your pennies, allocate the most to the furniture pieces that get the most use. “Save the skimping for pieces that you aren’t necessarily using every day – an accent chair for extra seating or a table for that empty corner, says Bowling. “Bar stools or a table and chairs you’re going to use every day, the sofa where you watch TV, the dresser or chest where you store your clothes are pieces where quality really makes a difference.” She also emphasizes the importance of stability when choosing furniture for your TV. “If it won’t be mounted on the wall, don’t place it on furniture that was not intended for electronics. That creates an accident waiting to happen. Invest in a piece designed to hold the size TV you intend to place on it.” If you want to save, do it on accent pieces. BUYING FURNITURE ONLINE “I don’t know how people buy furniture online, unless they’ve been in the store and know exactly what they are buying,” says Leeds. “If you haven’t touched it, felt it, sat in it, how do you know how comfortable it really is? You have to sit on an upholstered piece. Does it suit your size, or do your legs dangle off the edge? Do the cushions feel good? Do you need more or less support? Can you try out different fillings? As for color, what you see on the computer moni- tor or your phone will never be the same as what you see with your own eyes.” Bowling adds, “Be extremely cau- tious. Just because a piece has a dozen favorable reviews doesn’t mean it will match your idea of comfortable.” And remember a knowledgeable sales- person or in-store design professional can answer your questions and help you select the pieces that best suit your needs, life- style, and budget. Whether you end up buying furniture in-store or online, particularly bedroom fur- niture – especially for a child’s room – make sure clothing storage pieces comply with the voluntary furniture stability standard. Compliant pieces are easily identified by the mandatory warning label inside a top drawer. See FURNITURE, Page 3H STOCK & CUSTOM CABINETS 3 5 Contractors Welcome Landlords Welcome SALES TAX NEW! LUXURY VINYL FLOORING • Waterproof • Pet Proof • Floating • Rigid Core • Click Lock Subway Tiles As $ 75 Low As ESTIMATE & Design services Just bring us your measurements. 1 SQ. FT. In Stock Granite 00 35 Installed As $ Low As SQ. FT. LOW BUDGET TO FULL CUSTOM CABINETRY 50% OFF Most American Brand Cabinets Convenient open stock from our warehouse inventory Sterl Kitchens Co. Inc. Family Owned & Operated Since 1945 75 YEARS OF SAVINGS, SELECTION & SERVICE WWW.STERLKITCHENS.COM 5426 TONNELLE AVENUE US . 1&9 NORTH NORTH BERGEN • 201.866.7999 Wholesale/Retail Showroom Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 9am-5pm Thurs 9am-8pm • Sat 9am-3pm PHOTO COURTESY OF MAGIC MURALS Easy to apply, Magic Murals are available in a myriad of categories and subject matter. Accent Walls: From paint to patterns to picturesque CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1H STONE AND TILE “Stylistically speaking, in the last decade many accent walls have been constructed of glass or mirrored tiles, which hark back to the ‘50s and ‘60s,” says Antonella Romano of The Stone and Tile Emporium in Wyckoff. “People are using 4-inch x 8-inch beveled mirror tiles for accent walls, especially be- hind a home bar or in the living room area.” For a bathroom accent wall, porcelain, ceramic or marble are popular. “These are mainly used behind the wet wall, the vanity or the toilet,” she adds. According to Romano, the most cutting- edge designs are waterjet patterns, which are usually engraved onto marble. “The details are so amazing that from a distance the marble could be easily mistaken for wallpaper,” she says. Creating an accent wall, regardless of the room, is a commitment. However, Romano suggests consumers consider the longevity of the design they have selected. “You can’t just paint most accent walls if you get tired of them,” she advises. “So, keep it simple.” When visualizing an accent wall, take into account the size of the wall — width and height — and consider using a pattern or tile size that doesn’t require a lot of cut- ting. “Keeping the design simple will, in turn, make it look more professional. If the pat- tern is very busy, you’ll need to make sure that it repeats enough times from floor to ceiling so that it works,” says Romano. MURALS Creating an accent wall by using a pre- printed mural is a quick and cost-effective way of transforming a room. And with today’s self-adhesive or peel-and-stick materials, murals are much easier to both install and remove.” “We focus on content that is unique and work directly with artists and artists’ agen- cies to select the best content we can find,” says Mike Fleming, owner of magicmurals. com, an online store. “We also create custom murals; we provide a tool on our website that allows customers to upload their own images, which we print to their specifications.” Currently, the Magic Murals website offers more than 20,000 images to choose from. According to Fleming, many of their murals will adhere to textured walls, lightly textured faux-finishes, and even flat brick walls. They also stock reusable murals. See ACCENT WALLS, Page 3H