There is nothing like wood furniture to add elegance and beauty to a home. Whether it is a thick, all-natural butchers block table, an Art Deco wooden dresser, a simple mahogany dining room table or a sleek, modern coffee table, wood furniture is a staple in homes across America and world. Make sure your wood tables, vanities and dressers stay gorgeous for generations to come with these simple solutions and guidelines. Stain, Stain, Go Away! Ever gasped after a child inadvertently left a giant scratch in surface of your dining room table? Or cringed when a well-meaning adult accidentally knocked over a drink onto your beautiful wood coffee table? Well, fear not. One of best attributes of wood furniture is that it is simple to touch up or renew its original luster.

Small nicks and scratches can usually be disguised with help of a store-bought scratch cover product. For larger scratches, try using a felt tip pen or shoe polish in a color closely matched to finish of furniture piece. Shoe polish applicator bottles filled with stain work well for cover-up job, as do Sharpie markers. Coloring in scratch is easy and surprisingly effective.

Get rid of pesky water spots on your wood furniture by allowing spots to dry completely, then rubbing real mayonnaise onto it with a soft cloth, until spots disappear. Erase color rings left on tables by cups and glasses with a homemade mixture of cigarette ashes and cooking oil. Prep stain first by scrubbing it with an abrasive pad or sandpaper. Then, rub oil and ash concoction into wood.

And what about candle wax, marring beautiful finish of your wood dining room table? Wait until wax cools, then apply ice. Once wax becomes extremely hard and brittle, gently scrape it off with a plastic spatula. Finally, polish table with a rich cream polish, and buff away any residue.

Remove or Disguise Scratches and Stains

Problem: Solution: Nicks, Scratches Magic Marker or Shoe Polish Water Spots Mayonnaise Color Rings Sandpaper, Ashes and Oil Wax Ice

An Ounce of Prevention, a Lifetime of Protection Prevent serious damage to your wood furniture by taking care not to position it in direct sunlight. Unless you are going for weathered picnic table look, shield all wood furniture from drying influence of sun. Also, protect your dining room table’s finish using an inexpensive table pad when table is not in use.

When eating a meal or entertaining guests, use a tablecloth or placemats to protect finish of a wood table, especially when serving hot food. Place hot serving dishes atop a hot pad and candle holders over a large felt protector with a plastic top, since plastic prevents wax from running.

Would your child’s room benefit from some fresh design ideas and reorganization? Most could, but it can be hard to know where to begin and what concepts to use. Obviously, age and personality of your child, not to mention your budget, will dictate much of design concept. But where and how to begin? With these easy-to-follow tips, you will be ready to dive right in and decorate. A room with a viewpoint Every piece of furniture, wall-hanging and accessory in a child’s room contributes to an overall feeling conveyed by room. A sports theme conveys excitement, while soft white clouds against a light blue sky add a relaxing, inspirational touch. Choose design that is right for your child by having a conversation with each object and piece of furniture before you place it in room, asking what it could contribute and where it would like to be placed. Ask room what color it would like to be painted, or walls what they would like hanging on them. Stay open-minded and you will realize answer to each question is within you. Give your child room of his or her dreams - literally Did you know that children sleep for up to sixteen hours a day and sometimes more, depending on their age? For child development, sleep is as vital for health and well-being as food. So your first consideration when designing your child’s bedroom should be to create a space that feels comfortable, warm and safe. Keep this in mind when planning to decorate, since creating an atmosphere where your child can sleep peacefully is more important than adapting latest hot design trend. Minimize distractions, maximize peace of mind Messy, cluttered rooms add a subtle layer of stress to inhabitant, and can inhibit proper relaxation. Keep your child’s room well-organized, with as few distractions as possible. Before you begin to decorate your child’s room, remove all furniture, toys, clothes, and wall-hangings. Clean entire room, using natural cleaners that won’t irritate your child’s sensitive nostrils and lungs. Color me beautiful Paint can transform an ordinary room into a world of your child’s own. Color will influence how your child feels, so choose shades or combinations that promote relaxation, security, happiness and love. Green, blue, pink, pastel orange, and beige are all good choices. Let your child help pick color, but stay away from bright reds and yellows which can be overly vibrant, making it hard for your child to relax, and from dreary grays, browns or black, which can be depressing and may affect your child’s mood. Paint should be freshened every two to four years, and should provide a nice backdrop for rest of room.