ATLANTA, June 15 (Reuters) - Furniture companies faces tougher times as higher petrol prices and rising interest rates put more pressure on middle-class consumers, leading them to drag back from big-ticket purchases. 

This week, Stanley Furniture Co; became the newest in the sector to cite sales weakness when it cautions that second-quarter results would fall short of preceding estimates. Its shares closed down 4 percent on Thursday after falling as much as 6 percent earlier in the day. 

“We’ve seen retail furniture (sales) be slow since March,” said Jerry Epperson, and furniture analyst with Mann, Armistead & Epperson in Richmond, Virginia. “The recovery just isn’t there right now.” 

Though furniture sales are classically weakest at this time of year and stronger in the second half, an added confront is getting middle-income consumers to buy in an impression of higher gasoline prices, minimal wage increases and slower housing growth, Epperson said. 

“The investment climate hasn’t been the best,” Epperson said. “Asset prices, particularly home prices, aren’t rising like they were before. We’re not seeing the home refinancing that put a lot of money in people’s pockets.”

The High Point City Council would hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. June 19 to consider up to $305,000 in incentives for Legacy Classic Furniture Inc., which is looking for a site for a sharing center. 

According to a statement from the High Point Economic Development Corp., Legacy Classic, which at present leases a 225,000-square-foot warehouse in Guilford County, is seems to build a 347,000-square-foot distribution center, and has its eye on a site on Penny Road in the Premier Center office park 

The project is predictable to cost about $18 million, and 120 employees would work out of the facility to start, with extra employment expected. 

At a June 7 meeting, the High Point EDC boards of directors generally optional the incentives package to city council. Legacy was said to be shut to a deal to build the distribution center at McConnell Business Park in eastern Guilford County, but that contract fell apart.

Most houses could accommodate the addition of a screened-in porch. Adding a screened porch onto a house:

1 .Be aware of how it would influence views and light inside the house. A porch would divorce the room it’s adjacent to from the yard. It also might affect second-story windows. In the McKinney’s’ case, the porch was additional at a point of view from the kitchen to reduce the impact on the house. The angle preserved the full north view out of the kitchen/family room and kept the room from flattering dark. The porch post also shades the house from the western sun.

2. Tie the porch back to the house architecturally. In this case, you took a cue from the bay windows on the front and back of the house and abrupt the corners of the porch so that it’s almost an octagon.

3 .Make the porch feels as outdoorsy as probable. This was attained at the McKinney house by making the porch look as if it had once been a gazebo and only recently screened in. Also as long as permanence with the outside is the same brick on the porch floor that is used on the neighboring patio and landing.

4 .The porch has to hold up itself. At the McKinney’s’ house, the porch only touches the house in a small zone, so steel was placed inside the wooden columns and was fasten to real to provide support.

Outdoor living spaces are rotating as warm and cozy as the family room, whether you could enjoy them for two months or twelve. In the latest outdoor makeovers, indoor style has fast turn into an outdoor phenomenon, from growth in exterior kitchens to progressions in outdoor furniture, lighting solutions and more. 

To ensure the functionality and style of outdoor spaces, choosing lighting is among the most significant outdoor décor decisions a homeowner could make. Fortunately, an innovative collection of outdoor lighting options has evolved to complement a diversity of tastes, making outdoor illumination a walk in the park. 

1. Coordinate lighting styles all through the yard for a consistent look. 

Matching deck lights, path lights, backyard accessories and other field landscape lighting fixtures helps make a unified look that both enhances your investment and heightens the pleasure of outdoor living. Think about the style and mood you desire to create outdoors, and purchase lighting solutions that go after that theme. 

2. Create a central point that highlights your outdoor motif. 

Just as a chandelier creates focus in your lobby, build a centerpiece for your outdoor décor. Think about where you’ll be spend the most time and which areas might require more light. If you’ll be spend a lot of time on a covered outdoor patio, outdoor chandeliers make a beautiful focus by bringing functionality and building aesthetic appeal. 

3. Install sconces approved for indoor and outdoor use. 

Sconces have long added the ideal amount of glow to frame large rooms and doorways indoors. Why not apply the same idea outdoors? 

4. Let accessories shine - in more ways than one.

Outdoor accessories frequently add loveliness to your lawn and garden, but let the accessories actually shine by selecting elements that highlight themselves or dish up dual purposes. Instead of opting for a customary plant potter, this stylish urn adds beauty to the garden by illuminating live potted plants.

5. Use outdoor lamps to put in atmosphere and build ambience.

For an efficient look with flexibility, outdoor moveable lamps are the perfect option. Westwood Collections offers handy lamps with whimsical designs and nature-inspired themes. U.L. listed for wet locations, there’s no want to bring them indoors when it pours.

Do you know that an outdoor space — a backyard, patio, deck or porch –could be transformed into a personal oasis by design? And you don’t require an enormous budget to turn a “blah” outdoor space into one that makes you go “ah!” 

You do, however, require to approach outdoor living the same as you will for an indoor design project — do research and get consultation from a professional to develop a plan and implement it. 

1. How is your family going to use the space? What activities would be used for: entertaining, grilling, sports, swimming, relaxing, gardening or a combination? What is the total number of public predictable to use the space? Be realistic about how much space you have or don’t have. Don’t plan for playing volleyball and safely grilling and dining in a small area. Are you a “t-shirt and flip flops” or “garden party” type of host? If you are the last, don’t install stone and earth cover in common areas to avoid tripping in high heels. 

2. What kind of storage space do you need for seat pads, athletic equipment, gardening tools, etc. when they are not in use? Consideration of storage at the start would eliminate any headaches later. Consider creative ‘camouflage’ solutions — landscaping, fencing and mobility of storage components. 

3. Does your family or friends have any special needs? Safety must be considered,” You can create spaces that are safe for everyone and still aesthetically pleasing. Slippage is a main concern. Use slip-retardant flooring materials, like slate, especially around pool areas. If you have little children, be cautious of purchasing outdoor furniture with sharp edges. If you make a decision to use glass in the design of your outdoor retreat, make sure it is tempered. If you plan to entertain elderly visitors, make sure there are no steps from the inside to the outside of your home that might cause a fall or discomfort. Proper lighting also is significant as it not only creates ambiance but enhances safety. 

4. How is your privacy going to be certain in the space? “Landscaping is a great way to protect privacy,” Peterson says. “Landscaping is ’softer’ than a fence or any wall, but just as effective.”

5. How much time and effort do you want to pay out maintaining your outdoor oasis? For low-maintenance outdoor living, don’t buy furniture that needs to be continually treated or plant intricate landscape designs. If you decide to spend in exclusive furniture and foliage, realize that upkeep is necessary and take the time to do it. Set up a maintenance cycle. Manicure plants or hire an important person to do it for you, treat wood furniture, clean upholstery and store correctly during the off-season.

GAITHERSBURG — California residents adore their sun and every year when June rolls around they get a bit cranky! June gloom is a weather model of warm, inland air clashing with the cold Pacific; make a marine layer that usually lasts all day. Gloomy days upset people’s interior body clocks and could rob people of their energy, enthusiasm, appetite control, and sex drive. Scientists have found that light is the major synchronizer of your inner body clock. Exposure to sunlight or to non-natural light of sufficient brightness within fifteen minutes of awakening could aid in anchoring daily (circadian) rhythms, and may help people feel better. The light, transmitted through the eyes, sends desires to the tiny cluster of brain cells in the pineal gland which function as internal clocks, governing sleep, wakefulness, and mood. Free information is available by calling: Winter Blues Information Network, 1-888-SAD-AWAY (723-2929). For information about light therapy devices,

contact: The Sun Box Company, 19217 Orbit Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 1-800-LITE-YOU (548-3968), http://www.sunbox.com, e-mail: sunbox@aol.com.

Keep your outdoor furniture in tip-top figure this season with these helpful hints:

Plastic - One of the mainly tough and maintenance-free choices for outdoor furniture, plastic patio furniture just needs frequently cleanings with a mild detergent.

Aluminum - The aluminum frame (arms, legs and exposed metal) must be polished with a light, non-compound car wax. Clean the straps with a mild detergent every three weeks to defend the chair from damage caused by suntan oil and perspiration.
Outdoor wicker is alike to plastic in that it’s easy to clean. However, because the wicker surface of woven provides so many crevices for dirt and debris to become entrenched in, you must periodic wash it with the backyard hose and a mild detergent.

Teak furniture - When left bare and un-sanded, teak would fade to a natural silver-gray color. To preserve its original finish and golden-brown color, smooth your teak furniture frequently following manufacturer’s instructions. Teak furniture must be moved indoors or enclosed when not in use.

Chair Cushions - Follow manufacturer’s instructions or even use a mild detergent. Be sure cushions are totally dry before storing for winter, and store them in dry place. Some manufacturers advocate “deep cleaning” cushions at the end of the summer with an answer of 1 cup liquid chlorine bleach and 1 cup powdered laundry detergent to 3 gallons warm water. Flush cushions with key on paved driveway or patio, and let soak for 20 minutes so bleach could destroy any mildew inside.

Entertaining moves outdoors as the period serves up balmy nights that attract guests onto the patio or deck. 

If you’re setting the stage for an outdoor soirée, plan to create lighting a focal point. Illuminating an outdoor space has the sensible advantage of lighting the way so guests don’t topple into the shrubbery, plus it could add a magical effect to your party. 

A lucky few have outdoor lights hard-wired into their scenery. For the rest, outdoor lighting could be challenging. Kris Bohmker loves outdoor gatherings, but her multilevel deck in Overland Park could be treacherous in the dark. 

“Instead of huddling under the porch light, I use ambient lighting all around the deck so I could use my whole space for entertaining,” Bohmker says. “Plus, it’s so romantic to look out over a candlelit garden.” 

Using candles and other provisional lighting sources, Bohmker creates enchanting outdoor environments. Guests are welcomed to her home by candles that float in the birdbath near the face door. Bohmker scrubs the birdbath, and then adds fresh water and a dozen floating candles that are inexpensive and obtainable in a variety of shapes and colors. Bohmker favors white flower-shaped candles because “they look like gardenias.” 

The same motif could be carried through to dining and seating areas. Bohmker fills large, clear glass bowls with water, and then adds a drop of food complexion and color-coordinated floating candles. This functions as a showpiece on the dining or buffet table. 

Bohmker also lights the method with an outdoor chandelier. She exposed out the wiring of a cast-off brass chandelier, spray-painted it flat black and stuck candles in the aged sockets. Hanging among tree branches, the result is that of a custom-made wrought iron fixture. A strategically positioned mirror hung behind the glowing candles reflects light and creates drama.

If your patio furniture is looking less than its best, try these spruce-up tips ever! 

• Wood: Clean with a little dishwashing soap assorted with warm water. Avoid bleach, which could fade wood, and never clean in pool water. 

• Iron and aluminum: Use an inexpensive car cleaner-wax to clean the furniture and smooth and lighten the finish. 

• Sling chairs: Clean the vinyl fabric with a product called informal Clean. Check outdoor-furniture retailers or online sources for the product. 

• Strap chairs: Broken straps could be replaced. Online retailers are a good source for patio-furniture repair supplies. 

Flames soar during the roof of Bedford Home Furnishings after a lightning strike Thursday afternoon. A lightning-sparked blaze late Thursday afternoon left Bedford Home Furnishings of Shelbyville in misty ruins. Amazingly, for a few minutes as his South Cannon Boulevard business burn, owner Randy Hobson was ignorant of the commotion outside. “Someone called and said the building was on fire,” Hobson said. “I looked out the back door, saw flames everywhere and called 9-1-1.” Firefighters were finally forced to abandon use of Shelbyville’s snorkel after water force became too low to protect them from the fire’s heat. “A lightning strike went through the roof on the southeast corner of the building,” Fire Chief John Habel said. “The fire spread into the warehouse and into a gap between the ceiling and the roof. “The building was pretty much gone by the time we got there,” Habel said. Water, in abundant supply early on, began diminishing after a few minutes. “We had water at the start but the pressure fell,” Habel said. “We could only get 2,000 gallons per minute. We needed at least 3,000.” With the building previously a total loss, low water pressure forced firefighters to pull the city’s snorkel van away at the fire’s peak. “There was too much heat,” Habel said. “We couldn’t get enough water to keep the heat off.”