24 - Friday. July 19, 1991 - North Shore News ” HARRIET’S ~ HOUSE Harriet’s House stocks an exciting range of fabrics, allpapers, furnishings and finishes. AH at affordable prices. Using our treasure trove of mix and match goods, the gentle atmosphere of an English country cottage can be effortlessly re-created. Fabric 60” wide, $ 1 73 100% cotton metre Wallpaper $] 795 Double roll Custom Drapery and Bedding Service LONSDALE Quay Market 687-0004 ‘CERAMIC TILE 4th Anniversary . SALE We ‘thank altour customers for their oS suppert WALL TILES. ~ 6x6 Light blue, dark: © 59% ces 59S Check fibre content From pave 23 THE INSIDE Sizing up upholstered furniture is tricky because most of the assets and liabilities are hidden. That’s why it’s important to carefully check the information on the labels and hang-tags. Even the information on the labels, though, will not tell you everything you want to know. The salesperson may not have all the answers either, but information about frame, fabric, filling and construction should be readily available in catalogs and brochures. Catalogs should in- clude cutaway illustrations of the inside construction. Many stores also offer cutaway floor models that the shopper can examine firsthand. The frame of an upholstered piece serves as its supportive skel- eton, so it is important that the quality of the piece begin here. Frames are usually made of hardwood, such as ash or elm, that has been kiln-dried to prevent warping. Lift one end of the frame to check for sturdiness. There should be no wobble or creaking sounds. These are signs of light, improp- erly dried stock, or joints that are merely screwed or nailed together. The best joints will fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, rather than just being butted up against cach other. The joints also may be double doweled and whe corners glued, screwed, and reinforced with a block of plywood. If the piece has an exposed wood fraine, look underneath to discover what kind of craftsman- ship has been employed. Signs of poor quality include excess giue, ravelled fabric edges and rough lumber. THE SPRING STORY There are two main types of springs used in upholstery: sagless and coil. Sagless springs are flat, wavy lines of high-grade tempered steel] and are used most often in lightly scaled contemporary pieces. Coil springs are funnel-shaped and also made of steel. In well-upholstered furniture, the springs are placed closely together and firmly anchored. In the most durable coil-spring con- struction, each spring is tied eight ways, with all ties anchored securely to the frame. Thus, the phrase ‘‘hand-tied eight ways’? on any upholstery label denotes quality construction. {Some furniture makers lower the price — ard the quality — by reducing the number of ties to six or four.) See Important page 30 —. Custom Covering ~~~. Sofa Event 13 models to choose fi _® solid wood frame ° construction * 2.8 Ib. density foam. sea #50: fabrics to:choose' fro ‘as shown Oo Pees a ‘Other couches starting from $875° browse“in. our 12,000 sq. foot showroom — ; : Order’ before end. of July, for'end_of August delivery % orth Shore's Largest ‘Collection of Canadian Brand =: GERBER HOME FURNISHINGS 734 WEST 14TI? STREET 985-9351 NORTH VANCOGVER BC. One black north of Marme Drive & one block west of Bewicke, Flanking the east side of Mosquito Creek LOE See EXPRESSIONS