There are many companies throughout the world who specialize in replica oak furniture, Companies are now specializing in replicating furniture designed by the likes of Florence Knoll, Le Corbusier and Eero Aarnio, to name but a few. The aim of the companies is to allow people to have the exquisite piece of oak furniture that spoke to them from the picture on the internet, at a price which they can more easily afford.

The idea of brightening up the home with some designer oak furniture may seem attractive to many until they realize the cost of such pieces. Companies work to provide people with the opportunity to buy great individual pieces at a fraction of the price. In a time where people have to sacrifice so much, this is thought to give some of them some comfort.

For some though, there is no substitute for the real thing. They would argue that the price reflects the quality of the workmanship and the oak used along with the love of the piece itself. Whilst this may be true, there are perhaps lifestyles that may be perfect for replica designer furniture.

If a room is looking tired and dated, there might not necessarily be a need to rush out and buy buckets of paint and get set to spend days re-decorating. Often a simple change of furniture may be just what is needed without going to the hassle of completely overhauling an entire room.

The right furniture

Whilst swapping the furniture may be quick and easy, sometimes deciding on which furniture to replace the old with is slightly trickier. The most important thing to consider is lifestyle. What kind of lifestyle is being led and what kind of lifestyle would like to be portrayed. Sometimes these can be 2 separate things but with the correct furniture choices, both styles can be brought together. For instance, a family may want a living room that is cosy and calming. Swapping an old TV stand for an oak one will give the room a homely feel.

Where to go for new furniture

There is so much choice in regards to where to buy furniture for the home these days. Depending on budget, quality furniture can be found in home improvement and furniture shops, independent furniture shops on the high street or even designer outlets. For people with a slightly more challenged budget, online shopping at Standland is a great way to pick up a bargain.

In today’s economic climate, people have begun to surround themselves with beautiful oak furnishings in the home, even more so than in the past. These furnishings symbolise a lifestyle that they would like to upkeep.

It is no wonder then that, over recent years, designer oak garden furniture has come into its own. Once reserved for top class hotels or the very rich, modern and contemporary outdoor oak furniture is widely available through a number of resources to everyone at home.

Perhaps most notably, Rattan garden furniture has become so popular; its use in the garden has won awards at the Chelsea Flower show. The concept has been taken by many companies and transformed in some cases into beautiful pieces of art for the garden which are still functional items of furniture.

Oak garden furniture is no longer limited to a table and chair set on the patio. Full furniture suites can be used nowadays to get the most out of the warm weather for just the family or to entertain guests. This “living outside” approach is very reminiscent to the kind of furniture which is seen in top hotels abroad. People at home are beginning to buy into this look more and more, trying to gain that special holiday feel for a fraction of the price in their own space.

Furniture companies such as UK Contemporary Furniture and Tub-Chair celebrate this new age of contemporary garden furniture, providing quality modern outdoor furniture for those who don’t want to leave design indoors but who would like to celebrate it under an open sky.

When people are asked what they think about the term “contemporary furniture,” they will in many instances be contemplating diametrically opposite pieces. To a certain degree this can be purely as a result of the age group of people who were questioned.

The other reason may be because of the revolving cycle which happens in the fashion industry on a regular basis. The majority of people may decide that contemporary equates to clean, sleek lines in a room which appears to be lifeless because the owners wish all clutter to be hidden from sight.

Opening a drawer in a cabinet may reveal more of the personality of the owner. There are probably items which need to be hidden as otherwise they would detract from the overall impression of the living room.

It can be difficult to marry contemporary with traditional however with a little artistic licence the combination may achieve a more comfortable way of living. It is difficult to have a perfectly ordered room with everything in its place when there are a couple of small children playing with building blocks or finger painting!

The contemporary furniture which is currently being promoted has some beautiful glass cabinets and sofas covered in fabulous leather or fantastic fabrics. These would fit in with most styles of property, although probably not in a thatched cottage with low ceilings and beams, this is when you resort to the oak furniture niche.

There are some brilliant Italian pieces of furniture that when the numbers come up on the lottery, or other such windfall, choosing a selection of furniture from the elegant designs available would be a joy.

The majority of people want oak furniture, especially contemporary dining chairs which look good and are well manufactured but they also want to live their lives without fear of making a mark on a cupboard door. The price tags shown on some contemporary pieces of furniture make these well beyond the reach of most pockets.

There can be few furniture items that come in as many different shapes, styles and sizes as the coffee table.  This relatively new innovation in furniture replaced the ubiquitous occasional tables sometime in the second half of the twentieth century.  As living rooms shrank and became more intimate, the coffee table became the obligatory central focus for the room, the altar around which the family and guests gathered.

Since then we’ve seen all kinds of coffee tables come and go.  High or low, large or small, this furniture item has been manufactured in wood, steel, aluminium, glass, leather, plastic and a thousand different combinations of these. Even cardboard coffee tables have earned their place in design history.

So if you’re looking for a coffee table, you won’t be short of models to choose from: classical, modern, over-designed or severely minimal, the choice is yours.

But here’s one coffee table that sets out a bold statement for simplicity of design and functionality at the same time.  It’s the Stabile coffee table from UK Contemporary Furniture, and it’s a real winner.  Its simple box shape has curved edges and it is finished in black oak veneer.  The top features an inlaid surface of black glass which reaches to the edges on both sides.

The slab which makes up the base of the table sits on the floor and functions as a low shelf, handy for magazines and other items.  The profile of the unit is low, just 32 cm overall height.  At 120 x 70 cm, the upper surface has plenty of space for coffee, games, a laptop, whatever you want to use on it.

The look of this beautiful piece of furniture is one of understated simplicity.  A simple massive shape which is simply functional, it’s hard to beat in terms of a design statement.  And because it is so simple, it can be matched perfectly with almost any other furniture, either classical or contemporary.

This wonderfully simple piece is good value too, at just £380, a massive reduction from the recommended price of £664.02.  The price, like all prices at UKCF, includes VAT.  The Stabile coffee table is available for delivery within ten days and delivery is free.

So if you’re in the market for coffee tables, don’t make any decisions until you’ve seen this beautiful and solid piece.  You’ll be happy to have it as a centrepiece for your living room.