Donations for Oklahoma Tornado Relief Accepted at Michigan Stores

Delivery drivers from our Ann Arbor and Livonia stores are leaving Saturday morning to drive to Oklahoma with supplies for the tornado victims. They will be collecting donations today, May 23rd, until 8pm and Friday, May 24th, from 10am to 8pm at both store locations. Please feel free to bring clothing, food, bottled water, toiletries, and anything else you would like to donate to the relief efforts.

Our Ann Arbor store is located at 4801 Washtenaw Avenue.

The Livonia location is at 28300 Schoolcraft Road.

Featured Friday: Cardinal Red Sectional

This week’s Featured Friday is a product a lot of you asked for – we love our customers, so we delivered! The newest addition to our 4000 series made by Delta Furniture®, the Cardinal Red sectional is the perfect statement piece for your living room.

This bold black and red sectional has a sleek track arm and a luxurious chaise for a great combination of comfort and a clean, fresh look. The seat cushions are covered in a red microfiber, one of the most highly preferred fabrics in the furniture market. This family-friendly fabric is extremely durable, withstanding the demands of everyday life with ease. Plus it is so easy to clean – simply use soap and water to remove any spills. The density of microfiber prevents pilling, stretching, sagging, stiffening, and shrinking, and most allergens can be repelled or removed with a vacuum.

Along the outside, you’ll love the black San Marino upholstery, a leather-like material called BoltaFlex that gives the look and feel of leather without the high price. The most durable leather lookalike in the industry, it is durable, soft, and more resistant to fading from sunlight than leather; plus it is much easier to keep clean. All you need is a damp cloth to remove surface dust ad dirt.

The hardwood-engineered frame will guarantee a sturdy set that you and your family will be able to enjoy for many years. Additionally, all of the seat cushions are wrapped in Dacron for extra durability. The Dacron ensures the structure of your cushions and has been proven to prevent breakdown in your seats. This gorgeous sectional also qualifies for our additional protection plan by Guardian, which you can add for ten years of fabric coverage.

Along with the striking colors of this set, you have striking scatterback pillows instead of bulky cushions, providing an airy feel and allowing you to arrange the pillows however you choose! You’ll also get two accent pillows covered in BoltaFlex with striking red detail.

We had such a positive response to this piece when we asked the opinion of our fans a few months back, so we have also made it available in a sofa/loveseat set! You can choose either the sectional or the sofa/loveseat set for just $598.00. Currently this set is only available in select stores, but it will be rolled out to all locations in approximately four to six weeks. You can go put your deposit down today and use our 100% approved free layaway program to make payments – or, if your local store already has this in stock, get it delivered to your home today! Make sure to tell them that Mia and Kelly sent you in!

Check out an in-person view of this awesome sectional on Vine: https://t.co/RNU7u1y9qH

Tight Spaces: How to Decorate a Small Bedroom

The bedroom is often the place of relaxation and tranquility, but if you’re living in a home with a small bedroom it can be hard to find out how to decorate it the right way. The difficulty lies in keeping a small bedroom looking fresh and crisp without overcrowding the space. We have some great tips to keep in mind if you’re currently trying to figure out how to decorate your small bedroom.

Cut the clutter.
This may seem fairly obvious, but the reason a lot of people struggle with small bedrooms is because they try to fit too much into the space. Go through the decorating accessories you have and see if they can work in another, larger room that has more space – otherwise, put it away in storage or get rid of it. You can always swap out decorative accessories as seasons change if you’re completely attached to it. If you haven’t used it (or noticed it was there) over the last year, it might be time to get it out of your house.

Choose the right colors.
Dark colors can make a room feel even smaller than it already is, so it is important to make sure you’re choosing lighter, neutral colors that will help open up the room and make it brighter. Pastels, whites, tans, and light greys are perfect for the walls. You don’t have to stray from dark or bold colors completely, though – choose them for accents like lampshades, throw pillows, or accessories. Keeping them in moderation is the key.

Furniture shop thoughtfully.If you’re purchasing new furniture for this room, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind. First, make sure you have taken measurements of the room first so you know what will and will not fit. Next, consider the size of the bed – a large bed will make your room feel tight and cluttered, and it will not leave room for other furniture items. Instead, consider the different mattress sizes available and see which will work best for you and your space.

You’ll also want to consider furniture that will maximize your wall space. Try to steer clear of headboards that push the bed too far out from the wall or other furniture that is built with a curve. By having furniture that is flush to the wall, you’re opening up floor space and avoiding wasting any of the area. Finally, check out furniture that comes with built in storage in convenient places, like a storage bed or a headboard with built-in shelving. These will give you somewhere to store items without taking up valuable space in your room.

Furnish a focal point.
Having a main focal point in a small bedroom can really bring everything together. The focal point can be whatever you choose – some people go for a bold, bright painting that really makes a statement, while others go for an elegant, powerful piece of furniture like a canopy bed. Remember that whatever you choose as the focal point will be the main element in the room, so you’ll want to decorate with it in mind.

Make the ceiling pop.
Another way to really open up the room and add the illusion of having more space is to add some interest to the ceiling. There are many different ways to do this depending on what your particular style is. Some people choose to paint he ceiling a different color than the rest of the room to add interest – you could also add architectural elements like beams, panels, or crown molding for detail. If you’re really looking to go bold with a pattern, you could choose a wallpaper that works with your decor and wallpaper your ceiling.

Having a small bedroom doesn’t mean it can’t be the relaxing getaway you need after a long day. Keep in mind these simple tips, and a small space can still feel big and chic.

Featured Friday: San Marino Ebony Sectional

The San Marino Ebony sectional is a two–toned colored group with leather-like trim, tubing and soft to the touch plush micro denier fabric is a must have in our AF line-up! Manufactured by Encore Furniture Industries®, it is a low profile, wide track arm set that will suit most all types of lifestyles. The color combination of this set is nice and clean, and sectional seating will provide that perfect type of coziness that everyone yearns for at the end of the day!

One of my favorite parts of this sectional is the blatant wide track arm. Having a wider track arm will provide more comfort for you, and it also adds better structure support so you can keep your purchase for years to come. With shorter feet, it makes it a low profile sectional. Low profile sectionals are great for making sure nothing can roll underneath your seats. That works great for me with my dogs; I don’t have to worry about balls rolling underneath my couch all the way to the back! Having a low profile set also gives it a very clean, sharp look, which will complement the sleek color combo.

The coloring of this sectional is a true black leather polyurethane look along the outside, with matching true black seat cushions that are covered in an elegant, plush micro denier. If you watch our video (link is at the bottom!) you can see that the material is a gorgeous textured fabric. This fabric is also padded, which will help to soak up any spills without ruining your set. It is part of the microfiber family, which means you’ll have the easiest cleanup of any cloth living room set!

The exact same perimeter fabric is also used in piping around the seat cushions. Your pillows are alternating black and white colors in the seat cushion fabric, and to help keep your set cohesive, there is piping around each individual pillow with the matching perimeter fabric (great attention to detail!). Your scatter back pillows are accented by two patterned throw pillows to help pull your set together!

At a generous 172” all the way around, you will be sure to have some relaxing down time on your new sectional! For only $798.00 you can purchase this set at your local AF store location, or put a small deposit down to place this item on our 100% APPROVED layaway program!

See this set up close and personal on Vine: https://vine.co/v/b0mdbIlr3qi

Featured Friday: Santa Barbara Onyx Motion Sofa/Loveseat

This week we’re featuring our 50855 SANTA BARBARA ONYX by United Furniture Industries®. This group is a contemporary two-toned motion sofa/loveseat set produced and backed by the trustworthy Simmons® name.

This trendy bubba-framed set with over-stuffed arms and seat cushioning will provide comfort for years to come. The waterfall backs on this set are an amazing attribute to any upholstery furniture option. Waterfall backs increase lumbar support, making your seating noticeably more comfortable.

This set comes with four recliners so you can easily kick your feet up after a long day. The mechanism in a Simmons product is one of the best in the furniture industry; you will feel a smooth glide as you relax on your new sofa and loveseat after a hard day at work. To go even further, United Furniture Industries has backed the mechanism in your product themselves! When you purchase this set, you will have your mechanism covered under a manufacturer’s warranty for 5 years! That truly shows their confidence in their product and will undoubtedly give you peace of mind with your newest AF purchase.

Your sofa and loveseat combo is covered in a trendy two-toned look with a rich, neutral shade of grey in a durable and easy to clean textured fabric from the #1 consumer friendly microfiber family. It will also have a complimentary black leather-look called BoltaFlex on the outside and arms of your set.

BoltaFlex is the most durable leather lookalike in the furniture industry! It has the same tensile strength as leather, which will help provide that long-lasting durability. It is one of the only porous leather look fabrics on the market – being porous allows air to circulate, making it comfortable and breathable. Even though BoltaFlex has the same durability as leather, it doesn’t have the same maintenance factor as leather. It is a virtually maintenance free fabric: all you’ll have to do is wipe the surface dust and dirt with a clean damp cloth and you are good to go!

This set offers you two fabulous fabrics that are some of the most dependable options that anyone can offer! What more could you ask for? This set will also provide you with six durable chrome cupholders. The loveseat has a convenient pull-up console for comfortable arm resting and a handy storage area for quick and tidy clean up!

The SANTA BARABARA ONYX would make a great and cozy addition to any household. For only $1398, you get BOTH the motion sofa and motion loveseat. This set has so many amazing features and benefits to offer. Get approved for our 100% free layaway or have this piece delivered straight to your home that day!

You can see this set up close and personal by checking out our video on Vine: https://vine.co/v/bQpWeziBlxx/embed

Featured Friday: Our Trip to High Point Market

Today I would love to feature our recent Market adventure! Market is a wonderful event for furniture buyers. It inspires and excites us to buy new and refreshing products for our customers. We look at trends in the designer field, and trends that, you, our customer buy from us. We combine that valued insight and go to work!

At market, we evaluate product, we test product, and we negotiate the down and dirty pricing so you can have the end look, without the high end price! We shop fabric shows & high-end designers at market so we can incorporate those looks into your product.

When being shown product by vendors, three sofa/loveseat sets might initially look the same, but we will look even further into the product. The “guts” of your set is what is important to us. Sets A, B, & C might seem exactly alike, but when closely evaluated you can see which one has less high density padding in the seat cushions and more “fluff” product, which will break down a lot faster. You can also notice which set will have the thicker frame and stronger structure for longer durability, and which set has a cheap, non-padded, knock-off fabric. We are not interested in cheap… we are interested in VALUE.

At Market, we turn the other way to unnecessary glitz and glamour, like a stereo system in your sectional or a frosty cooler under your chair. When you opt to buy glitz and glamour, you force your customers to pay a high premium on that expensive set and on other sets to make up for the cost. AF questions why we would ever want to make Joe up the road pay an up-charge on a gorgeous, basic sofa/love set that he wants so that Jim can get a deal on a new sectional that is Bluetooth capable. That does not seem fair to Joe, or Jim for that matter, because most warranties will not cover wear of extras and Jim will be forced to buy an additional warranty to cover his expensive accessory.

When going into Market, we love peeking at and taking pictures of crazy looking, futuristic, designer furniture! With that in mind, we also know that a lot of those things are not practical. AF buyers take tremendous pride in looking out for hip, trendy items for our customers while still keeping in mind the family of five, the young and upcoming college students, and the blue collar people across America! We carry gorgeous high-end items from vendors like Albany, and Corinthian, but we will never make you pay for those names.

Our vendors know who and what we buy for, and through trustworthy relationships they accommodate not only us, but you as well. As a company, we don’t believe in making hardworking Americans pay unnecessary premiums for showrooms or up-charged furniture so it can later be on “sale”. American Freight buyers hold our customer’s needs and wishes above anything else. We buy for all of America, not just the 1%.

At Market this year we looked at multiple dinette options and bedroom sets and took into consideration what you posted on our Facebook about what you would like to see. We saw tons of color in the upholstery side of market, which is very exciting! We will also have a brand new SIMMONS® bedding line-up for you guys to try out – Kelly will announce when our stores start carrying these great new mattresses! Market was fun and exciting, and we cannot wait to try some new products! We hope you all will enjoy refreshing new items as much as we will. Thank you so much for following us, and we look forward to your feedback!

Mother’s Day Pin to Win Furniture Favorites

Our Mother’s Day Pin to Win Contest on Pinterest is in full swing, and we’ve loved seeing our followers pin items they would like to give their mom for Mother’s Day this year! We saw a lot of common items between boards, and below are some of the most popular choices that people pinned from the American Freight website.

Upholstery

Stoked Midnight Sofa and Loveseat Set

Oxford Blue Sectional

Deluxe Beluga Sectional

Shiitake Mushroom Sectional

Venice Scarlett Sectional

Championship Brown Sugar Reclining Sectional

Bedrooms

Georgia Poster Bedroom Set

Serena Bedroom Set

Seville Panel White Bedroom Set

Dining Room Furniture

Jessica 5-Piece Dinette

Savoy 7-Piece Dining Set

Diana 7-Piece Dining Set

Accessories

Rope Pine Coffee and End Table Set

William Coffee and End Tables

Mitchell Coffee and End Tables

All of these items are available to purchase at your local American Freight Furniture store! Don’t forget we have 100% approved free layaway and same-day delivery on in-stock items. If you’re still looking for that perfect Mother’s Day gift, we can help!

Don’t forget to enter our Pinterest contest for a chance to win a $250 gift card! Follow our Pinterest page, then create your own board called “Mother’s Day Pin to Win with American Freight”. Pin 5 items from http://www.americanfreight.us and 5 items from anywhere on Pinterest, all showing things you’d like to give your mom for Mother’s Day. Then, share your completed board on our Facebook page (facebook.com/americanfreightfurniture) and email it to AFPinterestContest@americanfreight.us. A winner will be chosen randomly – contest ends 5/8/13!