Customized furniture options may be the solution you need

When you go home after a long day of work … or play … you want to be able to flop down in a set of rooms that mean "home" to you. But your idea of home and any other random person's idea of home are undoubtedly different.

So how do you create your personal nirvana and also make it a comfortable, fun place for your friends to visit?

When you are thinking about the ideal room where you can stretch out to watch television or read the newspaper or play a video game, think "comfort" above all else. The same goes for a room where you hope to enjoy conversation, a Bears game or a party with your friends and family.

You want everyone to be able to comfortably settle in for an hour - or several.

Both sectionals and couch/love seat combinations are popular in Chicago's family room market, as are couch/love seat/chair sets.

People love big, comfy, "cuddle up" furniture. In fact, it seems for some people, the furniture can't be too big, and they also love when it reclines, said Michael Walsh, owner of O'Reilly's Furniture in Libertyville.

"All of this furniture can be custom-made so the homeowner can choose exactly the arm, seat depth, back height and footrest they want, as well as the fabric or leather and the amount of cushioning they prefer," Walsh continued. "Be sure to consider the size of the people who will often be sitting on the furniture. You don't want to put a 6-foot-tall man on a small sofa."

When it comes to couches, Walsh said homeowners often choose a leather couch and love seat to go with a fabric chair or recliner and then the store orders throw pillows made in the same fabric as the chair to be placed on the leather couch and love seat to draw the entire room together.

People today are mixing fabric and leathers on chairs and sofas within the same room to keep it interesting. The matching, all leather look is gone. Instead, many are mixing pieces featuring leather in the same room as other pieces featuring mixed-color tweeds for a nice variation in color.

However, if the homeowners have pets or small children, leather is still best because it is much more durable, doesn't attract pet hair and is practical for cleaning up spills.

When it comes to finished basements that are primarily used by the children, homeowners often opt for inexpensive, but durable, microfiber furniture.

As for furniture to accommodate lamps, resting feet and beverages, Walsh said wood of all varieties is popular, but particularly oak and maple. End tables, occasional tables and coffee tables in all types of wood, as well as a huge variety of sizes, shapes, colors, styles, hardwares and edges, are available through the O'Reilly Furniture showroom. "We have so many options that people get overwhelmed," he said.

Beyond the seating area, homeowners need to consider the perimeter of their room, where oftentimes homeowners place flat-screen television cabinets, entertainment centers, bookcases and desks.

Walsh estimated that he has approximately 50 entertainment center choices on his showroom floor and because all of these television cabinets are custom-made by Amish craftsmen, customers may take elements of several different centers and combine them to have their own unique item with a finish selected especially for their home.

"Some customers make a quick decision while others take wood swatches home where they can see them in their own lighting before making a decision," Walsh said.

That goes for bookcases and desks, as well. Customers may choose any extreme of customization because Amish craftsmen make each O'Reilly piece individually. There is no mass production involved, he explained.

Items for all rooms of the house are available from O'Reilly's custom craftsmen, so if the holidays mean you need additional or new bedroom sets, a new couch or a spacious dining table on which to serve that holiday meal, there is still time (for Christmas or Hanukkah, if not for Thanksgiving), Walsh said.

Lamps and accent pieces - such as throw pillows, mirrors, rugs and artwork for the walls - are also available at O'Reilly's - to quickly give your rooms that finished look that also expresses the interests of the owners. Quirky, unusual items that make your home uniquely yours often have to be acquired over time and in a variety of places you have visited and enjoyed.

But you can establish the foundations quickly by purchasing lighting, inexpensive throw pillows and even inexpensive framed pictures or posters to take up that empty wall until you find EXACTLY what you are seeking - even if you didn't know what that was at the start of your search.

And when you do find that special touch at last, try to use it in an inventive or unexpected way to make you and your guests smile. Don't be afraid to go with your gut instinct or show your sense of humor in your designs.

O'Reilly's Furniture is located at 1151 S. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. For more information, visit www.orfurn.com or call (847) 367-6550.