One of my favorite suppliers from our old store, Himal Home Gallery, is a company called Rustic Natural Cedar Furniture. For over 35 years, Rustic Natural Cedar Furniture Company has been manufacturing quality Cedar Looks brand products for the home and garden. Their broad variety of products includes bedroom sets, tables and seating groups, gliders, rockers, swings, arbors and other garden products. These fine furnishings are handcrafted with care in Quebec and British Columbia and shipped worldwide for your enjoyment. They age to a natural silvery finish when left unfinished and exposed to the natural elements. I can tell you from firsthand experience that these products have lasted over 12 years in my backyard here in North Carolina.

Outdoor Furniture

Rustic Natural Cedar Furniture is excited to announce that they are now offering a clear coat finish on most indoor pieces. They have living room furniture, bedrooms, and dining sets, all coated with a clear protective lacquer that accentuates the natural beauty of their quality White Cedar furniture and provides a protective surface for the piece. The smooth, clear finish blends perfectly with log cabins, summer homes, beach houses, and campgrounds. This finish will add aesthetic appeal as well as a protective coating to keep your furniture looking great for years to come.

Rustic Natural Cedar Furniture has introduced this finish simply to provide more options to the consumer. It is a multi-step process to ensure a quality finish.

-A sealant coat is applied to the sanded surface. This is the first of two sealant coats that is applied.
-Once the first coat is dry, the product is sanded to provide a more porous surface for the second coat.
-The second coat is applied and allowed to dry.
-The piece is sanded again to prepare for the lacquer coat
-The final, lacquer, coat is applied.

Once the product has dried, the parts are individually wrapped in corrugated cardboard and repacked into boxes. The cardboard helps to prevent the parts from hitting each other and causing damage to the finished product.

Caring for Finished Furniture

Assembling our finished furniture is slightly different from assembling our unfinished products. It is important that the pieces are not hit together as it will cause a scuff on the finish. The finish can be kept in its best condition by taking care to not hit any piece with a hard object or other pieces. It can cause undesirable mark in the finish.


Outdoor Finish

Unfortunately our new finish is not available for outdoor use. For those customers who desire stains or UV protection for outdoor furniture, we recommend Penofin®. We have tested this line of products extensively and have had great results. Penofin® offers a wide variety of stains and UV inhibitors for outdoor use in a variety of colors.

For those customers that are conservation minded, Penofin has just introduced the Verde finish, a sustainable vegetation-based treatment that is environmentally sound and safe for children and pets. To read more about what Rustic is doing to go green, visit Carolina Rustica

Click here to shop for Rustic Cedar Natural Furniture

A Hugely Successful NC Marathon Effort!

It was a picture-perfect day, and the upbeat mood and wonderful organization made the Third Annual United HealthCare North Carolina Marathon a HUGE success, for so many reasons!

First off, the beneficiaries of this effort....Foster Friends of North Carolina. This is an extremely important non-profit dedicated to enriching the lives of children in foster care, right here in North Carolina. I cannot think of a more worthwhile organization than one that is committed to improving the life experience of kids who are challenged by the foster experience. Remember the expression, "Think Globally, Act Locally"? Well, Foster Friends of NC is right here in our backyard and if we want to improve our future, doing it one child at a time is a good start.

Secondly, I am so proud and thankful for Team Carolina Rustica! We had an outstanding group of individual running in green Carolina Rustica jerseys, and our presence was made known! This team not only ran for personal goals, but they ran knowing that their participation would result in a donation by Carolina Rustica to the Foster Friends of NC. A challenge was issued to finish under a certain time period, for which our company would donate an additional $100 to Foster Friends. However, given the heat, the hills, and the tremendous effort that all runners on the team exhibited, we have decided to donate $100 for each runner who participated, in addition to donating some entry fees direct to the organization. By this calculation, Carolina Rustica will be donated about $1,500 to Foster Friends of NC.




Lastly, a big congratulations and thank-you to the organizers, sponsors, volunteers, and other runners. It takes a huge effort to make a race event successful, and on this sunny saturday, all the efforts came together for an outstanding series of races, from the 5k to the half-marathon to the full-marathon. Starting with the moving trumpet playing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and an exciting start, the race proceeded without a hitch. The local police support was phenomenal...they were friendly, professional, and enthusiastic. The volunteers were absolutely indispensable, and so much appreciated. And of course, without sponsors like UnitedHealthCare, BB&T Bank, the City of High Point, and Showplace....the race simply would not be possible at all.

Again, a hearty congratulations to all runners, and a sincere THANK YOU to Team Carolina Rustica for their participation. We will see you again next year, with an even bigger team!

Ceiling Fan Season Is Right Around The Corner

Here in the south, ceiling fans are used almost year-round, since the cooling season can start as early as March. Ceiling Fans are part of life here, in fact, conjuring up images of slowly rotating fans cooling you on the front porch. Today's ceiling fans offer a near-infinite number of functional and decorative possibilities, and are now considered an integral part of any room's decor. Another reason ceiling fans are enjoying unprecedented popularity is that they are extremely cost-effective, costing just pennies per hour to operate. Even better, some ceiling fans are now Energy-Star Rated, so you can operate them with peak efficiency to minimize your cooling and heating expenses.

Energy Star ceiling fans offer attractive ways to reduce energy usage without sacrificing style or comfort. Energy Star ceiling fans move air about 15% more efficiently than a standard ceiling fan, resulting in an estimated savings of $20 to $30 per year. When you factor in the reduced energy cost of the efficient light fixture, you'll save significantly more. 

Styles
There are as many ceiling fan styles are there are decorating styles themselves.   The most popular styles are Contemporary, Victorian, and Tropical.   

Contemporary Ceiling Fans emphasize sharp lines, use of Brushed Nickel, aerodynamic lighting treatments, and lighter woods or finishes for the blades.   The blades can also be unusually-shaped, while still fulfilling the function of air movement.  One of the most ground-breaking companies in the arena of modern ceiling fans is a company called Fanimation.  They have set the standard for ultra-modern designs that create a statement just by themselves.  Kichler, known primarily for their expansive lighting collection, also has a fine collection of contemporary offerings that match their lighting groups.

	Fanimation Celano Ceiling Fan
	Kichler Lighting Structures Ceiling Fan

Victorian-style Ceiling Fans hearken back to the early days of air movement, with use of elaborate castings, large fan bodies, traditional geometric blades, and dark finishes such as black, oil-rubbed bronze, and rust.  Some of the best-selling fans in this category are from Casablanca and Emerson.  Both of these companies have a century of experience in the design and manufacture of ceiling fans, and some of their earliest designs are still their most popular, believe it or not!

	Casablanca 19th Century Ceiling Fan
	Emerson Cornerstone Classic Ceiling Fan

Tropical Ceiling Fans, or what we sometimes call Exotic Ceiling Fans, are perhaps the fastest-growing category of fans, as homeowners in the Southeast and Southwest continually search for cost-effective and stylish ways to cool their homes and provide a design focal point.   Exotic Ceiling Fans almost always make use of natural materials for fan blades, such as woven bamboo, palm leaf or abaca.   Additionally, they make use of lighter finishes to compliment the overall organic look.   Some of the best-selling fans in this category are made by Hunter Fans, which offers a variety of Caribbean-inspired designs, and Fanimation, which has pioneered the use of woven material for a number of exotic fan blade creations

	Fanimation Islander Ceiling Fan
	Hunter Royal Palm Ceiling Fan

There are, of course, many other designs for ceiling fans, and they can be further specialized by the use of light kits. Ceiling fans light kits are sold as either glass bowls which hang beneath the fan fixture, or as individually-armed lights which have a glass light shade, usually a three or four-light configuration. Many ceiling fans include a light fixture as part of the design, and some include both an uplight (which illuminates above the downrod) and a downlight, which provide ambient light.

Regardless of your choice (and there are many!), there is no reason to experience energy savings and an enhanced room decor with a beautiful, quality ceiling fan.

Another Helpful Article on Redecorating With Antique Wall Clocks

Here is another great article we found from Home Decor Unleashed, a great blog on all things for the home, including furniture, decorating, and in this article, Wall Clocks. This is an especially useful article because we have a large antique reproduction clock section, with outstanding manufacturers such as Uttermost and Cooper Classics.

Without further ado, then, from Home Decor Unleashed, here is Redecorating With Antique Wall Clocks:

If you want to redecorate your home and if you want to do that in a vintage or in a classy style, an antique wall clock will perfectly match with the décor of your new living room. Antique wall clocks are very famous because they add an air full of history to the room in which they are placed. We all know that wall clocks were created to help us in our ability to know the time, but there is more to them than that.

There are many models of these old wall clocks, things that make your job hard when trying to purchase one. Choosing a wall clock it’s not as easy as it seems. A clock like this has to match with the décor of a certain room and that’s why you have to be very careful when you purchase one. I will offer you some tips that will help you in order to choose the perfect antique wall clock.

In case you didn’t know until now, wall clocks can be found in a wide range of colors. The difference between them and normal clocks is represented by the fact that the antiques usually come in dark colors such as brown, black or wood colors while more modern clocks also come in strong colors, such as blue or yellow. This is just one example of what makes an antique a more refined look.

If you want to purchase a clock like this for your living room, before you do it, you should measure the free space that’s available on one of your living room’s wall. If you do that, you will be able to choose the correct size for the clock that you intend to purchase. You can choose a clock like this that matches with the color of the furniture or you can choose one that matches with the color of the walls from that room. If you choose the second option, you have to know that if the walls are painted in white, it’s not so difficult to choose the right one. On a white wall any color of these various clocks will work – some will stand out more than others.

Depending on the size of the room in which you want to place your new clock, you can also choose its shape. Some wall clocks have a round shape and others are square. There are also clocks that are like the ones your grandparents used when they were young. A truly unique, antique clock like these can be quite expensive, depending upon the quality and shape it is in. You can find knock-off antique clocks for under $50 USD. However, if you are looking at a real find and one that you intend to pass down to your grandchildren, you can spend over $1,000 USD on some of these antique wall clocks.


Shop for all clocks here on Carolina Rustica:

Standing Clocks

Wall Clocks

Antique Reproduction Clocks

A Great Article on Travertine Tile

Here is a great article we found on Home Decor Unleashed, an all-encompassing blog about the many aspects of home furnishings, design, and maintenance.    We thought this article was particularly helpful because one of our favorite suppliers, Bago Luma, uses a lot of travertine tile in their wrought-iron designs.  It creates a striking and dramatic contrast.

From Home Decor Unleashed:

Travertine Tile: Information from Me to You

After living in a house for a length of time, it’s nice to be able to create a new look to come home too. Using travertine tile is a great way to accomplish such a task. Travertine comes in many different finishes, colors, and sizes. Because of that, it can be used in many different places throughout the home. Popular choices to use travertine tiles are around a fireplace, in bathrooms, and as kitchen back-splashes. To get you more acquainted with travertine tiles, here are some facts and helpful tips.

Travertine is a natural stone, but can be man-made by heating supersaturated alkaline waters, with high pCO2 levels. This stone comes in many colors including red, yellow, brown, beige, white, and gold. There are many different ways to finish the surface. Naturally, this stone has holes in the surface. Depending on how it is finished, the holes are either filled or left unfilled. Having the holes filled gives the stone a more modern look, and comes in either a matte finish or a polished finish. When the holes are left unfilled, this look is more rustic and is usually not polished.

There are a few helpful tips when planning on where to install travertine tiles. This type of stone is not as hard as other stones. With this in mind, it takes special considerations and care when installing it as flooring. This makes areas of high traffic not a very good place to install this. High heels or animals (like dogs that have nails) can cause scratches on the floor if walked on frequently. Also, this type of stone is very sensitive to acidic substances such as orange juice, lemon juice, and many cleaners. Because of this, if used in the kitchen, it is important to clean spills up as quickly as possible. Otherwise the tile can be damaged. Cleaning with hot water and a sponge is sufficient. There are also special stone cleaners that can be used that won’t damage the stone. With these things in mind, travertine is a great stone to choose to decorate your home with. It has a natural beauty that will create a wonderful atmosphere to come home to.




Shop Bago Luma Here:

Dining Furniture	Living Room Furniture	Tables
Seating	Home Accents

Read more from Home Decor Unleashed Here!

Now Carrying Hunter Fans, Just in Time!

Although it seems like winter will never leave us, in fact, heat and humidity of our Southern seasons are right around the corner.  And them, we will be remembering this cold weather with nostalgia.

Ceiling fans are the best way to cool your home as a supplement to air conditioning.  Here in the south, you cannot find a home without at least one or two ceiling fans...it is just a way of life and a way of home design.  Here at Carolina Rustica, we carry fans by Casablanca, Fanimation, Emerson, Minka Aire....and now, we are delighted to be carrying Hunter Fans, one of the oldest and most-respected names in the ceiling fan business.  Hunter Ceiling Fans have been imbued with Quality Craftsmanship Since 1886.

Hunter Ceiling Fans Are Made the Way it Used To Be
People around the world have relied on Hunter ceiling fans for cool comfort since 1886 when the father and son team of John and James Hunter created the first water-driven ceiling fan in upstate New York. Seventeen years later a Hunter ceiling fan became one of the first products to ever run on electricity. Little did this father and son team know that their small manufacturing business would someday grow into a legend that would set the world standard for ceiling fan quality and precision craftsmanship. Soon Hunter was shipping these rugged fans with hand-weighted and balanced blades by the boatload to India, the Far East and Africa, as well as across the USA. Today, this 19th century craftsmanship is combined with a 21st century design and technology to create ceiling fans of unmatched quality, style and whisper-quiet performance. Fans that are as tough on the inside as they are beautiful on the outside. Fans that John and James Hunter would still be proud of over 120 years later.

Click Here to Shop Hunter Fans right now.

Quiet for Life
Every Hunter ceiling fan has been painstakingly designed and crafted to be more than just beautiful, more than just another ceiling fan. It's why our customers have come to demand Hunter performance time and time again. Our exclusive motor technology and mounting system ensure every Hunter fan will be quiet and wobble free. Just like every Hunter fan since 1886. Quiet for Life. That's our pledge to you.

Craftsmanship
It's what sets Hunter apart. It's at the heart of everything we put into our ceiling fans. It's why millions of consumers around the world have come to rely on Hunter ceiling fans to provide quiet, cooling comfort. Hunter fans are quiet. To find a quiet fan, you have to know the inside story. Every Hunter fan features a Hunter high performance motor, built to exacting tolerances from the finest materials and rigorously tested to assure it is whisper-quiet. Hunter ceiling fans are known for their performance and powerful operation. Hot days require cool breezes and air movement is key. Air movement is the combination of blade size and shape, blade pitch, and motor performance. If any one of these elements is neglected it could result in shortened life of the motor and compromised air movement. Our on-site UL-approved testing lab allows our engineers to design for optimal performance on every ceiling fan.

Built to Last
Hunter fans are durable, inside and out. That's why we back every one with a limited Lifetime Motor Warranty. Hunter finishes are tarnish, scratch and rust resistant. Our plated finishes are the result of a multi-stage grinding and buffing process. All Hunter painted finishes feature a thick powder-coated paint to provide the richest color and maximum durability. In addition to adding beauty and comfort to your home, Hunter fans are a great way to save energy and lower your energy bills. By installing and using your ceiling fan year-round, you can save up to 47% off of cooling costs and up to 15% off of heating costs