It’s a little scary how I often end up writing about creepy furniture. There were the arm and leg sculptures of Salvador Dali, immortalized in brass and used as tables and chairs. There was the weird modern art chair that looked like some kind of predator crouching in wait for its next sitting victim. And now, we have the Polstergerist.

No, I didn’t typo that. We’re not talking noisy spirits here, just the Christine Schwarzer Polstergeist Sofa Bench. The name caught my attention, since I’m rather fanatically fond of the old horror movie, ‘Poltergeist’. But the looks of the sofa got me hooked. I like it. It’s something very different, and its vivid green color and ectoplasmic shape reminds me of the green slime from ‘Ghost Busters’. (Sadly, it also reminds me of the exterior paint on my first car.)

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It can be a real challenge to run a fashionable business that keeps up with trends. Even major trends come and go very quickly, thanks to the Information Age. It’s a dilemma; you want to look modern and up to date, but you don’t want to spend a fortune replacing your commercial bistro chairs or benches every time they go out of style. What’s a business owner to do?

One thing you can do is buy very basic furniture that can be the foundation, rather than the focus, of your interior. Low key pieces that can be refinished or reupholstered if necessary will cost less than a whole new set of furniture for your establishment. Go for broke with your accessories and accents, but when it comes to furniture, simple is better.

A good set of stools or benches can bring comfort to any business. Instead of buying eye-popping modern designs, try for something more subtle. That way, if you decide to go in another direction with your business, you won’t have to replace all your seating. Just redecorate around it.

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Have you ever panicked because you found a stain on your new upholstered furniture, only to make the matter worse when you rushed in with the wrong cleaning solution? If so, you’re not the only one. Different fabrics require very different chemicals and techniques. What works for one set of upholstered cafe chairs won’t work for others. How is a conscientious furniture owner supposed to tell the difference?

Luckily, some manufacturers have adopted the voluntary uniform standards for furniture care. If your furniture was manufactured by such a compliant company, it will be marked with a code which indicates the appropriate cleaning method for that particular piece. The code may be printed on fabric samples, on a label under seat cushions and/or on hand tags. Use these codes as a guide when your furniture needs cleaning.

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Recliners are really underappreciated. I understand that they are not always advisable for business use, because they have parts that can wear out quickly. But what if there were a recliner that did not rely on small parts for its laid back style?

The Onda recliner from Jonas Kressel and Ivo Schelle has a minimalist look, but tons of form and functionality. According to the Bonluxat web site, the Onda was designed to look like a gentle ocean wave. The recliner can be used for sleeping, sitting, or just lying around and relaxing. It also features a swiveling back rest.

If you’re short on space, this recliner could be the best choice for your establishment. In lounges or waiting rooms, hotel bedrooms or suites, its elegance would be a welcome addition to any decor. The seat can be made into a bed and vice versa with minimal fuss. I like its appearance most of all; the Onda is versatile, but does not skimp on style. Its rectangular back cushion can be mounted on the side or the back of the seat for different looks.

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Have you noticed how big hotels are becoming? I don’t mean big as in popular; I mean big as in BIG. And it seems like a huge amount of their floor space is devoted to their lounges and lobbies. This is only natural, since hotels are all about making people comfortable. But how comfortable will guests be when they’re getting poked and scraped by cracked, vinyl seats that should have been replaced years ago? Lounge or no lounge, if your guests aren’t comfortable, they won’t have a good time. And if they don’t have a good time, they probably won’t come back or recommend your hotel to others.

All that can be changed with a good choice in seating. For example, the Public Seating collection from Margarita Viarnés. This collection has it all – arm chairs, sofas, and dining chairs. All are heavy on structural integrity and cushiony comfort. Each piece is fixed, and has a base suspension system by means of elastic straps. The seat and back are filled with HD foam. The sofa and arm chair have hidden feet of PVC or plastic, and the dining chairs have metallic fixed feet in chrome or black. These pieces are meant to lend a contemporary air to any public space. I can easily picture them as sophisticated reception chairs in the UK.

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If you have ever read my blog posts, you will know that I find (perhaps too much) joy in furniture that looks like something other than furniture. To date, there have been spidery chairs, orange peel chairs, and even a table that looks like something you’d crush herbs in. (Really.) I keep hoping to run across a leopard-print chair that’s shaped like a giant stiletto heeled-shoe, or maybe a red love seat shaped like a pair of lips, but alas, nothing so tawdry has yet crossed my screen.

But I did find a seating unit that looks something like a religious icon when viewed from above. If you took away the throw pillows, you’d have something that looks like a holy book with a cross on the front. (If you get one, you’d better leave the pillows; folks can get sensitive about that sort of thing, although sensitivity never stopped the sale of religious figures who manifested through scorch marks in toasted bread products. So what do I know?)

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