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(ARA) – Furniture and fabric designer Joe Ruggiero often finds it difficult to bring partners together when it comes to furnishing their homes. One wants a look that borders Barbie-town and the other - a bachelor pad. According to Ruggiero, meeting somewhere in the middle can be a daunting, even divorce-defying task.

“I’ve saved a lot of relationships,” Ruggiero jokes, “by finding a common ground, and from there combining both individual styles and personalities throughout the home.”

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Making his job more interesting today is his collection of classic upholstery designs from Norwalk Furniture and Sunbrella fabrics that mimic fashion apparel, specifically menswear. Today, menswear is no longer a gender-specific style. In fact, you might say it has moved from the male body to the female body to the androgynous home environment with all the style and grace of an Astaire greets Hepburn movie set.

Suiting up your upholstery

The migration of masculine fabrics and patterns – from argyle to herringbone, tweed, plaid, flannel and even the necktie stripe – to women’s apparel, even couture, is proof of its staying power and “unisex” appeal. “The look is right for the home,” says Ruggiero, “because it is something you will never tire of. It’s pleasing to both him and her.”

To suit up upholstery profiles, Ruggiero resorts to menswear-inspired blends from his Sunbrella collection of performance fabrics. His favorite pattern is the ever-popular, traditional glen plaid - appropriately called Glen. Inspired by a classic 1930s men’s sports coat, the designer softens it “for her” with a hint of tropical color in a custard coloration. “It has a little bit of melon worked in with dark chocolate,” says Ruggiero. “Melon makes her happy – because it is seen today on the fashion runways – without losing any of the masculinity in the pattern for him.”

Ruggiero also recommends classic herringbone to clients - with row after row of tiny V patterns. His interpretation, however, is more subtle, making it even more appealing to both sexes. Houndstooth represents another option - a woven design of broken checks that find their way into high fashion collections each fall.

Appreciated, too, is the fact that Ruggiero’s fabrics are considered ‘performance’—making them resistant to everyday wear-and-tear.

Selecting classic, not trendy upholstery

Upholstery anchors the room, says Ruggiero, who has been designing interior spaces for nearly 30 years. So, what to do when you want a high back tufted sofa with traces of Victoriana and he wants an old-school style recliner for Sunday football?

When tastes don’t match up, Ruggiero offers these tips to couples.

* Steer clear of a room full of furniture that is tied to a specific era of design. “It can be too limiting especially when accessorizing,” says Ruggiero.

* Look for designs with a traditional meets modern day persona. For Norwalk Furniture, Ruggiero has designed a collection of “trad mod” upholstered pieces. Among the sofas, chairs, ottomans and occasional benches and headboards are a mix of more structured silhouettes for him and, for her, softened, more detailed styles.

* Especially suited for him is the English club chair called Arthur, extremely tailored with capped arms and a tight seat and back, while pleasing her softer side, you can add trim or embellishments to the chair, such as nailheads, buttons and luggage stitching, all influenced by fashion.

* Take an elegant piece of furniture and cover it in a subtle menswear texture, such as beautiful camelback sofa wrapped in sophisticated herringbone.

His Study vs. Her Sitting Room

When confronted with a stalemate where neither side will budge, Ruggiero often recommends his-and-her spaces. “If you can’t get a couple to agree on a specific style in a main area of the home, then you try to give them their own personal spaces,” says Ruggiero.

Getaway rooms range from sitting to sewing, to reading and crafting for her. For him, the media room is becoming number one, followed by close seconds: the library or den, and today’s modern home office. “I encourage ‘personal’ spaces because the house is melding into one large gathering area,” says Ruggiero.

For fine furnishings and fabrics by Joe Ruggiero, visit www.norwalkfurniture.com and

(ARA) – Summer can be an uncomfortable time for the estimated 50 million Americans who suffer from allergies. In addition to outdoor air filled with pollens and molds, allergy sufferers are confronted with allergy triggers within the home. Now is the time to take steps to create a relaxing and allergy-free sanctuary in your home, and the best place to start is the bedroom.

The bedroom is especially susceptible to becoming a dangerous place for allergy sufferers. What should be a relaxing oasis can become an allergy sufferer’s nightmare for many reasons. For instance, we all sweat when we sleep and even more so during the summer months. In fact, every night a person loses one pint of body moisture in addition to shedding millions of dead skin cells. This creates an ideal breeding ground for dust mites and other bacteria — major causes of asthma, eczema and allergies.

There are things you can do to keep your bedroom the relaxation center of your home. Implementing these simple tips will go a long way toward reducing the causes of allergies and other health problems in the bedroom:

* Sleep Tight All Night

We spend up to a third of our lives in bed, and although sheets can be washed, mattresses and pillows are not as easy to clean. Limit the amount of allergens that can collect on them by using mattress and pillow protectors.

For example, Protect-A-Bed bedding protectors are breathable fabric barriers that are waterproof, washable and have a 100 percent natural cotton surface that is hypoallergenic. There is no “plastic” feel like other mattress protectors, so it is guaranteed to not only be quiet, but also cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Avoid using or handing down old, possibly dust mite-infested mattresses or bedding sets to other family members, especially children. Reusing a mattress may seem like a good idea to save money, but mattresses that have not been properly cared for are breeding grounds for allergy triggers and can be passed from one household to the next.

* Fresh and Squeaky Clean

Be sure to wash your bed linens weekly at a temperature above 130 F or 54 C. Washing your linens in a hot temperature will kill dust mites and rid your bedding of other contaminants. Finish by hanging bedding outside in direct sunlight for a few hours.

Cleaning furniture in the bedroom, such as the dresser, nightstand and television, regularly will help eliminate dust. Dust, a common allergy trigger, can be inhaled while asleep, causing an uncomfortable night’s sleep. Be sure to clean off surfaces with a damp rag on a regular basis to remove excess dust and dirt.

Mold is also a common problem for allergy sufferers. Mold produces a musty odor in addition to millions of spores that become airborne easily, causing allergic reactions, asthma episodes and other respiratory problems for you and your family. Treat any mold growth with a bleach solution and make sure the area is kept dry.

* A Retreat, but Not for Dirt and Dander

Forty-one percent of dog owners and 51 percent of cat owners allow their pets to sleep in their beds according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. To prevent bringing dander and other pet allergens into the mattress, wash your pets regularly and, if possible, keep your pet out of the bedroom. If you can’t sleep without your pet, use Protect-A-Bed bedding protectors, which will keep your mattress and pillow free of dander.

Also be conscious of the dirt that is brought in on your shoes, pants, coats and other items. This dirt can penetrate carpets, bedding and mattresses and can be difficult to clean. Remove items that can potentially collect dirt prior to entering your bedroom.

A bedroom is a place for relaxation and rejuvenation and should not be a place that causes health problems. A clean, allergen-free bedroom will create an oasis for the body and mind. Visit www.protectabed.com for more information.

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Every night the human body sheds millions of skin flakes and loses a quart of body fluid through the pores of the skin and mouth, which provides the perfect food source and breeding ground for bacteria and dust mites (a major cause of asthma, eczema and rhinitis). Protect-a-bed offers the gold standard for preventing bacteria and dust mites from breeding. As a bonus, this protector is 100% waterproof, which is especially helpful for cases of incontinence. Protect-a-bed is easy to fit, machine washable and sterilizable.

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