together at Jisheng Wellborn, a furniture chain with three stores in

town, each with a business area of over 10,000 square metres. Stores are

located at No 1 Dapu Road, No 800 Quyang Road, and No 547 Tianmuxi Road.

Grace from France Grace and elegance are the strongest characteristics

of furniture from France. This style is known as "neoclassicism". Maison

de France has various pieces made of precious cherry wood - the wood

used in making violins. Cherry trees grow very slowly which ensures the

density and fine grain of the wood. Smooth lines and simple carving add

some grace to a practical computer desk. It can make quite a contrast, a

modern PC on a classic leather desktop. A desk of this kind with drawers

is priced at 18,600 yuan ($2,250) and a simpler one without drawers is

10,780 yuan ($1,300). Make home your castle Some people prefer a little

more luxury and extravagance. With regal Guangda furniture you can

transform your home into a palace. This furniture has very elaborate

designs and complicated decoration. The pieces are finished in rich

colours of gold and purple. Ample carving and metal edging make this

suites more expensive. A couch with two armchairs, two coffee tables and

one large table make a sitting room set with a total price of 68,000

yuan ($8,210). A circle of six luxurious joint chairs with crimson

velvet covers are priced at 398,000 yuan ($48,000). These chairs, which

need a large room, will make visitors feel they are at a meeting of King

Arthur's knights. There is a writing desk on sale, at a large discount

of 42 per cent. Other desks in similar style are priced around 30,000

yuan ($3,600). Crystal chandeliers, silver candle sticks and big clocks

available in the store make suitable decorations for a room with

furniture of this style. Natural American furniture

American-style furniture is bigger and has natural colours. Dining

tables can be as long as 230 centimetres. Hard pine and oak are the

usual choice of wood. These dining tables are priced at 6,020 yuan

($727) and a pair of chairs of the same style are 1,480 yuan ($179). A

varnish preserves the original grain of the wood for view. Rough-cut

carving is also used. This furniture will remind you of the pioneers and

the wild west. Minimalism from North Europe Straight lines, abstract

shapes and distinctive colours reveal the avant garde side of north

European furniture. Bo Concept is from Sweden. Wellborn not only has

wood and metal furniture but also china and household utensils, all in

very modern style. Mugs with a corner of newspaper imprinted on them,

and various shaped glass vases are on offer. This brand of furniture

caters to young, energetic people who like simple living spaces. Coffee

tables, sofas and TV stands are simple wooden structures with no

elaboration. Some are topped with glass. This layered-look with added

transparent glass will make a room look cool and spacious. Glass-topped

tables cost 4,790 yuan ($578). Middle-of-the-road Euro Euro-home is

neither so luxurious as Guangda nor as post-modernist as Bo Concept.

This brand adds carefully designed details to convenient and practical

furniture, adding a warmer modern touch to a home. Newspaper holders are

made with twisted wooden board and a metal pole in the centre. They look

modern but would not clash with an old sofa. They are priced 4,400 yuan

($531). There are various mirrors, suitable to be used in the bathroom,

bedroom or just the corridor. Their design emphasizes shape and frame. A

dining table has a high price of 22,000 yuan ($2,660), and each

accompanying chair is 8,400 yuan ($1,014). Four curvy wood legs support

a round glass tabletop and the chair legs have similar curves to those

of the table. They look light and lively, as if they might leap up and

bound away at any time.