The Lincoln Park leg table shows off the same ribbon mahogany effect seen on the sleigh bed headboard. It seats six people comfortably without adding the 24″ leaf. Add the leaf, and you now have room for an eight-person dinner party. The arm chair and side chair feature a curved back and a comfortable padded fabric seat.

But the real centerpiece of Lincoln Park Dining is the Liv360 server. It includes all the function you need in a server — a removable flatware storage tray in the top right drawer, plate storage pegs in the bottom drawers, and built-in hidden AC outlets for warming trays or coffee makers on the left side of the server. It also includes a new twist to add even more function: Behind the center doors, you’ll find a pullout work surface that includes AC outlets and HDMI connections, just like the Liv360 entertainment chest in the bedroom. Now you can have home office functionality in your dining area too!

To learn more about Lincoln Park Dining — which, like Bedroom, is on retail floors now — check out our online catalog.

What do you think of the Lincoln Park style? Tell us in the comments!

One of our most popular new styles is Lincoln Park, a sleek transitional look with Gen Y appeal and an upscale vibe. Let’s take a look at some of the features of this cool new bedroom collection, which is on retail floors now.

Lincoln Park features rich, exotic-looking veneers accented with a ribbon mahogany finish. The texture and dimension of this combination can be seen on the headboard of the sleigh bed, which almost seems to “shimmer.”

If you’re looking for a different feel, the panel bed features a padded, upholstered headboard accented with nail head trim. Both beds are available with a storage footboard, which eliminates the need for both a boxspring and an extra storage piece in the bedroom.

Lincoln Park includes all of the “ahhhfactors” that make the bedroom functional. Check out the Liv360 entertainment chest, which includes all the electronic connections to add a workspace to your bedroom. And the Liv360 nightstand’s top drawer is perfect for charging iPads, e-readers and other modern accessories.

To see the full Lincoln Park Bedroom collection, click here to view our catalog online.

In our next post, we’ll look at some of the features of Lincoln Park Dining.

We hope you’re all set for Valentine’s Day! If you’re still doing some last-minute planning, Always New You is featuring some more tips from our Valentine’s Day microsite. Check it out here!

Have an ahhhsome holiday with the person you love!

Valentine’s Day is just a week away (Tuesday, Feb. 14, in case you forgot). Maybe you’re planning a special evening out on the town with your partner, but many people choose to stay in and have a quiet, romantic dinner. It might take a little more work, but an evening in can be just as special. Our Valentine’s Day microsite, featuring Young Classics Dining, gives you 10 tips for making it successful. Among them:

-Display photos of past important events together, like your first date, vacation or wedding. These are memory cues to reminisce about those times that brought you two closer together.

-Fragrance sticks: Studies show that men are receptive to fragrances of gardenia, freesia, fresh shower or fresh linen. Or, if you know of a scent that he loves, use it.

-A heart-shaped topiary in the center of the table makes a statement, but leave room on the server for flowers from him.

Young Classics Dining is the ideal setting for romance. Elegant and intimate, it’s perfect for entertaining. The server’s built-in outlets help keep the chocolate fondue, or another dish, warm and ready.

For more Valentine’s Day tips, visit the microsite at www.aspenhome.net/MyValentine.

-Super Bowl XLVI will be broadcast on NBC and is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. That’s 5:30 p.m. Central, 4:30 p.m. Mountain, and 3:30 p.m. Pacific. The New England Patriots are favored by 2.5 points over the New York Giants; the teams previously met in the Super Bowl in 2007, won 17-14 by New York. Madonna will be the halftime show performer.

-If you’re still scrambling to figure out what to serve, myrecipes.com has a great list of 20 tailgating appetizers to try.

-If you know a lot about football and would like to make a few bucks, perhaps this guy could still use your help.

-If you want to learn more about the Kensington dining set we featured in our Super Bowl post on Monday, check out this Las Vegas Review-Journal story.

-Don’t care about football, or just don’t know who to root for? The A.V. Club has prepared a helpful guide.

Enjoy the game and be safe!

Sports fanatics and foodies alike are gearing up for the biggest sports day of the year: Super Bowl Sunday. With more than 100 million viewers snacking their way through the game (and the award-winning commercials), party hosts are planning crowd-cheering dishes to score big points with their guests.

So what will be at your party? Our playbook has a few strategic options for your gameday feast using the Kensington dining table and server. It’s perfect for buffet-style tailgating or anxious game-time grazing, or for pulling up chairs for club-level dining. Prepare for Super Bowl XLVI with:

• Buffalo wings. On Super Bowl weekend, Americans are expected to eat 1.25 billion chicken wings, or 100 million pounds of them, according to the National Chicken Council. Make your tantalizing wings ahead of time, put them in a crockpot and plug them into the Kensington server.
• Barbecue sandwiches, displayed on the dining table are easy to grab and gobble down without taking your eye off of the action. Add chips and dips or Lobster Rolls and Boston Baked Beans for New England Patriots fans.
• New York style pizza will be popular with New York Giants fans, but the Patriots will want their pizza topped with their regional favorite, lobster.
• Chowder, whether it’s the Manhattan Clam Chowder for the New York crowd or thick and creamy New England Clam Chowder, will stay hot plugged into the server and make a tasty addition to your menu.
• Cupcakes are perfect for Super Bowl snacking and can easily be decorated with the team colors. Treat the Patriots fans to a regional favorite like Vermont Maple Spice cupcakes and the Giants fans to Magnolia Bakery Vanilla cupcakes. Delicious New York Cheesecake and Boston Cream Pie will all score extra points.
• And don’t forget the drinks. Cold refreshing beer, either Samuel Adams for the Patriots or Brooklyn Beer for the Giants, are good for the starting lineup. You can serve other non-alcohol options on the server.

Kensington, with a dark Java finish, is sized to fit starter homes, second homes or retirement lifestyle homes with smaller playing fields. The Kensington Server features a heat- and water-resistant granite countertop designed for hot foods and cold drinks. Score extra points when you plug your appliances into the hidden A/C outlet. Then use the removable felt lined flatware storage drawer and storage shelves to stow out-of-season equipment.

Check out our All-Pro dining team by clicking here.

We recently introduced Bayfield — a relaxed, casual design ideal for the “New Country” look. Customers and retailers have been raving about Bayfield. Let’s take a look at some of the “core values” of this bedroom group.

Solid spruce construction: European spruce contains natural grain detailing, which adds to the character of the furniture. The wood is finished with a dark mahogany, a versatile look at home in many settings.

Block joinery: Using solid wood enables us to use interesting construction techniques, such as mortise-and-tenon construction (pictured). The pieces fit together in a high-quality and durable way, ensuring that the furniture holds up through a lifetime of use.

Reclaimed look: It’s brand new, but it looks like it’s been around awhile. Solid wood also allows us to “engineer” character and history into the furniture. Irregular plank widths and saw distressing give a feeling of heritage.

In addition to an authentic, aged appearance, Bayfield brings the best of aspenhome’s highly desired “ahhhfactors” to the mix. To learn more about Bayfield, visit the Bayfield Core Values page at www.aspenhome.net. Later this week, we’ll look at more of the features that define the Bayfield style.

Friends gather early on December 31 to begin the countdown for New Year’s Eve. You will need a handy central location to keep everyone serving themselves as you get ready for 2012. aspenhome’s Young Classics server sets up a festive and beautiful station for punch, mulling wine or champagne. A few munchies like peanuts, party mix and finger foods are all that’s needed to compliment the cocktails. Hats and noisemakers make pretty accents on the server and can be easily selected to properly usher in the New Year.

Hot mulled wine or coffee plugs into the convenient AC outlets hidden behind a touch open panel on the server’s side. Store all your big serving dishes below for next-day use at your traditional buffet lunch of black-eyed peas, ham hocks and cabbage. Whatever your tradition is for ringing in the New Year, Young Classics will serve it in style.

See the complete Young Classics collection at http://www.aspenhome.net/catalog/.

The weeklong celebration of Kwanzaa honors universal African-American heritage and culture. This year marks the 46^th annual Kwanzaa, and is estimated that 18 million people in the United States will celebrate it. Families gather for the great feast of Karamu on December 31. Celebrants enjoy traditional African dishes, as well as those featuring special ingredients Africans brought to the United States.

The celebration begins with the lighting of seven candles, one for each night, and culminates in a feast and gift giving. Displays of fruit, vegetables and African art always take center stage.

aspenhome’s traditional Cambridge server is a perfect compliment to the Kwanzaa tradition. It displays all the symbols in a beautiful presentation, with ample storage to replenish serving utensils and foods. Warm food and drinks can be easily heated with the convenient AC outlet on the server’s side.

Cambridge represents American’s most popular style, making it very fitting for this celebration. To see a complete range of Cambridge furniture, go to http://www.aspenhome.net/catalog/.

It’s Christmas morning — long after sugarplums danced in your head, and just before your real sugarplums roll out of bed charged with anticipation. You take a moment to thank yourself for having your wits enough about you, in this nonstop season, to set a lovely Christmas brunch on a server like this one from aspenhome’s Tamarind collection.

By keeping all the serving utensils handy in the center silverware drawer, you’ll leave space on top for food and beverages. After the Santa surprise frenzy dies down and the wrapping paper settles, family and friends can enjoy coffee and ham biscuits throughout the morning. Coffee stays hot and fresh plugged into the handy AC outlet on the left side of the server. Bite-sized quiche and easy herb roasted potatoes make for a hearty meal.

A Christmas mimosa adds just the right cheer, and it’s definitely your reward for a job well done.

To see other helpful items from the Tamarind collection, go to www.aspenhome.net/catalog/. In our next blog, we’ll look at how Cambridge goes with a Kwanzaa celebration.