Mattress Buying Guide Friday, July 6, 2018

In most homes, sleep is a precious commodity. A mattress matters to your overall health and well-being. Consumer Reports recommends a new mattress every 7 to 10 years. If you are concerned about the age and quality of your mattress, it may be time to shop around. But where do you begin? Here’s a handy mattress buying guide that will help you get started.

Types of Mattresses

There are two basic categories of mattresses:

Innerspring: These are the traditional mattresses with springs. They can be all tied together or individually wrapped.

Specialty foam: These will usually be made of different types of foam. Two categories of specialty foam are latex and memory foam.

Beyond these two major categories, there are other types that are a bit rarer. Some manufacturers make air mattresses that use air chambers instead of springs for support. Plus, the darling of the 80’s, waterbeds, are still around. These two subgroups are a specialty market and are not nearly as common as an innerspring or specialty foam mattresses.

There are also beds with adjustable frames like the Serta Motion Plus.

Innerspring Mattresses

The most common mattress is innerspring. They have metal coils inside the mattress with foam and fiber on the top. The lower-priced mattresses tend to use the older style coil in which they’re all tied together.

The more quality mattresses have stronger springs and will be individually wrapped. If the springs are individually wrapped, they contour better to your body and have less transfer of motion. So, if one person bounces around or changes positions, the partner will not notice it as much.

Many innerspring mattresses also offer the added luxury of a pillow top. The Englander King Size Laurel Pillow Top offers plush, quilted layers with the support of an innerspring.

Specialty Foam

Foam mattresses are becoming much more popular, and they tend to get higher customer satisfaction ratings than innerspring mattresses. There are two major types of specialty foam, latex and memory foam. A foam bed will usually have at least one of them, if not both.

Memory foam is probably the most recognized type of foam in bedding. It is a slower-response foam that takes time to return to its normal position. This has the benefit less pressure to the body. Memory foam is often mixed with a type of gel to add additional support and cooling. Some foam mattresses are a bit stuffy.

Latex foam is the other type of common specialty foam. It tends to be more supportive and more durable than memory foam and feels a bit cooler to the touch. However, it is not as effective as memory foam at relieving pressure.

Most of the time, these types of foam will be put on a base of what’s called “poly foam,” which is just a high-density, resilient support foam. Many times, memory foam and latex are mixed.

Foam Plus Springs

Many of the top-rated mattresses offer a mix of both springs and foam. This Beautyrest mattress features an advanced pocketed coil technology combined with multiple layers of advanced memory gel foam. It offers support, cooling action and pressure relief.

You should expect to spend anywhere from $350-$600 on a basic king size mattress. One in the $900-$1500 range is more common for a quality night of sleep. One with all of the bells and whistles of memory foam, individually wrapped coils, and gel could run over $2000.

Bedframe vs Headboard Friday, July 6, 2018

It’s tempting for a do-it-yourselfer to attach a headboard to the wall over a metal frame bed. However, this may not be the best or most cost-effective option for your bedroom. A bed and bedroom are an oasis in your home. For many, it’s the only room of the house they can truly call their own. Finding the right bedroom furniture to create the right place to relax is essential to love your space.

Here are a few reasons why it’s important to buy the entire bed frame and not just a headboard.

• Price

  Headboards alone can be upwards of $300 dollars; the entire package, headboard and frame can actually be easier on your pocketbook. Look at the Marshall Queen size bed. It starts at a price that’s less than a quality queen size headboard. For one price you get a nice frame that matches your headboard and the other pieces in your room. You won’t have to spend extra time and fuss trying to hide that metal bedframe under bedding.

• Style

  You may be tempted to buy a headboard for the unique style you think it will add to your room. But beds can add style all on their own. Many come with gorgeous headboards that attach to the bed and not to your wall. The Kaitlyn Queen bed makes a statement with its oversized headboard. This can easily be the design center of your space. You can play off of a bed like this to create an entirely unique master bedroom. Plus, you have the added style that the bed frame itself brings to your space.

• Ease

  Besides being easier on your wallet, buying the entire bed is actually easier to live with. Most headboards are going to attach to the wall above your metal frame bed. That means unsightly screw holes and some elbow grease to put together the look you are hoping for. And once you attach it to the wall, it cannot be easily moved. With the purchase of an entire bed frame, the headboard attaches to the frame itself. It can be placed in front of a window, at an angle or in the middle of the room. It can also be easily moved at any time.

• Statement

  It’s easier to make a statement with an entire bed. Look at the Chateau King bed. Its posts, along with the headboard, can be the centerpiece of any bedroom. It makes a clear statement on style and comfort. It allows for understated bedding and accompanying furniture. A bed like this can be an anchor of design in a plain bedroom.

Just buying the headboard limits your bedroom’s potential. It limits the placement and style of your bed. It also means extra costs for bed skirts, and more ostentatious bedding in general, to camouflage the metal frame. A bed frame with headboard and footboard is often the better option for price and flexibility.

Fresh Ways to Decorate Your Camp Saturday, June 30, 2018

It can be tempting to just grab a few pieces of discarded furniture, haul them over to the camp, and call it a day. But, your camp is really your home away from home. Why not make it more inviting and relaxing? Just follow these quick and easy steps to make your next trip to the camp a comfy one.

1. Used is OK…BUT

Used furniture for your camp is perfectly fine BUT spend a little money on a few new pieces. If you use an old sofa, add a few new side tables. Or if your old lounger finds its way to the camp, buy new lamps. Mix a bit of the “well-loved” with “will be loved” furniture. You want to feel as comfortable in your camp as you would be in your home.

2. Mountings

It’s easy to put mounted game up on the wall at your camp. It’s a great way to show off your trophies but be sure that’s not all you have adorning your walls. Add family pictures, shelving, travel photos and more! Consider grouping any hunting or fishing trophies together for a more updated look. Maybe limit the game and trophies to one room of the camp.

3. Small Space?

If space is limited, ditch the overly masculine and bulky furniture. Find slimmer pieces and opt for seating that has a dual purpose. Consider footstools that double as storage or a sofa that pulls out into a bed. Perhaps a futon would be a better idea than a full sofa.

4. Rugs

Nothing will tie a place together and make it a bit cozier like a few well-placed rugs. Add a rug to the living and sleeping space. If you have the room, place a few rugs in one room, it will help designate the living space, dining space and sleeping space of a smaller camp.

5. Use the Outdoors

Open things up a bit! If there’s a way to create an indoor/outdoor space, do it! Maybe your screened in porch can serve as the dining area? Make it the dining room by adding all the touches of an indoor dining room. Great lighting, shelves, greenery and more will help transform a simple porch into an inviting room of the camp!

6. Stone and Wood

Not everyone can afford a log cabin, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add rustic pieces here and there. Consider wooden rocking chairs, stone topped tables, or a rustic kitchen island to help a few of nature’s elements in your camp.

Treat a camp like what it is—a second home. Don’t just throw a few pieces in a room and put your feet up. Spend a little extra time adding touches that will make your time there memorable