Bed and nightstand
It can be frustrating to select new bedroom furniture that will satisfy your taste, match your décor and provide adequate storage. The same can be said when you move to a new home and have to cram your existing furniture into a smaller space than what you are accustomed to. Here are a few ideas to consider and evaluate as you shop for new bedroom sets.
(Click on pictures to enlarge them.)
Instructions
1. For an efficiency apartment you may need to combine seating and sleeping functions into one piece of furniture. If this is your situation, shop for futons or sleeper sofas to meet this particular need. A futon is essentially a mattress that is about 8" thick. When shopping for either of these check to see if it opens and folds smoothly. If it is something that you will be using daily and for a long-term it is worth investing in a good one. They come in a variety of sizes, depending on the width of the sofa or futon. They range in size from twin (found in a fold-out chair), double and queen although they may be a tad shorter than a regular mattress.
2. Buying a bed frame requires other decisions to be made. Measure your bedroom and consider the various sizes available. If you will have a headboard and a footboard remember that you will need to allow approximately 4" to the length of the bed for each of these. If your room is on the smaller side you may want to skip the footboard. Visually, they can make the room appear even smaller. Inspect how the underneath is made - are there an adequate amount of slats provided to support the box spring and mattress? Here are the usual sizes of what is considered a typical size bed:
King: 76-78 x 80 inches
California King: 72 x 84 inches
Queen: 60 x 80 inches
Double or Full (standard): 54 x 75 inches
Twin: 38-39 x 75 inches
Extra Long Twin: 38-39 x 80 inches
3. Moving beyond the bed, most bedrooms need some additional storage. If the bedroom has a roomy closet then you will want as substantial of a dresser or chest of drawers as there is room for. Look for a piece that has different size drawers to be the most versatile. Deep drawers work quite well for larger items but smaller items such as socks just turn into a mess if they are in too big of a drawer. There is no way to keep them organized. Smaller drawers work best for organizing smaller items. So choose a piece that has both deep and shallow drawers. If your room has a small closet then you may need something more like an armoire with a hanging bar, drawers and shelves for good storage solutions. Shelves are often easier to use than drawers because you can see what you're looking for without rummaging through stacks of clothing.
4. Nightstands are a convenient piece of furniture often included in bedroom sets to hold lamps, alarm clocks, eyeglasses, tissues, books, telephones etc. They are most useful if they have at least one drawer for additional storage. They should compliment the bed size and should be between 27 - 33 inches high.
5. Inspect how well the furniture is made. The surfaces should be smooth, the drawers should open & close smoothly and the insides of the drawers should also feel smooth to the touch. Pull the drawer all the way out and look to see if it appears to be made squarely. The corners should be dovetailed. The bottom of the drawer should fit into a groove in the front & back. Poorly made drawers may have their sides nailed or glued on. Over time, temperature changes and humidity may cause lesser quality drawers to swell and have loose joints. Ideally, drawers should sit on a single center rail or on double side rails for smooth operation when opening and closing. There should also be a stop at the end so that they cannot be pulled all the way out by accident. Higher quality furniture will have a panel of some sort between drawers so that items will not fall into the drawer below but will be caught by the panel.
6. Before you go shopping draw the bedroom out on graph paper and draw in the furniture to see how it might fit and play around with how you may be able to arrange the furniture. Try to allow at least 36" minimum on one side of the bed for some floor space. A bed crammed into a corner is harder to make. Drawing the bedroom out on paper should help you decide what size bed will fit in your room. You can even mark it off with a tape measure, and put objects down such as magazines or books to mark where the corners will be. This will give you a good visual idea of how the furniture will fit into the room. If you are shopping for a sleeper sofa allow a minimum of 4 or 5' in front of the sofa to have room to fold it out. If you will have a coffee table in front of the sofa make sure you can move it easily and have a plan for where you will put it while the bed is in use.
7. Another suggestion when shopping for a bed is if you will be sharing the bed, both individuals should go shopping together to select a mattress. Many people like to lie down on the mattress to get a feel for it before purchasing. Keep in mind that a 5 minute test rest may not translate to the best rest after a full night on it. One cannot always be sure if you are getting the right support from a 5 minute test. The mattress should support your spine and have some give at the key pressure points where your body sinks in. Not all mattresses "fit" everyone. Make sure you inquire about any satisfaction guarantees the store may offer. Will you be able to exchange it if you are not satisfied? Older style mattresses are typically 8 or 9 inches thick. Many newer mattresses though have pillow tops and are much deeper - anywhere from 12 - 15 or 16 inches. Remember that if you are going to purchase a deeper mattress than what you've had in the past that this will also mean shopping for new linens to fit. Allow for this in your decorating budget as well.
8. Ask about the manufacturers warranty on the product. Many mattresses have a sample on display with a side cut out so you can see how it is constructed. The most common type of traditional mattress is called an inner-spring. This means it has coils inside surrounded by layers of padding and upholstery. In most cases the more coils in the bed the better it should wear. Typically a double bed will have around 300 coils, a queen will have about 375 and a king should have about 450-600 coils. If one mattress is higher priced than another ask the salesperson what makes it different from the cheaper one. Is it the construction or the warranty or something else?
9. Alternative types of beds include water beds, adjustable air mattresses and memory foam mattress beds. These alternative beds can be very expensive but offer some unique qualities for people with bad backs or for two people with different requirements who share a bed. They are worth additional research if you have a difficult time finding a traditional mattress that meets your needs. Water beds have been a popular choice for many years but keep in mind that they can be heavy and may require additional support below the floor.
10. Finally, daybeds are essentially a twin size mattress on a three-sided decorative frame. They usually do not have a box spring but sit on a link-spring platform. They often have trundles or drawers underneath for storage. Because there is no box spring the mattress quality is very important on a daybed.
Tags: will have, drawers should, that will, your room, 38-39 inches, additional storage, bedroom sets