Great Ideas For Bunk Beds, Loft Beds, and Futons

The selection of beds and bed frames on the market can sometimes be overwhelming. Hopefully we will provide you with some great information to help you select the perfect bed arrangement for you and your family. The first step is to analyze the amount of space that you are dealing with. This will help you to narrow down your choices. If you have 4 children and only 3 bedrooms, a great alternative is bunk beds. Kids love them and they work well when space and number of rooms is a challenge. Loft beds, which are similar to bunk beds, also work well in smaller rooms. The bed is up off the floor 6 feet allowing for ample storage or work space underneath. Futons are great for the family room to use as seating by day and sleeping by night if you need room for company.

Let's talk a bit more about bunk beds. If you have small children sleeping in them, we highly recommend a few things. First, the beds must conform to the current safety standards which do tend to change from time to time. Make sure you buy from a bedding retailer who has been in business for some time and is experienced. Installation can be challenging so if you can't do it yourself, hire a professional to do it for you. This same advice goes for loft beds. Because the person is sleeping off the ground at quite a height, correct installation is a must. Futons are much less complicated. Futon frames often come assembled and the hardest part will be carrying it from the truck to your family room.

Loft beds are simply beds that are raised off the ground by six feet. The space below the bed can be used as storage, desk space or whatever you may need the room for. They come in twin, full and queen sizes and you can often find them made of maple, birch or oak. They are a great idea for spare bedrooms and adults alike feel comfortable sleeping in them as opposed to bunk beds. Because they are so high, it is recommended that the mattress be 7" or less. If not, the person in the bed may be a bit close to the ceiling. You won't have this problem with futons though. They sit on the ground like a normal bed. They are extremely comfortable and come in a variety of woods.

Refinishing Your Own Furniture

Like many of us, I am not the best woodworker. However, I still like the idea of making my own furniture. I just do have the finances to outfit a home workshop like the ones you see on television. I can, however, apply stains and finishes. Staining and Finishing only requires some basic tools and experience. Plus, if I totally mess up a piece of furniture when finishing it, all I have to do is to remove the finish and start all over again.

Some of the basic tools you'll need are: sandpaper in various grits, some good
paintbrushes, rags, and a ton of patience. If you have an electric sander, that speeds
up the sanding process but isn't required. I use a small orbital sander that both
vibrates and swirls for a smooth finish.

In my town, there are a couple of stores that sell furniture for just these types of
projects. They are usually called "unfinished furniture" or "raw furniture" stores.
They typically have a good selection of furniture in pine, oak, and other species of
wood. You'll usually find a good selection of furniture ranging from simple
bookcases, armoires, coffee tables, all the way up to complete dining room sets.

With a raw or unfinished piece of furniture, one of the toughest decisions is how to
finish it. Again, you will have several choices. You could simply paint it a color to
match your décor. Or, you could stain and finish it with a clear top-coat. And with
stains, you have a myriad of choices. You could stain it a natural-looking wood
color, or you could stain it a more vibrant color like red or purple! The main
difference between staining and painting is that paint is opaque and cover the wood
surface. Stains are transparent and let the beauty of the natural grain show through.

Your top-coat, or clear-coat on top of the stain can be either flat, semi-gloss, or
shiny. The new water-based polyurethane finishes are easy to apply, quick to dry,
and a snap to clean-up. And there aren't a lot of nasty fumes with them.

Popular options right now are hand-painted finishes. You can paint your unfinished
furniture to look like a charming folk piece or something from a French country
cottage. And if you are up to the challenge, you can apply a faux finish with paint to
your unfinished furniture to make it look like anything from stone to steel!

The most important thing to remember when you are finishing your own furniture,
is to have fun, take your time, and don't worry if it doesn't turn out exactly as
planned. Sometimes the best looking pieces are not the ones you started out trying
to create!

How To Care For Your Leather Furniture

Leather is the most durable fabric used for furniture today. Although leather is so resistant to harm, it is always wise to take precautions when taking care of you’re furniture in order to ensure it always looks great. Where you decide to place your furniture is very important if you want it to last a long time. Leather should not be placed within two feet of any direct heat source, including fireplaces, radiators or heating vents. Direct sunlight should also be avoided, because over many years the leather will begin to dry out and fade.

It would also be wise to place your leather furniture [http://www.online-houseware-source.info/houseware-furniture-1.php] in a place where many people will not be constantly rubbing against it causing irreversible marks. Most marks can be removed with leather conditioners, but over time there will probably be wear and tear that you cannot fix. Cleaning your leather is also very important for keeping it young and beautiful. Each week you should dust it by rubbing it down with a cloth. This keeps the leathers pores free of any dust particles. If someone happens to spill food on your leather you should wipe it up immediately with a wet cloth and liquid hand soap. More serious spills such as blood, urine, grease, wax or ink should be removed using a leather cleaner immediately after the spill occurs. When you first buy your leather, you should apply a protector to ensure years of beautiful furniture. After this you should be cleaning your leather thoroughly four times a year. You should be using a professional leather cleaner and then seal it again with the protector.