[?]Subscribe To This Site
|
A Budget Guide to Bedroom FurnitureThe most important bedroom furniture, of course, the bed; more specifically, the mattress. Of all the places to save and all the ways to cut costs in furnishing a bedroom, this is not one. By this I mean to include the box springs, too, if they are part of the unit. Always get the best mattress you can afford. If you calculate the number of nights you (or someone) will be sleeping on it, the cost of a good mattress is really only pennies a night. There are lots of places to research and buy mattresses, both on- and off-line, so it's worth your time to look around. Be sure to check out the mattresses shown in the "Arthritis" section of A word here about dealing with a small room- sometimes a traditional bed set-up just doesn't work. If that's the case with you, a daybed may be just what you're looking for. If you're doing a child's room and bunkbeds are in your plans, here's a helpful article on buying bunkbed mattresses. Once you have arranged for a comfortable, healthy mattress, it's time to think about storage needs, even before you look at all the beautiful, coordinated bedroom furniture suites. Because, really, a furniture suite with a dresser that isn't big enough and a bedside table that doesn't have enough room for bedside stuff usually means that closets are crammed too full and extra things end up in boxes in the corner of the room. Not a great look. So let's get the storage issue out of the way now. You've probably seen or heard about the television shows where people come in and force you to sort through all the items in a room, get rid of everything not vitally important in some way, and organize what remains. The rooms always look incredible afterward, clean and neat and nothing like the before pictures. The thing is, you can do that yourself, without the pressure of a television crew and camera, and without all your friends and neighbors knowing just how much stuff you really have. So go through the room, clear the clutter, and then we'll talk storage. Ready? Okay, let's start with the closet. It's amazing how much will actually fit into a well-arranged closet. StacksandStacks A time-honored solution to storage problems is the cedar chest, also known as a hope chest or blanket chest. I'm a big fan of this traditional furniture piece, as this page shows. Storage isn't just about putting things away neatly. It's also about being able to find and retrieve things when you want them. Clear storage boxes are great because you can see what's inside so you don't have to open lots of containers to find what you're looking for. If you have non-clear containers that you want to use, take the time to make a contents list for each container. An index card taped to the outside works well and doesn't cost much- or just use paper cut to size. The idea is to see what's inside the container without having to pull it out and open it up. You've de-cluttered and stored and you have a good bed, so now what? Consider how the room will be used. Depending on your budget, the size of the room, and what besides sleeping) the room will be used for, there are lots of furniture The idea is to plan for all the activities of the room and purchase your bedroom furniture accordingly. Don't miss these other pages on bedroom furniture:
|
