New Beds Becoming Fast Friends With Your Mattresses

Feb 9
18:44

2009

Phil Pendleton

Phil Pendleton

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Shopping for new beds provides some unique things to think about. You might say, “I can flip my mattress onto any bed, no big deal right?” With the many new materials found in mattresses specific bed foundations are now being required. This article takes a look at the many choices in new beds available to you and provides a good guide for planning your shopping trip.

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What should we all be looking for in beds? We just need something that we can throw our mattress onto. Seems simple,New Beds Becoming Fast Friends With Your Mattresses Articles right? That’s not always true. There is actually a lot riding on finding the right bed. The wrong foundation can damage your mattress. Built in storage may help you to eliminate unnecessary chests or dressers in a crowded room. Believe it or not picking the right bed may be the most important part of designing your bedroom décor. In this article we’re going to explore choosing the right bed for you and discuss the many types available and what they will bring to your bedroom.

First you need to ask yourself a question. What kind of furniture styles do I like? Figuring out the style of furniture you like plays a big part in helping to narrow down your selection into beds you’ll find ascetically pleasing. Generally furniture is divided up into three main categories. The three categories are traditional, transitional and modern. Traditional furniture features classic designs that carry over through the centuries. Many of these pieces feature mission style craftsmanship or old world appearances that capture times long ago. Transitional furniture takes design elements from traditional styles but places a modern spin on them by bringing in new features or styling that allow you to interpret the furniture in new and different ways. Modern furniture chooses to move in a contemporary direction by breaking the mold in traditional design and tries to be bold in the way materials, colors and designs come together.

The next thing you need to ask yourself is what does this bed need to do? Well, besides the obvious to be a home for you and your mattress. The question is does your bed need to provide other useful features? Bed manufacturers today have become quite innovative in their approaches to design. They have done this by incorporating under bed storage, built-in night tables and lift mechanisms that raise the entire bed foundation up. Some incredible features are available in beds. Whether you think you need a feature or not it’s a great idea to explore the many different bed models that are available and see if your bedroom could benefit from some of the new designs that are out there.

Another thing to decide on is what materials are important to you in your bed. Beds are typically manufactured in your choice of either metal or wood. Metal beds will most often be made from tubular steel which can be shaped and bended into unique designs not possible with wood. With metal any number of colors can be applied. In wood beds you’ll find a wide range of domestic and import wood being used depending on the manufacturer and whether or not the beds are made in North America or if they are imported in. Domestic beds will typically be made from woods like ash, oak, maple and birch. These are very strong hardwoods that have proven themselves well over the centuries by dedicated furniture craftsmen. Import beds typically are made from tropical hardwoods such as rubber wood. Rubber wood is actually a close relative of maple and exhibits many of the same characteristics of domestic hardwoods. Some manufacturers may also decide to make beds from real wood veneer. Veneers are a great way to make a real wood product but to help keep the overall cost down for the consumer. Real wood veneer products can offer the same strength and durability that solid wood products offer and can also be controlled better in terms of warping and grain appearance which can be very tough to manage in solid wood products which is the reason for the higher cost. There are many styles of bed designs that are not possible with dimensional lumber that are possible with real wood veneer products.

One last thing to consider is the foundation of your bed. If you’re using a mattress only you’ll want to look for products referred to as platform beds. These are beds that have built in foundations that use either slats or panels and will provide your mattress with the correct support. Watch out for latex and memory foam mattresses that need solid foundations. If you are looking at a bed made for a mattress and box spring combo consider your current mattress set and make sure it will look right with the bed. Specifically make sure the height of your mattress and box spring won’t cover up your headboard. The same can also be said for mattresses being placed on platform beds too.

This article was intended as a guide to help you consider some of the things to think about in a new bed purchase. Choosing between traditional, transitional and modern bed styles will help you to narrow down your search for a new bed.  You should decide if your bed will need under bed storage built in, lift mechanisms or other features to help enhance the function of your bedroom. What materials should your bed be manufactured from. Perhaps you have a preference between wood or metal beds. Consider this when you’re out shopping. Finally give some attention to the type of foundation your bed will need. It all depends on whether you’re going to use a mattress set or a mattress by itself. Following these suggestions should help you find the exact bed you’re looking for and make your shopping experience that much easier.