Sleeper sofas are a great way to dual purpose a room for the occasional guest. The most important thing to remember when shopping for a sleeper sofa is to try it out. Open it up on the sales floor and lie down. If you are not comfortable, then your guests won't be either. Many retailers now offer mattress upgrades for their sleeper sofas. If your sleeper will be getting frequent use, an upgrade is worth the extra money. Be sure to open up the sleeper yourself. Chances are if you can't easily get it open in the store, you won't be able to easily get it open when an overnight guest arrives.

Remember Martin Crane (Frasier's dad) and his favorite chair? That eyesore is what many people think of when they hear the word "recliner". Contrary to that image, motion furniture today is available in many fashionable styles that can be included in almost any setting. Hidden release mechanisms, tucked-away foot rests, and wall-away construction provide great function without compromising style. The options in reclining furniture are virtually endless. In addition to the motions of recline rock, swivel, and glide, some manufacturers include features such as built-in massagers, heating pads, cup holders, storage cubbies, phones, laptop computer sockets, and even coolers. Power mechanisms, long the norm in Europe, are becoming more common in the US market. New designs in motion furniture have been created for home theater settings. In addition to reclining sofas, loveseats and sectional sofas, one of the latest trends is found in a modular approach that allows you to join together individual reclining units at the arms. These arrangements can align flush to one another, or they can form an arch for optimal screen viewing.

When you purchase wood furniture, no matter the function, there are several quality indicators to look for. The type of wood, the finish and the construction should be scrutinized when looking for a quality piece. We also have helpful checklists for buying Beds and Bedroom Storage, Dining Sets and Occasional / Accent Furniture, and Entertainment Centers. These guides will help you understand differences in quality construction and help you find furniture that will withstand the wear and tear of modern life.

Beds consist of four major components: headboard, footboard, rails, and slats. The headboard and footboard frame the bed at the head and the foot of the bed, rails run along each side of the bed, and slats span the interior space to support the mattress. Rails can be made of either wood or metal. When you go shopping, be sure that you are looking at the price of the entire bed, and not just an individual piece. A bed frame generally refers to a metal bed support system that can be used alone or attached to a headboard, or a headboard and footboard. Bed frames for queen or king size mattresses incorporate center legs for added support.

Beds consist of four major components: headboard, footboard, rails, and slats. The headboard and footboard frame the bed at the head and the foot of the bed, rails run along each side of the bed, and slats span the interior space to support the mattress. Rails can be made of either wood or metal. When you go shopping, be sure that you are looking at the price of the entire bed, and not just an individual piece. A bed frame generally refers to a metal bed support system that can be used alone or attached to a headboard, or a headboard and footboard. Bed frames for queen or king size mattresses incorporate center legs for added support.

Whether you dream of dazzling dinner parties or cozy family get-togethers, your new dining set will play a major role. The great news is that there is a style out there for everyone. But with so many choices, there are certain considerations you should keep in mind. Estimating Needs The first step you should take before you shop for any kind of furniture is to measure the room it will be placed in. The dimensions of a dining room should inform not only the size of the table, but the general shape as well. A dining table doesn't have to be rectangular. The shape of a table can change the overall impression of the room size. There are great expandable options in round and square tables as well. To get an even better idea of how the space can be laid out, use our online room planner. That way you can tryout round, oval, square and rectangular tables to see what will fit best in the room before you go shopping.

Before you begin your shopping trip, take some time to think about your requirements. This guide will help you hone in on what you need. Measure the space Home office furniture varies widely in scale, so the first step anyone should take is to measure the room, or the space within a multi-function room, it will be placed in. Don't forget to measure the doorways. Many furniture returns are made because the furniture can't be moved into its intended room. Try laying things out with an online room planner to get an idea of how you want to set up the space. Power and Connectivity Next, consider whether or not there are outlets, phone jacks, or internet ports access in the immediate area and plan your furniture placement accordingly. You will save yourself a lot of frustration if you plan for these necessities in advance. Attention to this detail will also allow you to line up power strips, battery backups and the like before you put the furniture in place. Otherwise you may end up doing a contortionist act to plug in your computer.

The right occasional furniture can make or break a room's design. Like a great pair of shoes that completes an outfit, finding just the right combination of style and function is a challenge. Occasional furniture is not optional furniture; occasional furniture is an important functional component of a room that should be chosen with care and consideration of many different factors.

Advances in the design of entertainment centers have kept up with the advances in home electronics. Whether you want to hide your electronics away or highlight their sleek design, there is something on the market to suit your needs. The wide-screen dimensions of new TVs don't often fit in older entertainment centers. Many newer designs are adjustable to accommodate different sized TVs; however, you should still measure your TV before you go shopping for an entertainment center. Measure all three dimensions: height, width and depth. Technology has changed a lot in recent years, so you should not assume that all set dimensions are pretty much the same.

Few furniture purchases have an impact on the quality of your life than mattresses do. A mattress can be a signficiant investment that has a noticable effect on how you feel each day, so it pays to do your homework. With a dizzying array of choices it's hard to know where to start. This guide will explain the options so you will know what to look for when you are shopping. You don't think twice about test driving a car, so you shouldn't think twice about "sleep testing" a mattress. Don't be embarrassed! (Okay, ladies wear comfortable pants instead of skirts while shopping.) Lie down on the mattress for several minutes and assess how well it provides support and how comfortable it is. Lie in the position you normally sleep in. If you share a bed, both of you should lie down together. The only way to tell if a mattress is right for you is to lie down on it!

Your mattress is one of the most important pieces of furniture in your home. In fact, you'll spend a third of your life on it. That's more than the time you spend watching television or sitting at a computer. No other piece of furniture contributes so profoundly to your health and well being. Buying a mattress is a decision that you should carefully consider. Since most people replace their mattress every seven to ten years, you'll have to live with your decision for a long time.

The Better Sleep Council is a non-profit organization devoted to educating the public about the importance of sleep to good health and about the value of the sleep system and sleep environment in pursuit of a good night's sleep. Following is their list of 10 Tips To Better Sleep.

Bonded Leather is ground up pieces of leather held together by an adhesive and coated with polyurethane to protect and give the look of leather. Bonded leather products can contain anywhere from 10-99% leather, the remainder being fibers and adhesives. Bycast leather is similar; it is scraps of leather coated with polyurethane to bind together. Bonded leather comes in a variety of colors and textures - these products are not the faux leather you remember from yester year - the quality of these blends has come a long way since their debut to the furniture scene in 2007. Bonded leather sofa prices are generally 2/3 of what a genuine leather sofa would cost you - that's a HUGE savings!

We know how important it is to find your child a bunk bed unit that is safe, reliable, and affordable. This shopper's guide, will hopefully simply the process of choosing which style is the right one for your child.

You've got the house, apartment - now what? Some people love decorating their home, while others, well, dread it. While picking out furniture, lamps, artwork, rugs, and accessories - many people find it overwhelming and even stressful. Here are some of our ideas for putting those finishing touches to make your house a home, without the stress and without breaking the bank!

You've just brought home your new sofa, love seat, chair - here are some simple tips to help protect your investment and keep it looking fresh and new. Before you do anything, it's a good idea to read the label usually placed under the base cushion or visit the manufacturer's website for furniture care information.

So you've recently purchased bonded leather furniture or are considering it and want to know how to care for it. Bonded leather gives you the look and feel of genuine leather at a great price. The quality of these products has really come a long way, offering all kinds of textures, colors, and styles, fooling even the most discriminating eye. Bonded leather is made from ground up pieces of leather held together by an adhesive and coated with polyurethane to protect and give the look of leather. These products can contain anywhere from 10-99% leather, the remainder being fibers and adhesives. Bycast leather is similar; it is scraps of leather coated with polyurethane to bind together.

Leather furniture offers a luxurious look and feel versatile to many décor styles. Here are a few tips on how to clean and care for your leather furniture to help prolong it's good looks and make it last for years to come.

From the runway to the living room, hot trends in home fashion can take the style of a room from simple to stunning. Incorporating trendy furniture into home decor is an easy way to add style without having to make costly renovations.

Solid Solid wood is milled from a single 3/4"-thick piece of hardwood. Because of its thickness, a solid hardwood floor can be sanded and refinished over several generations of use. Solid wood flooring expands and contracts with changes in your home's relative humidity. Normally, installers compensate for this movement by leaving an expansion gap between the floor and the wall. Base molding or quarter-round is traditionally used to hide the extra space. Engineered Engineered wood is produced with three to five layers of hardwood. Each layer is stacked in a cross-grain configuration and bonded together under heat and pressure. As a result, engineered wood flooring is less likely to be affected by changes in humidity and can be installed at all levels of the home.

Protect the natural beauty of your Shaw Hardwood flooring Shaw Hardwood products, with their ScuffResist finish, provide superior wear; easy, no-wax care; plus superior resistance to staining from all common household products such as coffee, shoe polish, lipstick, acetone, mustard, and more. A few simple maintenance steps, however, will help protect your investment and keep your Shaw Hardwood flooring looking like new. For cleaning, make sure you...