Shopping For a Sleeper Sofa? Bring This Checklist With You


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A sleeper sofa may be the answer to your space crunch. Though the names vary, the principle is the same: one piece of furniture has two uses. The quality and price of sleeper sofas varies, so shop around. This checklist will save you time and money.

Dimensions. Measure the space where the sofa sleeper will go and write these measurements down. Take angular walls, doorways and traffic patterns into consideration, too. If a sleeper sofa won’t fit your space, a sleeper chair may work.

Style. Your sleeper sofa should fit your decorating style. Of course you may vary your style. A modern sofa may blend well with traditional furniture. Different decorating styles may be unified with color.

Fabric. Microfiber is recommended for people with allergies. “Brighten Up the Living Room with a Microfiber Sofa,” an article on the Microfiber-Sofas Website, says this fabric requires special cleaning products. Check the fabric grade, which ranges from A, the least expensive, to F, the most expensive. According to “How to Choose Upholstery Fabric,” fabric grades vary from one manufacturer to another. Grades are “based on variables like intricacy of weave, fiber content, construction, and performance characteristics [wear].”

Price. A mid-priced sofa sleeper may meet your needs just as well as a high priced one. The prices of sleeper sofas have not continued to rise, according to “How to Buy a Sleeper Sofa,” on the Home Decorating Website. “Currently, manufacturers offer great quality furniture at reasonable prices,” according to the site. Before you buy a sleeper sofa add the sales tax to the price.

Comfort. The only way to find out if the sleeper sofa is comfortable is to lie on it. A good mattress is priority one. The Mattress Insider Website recommends latex mattresses. “This type of sofa mattress tends to be the most comfortable and by far the most durable,” the site notes. You should know, though, that latex mattresses are the most expensive.

One-Step Conversion. Ask the sales associate to pull out the mattress. “You should be able to do this with one motion,” says Mary Whalen, Sales Associate with Hom Furniture in Rochester, Minnesota. Pull out the mattress yourself. Does it come out easily?

Color. Decorators recommend neutral colors like taupe. You can always add pattern and color with pillows and throws. See if the store has a fabric check-out service. Lay the swatch on the carpet or floor and see how it looks in daylight and lamp light.

Delivery charge. Delivery charges in metropolitan areas can be stiff. Find out the delivery charge for your area and also the delivery day. For example, deliveries to your area may be on Wednesdays.

Many furniture stores rely on fabric protection plans for their profits. A savvy salesperson will try to sell you this plan. It may, or may not, be a good idea, depending on your situation. In this tight economy, stores are moving stock with sales, holiday promotions, and coupon deals. Take advantage of these discounts and enjoy your sleeper sofa!

Copyright 2009 by Harriet Hodgson

Antique Sideboard Furniture Shopping

When shopping for the right antique sideboard furniture, you must always be sure you are getting what you pay for. The very definition of antique is something that is one hundred years or older. Buying any antique tends to be costly and the furniture requires delicate upkeep. A more popular trend is to go with an antique replica of a sideboard. Replicas are much, much cheaper and to the naked or untrained eye they look exactly like the originals. An antique sideboard is a must have for any room that needs the special piece to really pull the room together.

Sideboards are not only beautiful, but they are extremely functional as well. Sideboards are great for storing just about anything. The other great thing about a sideboard is its versatility. A sideboard can literally be placed in every room in the house, even the bathroom. They are also great piece to place in the hallway. Antique sideboard furniture can be as simple as a small table, or as intricate as a painted masterpiece. This makes the sideboard easy to place in your home. Whether you are displaying a statue or simply holding family picture frames in the hallway, the sideboard gives the area it is placed in a special glow.

There are my types of sideboards as well. You can get a sideboard with drawers, cabinets, or shelves. Your sideboard may be nothing more than an accent table, but that is enough to ensure the overall appearance in your home is one to remember. There are also many different materials involved in making sideboard furniture. You have just about every type of wood, marble, and various metals to select your perfect piece from. Choosing antique sideboard furniture could be more complex than one would think. You must also decide what types of influence you want in your sideboard. You can have it colonial themed, Egyptian themed, European themed, or Asian themed. The choices for style are as endless as your imagination!

Once you have decided what type of sideboard you want and what style and size fits your home, all you have to do next is decide where to place it. Sideboards are made to help a room reach its true potential by helping you to avoid clutter and add that little je ne sais quoi to your interior design.