Modern Furniture

Here is an idea of window treatment married a petite drapery to a display shelf. It appeared in a kitchen, but is here adapted to a bedroom.

Buy two ready-made wood brackets (the kind that can support a shelf) from a lumberyard or Home Depot. Mount them on either side of the window, making them flush with the top of the casing (or higher, if you want the illusion of a taller ceiling). Cut a shelf as deep as the brackets and set it on top. Edge it with molding, if desired. Paint the shelf and brackets white.
Now set a slim tension rod (from any hardware or fabric store) between the brackets. Float a lightweight, floor-length sheer from the rod. Set a few lovely objects or vases on the shelf. It will make a handsome display and draw the eye up, implying height.

For an elegant but economical window treatment you can try to install matchstick blinds in a window frame and hung a pair of heavy starched white linen panels in front. Sunlight could slip through the matchstick blinds, hut when the linen drapery was drawn, the bedroom had privacy.

Neither the blinds nor the linen was costly-but both looked it because of one key detail: give the floor-length linen curtains an ultra-deep hem. A hem should be of 14 inches if your ceiling feels low, 20 inches if it’s high, or anywhere between that looks right to your eye.

It is surprising how many homes include a spare room that is kept like a shrine in a permanent state of waiting for someone to come and stayu, if your spare room is not occupied for more than a few nights a year, it could be put to better use as a study or playroom. You do not need to shun guests altogether - equip the space with a sofabed, which can provide sleeping space at short notice, and you will simply be getting double value out of a single room.

When choosing a new mattress for your modern bed, start by evaluating the old one. Do you like the size? How about the support? Also consider the size, and sleeping or lounging habits, of the people who will be using the mattress. A comfortable bed begins with a comfortable, quality mattress and a good foundation, such as a box spring or raised platform.

Basically, there are two types of mattresses; innerspring and foam. Innerspring mattresses come in the same standard sizes as bed frames; king, queen, full (or double) and twin or (single). Innerspring mattresses are composed of springs connected in various ways: open springs, individual springs aligned in rows within the mattress; continuous springs, a network of connected wire instead of individual springs; and pocketed springs, with each spring enclosed in its own pocket. Pocketed springs are considered to be the best.

The comfort of an innerspring mattress is also greatly affected by its wire gauge and spring count. The lower the gauge of the wire, the stronger the coil. The heaviest, or strongest, you’ll find is 13, and 21 is the highest, or lightest. To determine whether a mattress has a good coil count, remember that twin mattresses should have more than 200 coils, and larger mattresses should have at least 300 coils. Also check the quality of the cushioning and insulation that are added. The more layers, the more comfortably you’ll sleep.

Foam, futons and waterbeds are alternatives to the traditional innerspring mattress. Consider a foam mattress if you need to fit an odd-size or antique bed. A foam mattress can be easily cut and tailored to fit almost any size or shape of frame. A good-quality foam mattress can be just as comfortable as an innerspring.

Originally from Japan, futons were first made of cotton batting inside a heavy fabric casing. Contemporary futons are essentially the same except they usually have an extra layer of foam or other padding for better durability.

Waterbed mattresses have improved dramatically; they now come with comfortable foam edges or use baffles to control wave motion. A “hard-side” model has a vinyl mattress, liner and heater encased in a frame. A “soft-side” waterbed looks just like an innerspring mattress. Soft-side waterbeds are usually composed of easy-to-fill tubes that sit side by side in an upholstered cover. A polyurethane liner is used to contain the water in case of a leak. Be sure the vinyl is at least 20 millimeters thick to protect the cover against leaks.

The traditional American bed has a standard steel frame and usually comes without a headboard. Bed frames come as separate pieces; the headboard, footboard and side rails are assembled to form one unit. Today, many bed frame styles, such as the look of traditional brass bed frames, are reproduced in lacquered wood.

The headboard is the element that dictates the decorative style of a bed. Rattan or wicker headboards have a casual, contemporary feel, while headboards made of fine woods, such as mahogany or walnut, create a more traditional look. Padded or upholstered headboards have a soft appeal. The ideal headboard is functional as well as attractive. For example, headboards with built-in storage are ideal options for bedrooms with limited space.

The four-poster bed frame creates a traditional quality in a bedroom, while cozy canopy beds create the feeling of a room within a room. Canopy and four-poster beds require high ceilings and a large space, or they can easily overwhelm a room. Platform beds are raised one or more steps off the floor and often feature some kind of storage space built into the frame. These beds require no box spring because the mattress sits directly on the platform. Futons and waterbeds require special frames suited to their specific mattresses.

Futon bed frames are usually made of wide wooden slats attached to a simple frame. The slats are spaced closely enough to keep the futon from sagging, and far enough apart to allow air to circulate around the mattress. Many futon bases double as sofa platforms as well.

Waterbed design has evolved dramatically since its introduction in the 1960s. For these beds, a good-quality frame plays an important role in the support of the waterbed. It is not so much the weight of the bed that is a concern-waterbeds weigh about as much as a refrigerator - it is the stress on the sides of the frame.