Contemporary Beds for the Contemporary Bedroom

With the appearance of thinking outside the box, contemporary beds are often on the cutting edge of design. Contemporary bedroom furniture is well-known for smooth lines, sleek profiles and the creative use of construction and decorative materials. Beautiful and practical, a contemporary bed breathes new life into the space and in turn, revitalizes you.

Contemporary Wood Beds

A contemporary style wood bed is ideal for those who want their bedroom to posses a clean, uncluttered look, but still include elements that lend the room a warm, comfortable and relaxed look. Contemporary beds with lighter finishes such as birch, pine or maple can make a bedroom appear lighter. But wood bed with a dark rich finish like the Modus Maui Wave Birchwood Panel Bed that incorporates texture will definitely create visual interest.

Contemporary Metal Beds

Contemporary metal beds possess a unique and timeless elegance that is conducive to a tranquil bedroom environment. Metal beds a generally strong and long lasting. Typically the frame of a metal bed will be made of iron. But it's what a designer can do with the metal that makes metal contemporary beds so interesting. When going for a trendy look, choose a contemporary bed like the Hillsdale Neopolitan Metal Bed with its individual bowed design and sleek nickel finish.

Platform Beds

An essential element of the contemporary bedroom is the platform bed. As far as contemporary beds go, there is just something inviting about its low-profile design that literally breathes new life into a room's décor. Platform beds with underbed or built-in storage drawers are ideal for a contemporary bedroom, especially one that doesn't have much storage space to begin with. Maybe because they are closer to the floor or they commonly don't have a footboard, the appeal of a platform bed is its casual air of relaxation.


- E.L.

Full Bedroom Sets vs. Individual Pieces

Why buy a bedroom set?
Full bedroom sets are already professionally chosen and designed to look great together. The style, the materials they’re made from, the various designs are all similar and complementary. Not to mention, they definitely save time and money if you are limited on resources but want a new look for your room.

The great thing is that with full bedroom sets, all the interior designing is done for you. All you need to do is decide where to put each piece. Buying a full bedroom set is usually cheaper than buying individual pieces as well. If anything is missing, then that’s when you’ll want to supplement your bedroom set with added furniture.

Why buy individual pieces?
If you do have a bit more money to spend and are confident in your eye for design, why not invest in individual pieces? By going this route you can make your space more reflective of your personal style, which is also very important. On the other had, if you are quite strapped for cash, you can buy pieces over time, saving up for each one.

What do you prefer: purchasing a full set or buying pieces individually?

-M

TV Armoires for the Bedroom

For most of us, watching television is one of our favorite ways to unwind after a busy day. It is inconceivable to miss even five minutes of NCIS, The Good Wife or Bones. You like watching TV as much as anyone else. But when it comes to the bedroom, you would like to draw the line and leave the television behind in the living room or the family room (where it belongs). What if you're like a lot of us (me included!) who have a partner who likes to watch the late night movie in bed?

What do you do? Compromise with a TV armoire. While it will be on in the room when you want to read quietly or even drift off, an armoire will at least be out of sight when not in use. And maybe your partner will be inspired to use headphones...it could happen. If this decor design solution appeals to you, here are some tips for buying the perfect TV armoire for your bedroom.

TV Armoire Size and Height

TV armoires are designed to hold smaller-sized televisions, typically any type of television, from a CRT TV to a flat screen, 34" to 37" in size, but the actual size of the armoire can vary. Make sure that it will fit the space it's intended for.

You will want the television to be the perfect viewing height when sitting up in bed. The viewing height of the television will largely depend on the height of the armoire's TV area in relation to the height of the bed. Make sure that the shelf the TV will sit on is adjustable.

TV Armoire Doors

So that you will be able to comfortably view the TV screen while sitting in bed, select a TV armoire with 270 degree doors. These types of doors allow you to fold them against the sides of the armoire, out of the way. Another option is pocket doors, which typically slide into the body of the armoire cabinet.

TV Armoire Features

A television armoire will not only hide away the television when it’s not being used, it will also give you more storage options. Give some thought to what kinds of features your TV armoire should have in order for it to be the most useful to you.

Some manufacturers offer a TV/wardrobe armoire specifically designed with both uses in mind. These dual purpose TV/wardrobe armoires have features that allow them to be used as a wardrobe or a TV armoire and can easily be converted back and forth from one use to the other.

Common TV armoire features include wire management, adjustable shelves, pull-out trays for DVD/CD storage and cubbies and/drawers.


- E.L.

Classic Headboards for the Bedroom

Classic headboards are headboards that have a timeless appeal and never (ever) go out of fashion. Style doesn't matter: they can be ultra modern; have a cottage country flair; or possess a stately and formal traditonal elegance. Opting for just a headboard in a smaller sized master bedroom, guest room or second bedroom is a functional way to make the space appear larger, but a classic headboard will give yourbedroom furniture a touch of style and breathe new life into your décor.

Upholstered Headboards

Upholstered headboards can be made from any number of fabrics. They can also be crafted of other materials such as leather, rattan, wicker and vinyl. An upholstered headboard typically adds visual interest to a bedroom's interior design. Especially if you enjoy reading or watching television in bed, it can also function as a backrest.

Metal Headboards

I don't have any proof, but I'm willing to bet that metal headboards have been making a comeback since Bob Dylan first sang "...lay across my big brass bed." Bob Dylan aside, metal headboards, depending upon their decorative detail, can have an Old World charm. There is something about a brass, gold or antiqued bronze metal headboard for a truly classic appearance. If your bedroom furniture is more modern or contemporary, select a metal headboard that is made of polished nickel, aluminum or chrome.

Wood Headboards

Classic wood headboards, particularly when they have rich, warm finishes, give any décor a vibrant and luxurious feel. Because it is made of wood, wood headboards are generally strong and extremely durable. Especially when they include curvy profiles, curving lines and carved decorative details, wood headboards, they can be stately and formal in appearance. For a variation an a classic wood headboard theme, select one that includes metalwork for a relaxing Old World atmosphere.

- E.L.

Apartment Style Design

Apartment Style Design

If you’ve been looking to furnish your apartment space with style, yet function, don’t worry about your limitations. Look at it this way – less space to decorate means less time or money spent on the project!

Of course, creating a floor plan for an apartment or condo can be a challenge. How do you create a living space that flows well without cramping or overcrowding? Check out these key pieces from Online Furniture Stores that are stylish and suitable for small spaces:

When it comes to seating, an armless option like the Distinction Leather Kingsport Armless Chair will take up less space in a living area.

You can select something like the Modloft Park Low-Profile Coffee Table – because it’s so low to the ground, it’s less visible, therefore not taking up a lot of room in your sitting area.

Now what about bedroom furniture?

The best option for a bedroom is a low-profile platform bed set, like the South Shore Furniture Sereno Low Profile Queen Platform Bed 3 Piece Bedroom Set. Buying in sets is always an ideal money-saving option because everything matches and you don’t need to go

out and buy separate pieces. A cool option to bring more light into a room and more storage at the same time is the nexxt by Linea Cameron Floating Wall Mirror.

The slimly-designed mirror reflects light in a room, giving the illusion of more space, and has a clever storage cabinet behind it.

If you don’t have a lot of floor space, you should find pieces that take up space vertically.

The Athena/Apollo Corner Computer Desk Tower can be used in a corner, and features vertical shelving space for your printer, fax machine, books, or home décor. There’s also the BDI Icon LCD Plasma Glass TV Stand – it can also fit in the corner, and stacks upwards, instead of width-wise.

Bringing light into your apartment will give it a fresher, lighter appearance. Why not mix storage space, vertical construction, and lighting into one with the Adesso Wright Tall Floor Lamp? It fits well into any corner, gives off a warm glow, and has three shelves to offer more storage opportunities.

How else can you open up an apartment and make it seem less crammed? Get rid of any dark wall colours! Light, neutral paint colours on the wall make a room seem airy and bright, as opposed to dark shades that cozy up a room and can leave it looking smaller.

Bedroom Sanctuaries by Curt Christian at Cymax Stores

Shabby chic could not even begin to describe our bedroom furniture! Once a pristine white but now forest green, the dresser came from my parents’ house. It followed me to college; then to my first “adult” apartment; and finally to the townhouse we moved to after we were married. The nightstands were rejects picked up somewhere by my husband, and the chest of drawers moved with him from his last bachelor apartment because he refused to pack the contents. The bed had been my grandmother’s and even though it was old enough to be a collectible, the headboard was in rough shape.

The fact that nothing matched really got on my nerves. For the one room in a home that was supposed to be a sanctuary, our bedroom was sorely lacking. I was determined to fix the problem. But the shabby un-chic appearance of our bedroom furniture didn’t seem to bother my husband as much as it did me. After several failed attempts to drag him shopping for new bedroom furniture, I took matters into my own hands.

My husband was right about one thing though: going store to store looking for what we wanted was time consuming and inconvenient. Searching online for bedroom furniture sites, I discovered Bedroom Furniture N More. Browsing their website, I came across an excellent selection of everything I needed, from wood beds to dressers to nightstands, to transform our shabby room into a beautiful and relaxing place to rest, unwind and prepare for the next day.

The Curt Christian Designs by Martin really got my attention, with their rich finishes and unique decorative accents. Available only through Cymax Stores at BedroomFurnitureNMore.com, the collections by Curt Christian were gorgeous and simply stunning! The fact that Curt Christian furniture is eco-friendly was also a huge plus for me.

As much as I loved my grandmother, the traditional-styled furniture just had to go! I wanted something in between; not too formal but not too contemporary either. Because I always wanted a sleigh bed, I chose the Parker Beacon five-piece bedroom set. When I first looked at the picture, I wondered why they would pair a white mirror with furniture that had a rich dark finish. But after looking closer, I realized that the mirror was made of brushed silver steel to match the custom hardware on the dresser drawers. This was exactly what I was looking for – a classic look with contemporary touches for a sophisticated, yet comfortable appearance.

Thanks to Curt Christian, now my bedroom…I mean our bedroom really is a restful sanctuary that is both warm and inviting.

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there was a country called the United Reiterates of Fairy Tales where the characters of fairytales from many worlds and cultures resided in peace and harmony. At the heart of this thriving country’s economy was Cymax Stores, a group of niche markets, where all of the characters did their online shopping, because, no matter what they needed, they could find it on one of the company’s many websites.

The Queen, with the Princess tagging along for something to do, would often be seen at the Public Library, where there was free internet access. Logging onto More Mattresses, she ordered 20 full size box springs and 20 mattresses with a few clicks of the mouse and had them delivered right to her castle. (The pea she took from a big bowl sitting on the kitchen counter in front of the fire when Cook wasn’t looking.)

The family of Three Bears furnished the master bedroom, the guest room and their child’s bedroom at Bedroom Furniture N More, purchasing bedroom sets rather than buying each piece separately, since it was more economical (and Papa Bear really liked that part). Mama Bear appreciated the fact that she could set up a repeat order with Cymax Stores for the KidKraft Avalon Chair in Honey. This meant that every time Goldilocks sat on Baby Bear’s chair, she didn’t have to keep ordering new ones; it was just sent automatically to their quaint little cottage.

Of course, Stepmother bought the now famous mirror from Mirror Source. She actually purchased it long before she married Snow White’s father. It took several days of browsing before she found the Murray Feiss Villa Medici Mirror. But it was worth it; it was so perfect. She had to pay extra for the voice-over that told her she was the fairest one of all. When the mirror changed its mind and named Snow White as the fairest, Stepmother wanted her money back (for the voice-over only; the mirror she wanted to keep).

Like the fair citizens of the United Reiterates of Fairy Tales, you too can find pretty much anything you need for your home, from bedroom furniture (including mirrors) to dining chairs, at Cymax Stores. And everyone lived happily ever after. THE END

Where In the World Are They Going To Sleep?

I live on the West coast. So, when family members or friends phone out of the blue to announce they’re coming to visit, I consider it an acceptable penance for living in an apartment with an ocean view complete with mountains outlined in the distance. Of course I’ll be glad to see them, but the minute I put down the phone, that nagging little question pops into my head: “Where is everyone going to sleep?” Fortunately, More Bedroom Furniture can offer some convenient answers to that pesky question.

If you’re like me and already own furniture, none of which is dual purpose, preparing for guests can be problematic. One neat solution is the Linon Verona Folding Bed. Unlike some fold-away cots, it’s not just the frame; it comes as one unit with a thick mattress included.

When in the market for a new couch, consider purchasing a futon. Over the years, the futon has slowly shed its image as the bed of choice for money-strapped students in dorms all over the world. Today, it has become a trendy must-have piece of furniture, especially for apartment and condo dwellers in the market for multifunctional furnishings that save space. The LifeStyle Solutions Aruba Casual Convertible Upholstered Sofa easily converts from a sofa to a recliner and/or a bed, perfect for guests (expected or unexpected).

They tend to be heavier than a futon, but sofa beds or convertible sleeper sofas offer similar options when you are looking to increase the number of sleeping spaces in your home. Unlike the futon however, the bed is built into the sofa. The mattress pulls out when needed as a bed and can be folded back into the body of couch when it’s no longer needed. Tastefully designed, the Van Gogh Designs Courtney Sofa Bed is a perfect example of just how savvy sofa beds can be.

The daybed is a viable solution when prepping your home for visitors. Essentially a bed, a standard daybed resembles a couch and has a back and two arms. However, it does not convert into a couch, but rather can be used as one. A daybed with an attached drawer-style trundle unit, the Hillsdale Brookland Leather Daybed with Pull-out Trundle provides two sleeping options for the price of one.

Freestanding trundle units are another great way to make room for guests. They are available in a number of types, depending on the manufacturer. The pop-up trundle can be conveniently collapsed and stored underneath a bed when not in use. Another under bed option is the South Shore Furniture Prairie Trundle Bed, which can be slid out from under any sized bed as needed.

Just because you don’t have a second bedroom for guests, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make them comfortable when they come for a visit. With so many options to choose from, adding a futon, daybed or convertible sleeper sofa from More Bedroom Furniture is the perfect way to welcome them.

Those Other Golden Years

It’s commonly understood that post-retirement to the twilight of our lives is the period referred to as the “golden years.” ChildrensFurnitureSelect.com confirms my belief that the dawn of life to pre-school years are just as golden in their own right. Think about it; the freedom to wake and sleep as you please, with little more than eating and playful discovery in between and having your every need catered to in its entirety.

Sounds golden to me.

The truth is every child deserves to have this period of safe, carefree existence before they move on to a twilight in its own sense when they reach those pre-teen years. This marvelous simplicity of life is one we all look back on with fondness and, for most of us, a sense of wistful longing once it has past. The Easter Bunny’s yearly global marathon, the Tooth Fairy’s ceaselessly hectic schedule, and so on and so forth – the innocence of youth has a beauty that is sure to withstand the ages.

Now as much as that famous rabbit has a lot on his plate every March, it’s nothing compared to what Santa Claus accomplishes every December 24^th. All those chocolate eggs don’t even compare to the bulk with which the big man loads his sleigh on that eagerly anticipated evening. That being understood, he does appreciate getting started early and the convenience of online shopping means you can pair your little ones’ formative years with competitively priced children’s products at Children’s Furniture Select.

A dollhouse has a universal appeal for any young girl, and the extent to which these long-time staples of female youth have come of age is quite remarkable. The KidKraft Interactive Dollhouse is like none you’ve ever seen before, as it features a working elevator, on / off lit chandeliers, a playing piano and a kitchen from which drifts the sounds of a meal being prepared. The KidKraft Savannah Dollhouse has all the genteel Southern elegance its name suggests, and they invite you for a tour of the mansion right here!

KidKraft take great pride in producing quality products that will stand up to children’s rambunctious curiosity in the world around them, and they're being recognized with the 2008 Gold Award from National Parenting Publications Awards for its Pink Retro Kitchen and Refrigerator confirms this. This kitchen set is a durable and stylish choice for kids that has been so well received it has been nearly impossible to keep them in stock.

In addition, what little one wouldn’t gush over receiving the KidKraft Firefighter Bedroom Furniture Set, though be forewarned you may be turning down his request for a fire hall pole in your foyer in the near future. Similarly, a KidKraft Deluxe Garage Set will be enthusiastically received by any child, future automotive enthusiast or otherwise.

Cymax Stores is pleased to announce that these products and more will be offered at significant discounts for the holiday season with our sales promotion at Children’s Furniture Select between Nov.28^th and Dec.14^th. Be sure to visit and see what catches your eye as something your precious youngster would be thrilled to find on Christmas morning.

It’s the moments of these golden years that are integral to child and parent alike – make the most of them.

The Fine Art of Arranging Bedroom Furniture

One of the cable stations in my area offers a triple flicks movie night. I park myself in front of my entertainment center armed with munchies, an afghan and a hot or cold beverage (depending on how chilly the day’s been) and don’t move until I need something, and then I only get up in the commercials. At the risk of being politically incorrect, it’s chick flick heaven and it’s my own delicious secret Saturday night guilty pleasure. I’ve never shared this secret with anyone before, until one day after work I took the elevator down to the lobby with a co-worker who made a reference to one of the triple flicks that had aired the previous weekend.

I only admitted to watching the triple flicks movie night on a regular basis because there was no one else in the elevator. When I mentioned that I occasionally would do minor household chores in the commercials, my co-worker reacted vehemently to such a sacrilege. She then confessed to rearranging her bedroom furniture to accommodate her movie night picnic with watching television (for a six hour stretch) in ultimate comfort and without having (literally) to move a muscle.

She put her extra television on a corner TV stand, places the phone on her nightstand and loads up an accent table (brought into the bedroom from the living room for this express purpose) with provisions until it’s time to pick up the phone to order take-out (for delivery, of course). Unlike me, she doesn’t attempt to assuage her guilt with the occasional bout of housework. Her platform bed has been suitably plied with pillows. And there she sits, propped up for a three-movie marathon, in decadent repose.

To my co-worker, I expressed my deep admiration of her skill and expertise. Silently, I officially declared myself as a triple flicks movie watcher amateur. I resolve to do better by buying (immediately) a TV armoire, a cordless phone and extra, extra pillows.

Bedroom Furniture on a Budget

Furnishing a bedroom can be a pricey adventure. It can also be time consuming; going from one retail store to another to match the pieces you want, while searching for the best price can sometimes seem like it's more trouble than it's worth. Considering that, for many of us, the bedroom is not only a place to sleep, but a sanctuary as well, you want to get it right the first time, without breaking the bank.

It might not seem like much of an issue if your nightstand doesn't match the headboard, but the mood of a room is largely determined by the color, material and style of furniture selected, and how each of these elements work together. To ensure that your bedroom will be comfortable, harmonious and inviting, maintaining the consistency of your decor is an important consideration when decorating your room.

Purchasing bedroom furniture in a set online at Cymax Stores offers a number of neat solutions. First, it eliminates the necessity of matching pieces to each other, especially if not all the items you have selected are made by the same manufacturer. Second, a bedroom set is generally cheaper than buying the pieces individually. Third, shopping online allows you to browse and compare products from trusted manufacturers all under one roof-in the comfort of your own home.

Bedroom sets are an economical way to decorate a room because they include basic bedroom furniture pieces in one convenient grouping. A bedroom set may include a number of different pieces such as the bed or a headboard, a dresser, one or two nightstands and an armoire. Most furniture manufacturers will specifically design a number of collections, in a variety of styles and configurations, so that customers can customize a particular bedroom collection to their specific needs.

But even a bedroom set isn't much of a bargain if it turns out not be exactly what you wanted or if not all of the pieces will fit into the intended space. To ensure that your bedroom set will be the perfect fit, here are some things to consider before making the purchase final.

• Take measurements - knowing the dimensions of your bedroom will give a clearer picture of just how many pieces will comfortably fit

• Set a budget - knowing exactly how much you have to spend can inspire you to come in under budget (and maybe have a little extra left over for that must-have impulse item you can't imagine living without)

• Size of the mattress - choosing the size of mattress you want to sleep on before purchasing a bedroom set is important for two reasons: mattress size determines the size of bed you will be buying and some manufacturers will offer certain collections in limited sizes, for example, only in twin and full but not queen or king

• Overall style that you want to achieve - you might fall absolutely in love with a particular bedroom collection but it's just too ultra-modern or traditional to comfortably fit with the existing decor in your home

• What is it made of? - a bedroom set made of solid hardwood will be more expensive than one constructed of engineered woods like laminated particle board or medium density fiber board (MDF)

At Cymax Stores, customers can choose from a wide range of reliable bedroom furniture manufacturers for a comfortable and personalized online shopping experience. Taking time to choose the right dresser, a pair of nightstands and a bed will be time well-spent when you come home after a busy day to the perfect place to relax and unwind.

Fantasy Worlds with Realistic Funds: Children’s Bedroom Furniture on a Budget

For years, I taught in a preschool and kindergarten, and though I learned a lot from the kids, one of the most valuable things I took away from my time at the school was how absolutely loved the children were by their parents. I enjoyed my time with my students and the days were filled with laughter, learning, and play, but come three o’clock, my students would line up against the outside wall of the school, and whenever a parent came down the path, I would dismiss a child, smiling as the little girl or boy ran as fast as they could into their parent’s arms. Artwork was shown off, stories from the day were told, and new songs that we’d learned were sung into their mother or father’s ears.

That school was always a happy place for my students; I took them in as though they were my own, and loved every minute of the time we spent together. But it was kids’ pure joy at seeing their loved ones and knowing that they got to go home that always gave me a sense of peace. Our school was decked out with the best equipment for both educational and recreational purposes, but nothing beats the safety and comfort that a home provides for a child.

Kids grow up way too fast and they tire of things really quickly. You don’t want to spend a lot of money on something that will last just a few years, especially as children constantly seem to be ready for something newer and bigger. You want to spoil your child, but that can be a daunting task to do on a budget. At Cymax, we take your budget into account and have a few tips up our sleeve for you to spoil your child while still being able to save for their college fund… which will be in use sooner than you think.

A child’s bedroom should be a safe haven – a place where they can play, learn, and dream. While there are a lot of furnishing options out there, at Cymax, we assure you that we can transform your child’s entire bedroom into a fantasy world that they will love, all for under $500.

Firefighters and princesses, am I right? Take the KidKraft Firefighter Bedroom Furniture Set. This adorable set includes a Firefighter Toddler Bed that transforms into a fire truck and an inventive Firefighter Hydrant Nightstand for $72. Add a Firefighter Step Stool for $30 and an imaginative Firefighter Clothes Pole for $43. For a grand total of $245, your little boy can live the life that he’s always dreamed of: the life of a hero.

For the princesses out there (and from my teaching experience, there are many) Cymax offers the KidKraft Princess Bedroom Furniture Suite. This stunning set includes a Princess Toddler Bed with four posts trimmed with gold crowns and a nightstand that is sure to add a royal touch to any young girl’s room, all for $172. Add a Princess Vanity Table and Stool for $144, where your little dreamer can get lost in the looking-glass. Finally, for a place to keep your little girl’s fairytale books and keepsakes, Cymax offers a Princess Bookcase for $93. Spoil your little princess with these bedroom furnishings for a total of $421, making it a happily-ever-after ending for both you and for her.

Cymax offers online shopping for products that encourage your child’s imagination and create a safe and fun environment for them to thrive in. My students always seemed ready for the school day, well-rested and relaxed. While in the afternoons, I watched the kids tell their parents all about their school day, in the mornings, I was the one who got to hear about their afternoons and evenings, their mornings before school, and the dreams they dreamed.

As one little girl once said to me: “I can be anyone I want to be when I sleep, but when I wake up, I get to be me again.”

Progressively Less Perplexing

During my late teens, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out the guys (and likely we all know the type) who buy a very ordinary, often used car and then proceed to spend a large portion of their dishwasher or pump jockey earnings on window tinting, pinstriping, windshield decals (make sure everyone knows that’s a Mazda!), mirror dice (bizarre still) etc. etc. The big stereos I could dig–yet I would look at my dilapidated turd-brown 78 civic with a massive dent in the side but with a drum set tucked into the back and a female in the front and think “they just don’t get it.”

Now for those waiting for the token anatomy reference, it’s not forthcoming. I never bought into the inferiority complex theory, but I couldn’t figure out the logic in spending one’s hard-earned money on frivolous expenditures. To each his or her own, no debate, but back then it just seemed absurd to me to purchase non-necessities.

However, since then maturity and the prolonged influence of the missus have given me more insight into the value of decoration and stylistic heightening. It’s still not my thing, as attested by as recently as the late ‘90s my TV standing on milk crates, but I’ve come to have a greater understanding of it.

While on the subject of furniture and housing, my take on headboards back then is a good example. I purchased my first double bed from friends of my parents and it was simply a frame, mattress and box spring. All I needed for 50$. If I remember correctly, my mother suggested I take a similarly wood-finished headboard in the same size that had been collecting dust in their basement. The offer, however thoughtful, was refused in short order; why add weight and bulk to the moves that were occurring painfully frequently every six months or so in those days?

Some time later an individual told me that she felt more secure sleeping under a headboard, and that it added a sense of permanence to the bedroom. Mostly in one ear and out the other, but it got me to thinking. Maybe there was some measure of function to furnishing pieces I had, to that point, considered wholly unnecessary.

Accordingly, for those who have only recently had the same semi-revelation, I happily recommend stopping by moreheadboards.com, a most convenient on-line resource for augmenting your bed’s aesthetic and rejuvenative value. From twin headboards to full headboards to the always popular queen headboards and king headboards, you’re sure to find what best suits your needs. Further, if you’re not as décor clueless as I was (sort of still am) you can match your interior or tastes with a wood, metal, upholstered or wrought iron headboard, or any one of many different types available on the site. Should function be part of the equation, moreheadboards.com similarly offers an impressive selection of bookcase headboards and those that feature headboard reading lamps. Finally, if you’re still driving a dilapidated late ‘70s vehicle, there are more than a few discount headboards available there as well.

If, however, you are so fortunate as to have that aforementioned vehicle frequently include a drum set and a female, don’t let anyone suggest your shortcomings. Those who get it – get it.

Lust, Envy, Greed and the Perfect Bed

There is a bed that I covet. It tempts me daily. It calls out from the apartment across the street, and I swear it whispers my name. I swear it teases me with persuasive words. Every day it invites me: “Come and lie down; rest your weary self,” it says, “and I will envelop you in my comfort.” Sometimes it tempts me in another language, dreamy and enticing. A little on the poetic side, perhaps, but this bed makes me want to speak in symbols, in rhythms and in prose.

It stares at me, with stunning queen-size eyes and a smooth feather-topped skin. With its rich, dark brown headboard and striking frame, strong and unfaltering, it pulls me in and I want nothing more than to run to it, climb under its covers, rest my head on its soft, luxurious pillows and stay there, day after day, in its security and warmth.

There is no doubt about it. I am in love with this bed.

There is only one problem. Well, two. Two panes of glass separate me from this bed. It is not mine to have; it does not belong to me. No matter how much I want this bed, how much I want to make it mine, there will always be an obstruction. This bed can never be mine. Unless I smash through glass and shatter my surroundings (which on some days I feel like doing), I will never get to this bed. But I would do anything for just one full day… one long, uninterrupted full day and night… to roll around on this bed, to fall asleep in this bed, to dream the sweetest dreams in this bed.

I can’t get this bed out of my head. This bed shows up in my dreams, sometimes these dreams wake me, and I have to leave my own bedroom, walk out to the living room, and fight the urge to crash through all necessary windows to get what I covet.

You see, this bed is perfect.

I don’t know who this bed belongs to. In fact, I have never seen anybody in the apartment. Some days I think it was placed there for a reason, right in front of me, serving as some kind of test. A test of seduction. A test that kills me some times, because I know I will never win. A lesson in patience perhaps, or more likely, a lesson in understanding that I can’t always get what I want.

I think I am breaking at least three of the seven deadly sins.

Lust: My excessive thoughts and desires are basic signs of this. Guilty.

Envy: My insatiable desire for someone else’s goods. Guilty.

Greed: I don’t need this bed, but I really really, really want it. Guilty.

You may be thinking I am taking this a little too far. It’s just a bed in the grand scheme of things, right? Wrong. There is no other bed like this. And no matter how great my own bed is, and no matter how comfortable I am there, I will always wonder whether I will get the chance – just once – to spend an entire night and day in this perfect, flawless, beautiful bed.

But for now, all I can do is hold onto the dreams in which this bed shows up. Close my eyes and imagine myself beneath its covers. Listen to it whisper my name and hope that some day, some way, I will find myself there… just the bed and me… and make this dream my reality.

Snooze Bars and Taking Thread

Christmas past, my mother was reminiscing with my grandmother about how she used to be upset with how frequently her son was getting his face stitched up, 5 times in all to be exact. While I’m not exactly DeNiro in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a number of high-sticks, elbows and pucks over the years of competitive hockey have meant 14 or so loops over 4 different sessions. The other time was not so macho glamorous I’m afraid.

As a youth, like many young boys, I had an early morning paper route. I was a reliable paper boy for the most part; you could rely on your paper being on your doorstep every morning, and you could rely on it being dry no matter the weather. However, you couldn’t rely on it being there with any timed consistency as some mornings I’d be out there on my metal-basketed BMX at 6 am and other days I’d only be fetching the papers out of the drop box at 6:40.

Long story short, as a result of a small and cluttered bedroom, my all-important alarm clock was most nights simply resting on the mattress next to me. All too frequently, I would simply have to aim a short slap in the direction of the annoyance to purchase another 10 minutes of slumber without having to become even slightly cognizant. 3 or 4 slaps later, my father would be in the room rousing me and rushing me out the door.

Eventually, my father came up with the idea that locating the alarm on my study desk (which paired with a dresser and bed to make up my entire room) would force me out of the bed and accordingly bring me round and get me out the door on time. It seemed logical enough.

The searing torment of the cacophony that did not cease with my frantic pounding of the mattress around me was indescribable. In a semi-conscious panic, I shot out into the darkness towards the source of the malevolence. Whether I tripped over one of the many items on my floor, or whether my groggy legs failed me, I’ll never know. The underside of my chin bounced off the edge of the desk full-force to the tune of four stitches and many disappointed subscribers.

As a result, the fibrous ridge of skin under my chin is a constant reminder how I really could’ve used a nightstand that fateful morning. A means of keeping the alarm clock just slight out of easy reach so I would have had to step out of la-la land long enough to get a grasp on exactly what I was doing. A bedside table would have taken away the need for the cross-room solution and its chaotic and bloody consequences.

Preventive measures are yours to be had at nightstandselect.com, a division of Cymax Stores Online and a recommended means of ensuring peace of mind at your bedside. They offer a wide selection of night stands for any bedroom, understanding that choosing a bedside table needs to be based on both style and function considering the value it has to the start of your day and its end.

For years I told people a skate had come up and got me under the chin.

This is the Story of a Four Poster Bed

Every so often, my mother would venture downtown of the city I grew up in to shop in one of the major department stores for clothes and other items the family needed that could not be found elsewhere. I usually went along, since my presence was needed to try on clothes and help carry parcels. It was a precisely choreographed ritual: shopping first, then lunch at the store’s paddle wheel-themed restaurant, then a tour of the furniture department. Until I grew “too old,” (translation became a teenager) traipsing beside her looking at furnishings was my favorite mother-daughter outing.

Don’t laugh. She made it fun. She had great style and fashion sense. She’d share little comments about what she liked and didn’t like. She had sense of humor I didn’t appreciate until much later in life, but on these excursions, that is what I remember the most—laughing with my mom against a backdrop of bedroom, living room and dining room furniture groupings.

It was on just such an excursion that I fell in love. We had worked our way through the adult bedroom section and had turned a corner into the children’s area and there it was. My mother, who erroneously thought she still had my attention, continued chatting. On display was a complete French Provincial bedroom set in a creamy white finish with gold edging: a twin four poster bed with a pink, white and gold canopy, two nightstands, a double dresser, a chest of drawers, a writing desk with matching chair and a seat cushion in the same pattern as the canopy and a toy box/padded bench in pebbled white and gold material. I wanted it—all of it—the whole thing. It was the most beautiful room I had ever seen.

Mother had looked at the display and had already moved on. When she realized that I had grown roots and wasn’t budging, she backtracked. Until now, the largest thing I had ever asked for was a bike. After I had stated my request, she laughed…gently and then reminded me that: a) you’d need a very large room to fit all of the pieces on display into one place; b) I had a sister; and c) I shared a room with aforementioned sister.

I didn’t care. I wanted what I had seen. It was so beautiful I just knew that if I had a room that looked like that, it would change my life. I would be a different person; the world would be a better place.

With the single-minded intensity children possess at that age (I was nine), I embarked on a campaign of persuasion—the Battle of the French Provincial Bedroom Set had begun. At the end of the blitz, everyone---immediate family, relatives, friends, acquaintances and strangers in the street knew what I wanted for Christmas.

Christmas Eve arrived. At bedtime, I was told that I had to sleep on the spare cot in my parents’ room since my sister seemed to be running a slight fever and my mother didn’t want me to getting sick too. I didn’t think anything of it—who can you trust if you can’t trust your mother?

On Christmas Day, before any presents were opened, it became quite clear to me that none of them were big enough to hold an entire bedroom suite, French Provincial or otherwise. And although, technically I hadn’t got what I most wanted, I received some pretty neat things. I didn’t say a word about canopy beds. When the living room had been tidied up, I was sent off to my room to get ready to go to my grandmother’s house.

I opened the bedroom door. And screamed. In the place of my old bed was a white four poster bed. No accompanying pieces of furniture; no canopy; no gold edging. I’m a fast learner—I asked for A and got B. End of story. Still, it was a bed of my own and in its own right, it was pretty impressive. It was Victorian, had pineapple tops, turned posts and bun feet. Actually, it was quite beautiful and comfortable. But secretly I harbored an unspoken grudge.

I grew up, I moved out, I moved on, but the bed always followed me. Over the course of several years, it became harder to reconcile a twin size white bed in a full grown woman’s bedroom. When I voiced this opinion to my mother, she said I could always have it restored to its original color. What? Its original color was white. Wasn’t it?

And that’s when the real story of the four poster bed was revealed. At nine, it never occurred to me that my parents simply didn’t have the money for a new bedroom set. They did the next best thing. They found a second hand four poster through a friend of a friend, whose mother was moving out of the home she had shared with her husband and into a small apartment. My bed had been brought from the Old Country by the senior woman’s parents, and my father told me, by his reckoning, must be just over a hundred years old. Made of solid mahogany, my father also mentioned that it broke his heart when he painted it white.

Eventually though, I did take my mother’s suggestion and had it stripped and restored to its original color, a golden coffee color with “light” in it. I had it professionally done and the restorer, after returning it to me in its refinished glory, offered me a great deal of money for it.

At last! I could get my revenge on this Victorian interpretation of a French Provincial dream. But I just couldn’t do it. The four poster bed, in some strange way, was still a connection, after all these years, to my mother, to her ingenuity, creativity and sense of humor. And that, I just couldn’t part with.

From Cradle to Queen: Human Progression and the Philosophy of Beds

There are plenty of significant stages in a life: changes, decisions, and lifestyle choices – all things that are the make-up of who we are. I know, this sounds like a heavy topic, especially for a Monday, but it is that kind of day; maybe because my Sunday was spent with my two nieces and little nephew. My brother and his wife had a family brunch yesterday and I got to hang out with the kids. The great thing about being an aunt is that you have your allotted visiting hours where you become a human trampoline, sit through spur-of-the-moment plays performed from on top of the coffee table, become the subject of scribbled paintings with rainbows, butterflies, flowers and a big bright yellow sun surrounding you, and play with Dora the Explorer toys, but you can give the kids back to their rightful owners at the end of the day – hyper and filthy.

The kids change every time I see them, even if it has only been a week. It is both awesome and scary to watch. Laura, who just turned four, can write the names of everyone in the family and made place cards for the table. Michael, at only eleven months, runs around the house and is not far behind both sisters when he takes a stab at climbing the stairs. But it was Fiona, the two-year-old, who showed the most change yesterday.

I opened their front door, and as Fiona came running at me with a hug, she exclaimed in a very proud voice, “I got a big girl’s bed!” Before I could grab a (much needed) coffee from the kitchen, the two girls and I were on our way upstairs to Fiona’s room. Close to the ground, with a bed rail for safety, there was her new bed, gleaming almost as much as Fiona, who stood beside it, shoulders back, proud as could be.

Next, I was lead by the hand into Laura’s room, where I was faced with a loft style bunk bed, complete with a ladder (a ladder!) to get up to the mattress. Laura giggled with excitement, grabbed onto the ladder and started to climb. Out of habit, I stood behind her, hands shadowed around her body, ready for a fall. But up Laura went and I had to accept that this girl – who now comes up to well past my belly button when she stands in front of me – has taken the leap, has made the change from toddler to a competent, sturdy little girl. For reassurance, I peeked into Michael’s room next, and was relieved to see that his baby crib was still in use. I don’t think I could have handled three bed changes in one morning.

I was unusually quiet through brunch, looking back and forth from niece to nephew to other niece, wondering when the hell they grew up without me noticing.

Beds aren’t usually associated with philosophical thinking, at least not for me. At least not until yesterday. But it did get me thinking: the type of bed we have goes hand-in-hand with the stage of life we are at, even when we are well past our childhood. There is a natural progression of bed styles with the natural human progression.

We are born and we spend three months in an infant’s crib at the side of our parents’ bed. We start moving a little too much on our own and are put in a bigger crib, like Michael’s, where we can pull ourselves up with the help of the bars. We turn two or three and the cage disappears; we get a “big kids bed” like Fiona’s, with a bed rail for the first little while, until we get used to the blissful openness. Lucky kids get the privilege of a cool bunk bed or loft bed, like Laura’s, and when we reach our teens, we graduate to a day bed, and the last stage of young adulthood is spent in that terribly uncomfortable, but perfectly multi-purpose futon.

Ah, the futon. The futon that followed us through college to our first apartment; the futon that acted as a best friend: the one piece of furniture that lasted through move after move, apartment after apartment, bedroom after living room after bedroom. Childhood years bring multiple changes in beds for sure, but I think the most significant jump in one’s stage of maturation is leaving the futon behind.

I got married last summer, and my back has never felt better; I am sleeping better than I ever have (and not because my relationship is boring). We both came into the relationship with our trusty, worn-out futons, and soon realized that if we were going to make this “forever” thing work, the futons had to go. Not quite ready to part with them, our storage locker is at maximum capacity, but we both know that, despite the sentimental attachments we’ve made with our futons, we never want to spend a restless night on them again.

We looked through tons of mattresses from Cymax, and when the queen arrived, it was right then and there when I realized: I am an adult. I am leaving my childhood, my dorm life, my twenties behind, and I am a real live, well-rested adult.

My nieces and nephew will grow and their beds will change along with them, and although I hope to mature in the psychological sense, I’m 5 foot 3 inches with no hope of vertical growth, so on my luscious queen-sized mattress I will stay, happily and comfortably. Forever, even.

Bunk Bed Envy

Andre and I; we laughed, we dined, we philosophized, we cried. We drank fruit juice and compared combat strategies for Street Fighter. We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and exchanged crusts (my brown for his white), but at the core of our often deep and always meaningful conversations was the ever present divider which had plagued most of our relationship. You see, Andre had a bunk bed and I did not.

At first it was hard to overlook. I found myself very distrustful of his generally cheery disposition and wide smiling eyes. I felt ashamed of my own pallid complexion and overall dismal demeanor. I didn’t like the way he carelessly ordered expensive, sugary Tahiti Treat with his gelatinous Protein Delight in the lunch room, while I, sickly with anxiety and incurable seriousness, ordered a moderately priced, virtually sugar free V-8.

Oh to have a bunk bed! I would longingly dream; to know what it felt like to be so utterly carefree. To know that there was no reason to hide when it was ‘time to go to bed’. Nothing to dread because you weren’t really going to bed with a bunk bed; oh no, you were going to your own personal sleep playground. Bunk beds are like kid therapy. I knew that if I only had a bunk bed, I would jump higher; I would run faster; I would tan better; I would become the kid I always wanted to be.

There were a few times that Andre and I allowed this deeply seeded severance to surface and discussed our unfortunate division,

“I think my cousin is sleeping over this weekend,” Andre mentioned casually, “I will probably let him have the top bunk – oh…sorry Alvin…I wasn’t thinking about your…situation.”

“It’s O.K. Andre,” I shakily replied, sloughing off how hurt I really was, “I understand.”

“You know, you should really get your mom and dad to go to cymax.com to buy you a bunk bed. Can’t they see what that boring, soul-sucking four poster bed is doing to you? You’re miserable, you’re sick! I can’t take it anymore!” Andre was screaming; he was smoldering with equal measures of guilt and fury, “You know what man? I have to lay down…I need to think things through. What kind of a world do we live in where one kid gets a bunk bed and the other doesn’t…how are we supposed to live, to coexist when there are still divisions like this in life? I thought this was the 21^st century!” With his last exclamation, he slammed his small fist down onto the old lunch room table and his Tahiti Treat toppled and spilled to the floor. Blood red fruit juice sped through the cracks between the gritty lunch room tiles, until finally it lulled to an ominous stop.

Andre got up, faked a stomach ache and was sent home for the rest of the day. When the end of the day finally rolled around for me, I too made my way back home. As I kicked through the falling leaves of October and heard their dehydrated crunch under my L.A. Gears, I thought of Andre, lying on his bunk bed, contemplating my sad bunk bed-less life almost as glumly as I so often do. He was a good friend, that Andre.

When I finally got home, I was overwhelmed with the sense of something strange and new. The air was thick with a feeling altogether different from the one I was used to. It was sweet and clean, sugared with a mood not unlike that of the Hamburglar Jail at McDonalds…wondrous and magical. No one was in the hall when I walked in, nor was anyone in the living room or the kitchen. The basement was empty and so was the sunroom. Finally I walked up our aged, creaking steps towards my bedroom. The door was closed, which was unusual, and I could hear the muffled voices of my parents from within. I also heard the familiar tone of Andre saying something about remarkably simple assembly. I threw open the door and my mother, my father and Andre all whipped their heads towards me, wide eyed with surprise.

But I was the one who was truly shocked.

The three of them were in the process of building me a brand new bunk bed from morebunkbeds.com! It was glorious! Absolutely glorious! A clean, metal ladder glistened with the glow of fun and excitement while the fantastically designed safety bumper on the top bunk sang to me, the songs of carefree youth and happiness. I was experiencing feelings I had never known before. I felt my joints relax and a cherry warmth flow to my cheeks.

“How did you…how did you manage…I….I?” I stuttered; words and thoughts trampled other words and thoughts and I could barely muster my appreciation.

“All we did was go to morebunkbeds.com! It was incredibly easy. The customer service was impeccable, the website was a breeze to navigate and with zero shipping costs and speedy delivery, all we had to do was ready our credit cards!” My mother explained simply, waving a screwdriver in her hand as she spoke, accentuating the finer points.

Andre stepped towards me, a tear in his eye, “Now we never again have to suffer the burden of bunk bed envy. We are free to live the lives we were meant to, without the hindrance of this superficial segregation.”

Together, we mounted the bunk bed, each of us flooded with joy and emotion; and from then on, things were different. I was a changed kid. For the better I think, and Andre and I never suffered another moment of awkward bunk bed envy.