Top 3 Reasons to Own a Futon

I feel like almost everyone I know has owed a futon at some point in their life. They are just so convenient! In fact, here are my Top 3 reasons to own a futon:

1. It’s Much Easier to Move
Instead of taking apart a traditional bed, moving it to its new location and then reassembling it all over again, you can much more easily move a futon. Simply collapse the frame and carry it anywhere you want. The actual futon is much lighter and folds in half, making it easy to fit in any doorway.

2. It’s Inexpensive
Futons are much cheaper than beds and sofas, however, don’t mistake low cost with low quality. There are many, many high quality futon frames and mattresses you can buy. Futons are often less expensive than beds and sofas because there’s less material required to make the frame.

3. Versatile
Futons can fold out into a bed or it can easily fold into becoming a sofa or a futon chair. It can double both as living room furniture and bedroom furniture. This saves both space and money. Also, futon covers can be purchased separately, completely changing it’s style, which is convenient if you want to redecorate, but minimize your costs.

Have you ever owned a futon, what has your experience been?

-M

Futons on a Budget

Cheap Futons (but Stylish!)

One of the most popular items on the market right now is the newly improved futon. It used to be considered a clunky, poor-quality guest sleeping space, but now that technology has evolved, practical futons have been introduced to the modern world.

Unfortunately, a lot of these updated futons cost an arm and a leg, so where can you find an excellent quality futon for under $350.00? I’ve pulled up a few different examples from Morefutons.com:

Elite Product Skyline Full Black Metal Futon Frame
$147.95
One of the most practical futon choices – in quality and price! The frame has been treated with a scratch proof powder coat finish, and has been designed to remain durable, even after years of folding.

Hillsdale Geneva Black Full Metal Futon
$175.00
This futon is basically a step above the previous futon – they both feature the same durability stats, but the Hillsdale model has a more graceful contemporary style.

Elite Digit-Flex Sofa Futon - Safari
$175.99
This unique futon has six different folding options, so you can make it go from a sofa, to a lounge chair, to a bed, and more. Ideal for dorm rooms!

Serta Futons Madrid Futon Frame
$209.00
The sleek look of Serta’s futon arms gives this futon a stylish look. Choose between natural wood finish or espresso brown for your futon frame. It’s been designed to be lightweight, yet sturdy at the same time.

August Lotz Monticello Hardwood Futon Frame in English Oak Finish
$314.00
At the top of the budget is the August Lotz futon frame made of solid oak. It has a classic appearance that shows off the grain of the wood. A special feature is their use of dovetail construction – it evenly distributes body weight, reducing the chance of the frame wearing out.

Perfect for back to school, stylish futons at affordable prices!

Growing Popularity of Futons

In the past five years, futons have become more popular largely due to a combination of factors including smaller living spaces, improved designs and the growing trend of furnishing our homes with multifunctional pieces. This once much maligned piece of furniture has fast become a respected member of the furniture community. If a sofa that can be transformed into a bed (or a place to sleep can be changed into a sofa) piques your curiosity, you can browse a great selection of futons at More Futons.

Futons are lighter and more stylish than traditional hide-a-bed type couches. Like the Lifestyle Solutions Casual Convertibles Orlando Convertible Sofa, convertible futons typically come as a complete unit with both frame and mattress. If you are in the habit of having people visit you on a regular basis, you can also put them in more than one room, for example a den and the living room, increasing the available sleeping spaces in your home, with or without the assistance of a guest room.

Manufacturers have responded to the futon’s growing popularity by offering consumers not only improved designs but futons in a range of décor styles, as well. The Strata Furniture Carriage Plantation has a transitional style that is easily adaptable to more formal or traditional décors. But if the vibe in your home is more modern, Innovation USA manufactures some pretty stylish contemporary futons while being super functional at the same time.

In the years since its first tentative North American appearance, technology has greatly improved both the mattress and frame construction of the futon. Part of the bad press coverage futons previously experienced was due to the foam mattress becoming lumpy or hard. But today, several brand name manufacturers of traditional mattresses, like Simmons are producing plush, versatile futons mattresses that make owning a futon very comfortable. Wood futons, like the Elite Products Florenzia Futon Frame include user-friendly hardware that makes converting the futon to a bed almost effortless.

With a growing emphasis on making the most out of our living spaces, it’s no wonder that futons have gained in popularity in recent years.

Shedding the Stereotype

Over the years there have been a large number of consumer products that have come to be associated with a specific social-demographic group almost exclusively. Occasionally, this reality is not exactly to the liking of the manufacturer, who wishes to promote their product with a wider scope of generational or gender-based appeal.

Beginning with its N64 system in 1996, video gaming giant Nintendo began to be more associated with children gamers in comparison to its competitors. The company drifted further into this pre-conceived identity with its GameCube console in 2001, and, for a host of reasons, the company was seen to be losing adult gamers to its competitors - Sony Playstation 2 and Microsoft X-Box.

The marketing strategy that accompanied the Wii console in 2006 was an impressive one that seems to have shed this stereotype for Nintendo. While the radical new physical-response nature of Wii game play surely played a large part in reforming their image, Nintendo's advertising campaign was thoughtfully designed to bring older gamers into the mix like never before. The two stuffy suit-n-tie executives stating a simple "We would like to play" that led to a frolicking good time with young and old alike announced Nintendo's not just for kids anymore.

If only a certain furniture piece of similar Japanese origins should be so lucky.

Since its taking on widespread appeal, the futon has come to be cemented as the domain of cash-strapped youth, dormitories, second-tv basements and the like. Most of us think of bare bones, unfinished wood plank-on-plank assemblies when presented with the term "futon." In truth, however, the futon has grown from its humble origins to be a functional furniture piece that is stylistically viable as well.

A visit to www.morefutons.com will quickly validate this reality. Individuals looking to have the convenience of a hidden bed without the weight and permanence of a convertible sofa will be pleasantly surprised. They'll be pleased to learn that a futon can be as decor savvy an alternative as a sleeper sofa, particularly with the variety of tastefully designed wooden futons and metal futons offered to discerning customers at MoreFutons.

Night and Day Hardwood Futons are an excellent example of competitively-priced wood futons that embody the stylish modern contemporary vibe that is so sought after in today's living spaces. August Lotz wood futons are exceptionally well-crafted and have a similarly distinctive contemporary feel that is more than capable of keeping up with an upscale interior. Big Tree futons are right up this alley as well; refined and attractive to the point where you might think "wow, that's a futon frame?" The fact that they include Simmons mattresses, renowned for quality, is another plus.

Metal futons blend well with more modern themes, and Elite Products makes a number of attractive and modern-styled varieties that feature both quality construction and unbeatably reasonable pricing. For those looking to add the convenience of a futon to an ultra-modern, expressive living space, Innovation USA has the best in eye-catching and artistic / architecturally influenced designs.

There's no limitlessly-funded marketing campaign forthcoming, but perhaps it's time you re-thought the futon.

A Home Office or a Guest Bedroom? Why not BOTH?!

There's one room in your home that doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up. Originally, you intended to use it as a home office, so you bought a desk but when relatives came for a visit, you stuck a bed in there as well. Currently the room is being used as a storage room, and now there's barely enough room to sit down at the computer. With a little bit of creative planning, you will be able to transform it into a functional dual purpose space that will be a welcoming place to work and an inviting room for guests.

Decide first what the room will be mostly used for. If you have a home-based business, or use the computer on a regular basis, then choose the home office as the room's primary purpose. The room's emphasis will determine the type of furnishings you buy and how they will be arranged.

The most important piece of furniture when planning a home office is the desk. Select the smallest size of desk you will be comfortable with. You might be tempted to choose an impressive looking executive desk, but when decorating for a dual purpose room, you will want to use your available floor space sparingly so that you can fit everything in.

To make the room as warm and inviting as possible when used as a guest room, choose enclosed storage wherever possible. Putting office-related peripherals, such as the printer, fax machine and the CPU behind doors, not only controls clutter but helps to make the atmosphere less business-like.

Bookshelves are an excellent choice when decorating a dual purpose room. Even if they are used mostly for manuals or reference materials, a shelf full of books tends make the room look comfortably lived-in. It is also a great place to display mementos and collectibles. When guests are over, place baskets or storage trays in a section of the bookcase or shelving unit to use for items they would like to keep close at hand.

Of course, your home office/guest bedroom will need someplace for your guests to sleep. There are so many alternatives to choose from but the three main categories are sofa beds, futon sofas and daybeds.

Sofa beds, also called sleeper sofas or hide-a-beds, are sofas with a bed frame and bed built into the unit. As needed, it can be unfolded from inside the couch and then retracted when not being used as a bed. Due to the bed mechanism, sofa beds tend to be heavier than regular sofas of the same size.

Because they can be used as a sofa by day and a bed at night, futons are ideal for dual purpose rooms. Once used to decorate dorm rooms and basement bedrooms, today the futon is a popular choice for the living room, family room, den or guest bedroom. Since the mattress sits directly on top of the futon frame, it tends to be lighter and more user-friendly than a sofa bed.

Daybeds resemble a standard sofa, with a back and two arms. They function as a bed and generally do not transform into a couch. During the day, daybeds can be used as a sofa. Since they are essentially a kind of bed rather than a couch, they utilize bedding linens and accessories such as skirts, throw pillows and comforters, and can look quite decorative. For a dual purpose room where the home office is the primary use, a daybed might not be the ideal choice, especially if you need to meet with clients or business associates.

Filing cabinets come in all shapes, sizes and designs. Select one that is stylish enough to be used as a nightstand or end table. If you will be storing sensitive materials in your home office, choose a lockable filing cabinet.

If there is closet space, consider adding a chest of drawers or a small dresser. When not used by guests, it will be a great place to store extra office supplies such as copier paper, notepads, etc. If there is no closet, consider adding a wardrobe armoire. Should that be out of the question, put hooks on the back of the door so that your guests will have someplace to hang clothes, etc.

These dual purpose room design tips will help you create a space in your home that is an ideal work environment for you, but a comfortable place for guests whenever they come to stay.

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.

A Brief and Completely Untrue History of Futons

It was the year 1612 and Japanese Emperor Makaturaki, known as Empy M for short, kept insisting that he was hearing strange noises in his room at night. He was convinced that they were coming from underneath the bed, though numerous inspections proved without a doubt that there was nothing there. He was tired and irritable as these noises, coupled with his intense suspicions of the underside of his handsome king size bed had kept him anxiously awake for nearly a week. He demanded that one of his many servants devise a solution for him, and quickly. Empy M didn’t like to threaten death but he would if it came down to it.

Luckily, one of his men was in the process of developing a space saving mattress that could simply roll out onto a tatami mat and roll back up in the morning. It was made from thick, comfortable cotton batting and, in those days, left absolutely no space between the floor and the bed. It was a dream come true for Empy M. Pleased as punch, he had his sleeping quarters prepared with this newly invented futon and readied himself for his first deep sleep in a week.

Unfortunately, Empy M didn’t last the night. Incidentally something really was in his room; however he was hiding in the closet, not under the bed. He was an assassin and had been attempting to poison Emperor Makaturaki for the past week, but developed an incessant case of hick-ups. These hick-ups are what caused Empy M’s debilitating paranoia and his inability to sleep prevented the assassin from quietly poisoning his victim and making a clean escape.

However, as soon as Empy M nestled into his new futon, his fiery anxieties were cooled, and he zonked out like a drunk baby as soon as his head touched the pillow. A whole week of restless sleep can really do a number on a guy, especially a busy emperor. The assassin took this rare, slumberous opportunity to deliver his lethal poison; just a drop in Empy M’s wide mouth, down his open snoring throat and that was that. Empy M was no longer.

The tale itself is certainly not one to be boastful of. If I were a futon mattress, I would be somewhat ashamed of my treacherous roots. But I am not a futon mattress and if I was I would be an inanimate object…so…there you go.

Most people find themselves a little wary of the futon mattress despite the fact that they are unaware of its scandalous beginnings. They have recollections of staying overnight at friends’ house or spending the weekend at hip Uncle Bernie’s and waking up with an aching spine and riddled with knots the size of cantaloupes. Fortunately those days are over. Today’s futon mattress is much different from how they were made in the 70s, the 80s, and even the 90s. And there are a multitude of options too; not just a fat slab of padding like they once were. Today you can get mattresses filled with memory foam, or mattresses reinforced with a cotton crown.

Futons are no longer something to dread, which is nice considering trips to hip Uncle Bernie’s have revealed themselves to be trips to my creepy, trying-too-hard Uncle Bernie’s and sleep is my only real escape from his never-ending acoustic renditions of Berlin’s 1987 mega hit, Take My Breath Away.

So there you have it. The very brief and very untrue history of futons.

Compelled to Shrink: A Lack of Roots and Residence in the BIG City

Growing up on an island, I’d never felt overly close-quartered or impinged in my accommodations until a job and a woman (the latter being slightly more influential and infinitely more rewarding) drew me out of my idyllic surroundings and into a seething metropolis full of “opportunities.” Much to my chagrin, every month I bleed nearly twice the number of dineros for a one-bed with a view of a taxi dispatch lot, and for which “cramped” is beyond an understatement, as I did for a spacious two-bed and den pad with a huge balcony and ocean views back home.

Inevitable? Yes. Grudgingly accepted? Yes, but with a considerable dose of new-found semi-misanthropy (Just joking…I think).

Demographic trends and the dynamics of supply and demand mean that, in the big city, space = money. Like many young people, I accordingly have little of either, and the king-size Captain’s bed and sectional sofa I’ve admittedly grown attached to over the years are likely doomed to the storage unit long term. In all honesty, I should probably get over the fondness and, ideally, pawn them off on one of my many friends from high school who went into the trades and now sport a family, a mortgage and a truck to pull their lake boat…sigh…

So, in the interest of my newfound urban identity, I’m looking to acquire some less expansive home furniture. Pieces that are more lightweight and more easily disassembled in anticipation of the day I upgrade to an equally miniscule apartment, but one with a preferable view of a four-lane artery and a convenient coin-op laundromat.

For starters, I’ve been considering a platform bed, maybe even a futon, and I’ve been perusing the considerable selection offered by Cymax Stores online at MorePlatformBeds.com. Haven’t made a decision yet, but I keep going back to look at three or four that match the look I want (I’m flexible) and my budget (painfully inflexible). The convenience of shopping from home really works for me too.

I’m also considering a chest as a more upright, less width-oriented clothes storage solution than the double dresser that currently takes up nearly my entire bedroom wall. I’ve seen a few at MoreDressers.com that intrigue me and are similarly priced right. If I could find both and maybe a bare bones nightstand at once that’d be ideal, and to that end I’ve been browsing the selection at MoreBedroomSets.com, a Cymax store just like the first two. I’m not the most décor conscious guy but a matching set might be a nice touch for my meager domicile. We’ll see.

Anyways, it’s nice to know that I can affordably and practically furnish my “cave”, as I half-endearingly, half-derogatorily refer to my current pad, with Cymax Solutions and their online stores.

It Will be Mine…Oh Yes…It Will be Mine

As a product of the mid 80s, I know that I have been exposed to a wealth of sometimes important, oftentimes useless information that I carry with me to this very day. For example, as a result of my date of birth, I know to take careful precaution to Avoid the Noid at any and all costs, as he is a thieving snake who must be stopped. I know that if I ever run into Dave Coulier of Full House fame I will be sure to ask him to oblige me with a Mr. Woodchuck impression. I know that Earthworm Jim for Super Nintendo is the world’s most difficult and unfair video game followed closely by Ninja Gaiden for original Nintendo. Finally I have learned to fear and respect the ever-creepy Treasure Troll, as I am certain that some otherworldly form will one day breath life into them and they will take over the world…but that’s a different story altogether.

In addition to all of these tidbits of knowledge that I store for a rainy day, or a heated game of 90s Trivial Pursuit, I recall that my older sister and all of my friends’ cooler, older siblings all seemed to own futons. Deep within the depths of their dimly lit rooms, right underneath their life sized posters of Eddie Vedder, sat a generously sized futon…sometimes, conveniently taking the form of a couch, peppered with plaid shirts perhaps or ripped jeans; or other times a full-sized bed, ten hole Doc Martens perched neatly at the foot. Either way, the futon seemed to be the staple piece of furniture for the young and modern in the 90s.

I used to dream of the day when I too, could discard my childish sleigh bed, and get myself a great big futon; my rite of passage, my acceptance into the world of the super cool, long haired, Kurt Cobain wannabes whom I had long admired. Sadly…I never got to satisfy my futon dream. I slept soundly, though very un-chicly, in my pine sleigh bed right up until I moved out and now I can’t wait to one day settle into my first perfectly firm, undeniably comfortable futon mattress. I oftentimes find myself browsing MoreFutons.com, ogling their massive selection of sizes, styles and brands. From their massive variety of futon frames to their grand assortment of futon covers, anxiously awaiting the day when I am financially secure enough to purchase a brand new futon of my very own. Until then, I suppose I will have to deal with my boyfriend’s boring spring mattress, which incidentally, does not fold into a couch…and it only makes people worry when you try.