Post by Craig Jenkins.

Hey all. It’s been an unseasonably warm November and December so far, hasn’t it? Well if forecasts are to be trusted, that might be over. Winter weather might finally be coming on for the kill. Are you ready for sub-zero temperatures, epic snowstorms, and the like? (Or if you live in California or someplace with a more tropical climate, are you ready for… wind and rain?) I’m not. I am going to miss 2011’s graciously extended sweater weather season, although I will enjoy the extra time in bed that the colder temperatures normally lead to.

Speaking of beds, I wanted to run through a quick bit about purchasing a new mattress. Long story short, to pillowtop or not to pillowtop? Pillowtop mattresses come with a comfy layer of padding on the top side that serves a couple of practical purposes.

Firstly, a pillowtop mattress will often have the advantage of feeling softer overall than its counterparts on the market. This doesn’t necessarily make it the best thing on the market as some people prefer soft sleeping surfaces, while others prefer firmer, more supportive ones. As always, it’s a matter of personal preference. Pillowtops also provide a protective layer for your mattress itself, as they contain a buffer between the coils and your body. Comfort and support for both you and your bed.

Now on the flipside, pillowtop mattresses are not wired to be used on all sides. They can’t be flipped (see what I did there?) over like their normal innerspring counterparts can be, and flipping the mattress periodically is key in extending the lifetime and lasting firmness of the mattress. Now don’t think this counts them out. By no means. A series of clever mattress designers over time came up with one-sided pillowtop mattresses that don’t need to be flipped and keep their form without the need to be rotated top to bottom. So again, it really comes down to personal comfort and preference. Best of luck as always in finding the perfect fit. Take care.

Tags: bed, bedroom, biltmore mattress, Charles P. Rogers, mattress, Pillowtop mattress

Post by Kyle St. Romain.

You can get a good idea about the overall mood of a home by peeking inside its closets. A spacious, well-organized closet has the ability to inspire awe from its onlookers all the while making your life pleasant and Zen-like. On the other hand, a stuffy and cluttered closet does just the opposite: the neighbors start to gossip and you cannot ever find what you’re looking for. Dreadful.

If your closet makes you feel anxious or overwhelmed or you’re simply looking to make an easy change in your life; do yourself and your clothes a favor: invest in some closet organization.

In the bedroom, a cluttered closet (even when the door is closed) can actually be detrimental to your sleep and drain your energy. Closets are said to be a reflection of your overall life. Hidden mess sends out the same bad energy as a visible mess, you just can’t see it as easily. Nevertheless, your messy closet is still there, haunting your subconscious. Thankfully, therapy for closets both big and small can be a relatively inexpensive, quick and painless affair.

First, you need to look in your closets and assess the situation. What kind of things are you keeping inside? Are these items absolutely necessary to (a) own in general and (b) store in your closet? In other words, what is the purpose of your closet? Closets behold some of your most valuable items within; treat the space with the dignity it deserves and keep from comingling unrelated items as much as you can.

Once you have determined the general purpose of your closet (storage, clothes, linens, etc.…), you need to maximize the useable space. To help do this, pretend you’re living on a boat. Every nook and cranny needs to have a purpose. Redesigning the layout of your closet can dramatically increase its efficiency and this organizational stage of the process will make or break your closet. Spend some time carefully planning how to use your available space. If there aren’t enough shelves in your closet, buy or build some. Don’t give into those same old excuses.

If you need help with your closet, there are many companies available to assist you. Alternatively, you may consider increasing your storage space with a specialized piece of bedroom furniture such as an armoire or chest of drawers, which can also double as a great accent piece to the room.

Do you have any closet horror/success stories? We’d love to hear them!

Tags: antique bed, brass bed, Charles P. Rogers, closets, Design, iron bed, leather bed, linens, mattress, platform bed, sleigh bed, wood bed

Post by Craig Jenkins.

You know how we’re always advising you to try the bed out and see what works for you? Today we’re going to demystify the whole “trying out a bed” process and give you some helpful tips for taking a bed on a test run. Now, your experience with a bed or mattress will likely change over time, and it often takes days, even weeks to get fully acclimated to new bedding. That said, there are a few good tells when you’re in the showroom right in front of the thing and have a few minutes to poke, push, and prod your way to a decision.

First and foremost, if it’s the mattress you’re checking out, hop on and get into your comfort position. Is the mattress too hard? Too soft? Roll around a bit. Does it make noise? Can you hear or feel springs? Does it bother you? The ideal sound is next to nothing. Showroom mattresses tend to be next to new, so anything this is doing that it shouldn’t be should be taken into serious consideration.

If it’s a bed frame you’re looking at, give it a shake. Ideally, it shouldn’t move much, if at all. Does it wobble? Give it a tap. How hollow does it seem? Is it heavy? It should be.

If you’re looking at a bed and a mattress together, you want to take all of the above into account all of the different uses you have for your bed. Are you a TV in bed kind of person? Is that footboard going to be too high for you to see over? Is the angle of the headboard going to bother you when you’re sitting up reading by your desk lamp before bedtime?

Even though you can’t always get a feel for the way a bed and/or mattress is going to behave in the long run, you can certainly get a glimpse of how it will work in your room and how it will compliment (or in the worst case, hinder) your bedtime experience. Take advantage of the opportunity to try out a bed whenever it comes to you. You’re going to spend a third of your life there. You want it to be a comfortable time. Take care.

Tags: antique bed, brass bed, Charles P. Rogers, iron bed, leather bed, linens, mattress, platform bed, sleigh bed, wood bed

Post by Craig Jenkins.

When you’ve decided that you want to make a beautiful wood bed the centerpiece of your room, the question that immediately follows is: what color? Picking the right finish for your bed is just as important to the selection process as choosing a design, a size, or any other aspect of choosing what bed you want. It isn’t an exact science, and as always, it depends on your personal preference.

First and foremost, you need to ask yourself if you’re going to mix or match? Some people like all the furniture in their room to be of a piece, to be similar in grain, stain, etc. Others aren’t as rigid in their preferences, and those people are faced with the task of seeing what two (or more) shades really pop when brought together in the same space. Neither side is exclusively right or wrong. Some rooms with matching furniture look great while others can look stuffy because of their lack of colors. Similarly, some rooms with that blend multiple shades of wood across different pieces of furniture pass while others fail for their use of so many different colors.

As always, you are the conductor, and your own personal creativity and sense of style will guide you to the right look for your room. If you’re in the market for a new wood piece for yourself, don’t forget to ask for swatches! Take care and good luck.

Tags: antique bed, brass bed, Charles P. Rogers, Design, iron bed, leather bed, linens, mattress, platform bed, sleigh bed, wood bed

Post by Kyle St. Romain.

You’ve worked hard to make your bedroom a relaxing retreat from the daily grind. You have the smell, lighting, beddings and décor just right. The whole ambience fits your qi like a favorite pair of jeans. Unfortunately, many of us are only able to enjoy this masterfully planned escape during the few moments leading up to and shortly after we go to sleep. What if there was a classic design element you could incorporate into your bedroom that also allowed you to extend your bedroom’s useful time? Well there is. Let me introduce you to the world of the bedroom seating area.

A sitting area, or boudoir if you are into the French thing, is a great design element to incorporate with your bedroom. Adding seating area transforms your otherwise single purpose room into a more functional suite, giving you additional seating to enjoy conversation with your significant other or catch up on that new best seller you’ve been eyeing.

Bedroom seating areas are a great way to reinvent your bedroom and find a new appreciation for your private space, but what exactly goes into a bedroom seating area? Glad you asked! In essence, a bedroom seating area is nothing more than a few carefully selected pieces of furniture arranged in a particular area of the bedroom. For example, in a smaller room the seating area may be as simple as a comfortable chair, soft blanket and a stylish reading lamp. Even easier, you could place a small sofa at the end of your bed to achieve the same result.

On the other hand, elaborate seating areas often include a love seat, several side chairs, a small coffee table and a couple lamps. In larger bedrooms, the seating area can be centered around a fireplace or some other architectural element. If you’re adding a new seating area to your bedroom or redesigning an existing one, don’t get caught up trying to turn your bedroom into something it’s not. The perfect seating area is the one that compliments your existing space. Remember that in the bedroom, simple is good.

Looking for bedroom inspiration? I recommend you check out Houzz.com, which also has an iPad app offering the same service. Houzz provides thousands of select interior design photographs from which you can draw inspiration when designing your new bedroom or redecorating an existing one. Do you have any thoughts on or experiences with bedroom seating areas?

Tags: antique bed, Bedroom Seating, brass bed, Charles P. Rogers, iron bed, leather bed, linens, mattress, platform bed, sleigh bed, wood bed