•The height of the bed should also be considered so that there is plenty of room
for air to circulate around the body. Storage beds are not usually a good
choice because they block the flow of air.
•And lastly, take a long look at your room before situating your bed. Many
bedrooms in apartments and modern homes are quite small and only have one way
they can be arranged, so you want things to be positioned the best way
possible. Make sure the bed backs up against a wall and not a window. Don
’t align it with any doorway including closet doors, and anchor it on both sides with nightstands or tables for a feeling of
security. If possible, don
’t push one side of the bed against the wall, as that blocks air flow and room
for you to turn as needed in your sleep. Regardless of how the builder may have
envisioned furniture in your bedroom, face the bed the direction that feels
most comfortable to you.
Many Americans are taking a cautious and minimalist approach to purchases,
preferring to put their money into nesting in place. This translates to a plus
for the furniture and remodeling industries as families make the home cozier
and more functional. They are eating in more and entertaining at home more,
reversing the trends of previous decades when it became popular to meet friends
at a restaurant followed by a movie or the theater for entertainment.
“The post World War II years were a watershed period in American design,” explains Tim Copeland, CEO of Copeland Furniture. The difficult experiences of
the war and the preceding
Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s made people “inherently guarded but optimistic about the potential for a brighter future.
Designers responded by offering furniture that was modest in scale and
ornament, yet stylish and well-built,
” Copeland said. Copeland believes some of the same forces are at work in the
American psyche today, making clean-lined, highly-functional furniture the
right style for the times.
Not everyone is pinching pennies, however. The nation’s affluent consumers are still making luxury purchases, according to the Luxury
Institute. Nearly half of wealthy consumers surveyed said they are becoming
more practical or more budget conscious in their luxury purchases. An
ostentatious vacation may be out of the picture this year, but an investment in
creating a relaxing haven at home is more in line with the new priorities.
Meanwhile, consumers shopping for environmentally-friendly furnishings will have
a wider selection this year with manufacturers producing earth-friendly
products for the home that deliver comfort, style and sustainability.
Eco-consciousness is taken to new heights at Vaughan-Bassett Furniture, a
Virginia based manufacturer of bedroom furniture. Through its
“One for One” reforestation program, the company is contributing approximately 150,000 maple,
oak, pine, poplar, ash and applewood seedlings to the Virginia Department of
Forestry each year. The company has committed to planting one tree for every
tree it harvests.
Ethan Allen is among many companies using timber from forests that are part of
the Appalachian Hardwood Verified Sustainable program. The company
’s new American Artisan collection is crafted from Appalachian cherry, maple and
pine. Ethan Allen is also using water-based finishes on the furniture in this
collection.
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