Discount Bedroom Furniture Set Buying Guide
By Joel Walsh

You don’t want to break the bank buying bedroom furniture. But you don’t want to break the bed because you bought cheap. You don’t have to sacrifice quality for affordability, or affordability for quality. But you do have to keep your eyes open and your expectations realistic. There are plenty of furniture manufacturers that will be more than happy to part a furniture fool from his money.

Why Bedroom Furniture Craftsmanship Is So Important

Why does bedroom furniture so often seem to give out before the rest of the house’s furniture? Because it’s usually used more frequently and more heavily than any other furniture in the house.

Guaranteed frequent use.

For many people, bedroom furniture will get used more consistently than any other room’s furniture. Even if you spend all day at work and never turn on your TV, you’ll still begin and end the day in bed.

Heavy use.

No one is a gentle creature in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning.

Toss and turn in bed? Better hope your bed joints can take it.

Who remembers to use a coaster for a glass of water in the middle of the night? If your nightstand’s finish is just sprayed on rather than a genuine varnish, you can expect that water glass to leave some pretty nasty scars.

Your nightstand will get a good rattle when you hit the “snooze” button. If the pieces are just loosely bolted together, there’ll be some damage within a few years.

Your bureau drawers will be yanked open and slammed shut. If the drawers are sliding on metal rather than plastic runners, you might just yank the drawer and pull it right out.

Of course, you could treat the furniture delicately. If that’s even possible to do when you’re tired, it would be a great way to bring a lot of stress into the room.

Considering that you may spend a third of your life in the bedroom, why not make it nice?

Judging Quality Discount Bedroom Furniture

You can find both good and bad furniture at just about any furniture store. Furniture stores tend to be a bit like car dealerships that way. But some stores can be worse than others.

In particular, be wary of any of the new bedroom furniture lines being sold by discount department stores. Kmart and Target, in particular, have moved into the furniture business with mixed results. According to a recent New York Times article, when a professional furniture craftsman checked out the “designer” pieces at Target, he found a lot of reason to believe the furniture wouldn’t last. The biggest cause for alarm: parts that were bolted together without also being glued.

When parts are only bolted together, they will inevitably start wiggling just a bit. As time goes on, the wiggling will pull the bolts loose. Then one day when you slam the “snooze” button, the nightstand will go crashing down beneath it.

Materials are of course as important as workmanship–at least when it comes to price. Everyone knows that hardwood costs more than particle board. But not everyone can spot particle board right away. What does “oaken” mean? Just because something looks like oak, doesn’t mean it’s oak.

If every inch of surface is covered in some kind of veneer, check the materials label on the furniture’s tag. Every piece of furniture you buy should have some kind of label like this. If you’re buying online, the website’s description of the piece should say what the materials are. If not, take your business elsewhere.

Want a shortcut for finding well-made discount bedroom furniture? Try looking for furniture from a respected design company. An Ethan Allen table sold in one store should be roughly as good as an Ethan Allen table sold in another. Of course, these brands are expensive. You can cut down on cost by comparison shopping online just as you would for electronics or cars. You can even buy the furniture online and have it delivered to your house, the same as from an offline furniture store.

Wherever you buy your bedroom furniture, just make sure it’s quality. After all, you’ll be spending a third of your life in it.

Joel Walsh is a freelance writer. Check out this online store for discount bedroom furniture set: http://www.bedroomfurnitureusa.com

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Buying Furniture Online Can Be Safer than Offline
By Joel Walsh

Furniture sales have historically been a major area of consumer complaints. Luckily, there are a number of reasons why buying furniture online may be safer than offline.

No Fast-Talking Salesmen

Many complaints say the furniture salesperson made promises that were not kept. In reality, furniture salespeople don’t always know what they’re talking about. The actual fulfillment of furniture orders is often handled by a different department, or even a different company.

Not having salespeople hanging around makes online furniture shopping lower-pressure.

It’s All in Writing

By their very nature, online furniture stores have to put a lot of information in writing. The written policies regarding shipping, warranties (if any), and customer service will almost always be easy to access. (Hint: look for links to written policies at the bottom of each web page.) The fact that everything is written down gives the online furniture store much less wiggle room to change the terms of the deal.

Tips:

• Save or print out the web pages that describe the furniture you have ordered and the web pages for important policies and guarantees (which may change after you order), along with any confirmation pages or emails. That way, if you ever have a dispute, you have a firm basis to make your case.

Photographic Evidence

Almost as good as online furniture stores’ paper trail is their photograph trail. A common consumer furniture complaint against offline stores is that the furniture that was delivered did not look like the model in the showroom. With online furniture stores, you are buying based on a photograph. You can save the picture onto your computer in case the delivered furniture does not meet expectations. If you make sure the model name or number is included on the order form at checkout, you can also double-check what the model looks like by going to the manufacturer’s website.

Less Delivery Wiggle Room

Late shipments are another common complaint against offline furniture stores. Furniture frequently arrives as much as one to two months later than salespeople indicated.

Online furniture stores will generally ship directly from the warehouse within a few days to a week of your order. Once again, you can easily check the written shipping policy for more exact information.

Another great thing about online furniture stores is that they are generally using third-party delivery companies. If you get the name of the delivery company while ordering, you may at least be able to check with the delivery company itself in the event of a late order. A third-party delivery company makes it a little more difficult for the store to claim the furniture is in transit when it never shipped.

Credit and Finance: Fewer Traps

According to the website consumeraffairs.com, furniture stores’ financing deals are notorious for breaking laws regulating credit and loans. That 0% interest deal might not be as great as you thought if it comes packed with expensive penalty charges. Or you might find that the qualification requirements are too high for most people to get the low rate. Worst, since it’s the furniture store that’s making you the loan, you’ve essentially already paid them before taking delivery of the furniture. If you later find out your furniture is going to be delivered unacceptably late, you may have a hard time canceling your order. The situation is no better for cash.

Online furniture stores generally do not offer financing. Instead, they accept credit cards. If a furniture store does not deliver the merchandise as promised and will not resolve your complaint, your credit card issuer may be able to help you in your dispute. In an extreme case where the furniture does not arrive or arrives in bad shape, your credit card provider may be able to force a refund.

Better Business Bureau’s Convenient BBBOnline

Many consumers who have complaints with a furniture store turn to the Better Business Bureau. But if the store is not a member of the Better Business Bureau, the Bureau can do little to help. Contrary to common belief, the Better Business Bureau is not a government agency and cannot enforce judgments. The Bureau primarily works to resolve disputes between consumers and its member businesses.

With online furniture stores, it’s easy to check for Better Business Bureau membership. The store should have the BBBOnline logo displayed prominently on the order page. Click on the logo to be taken to the BBB.org web page for that store. The web page should say that the store is a member in good standing.

With the BBBOnline, the Bureau’s ecommerce program, you can dispute a sale without having to go to the local Bureau where the store is headquartered, anywhere in the US.

Of course, if you’re too trusting and don’t look for written policies, Better Business Bureau membership, or save receipts, you can still be snookered by online furniture stores. But you could also be taken in by offline furniture stores. For a careful shopper, online furniture stores make it much easier to dot all the I’s than it would be offline. The experience is straightforward, low-pressure, and mostly in writing.

In short, while you should always be careful, online furniture stores make being careful a lot easier.

Joel Walsh is a freelance writer. Check out this website for a Better Business Bureau-member seller of discount bedroom furniture: http://www.bedroomfurnitureusa.com

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Furniture and Home Furnishings for Your Home
By Roger King

Choosing home furnishings for any room is a major piece for the primary activity of
the room, which must be considered first, the sofa in the living room, the bed in the
bedroom, the desk in the office. This piece in most cases should face the focal point
of the room. A long empty wall can be made into a focal point by grouping pictures
over a long narrow table.

Large pieces of furniture should be evenly distributed so as not to put the room off
balance. Leave room around them for the best affect. In selecting home furnishing
pieces, keep the architectural shapes in the room in mind. Try to balance pieces
opposite one another.

Be conscious of the light in the room when selecting and placing your home
furnishings. A dark cabinet may disappear in a dimly lighted alcove. Bright pieces
may seem garish under a picture window. Break up the horizontal lines of the room
by mixing in taller items.

Think about the use of the room as you place the home furnishings. If you typically
eat or drink there, is there a place to set your cup or plate down? Is there enough
storage for books or CDs? Mix hard and soft surfaces by adding rugs or fabric-
covered tables to a room otherwise filled with wood, metal and stone.

Once you have decided on a color scheme, bring your samples home. Look at them
at different times of the day, and in both natural and incandescent light. Keep in
mind that darker colors will tend to fade over time more than lighter ones. Be sure
to take into consideration any existing home furnishings pieces that will remain in
the room as well as the various wood finishes present.

About The Author: Roger King has been writing articles on home decorating ideas for several years, and has been helping people find and review the best value for interior design solutions. Visit his web site http://www.all-homeinteriordesigns.com for free tips and guides for your home improvement projects

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A Study of Furniture Elements for Smaller Bedrooms
By Shrinivas Vaidya

When we enter any bedroom the first thing we notice is the
furniture. All humans always see interiors and all decorating
ideas that are executed in “elevation”. This means we always
see the face of the furniture.

Every object in the bedroom large or small has a direct relation
to dimensions of the human body. This relation with our body decides
the comfort level in a bedroom. If a double bed is oversized, it
will naturally occupy more floor space by reducing the volume
of empty space. That’s why proportions of every furniture piece are
vital to maintain comfort levels.

Let’s examine some important factors about bedroom furniture units.

1) Double Bed….

This piece of furniture occupies the maximum amount of floor
space. A typical double bed measures about 1800mmX1800mmX450mm height.
Of course this is a comfortable sized bed but can vary depending upon
the requirements at the interior site.

Double beds come in steel/wrought iron/wooden frames. The most
important point to note here is that 80% of the structural
framework gets covered by linen. The mattress, bed sheets, pillows
cover most of the part that supports the load of the users.
That’s why the real beauty of a double bed lies in the linen used.
Linen defines the shape of a double bed to some extent.

The patterns and decorations used on the linen also ads to the
overall design theme of the bedroom. The headboard of the double
bed (the part of the double bed which stands behind the head when
we lie down on the bed) is a prominent feature and can be
used effectively by using semi-circular shapes.

One creative use of the headboard is that we can add artificial
lighting in it by providing blur glass and the effect of
indirect lighting can be created. This is helpful if the master
wants to read a book or magazine by relaxing in the bed itself.

Most of the time we see that the space below the mattress is used
for storing linen. This is done in the form of sliding drawers
which slide out from sides.

I have seen one more creative way of supporting the platform
where the master lies down. By giving an angular slant to the
supporting structure of the bed we can save valuable circulation
space in a small bedroom. To understand what exactly I am talking
about, just visit the webpage below. (Scroll down to the bottom
to see a pictorial presentation of this method.)
Teen Bedroom Design And Decorating Ideas.

2) Wardrobe….

A wardrobe is another element in a bedroom that creates a
significant impact on the entire interior design theme. We
always see a wardrobe in elevation. A typical wardrobe is
most of the times measures 2100mm in height. The length and
depth of the wardrobe differs from location to location but
is typically around 1200mm in length and 600mm in depth for
a single person’s wardrobe.

The internal compartments of a wardrobe are divided keeping in
mind the various styles and sizes of clothes we wear. The
internal design of a wardrobe also depends upon regional influences.
For example in Japan, women wear a typical kind of dress or
in Indian, most women wear a dress code called as “Saree” which
needs much more space similar to trousers.

Depending upon the requirements a wardrobe might also include
a small “money safe” with locking arrangements, drawers for keeping
smaller sized clothes such as under-garments.

3) Dressing Table….

A dressing table is a place to be happy about. This is the
place where we spend a lot of time shaping our faces. A small
bedroom may not have enough space for a dressing table. At such
times the outer faces of the wardrobe can be used to fix a full height
mirror. This also creates a reflection of the rest of the room it
and thus creates an illusion of more space.

A wardrobe needs special spotlight arrangements to throw light
spot on the person in front of the mirror. This will include
a flat mirror and small storage spaces for the makeup-kits,
perfumes, etc…

In a case where the mirror is fixed on the outer surface of the
wardrobe shutter,(as mentioned above) the storage space for
make-up kit can be arranged inside the wardrobe.

4) Study Table with extra storage desk….

A study table is just a place to do some important daily tasks
Sometimes it is useful to keep a computer on it. This study table can be
designed to include an elevated storage space for books/files.

This combination of a study table and a book shelf is a great
way to save space in small bedrooms. If the table top in not
occupied by a computer or other objects, it can be made to fold
and thus increasing more floor area.

This was a very basic study of the most commonly used furniture
items in a bedroom. There are hundreds of creative ways to
improve the performance and efficiency of furniture items in
interior design. This article was just a starting point to
trigger the creative genius in you.

I hope you have benefited from these words.

Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya

Using platform beds is an excellent way to save space in small bedrooms. Visit shrinivas Vaidya’s blog to get a free listing platform beds in less than $200.

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Adding Empire Furniture Into Your Home Decorating
By Andrew Caxton

Choosing up the hardwood floor or the home decorating plan or idea that better fits in with Empire furniture can be a little bit difficult. There are some very good books of designs to base your decor idea. You can then get from them interesting complements and ornaments for all the corners of your house, of course based on the colonial style. One the most famous books at the date was the - Illustrated history of furniture, by Frederick Litchfield. You can read some tips from that book along the following paragraphs. We want to encourage the readers to follow its ideas because they can help you to find your own style.

Materials And Ornaments For Careful Finishes

On secretaries and tables, a common ornament of this description of furniture, is a column of mahogany, with a capital and base of bronze (either gilt, part gilt, or green), in the form of the head of a sphinx with the foot of an animal; console tables are supported by sphinxes and griffins; and candelabra and wall brackets for candles have winged figures of females, stiff in modeling and constrained in attitude, but almost invariably of good material with careful finish.

The bas-reliefs in metal which ornament the panels of the friezes of cabinets, or the marble bases of clocks, are either reproductions of mythological subjects from old Italian gems and seals, or represent the battles of the Emperor, in which Napoleon is portrayed as a Roman general. There was plenty of room to replace so much that had disappeared during the Revolution, and a vast quantity of decorative furniture was made during the few years which elapsed before the disaster of Waterloo caused the disappearance of a power which had been almost meteoric in its career.

What Books To Read

The best authority on Empire Furniture is the book of designs, published in 1809 by the architects Percier and Fontaine, which is the more valuable as a work of reference, from the fact that every design represented was actually carried out, and is not a mere exercise of fancy, as is the case with many such books. In the preface the authors modestly state that they are entirely indebted to the antique for the reproduction of the different ornaments; and the originals, from which some of the designs were taken, are still preserved in a fragmentary form in the Museum of the Vatican.

Classic Designs And Ideas

An arm chair and a stool, together with that of the tripod table which are favorable examples of the richly-mounted and more decorative furniture of this style. While they are not free from the stiffness and constraint which are inseparable from classic designs as applied to furniture, the rich color of the mahogany, the high finish and good gilding of the bronze mounts, and the costly silk with which they are covered, render them attractive and give them a value of their own. By reading the books proposed above you definitely can break the look of the interior design of your house, and will learn how to include empire furniture into home decorating ideas and plans.

Andrew Caxton contributes adding articles to an online home decorating and interior design magazine. Your guide on home decorating and how to choose from hundreds of decorating ideas and tips. Andrew will inspire you to capture the look you wish. Find further information on decorating and design at http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com

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