CrossTeam Properties Offers Advice on Home and Garden Improvements

There are a huge number of sofa beds on the market today and they all offer added flexibility in terms of additional sleeping space and comfort.

All sorts of materials are used in the construction of sofa beds, from leather and cotton to attractive suede effects and polyester covers. You can choose the style and material that best complements your home.

Sofa beds can be purchased as two or three seater beds for the living room or smaller fold out sofa beds for guest rooms. You can also find them as chair-beds, which tuck nicely into the corners of a box bedroom, leaving valuable space in the middle of the room rather than it being taken up by a rarely used bed.

Foam mattress sofa beds are the cheapest form and are usually small in size with a few loose cushions. These are not terrible durable, as a rule and should only be used as occasional beds.

‘Clic-a-clac’ sofa beds are much sturdier, with a metal frame that clicks into place as it is converted to create either a bed or a sofa. The only drawback with these sofa beds is that they are not really suitable for the living room, because the metal frame will be visible.

Futons fit in well just about anywhere and are, in addition, very stylish, being made from good-quality materials as a rule and perfect for small apartments with their contemporary look and dual functionality.

Choosing a mattress to suit your specific needs is one of the most important decisions you make. Considering that you’ll be spending much of the next ten years of your life lying on it, this is hardly an exaggeration. The quality of your sleep has a direct influence on your well-being, and depends on your mattress.

The conventional open spring mattresses apply uniform resistance, which is fine if you have no trouble sleeping, sleep on your own or with a partner of about the same weight. But pocket spring mattresses are worth considering if these don’t apply.

Pocket spring mattresses have springs docked separately in the fabric, acting independently to body weights.

Foam memory mattresses react to body heat by differentially softening and moulding slightly to your movements. Maybe foam memory mattresses work psychologically as well, drawing on faint memories of going to sleep in your mother’s arms.

Always allow mattresses to aerate for a week after unpacking to get rid of the chemical aroma, and use the handles on mattresses to rotate them.

The support provided from the springs is more important in mattresses than the number of layers of man-made polymers and natural fibres, and the actual construction of the springs is more important than how many of them there are. Tests by consumer groups have show wide variation in support.

It might also be a good idea to buy mattress covers if your mattresses don’t already have them.

Guests turning up unexpectedly can be a real cause for concern if you have limited space in the house. A good way of accommodating them is by having a sofa bed ready and waiting. The sofa beds of today are stylish and flexible and come in a range of designs, styles and materials.

With cotton covers, suede and other effects and a range of different styles, you can easily choose a sofa bed to suit the decor of your home. The traditional sofa of two or three seats is very popular and can be folded out to create a full-size and comfortable bed. Alternatively, you could go for a smaller chair bed or corner sofa bed, depending on the space available and the layout of the room.

The least expensive form of sofa bed uses a foam mattress with loose cushions and a base that folds out onto the floor. Though they are designed for occasional use only and are not terribly durable, they are ideal for guest rooms.

Sofa beds of the ‘clic-a-clac’ frame variety click over and fold out to create the bed and can be used as regular sofas too as they are usually more durable.

Futons are another popular guest bed option, although they don’t usually look too good in living rooms, as the metal frame is normally visible. Also there is no disguising the fact that they are clearly a fold-up bed, but again they are ideal for bedrooms where they can save enormously on limited space. Some futons can be very stylish and even include extra space beneath for storage.

Metals beds can give a bedroom an instant modern feeling. Their often sleek design combined with a variety of possible colours, functions as an understated, though expressive means to enhance the bedroom space.

Although not particularly new as a type of bed, being widely used in the Victorian age for example, metal beds always tend to look modernistic and would fit well in minimalistic, glass and metal environments. Nonetheless, they can also function well as replacements for old beds that have seen their best days, fitting in a relatively ornate traditional room.

Although metal beds can have cast iron, brass, zinc or aluminium frames, they often have wooden mattress support beams. The great advantage of this metal and wood combination is the sturdiness of the overall frame and the flexible support provided for the mattress.

Metal beds can come in many different shapes and sizes, from single, small double, double, king size and super king size. The frame can be either cast low, with only the head and foot of the bed featuring vertical metal bars or posts, or have side bars as well. The frames can be cast in austere or curving lines that have a highly aesthetic finish.

Another great benefit of a metal bed is that it is often relatively lightweight. It can be taken apart and transported much more easily than some other types of bed, in case of a house or flat move.

Choosing a mattress is extremely important, because you can expect to be sleeping on it for a good ten years at least. What’s more, if you have any special requirements it’s crucial that you select the one that’s right for you.

The simplest mattresses are so-called open spring, which is to say that their springs are arranged in rows, connected by other springs to retain the shape of the mattress. Pressure is applied evenly throughout these mattresses and they are perfectly adequate for the average user.

For a more comfortable sleep, try the pocket spring mattresses. In these, the springs are housed individually in separate pockets of fabric and apply pressure separately to the body as it shifts position.

Natural latex mattresses provide additional support for the head, back and neck and are good for people with respiratory problems as they are hypoallergenic and anti-microbial.

Anyone with back pain or joint problems or who has difficulty in sleeping, should consider the latest memory foam mattresses. These use a material originally developed by NASA, which moulds itself to the shape of the body when it comes into contact with body heat, to create the ultimate sleeping experience.

The type of mattress you choose will determine whether or not you get a good night’s sleep, which is essential for your quality of life and general sense of well-being. It’s often worth paying that bit extra for something you’ll be spending a significant part of your life lying on.

When making the choice of your ideal guest bed you have a number of options available. For a small room, with not much space to spare, you could go for a chair-bed. These are a type of sofa bed, but smaller than average and they can be tucked discreetly in a corner to be used as a seat and then folded out to create a comfortable single bed.

Also for small rooms, divan beds are ideal, because they usually incorporate drawer space for storage of pillows and sheets underneath, but otherwise look like normal beds.

Sofa beds can be placed anywhere in the house, even in the living room, as these days they function equally well as seats and beds. They come in a range of different fabrics and designs and when used as sofas they are well padded with sumptuous cushions. They can be opened up within minutes, when unexpected guests arrive and provide valuable extra bed space.

For children’s rooms, sofa beds are also a great idea, although the kids may prefer bunk beds, which also save on much needed space.

Futons can be very stylish and can easily be attached to a fold-up wooden or metal frame to become a sofa or bed, as required. Alternatively they can simply be spread out on the floor.

The choice is yours, but remember that you’ll have to consider current arrangements as well as decor when choosing beds that can comfortably accommodate extra guests as well as function as integral parts of the household furniture.

A bed should be considered an important investment, as the mattress should last a good ten years and the frame a lot longer. More important still is the fact that you’ll be spending a large part of your life in it. Somewhat strangely, people tend to put a lot more thought into buying a car, which will not be used nearly as much.

The space you have available, together with your personal tastes, will largely determine your choice of frame. Wooden beds and metal beds are both very popular and both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Space will dictate whether you go for king-size or single, but you don’t have to be dictated to by physical dimensions when there is a whole range of space saving options on the market.

Sofa beds are ideal for guest rooms and any bedroom in the house will benefit from the freeing up of space that they can provide. You can even put a modern, attractive and comfortable sofa bed in the living room, in case unexpected guests turn up, without it seeming out of place. Modern sofa beds look and feel as good as fixed beds and sofas and are easily convertible.

Kids’ rooms benefit greatly from bunk beds, which stack on top of each other and the kids love them.

Storage can often be a problem and choosing any bed with storage space built in could be a great boon. 

Bedrooms can be crowded and oppressive places, but some thought can transform them into pleasant relaxing areas.

The key rule of thumb to remember when shopping for guest beds is that they do not have to be expensive; they can still look good and blend in with the décor of a bedroom even though they do not cost a fortune.  The primary issue is going to be the size of bed to purchase; singles or a double?  The chances are you will want a double bed, large enough to sleep two people comfortably, but you will not want to go to the expense of incurring the extra cost of a king size.  Another issue to consider is whether or not the guest room is solely a bedroom, or does it also serve a secondary purpose?

For instance, if the room is also your home office then a daybed, futon, or sofa bed is the better option over a standard bed frame.  Besides that, there is no point in putting a standard type bed in a room when it may only be used a few times each year.  However, you do want to provide whoever spends the night (or nights) with a comfortable option for sleeping comfortably when the day is over.  So the choice of a daybed, futon, or sofa bed is the recommended one in those circumstances.

Start your search online so that you can compare styles and prices of the different beds currently available.  You will have plenty of choices so you will want to bookmark the web pages of the online retailers that have a model that interests you.  You might want to consider reading product reviews when searching for the best value for your money.

If you’re shopping for a new mattress, you already know there are plenty of things to think about when you compare models.  The following guide will shed some light on lesser considerations that could make a big difference in the quality of your sleep.

Height
Closely related to the size of your mattress is its height.  The higher your bed the easier it will be to get in and out of.  If you suffer from back or knee pain, beds that sit higher off the floor will be gentler on you and may even help alleviate some of your pain.  You’ll also have more room for storage under the bed, which is great if you have limited space in your home.

Weight
Experts recommend you turn your mattress every few months to keep it from settling unevenly and to ensure even wear.  If you can’t lift the mattress, you won’t turn it so if cleanliness and maintenance is important to you, shop for a mattress that’s light or that doesn’t need turning.

Firmness
Explore other options if you can’t find a mattress with suitable firmness for you and your partner.  You might combine two single mattresses under one cover so each person can have their desired firmness, or you could customise a mattress with different firmnesses on each side.

Allergies
All beds have dust mites.  If you or someone in your household suffers from allergies or asthma, you might consider purchasing a mattress that’s been specially treated with anti-microbial technology to eliminate allergens.

While we are often inclined to fill our bedrooms with all sorts of recreational and business tools – from televisions and PS3s to computers – it has been proven that having a cluttered, busy, “not for sleeping” bedroom can be bad for your health. So, here are a few tips for creating a better sleeping environment:

*Your bedroom should be a relaxing place. If you have a television and/or computer, place them in a closable desk or cabinet so that, when it’s time for sleep, the room feels like a place to sleep.

*You should be able to block out light – day or night. Our bodies respond to light as a signal to be awake; just as they respond to dark as a time to be asleep. Invest in heavy curtains which will keep light out.

*Outside noises can be a problem, especially if you live in a busy area. Running something that emits a steady low sound, like the whirring of a fan, can help counteract other disturbing noises.

*Being too hot or too cold can also be disruptive of sleep, so keeping your bedroom at the right temperature is important. Typically, a bedroom should be at around 16° – 18°.

*While most of us would far rather spend our money on more-exciting things for our home, creating a better sleeping environment includes having a better bed. Invest in a good mattress and foundation – ensuring that it provides comfort, support, and is the right size for the people sleeping in it.