Phil Pendleton

Finding Furniture That Changes and Adjusts To Any Environment



Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2007

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http://www.futonsnow.com

Furniture needs to be able to change with growing trends in fabrics and colors but without adding a lot of extra costs to your investment. It also needs to be able to fit into any room of your home easily and effortlessly. Many types of furniture use cushions that slip off or collect lots of things between the cushions. Wouldn't it be nice if there was furniture where the cushions were all one piece for easier maintenance?  Wouldn't it be nice if furniture would make it easy to change the look inexpensively as new trends happen? Does furniture like this exist? It does. It's called futon furniture. When purchasing futon furniture the first thing to look for is the futon frame. Futon frames are most often made out of wood and come in a variety of styles. The most common style you'll find is a mission style. Many of these frames are modeled after the arts & crafts era of furniture which featured flat armrest tops and distinct mission slats and construction built into the sides. Another popular style of futons is the modern or contemporary futon frame. Many of these frames offer unique features like built in bookcases or magazine storage which make them perfect for rooms with little or no storage. Cottage futon furniture is also still quite popular. This style is almost always offered in a white finish. Manufacturers offering these frames typically make them available as matching sofas, loveseat, chairs and ottomans. Tables are also often available. These would include coffee tables, end tables and sofa tables made in the same wood and finished.

Since futon furniture is made to be assembled, it comes usually in six main parts which consist of a seat section, back section, two arms and two rails. This makes it very easy getting it into hard to reach places since you can carry it in piece by piece than assemble it in the room. The way futons are assembled is typically with four nylon rollers which are small circular shaped pieces which have a metal pin inserted into them and then through pre-drilled holes in the backrest. These nylon rollers fit into routed out grooves inside the arms of the futon frame. Two more metal pins connect the seat and back sections together as these pins also slide through predrilled holes. The final part to assembling a futon involves connecting the rails with the arms. Round barrel nuts are inserted into circular holes which have been cut into the ends of the rails which aren't visible from the outside. Once inserted, allen head screws are placed through holes on the outside of the arms and into the barrel nuts inside the rail. These tighten down and your futon frame is ready for use. Being able to take frame components piece by piece into a room gives futon frames an advantage over other types of furniture as they can often go places that conventional furniture can't.

A wood frame wouldn't be very comfortable by itself so many types of futon mattresses are available. The most common futon mattresses are typically offered with cotton or cotton/polyester blends of batting that is used with different types of foam cores. These mattresses are most often 6-8 inches in thickness and are usually pretty soft. They will also be the least expensive in terms of a mattress investment. Innerspring futon mattresses are also available and these are usually 8-9 inches in thickness. The advantage of the innerspring futon mattresses is that it often feels just like a regular mattress or a sofa that uses springs. Guests who use these mattresses are often amazed by the comfort level and these mattresses are most popular in homes where guests will be using the futon for sleeping. Futon mattresses aren't like sofa cushions which are often 3-4 cushions across the seat. All types of things fall in between cushions and often they need to be pulled off and cleaned. The futon mattress is all one piece so there are no gaps for things to fall down into which makes cleaning and vacuuming the surfaces of futon mattress very easy. Seating is more comfortable too since you can sit anywhere on the futon mattress without feeling the separation of cushions of the framework beneath.

A futon isn't complete until it has a covering. Futon covers are available in many different types of fabrics and materials. Quality coverings are often available anywhere from $59 and up. These are most often offered with zippers which go around much of the perimeter of the futon cover. This makes them easier to get on and off of the futon mattress. Of the many materials you will find in futon covers are faux suede, faux leathers, microfibers, velvet and upholstery grade fabrics. The futon cover manufacturers who make these often offer matching pillows, yardage and window treatments to create your room's decor. The nice thing about futon covers is if a new color or pattern is trendy you can just buy that as a futon cover to stay in style. If something gets spilled on your covering and it won't clean up, you can purchase a replacement which means your furniture isn't ruined by any means. Regular upholstered furniture is tougher to change the look with and often can cost anywhere from $500 and up to have a professional reupholster the furniture.

Futon furniture just makes sense when you consider that you can easily keep up with new styles as they come out just by buying a new covering. Futon mattresses make seating surfaces just as or more comfortable than sofas with cushions which have cushions that can slip off or collect all sorts of things in between them. Frames are able to be assembled in parts which allow futon furniture access to any room in your home no matter how difficult it is to get other types of furniture into your home.

Phil Pendleton is a furniture professional with over 15 years experience. He has been involved in many aspects of furniture sales, production and distribution. He continues to work with other furniture professionals to help promote new trends in furniture and futons. http://www.futonsnow.com

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