I don’t know about you, but when I have company, it seems that there are never enough seats to go around. It becomes a grown up version of musical chairs. Why not provide extra spots that are tucked away, yet close at hand, but out of the way when not needed?
A timeless way of accomplishing this has always been a stool (or two) under a sofa/console table. Here are some elegant solutions I have happened upon recently.
Which group is your favorite?
Let me know if I can help you find a solution to a design dilemma in your home.
jaimeberg@furniturelandsouth.com
A while back I wrote a post titled 
The first thing to remember when you see lots of different price points from the same brand is that mattress manufacturers want to sell to everyone and provide for every room in the home. Therefore they have products to fit in different price and quality categories. The mattress you have in your master bedroom might not be the same one that you want for your guest room (that is unless you tend to get into a LOT of trouble with your wife; then it might actually be a good idea), and most of the time a growing child needs a different mattress than an adult does. Mattress companies offer different beds for these different needs.
Foam encasement will prevent the edge from sinking in when you sit on it. Also, if you’ve ever felt like you were falling off the edge of your bed, it might mean that your mattress did not have foam encasement, which keeps the last row of springs from “pushing” you off the side. It also creates a flatter surface, which actually gives you more “sleepable” space on the bed, and the more room you have to sleep, the less chance you have of being disturbed by your partner, which leads to that coveted uninterrupted sleep.
Most nicer models have a layer of memory foam or latex in addition to the traditional foams for superior pressure-point relief, while still having the full-body support of the springs. Cool gel is another technology that could drive the price a bit higher, but is completely worth it if you’re a hot sleeper. Cool gel gives you the same pressure point relief, but it sleeps cooler than memory foam.
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Peace of Mind: Guardsman Furniture Protection
Food & beverage stains on dining chairs are no match for Guardsman.
The greatest compliment I hear time and again from my clients is that I take the time to listen to them. Yes, I make my living and feed my family from people purchasing furniture, but the last thing I want to do is steer my clients in the wrong direction. They can always rely on me to tell them the truth.
That being said, one of the biggest sales scams out there is extended warranties. It drives me crazy because that’s not what we have here at Furnitureland South. As a consumer, I am not usually a fan of any sort of extended warranty plan, so I totally get it when some customers’ first reaction is to turn me down when I bring up Guardsman Protection. Consumer Reports says not to buy extended warranties. And rightfully so. Many extended warranties, especially in the electronics industry, cost a hefty 30% of the price of the product they are “protecting”, and they only cover manufacturer defects. Oh yeah, and lightning. (How likely is that?)
But here is the great news about Guardsman Furniture Protection: it’s not an extended warranty. It has nothing to do with whether or not your furniture has defects—that’s all covered in the manufacturer’s warranty already. Guardsman protection covers what you (or your kids, your pets, your friends, your husband, your husband’s friends, etc.) can potentially do to the furniture. And the most it ever costs is about 4% of the price, which is much smarter than paying 30% for less coverage!
Mattress Protection is 10 years & protects your manufacturer's warranty by keeping stains away. (Thanks to Sealy Mattress for this cute photo!)
Imagine having both a manufacturer warranty that covers defects and a service plan to cover you against any food and beverage spills and other common damages for five years (coverage details and prices vary by type of furniture). And imagine it only costs a one time payment of $89 and that would cover in-home service for the full five years, non-prorated, no more additional payments. That’s how much it costs to cover a sofa.
Everyone loves creams and beiges--until a drink gets spilled. You can enjoy your favorite colors, and beverages too, with the comfort of Guardsman coverage. (Photo by Lane)
A lot of times people falsely assume that they don’t need this type of coverage because they think of themselves as “clean” people. Many of them are. They take care of their home and likewise their furniture. The thing that many of them forget is that they like to entertain—and that’s why they are purchasing this nice furniture in the first place.
I am reminded of a very nice client of mine who lived alone and took great care of her Florida condo and felt she did not need Guardsman. But when she threw a party for her bridge club, one of her friends left a glass on her coffee table, and now she has a permanent water ring. Fixing it will be very expensive, and this is just one of the many things that Guardsman would have covered.
We all know telling our kids not to play in the house doesn't always work. Luckily Guardsman covers breakage of glass and rips/cuts in leather! (Photo by Lane)
Another client who thankfully did opt for the protection on her leather living room group called me up one day to thank me for it. Her husband is quite the “do-it-yourselfer”, and after working in the garage he came in the house to get some water, still wearing his tool belt. He sat down on their leather chair, and sure enough, a screwdriver poked a hole in the chair. One call to Guardsman’s 1-800 number, and they sent someone out to fix it as good as new!
When someone calls in a claim, Guardsman locates the best one of their certified furniture repair specialists in the local area and sends him out to remove the stain(s) or fix the covered damage, in the home, at no charge. If the item cannot be restored, Guardsman will offer full replacement…this is what I call peace of mind.
As I mentioned, each type of furniture has its own plan, so for more detailed information on the coverages in each of these plans, feel free to call me or click on one of the following links: