Interior Design Tips & Guide

Archive for September, 2009

Bunk Beds

Like most other items you want to buy, cheap bunk beds are available, but sometimes come with a tradeoff between quality and price. However, since bunk beds have safety issues, when looking at cheap bunk beds, buyers must use precaution.

Buyers should look for the best-priced bunk beds rather than simply cheap bunk beds. The former implies that buyers will seek high-quality beds at the best price, rather than simply shopping on price. If you shop around, particularly online, you should be able to find high-quality bunk beds at reasonable prices. Online retailers do not have to pay the high cost of traditional showrooms and/or a commissioned sales staff, and as such, can pass on the savings to their customers.

Buyers should visually inspect used beds and/or purchase used beds only if they are manufactured by a reputable firm. In addition, beds should be inspected regularly after purchase to ensure that they stay in top shape and any defects are noticed quickly and remedied.

To summarize, buying an inexpensive bunk bed is certainly an option, particularly if you make sure the bed is well constructed using quality materials. Likewise, like any bunk bed, it is important to continuously inspect to ensure quality maintenance. Just be sure not to shop only on price, since poor quality beds unfortunately have serious safety risks.

Atrium Home as Alternative Home Designs

Building a home for yourself is the American Dream. For some people, it is important to build something unique.

You’ve worked your rear end off and reached a financial status where you can do some dreaming. One dream is to buy some land and build a home on it. You’ve found the perfect plot, and now you’re wondering about different styles of homes. Here are some alternative designs to get the creative thoughts flowing.

A very unique home design is the atrium home. An atrium home is designed to emphasize an open middle area, not an exterior appearance. If you’ve been to Europe, you’ve seen this design in larger cities. You’ll be walking down a street lined with bland looking windows. You pop into one of the buildings to find a bathroom and it is like entering another world. The exterior of the building is no great shakes, but the interior is a slice of atrium heaven with an open area covered in a lattice or left wide open. The interior is a collection of sitting areas, plants and perhaps small pools for fish. Not a bad idea, eh?

Taking the design to its full scope, the home is designed…underground. The design can be done in a variety of ways, but it is built below ground to take advantage of geothermal concepts. The primary idea is to use the constant temperature of the ground to regulate the climate in the home. The top of the roof is flush with the level of the ground and everything else is below level. For practically purposes, picture an oasis in the desert, but dug into the ground.

In these modern times, the below ground design has some excellent energy options. You can put solar panels across the top of the roof to generate power and most people will be none the wiser. By being out of the wind, you also cut down on wasted energy.

Going below ground with your atrium home is a pool of creative opportunity. As long as you take care of drainage issues, the design parameters are pretty much wide open.

When space is at a premium or privacy is vital, atrium homes are often the answer. In a large city, an atrium design can help you create an oasis from the noise and madness of daily life.

Futons

Futons have been a fixture of college students’ dorm rooms and other urban living settings for decades. Futons are stylish, functional, and versatile; they can be integrated into nearly any setting. Futon beds are lightweight and simple, providing sleepers with a comfortable place to rest.

What most people don’t know is that futon beds originated in Japan. For hundreds of years, Japanese people have slept on thin futon mattresses placed directly on the floor. They saw no need to have an elaborate bed with a frame and box spring and headboard. All that these early futons involved was the thin mattress, small pillows, and a blanket. In the morning, the futon bed could be rolled up and put in a closet. Over time, the concept of sleeping on futon beds spread to America.

Modern futons often have adjustable frames and can be used as either a couch or a bed, depending on how the frame is arranged. The frames are usually made of colored metal, but can be wooden as well. Futon beds do not needed to be folded out like couch beds, all the sleeper needs to do is push the back of the frame from the upright couch position to a horizontal bed position. These setups are comfortable in either the couch or bed position and are great for accommodating overnight guests.

Current models of futon mattresses are thicker than the original Japanese models. They are often filled with wool, polyester, cotton, or soft man made fibers. They do not have the springs that conventional beds have. A normal mattress can become uncomfortable over time if the springs do not hold up well to pressure. This is not a problem with futons because most of them have no springs.

Futon beds have evolved greatly over time. From their simple beginnings as space saving Japanese beds to their modern multi use models, they are a great alternative to conventional beds.