Mattresses – Making the Most of Your Sleep

By Mikes Furniture

Mattresses – making the most of your sleep:

The difference between a foam mattress and a spring mattress might make all the difference if you’re having trouble sleeping. Did you know that the average person spends approximately 30% of their life sleeping? This means that the importance of a supportive mattress is imperative to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Why? How you sleep will directly affect how you feel and go about your daily activities. Therefore, it would be wise to say that you need to make the most of your sleep! Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of a memory foam mattress vs. a spring mattress;

Facts about spring mattresses:

·         It seems that one of the main reasons that springs are still being used in mattresses is because it is very inexpensive!  

·         Spring mattresses only give the illusion that they are supportive and comfortable, but they not provide sufficient pressure point relief.

·         Proper support with a spring mattress is not possible because one’s body does not push evenly on the coils.

·         A spring mattress loses about 16% of its firmness within the first year, but they can last about 10+ years.

Facts about foam mattresses:

·         With a foam mattress, pressure points are reduced, which in turn reduces tossing and turning – the leading cause of poor sleep. However, if you’re going to opt for a spring mattress, the firmer it is, the better.

·         Memory foam mattresses do not need to be flipped unlike spring mattresses. There is no maintenance required.

·         Allergies are significantly reduced with memory foam mattresses, as dust mites can only live on the surface and not on the inside of a solid block of foam.

·         Memory foam mattresses are temperature sensitive – this means the foam takes time to adjust to your body. The colder the room, the longer the mattress will take to adjust or recover its shape.

Now that you have the facts, you can decide which mattress suits your needs, if your budget permits you to make the choice.  

Furnishing your Apartment on a Budget

By Mikes Furniture

Furnishing your apartment on a budget:

Furnishing an apartment can be difficult due to several constraints. Apart from size, budget and lease constraints (if it is a rental) are at the top of the list. Nonetheless, there are always ways to work around such restrictions. Let’s examine how you can wiggle your way around them.

1)      First and foremost, using multifunctional furniture will be extremely beneficial in the sense that you will make the most of a small space. That way, a single piece of furniture can serve several functions, and loosen the leash on the tight budget. An ottoman is the perfect example – it can serve as a storage piece, while it can also be used as extra seating for guests or replace acoffeetable! Here are some other neat ideas to help you save space and to pick pieces that can fulfill many purposes:

• Sleepersofa: it can serve to seat your visitors, and as a guest bed in case a friend or family member spends the night
• Diningtable: while its first obvious use is for dining, it can also be a useful workstation if every square foot counts.

2)      Another useful tip is to furnish your apartment with smaller scaled furniture. Despite being smaller than other furniture, purchasing smaller furniture will still look just as stylish and perform the same functions! Besides, furnishing a small apartment with large furniture will make it seem even smaller. Believe it or not, many manufacturers come out with pieces in several sizes, in order to accommodate different markets. For instances, you can find smaller living room and dining roomfurniture scaled to fit smaller spaces.

3)      Finally, shape matters too. Narrow and rectangular shapes are preferable and tend to be quite useful in a small apartment. A narrow sofa and coffee table will give the impression that your living room is more airy and not so cluttered. The same goes for the dining area.

It is clear that multipurpose, smaller scaled furniture and shape are all important factors which contribute to maximizing a small space. Now you can go ahead and furnish your apartment with strategy!

Getting Ready for the Olympics

By Mikes Furniture

The largest international multi-sport event will take place in Rio de Janeiro this August. Since it is international, you can imagine the number of eyes watching worldwide. It’s a time that everyone unites together to cheer for their respective country. That being said, it’s also a great opportunity for you to host a gathering with family and friends, in order to cheer on the crème de la crème athletes around the world. Let’s take a look at how to organize your party:

Bring Rio to your home

Begin by decorating your home with colorful lanterns, tiny palm trees and miniature parrots to bring the tropical feel that Brazil has to offer. It will certainly get everyone in the right frame of mind. For a moment, they might just forget where they are!

Food, food, and more food

If you’re going to have guests over to watch the opening of the Olympics, or to view one of your favorite sports, then food is a must! Set up a table with different foods. Try to be creative by assembling cold dishes that resemble flags!

The right accommodations

Perhaps the most significant element is to have the right furniture to accommodate your guests. Obviously, the larger the group, the more seating that will be needed. Ideally, a large sectional would definitely do the trick! If you are planning on serving savory tropical drinks, then a coffee table or ottoman would definitely be handy! That way, you have somewhere to rest your tray. Finally, a tv stand would be optimal to keep the tv at perfect eye level.

Team spirit

In order to stir up some team spirit, you may want to create a scoreboard to record how many medals your favorite team is receiving. Also, encourage your guests to wear something that supports the team(s) you are cheering for!

Now that you have your party outlined, you’re all set to have a good time! Remember, “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up” – Rocky Balboa. We can all learn a little from these hard working athletes!

Selecting Fall Colors

By Mikes Furniture

Selecting Fall Colors

How ahead of a time can you be? While you are enjoying this atypical summer; lying on your deckchair and planning all sort of things – nice little dishes, outdoors activities and not thinking about all the work you left behind…Let’s jump ahead into the next season to glimpse at the colors in vogue and give you some ideas to help you find the perfect trendy decoration for your house this coming fall!

What we like the most about the fall season is certainly the wide palette full of vibrant and warm colors, where leaves change from green to yellow, red, brown or orange! Just as designers get inspiration from the colorful scenery that fall season offers, so should we in our home.

Here is a sneak peak of the upcoming 2016 Fall palette:

According to Pantone’s fashion trends, the 2016 top fall colors offer a nice combination of strength, confidence and complexity! From the sky to the ground, these meaningful colors embody strong feelings and concepts that can be used to show your personality. Ashley Furniture and home accents have a nice touch of this color palette in its collections; so if you would like your home décor to be “a la mode”, then you have found the perfect brand! Let’s have a look at how these selected colors can find the right place in your home.

If you are keen about the sky and sea, here’s our selection: Blue hues – Riverside and Airy Blue which are the dominating colors in the 2016 fall trends. Blue represents consistency and confidence while gray gives a feeling of stability. 

Our suggestion: Add any vivid colors from this fall palette to make your room brighter and look astonishing with blue hues! Along with anchoring earth tones, exuberant vibrant colors will bring a certain dynamism and warmth in your home.

Are you tempted by a complete 2016 fall palette makeover? AshleyFurniture offers the perfect sets for your bedroom and dining room!

The pinkish purple and the spicy yellow suggest exotic notes that everyone needs in house!

Now that you have a glimpse of the fall colors, it’s time to take action!