Desks - One For Every Stage of Life

Desks are an amazing fixture in our lives, and not just for part of it. There is a desk for nearly every stage we go through along life's path. From the preschool years all the way through our golden age, a desk seems to be something that we use and adapt to each unique situation we find ourselves in at each stage.

It is amazing how the children's furniture industry has developed what may seem like a silly adaptation of the normal student desk for kids as young as 2 or 3. These are usually made from molded plastic and come in a myriad of bright colors. These youngsters can learn to scribble and write and color on these desks. Some have little bells and whistles and other doo dads attached to them to further delight and entertain junior.

When the child grows up a bit more and goes off to school he is introduced to the wonderful world of private space defined by his very own desk. It probably has at least one shelf where he can put his crayons and paper. I remember how tickled I was with the little desk I had in kindergarten. It was pretty basic, but it was mine.

As we get older we move into middle school and then high school. These desks were always sort of a disappointment to me. I liked the desks I had as a younger student that had shelves and maybe even a lift top surface. The desks in high school weren't really much more than a chair with an attached hinged surface. They always felt too small, with barely enough room to put an open notebook and textbook out for use. Going off to college improves the situation a little bit. At least some of the classes have long rows of tables for students to use as desks rather than those small little chair desks.

After college the desks seem to grow, as if they are some sort of status symbol in our culture. Think big, executive, black walnut, fancy-schmancy. These bad boys tell the whole world that the man or woman behind it is large and in charge. They intimidate and they help keep the social order. If you have a large behemoth desk then you must be important, right? I mean, look at what the lowly workers out in the office have to use. Barely enough room to work at all. Then once you enclose them in their little box with a room divider or two, it definitely makes for a restricted space. This is a far cry from the bosses office. I used to work for a guy whose office actually had enough room in it, not only for his huge desk, but for a couple recliners and a conference table. It wasn't cramped. Maybe he was more important after all. He thought so anyway.

Old age brings a downsizing of all sorts of things. You see old folks having yard sales and making other liquidation efforts. They just don't need all that stuff anymore. The desks they use tend to shrink as well. Out goes the large desks they once used as part of their business lives, and in comes a smaller, more practical option. These desks can even be as simple as a tv tray for those who are bed ridden.

No matter what stage of life we find ourselves in, desks are there to serve us faithfully.

The Variety of Styles Available of a Laptop Desk Or Laptop Table

In the last 10 to 15 years, a new piece of furniture has been developed to fill a new need in the market place, and that is a laptop desk or a laptop table. In some ways this piece of furniture reminds me of a lap board or breakfast tray. But the variety of styles of a laptop desk is way more deluxe, and sometimes quite different than either of these other items.

First, there is the basic "tray" style laptop table, great for using while sitting in a chair or propped up in bed (or lying down if it has a tilting, adjustable top). Much more comfortable than balancing your computer on your lap. There are a lot of different designs just within this subcategory of laptop tables. I have seen some where a portion of the table is adjustable, tilting up at various angles to make using your laptop more convenient. This is great for relieving neck and back strain, making you, as the user, more comfortable. Usually next to the adjustable part of the table is a flat area for using your mouse. Some even have a built in mouse pad. The leg height on most models is also adjustable. I have seen this style in wood, metal and composite plastic, and also in a variety of price ranges. A few I have seen have very sleek and stylish lines and others are very utilitarian. Most are quite light and some even fold away for easy storage. Though this style is designed for use with a laptop computer, it can be used for a variety of other activities such as homework, crafts, reading and meals.

A variation of the four legged tray, is a pedestal that has a base board that you can slide under your leg to keep the tray firmly in place. These also usually have adjustable height and tilt.

Probably the more innovative design has been the mobile laptop desk. These often have lockable casters so that you can easily move the desk to where you are working and then lock it in place. The height is fully adjustable and most have a tilting portion for the computer. This part will have a small ledge to stop the computer from sliding off the desk top. I have even seen some that have a small shelf on the bottom, which could be used for a printer. There is usually a single pedestal leg which has other legs coming off of it with the casters. These are usually very low to the floor, that way they can slide under a chair allowing easier access to the work space. Many I have seen with the adjustable tilt, will tilt in either direction, which allow for left or right hand access and use of the laptop desk. Some designs have two adjustable table top areas, one for the laptop and the other for the mouse, this is great for ultimate adjustability and compatibility for the user. This style also comes in a variety of material, including metal and wood, and often a combination of both.

So, if you have a laptop, consider getting a laptop table or a laptop desk because regardless of the style that you use, most offer the same benefits: they keep the heat off your lap, the computer stays cooler on a harder surface, they allow you to work more ergonomically, most have adjustable height and tilt which results in less strain on your neck and back. With benefits like these, a laptop desk or table will allow longer periods of use and will make your time more productive. Also, with such a large variety of styles available, you are bound to find one that is perfect for you.

Best Bed Mattress Comparison - Futon Bed Mattress, Tempurpedic Mattress and Air Bed Mattress

Unless you get a good night's sleep, do you think you will be at your productive best the next day? In today's cut throat world where competition is stiff, in order to continue performing well and staying ahead of the race by giving your best, you must get 7/8 hours of peaceful sleep every night. One of the main factors that determine our sleep quality is the bed mattress and it is important to invest in a good quality bed mattress. Just to help you out in your mattress selection expedition, I will provide you a few tips in this article.

Futon bed mattress

Futon bed mattresses are made of 100% cotton, cotton and polyester mix, foam and cotton and completely polyester. However, you wont really be able to set your hands on a handmade futon bed mattress nowadays as they are all machine made. Futon bed mattresses are available in many versions, either of the bi fold frame variety or the tri fold frame variety.

The reason why they are fast replacing the other kinds of traditional bed mattresses is because the pressure points in the body receive quality support from futon bed mattresses, you can store and fold them away easily, the body gets the opportunity to breathe because of the fiber content and your sleeping becomes more comfortable as the futon bed mattress is able to stick to a temperature that is stable.

Air bed mattress

Air bed mattresses are ideal for those people who get worried because of microorganisms and dust mites. It is highly inflatable and compared to innerspring mattresses, it is cheaper and more affordable. It can be your perfect solution for temporary bedding problems and is ideal for camping. You can deflate and roll it up and this makes it easy to store.

Tempurpedic mattress

This kind of mattress is firm because it can maintain its elasticity, the body pressure determines the kind of temperature that will flow through the mattress and it provides great support to the spinal joints.

Should You Buy a Mattress Or a Futon?

If you live in a small apartment or even a studio, you may want to consider purchasing a futon instead of a mattress. Futons are very multi-functional, because they can serve many purposes within a given space. Mattresses, on the other hand, are for the most part limited to providing a comfortable place to sleep. Perhaps that explains why futons have continued to grow in popularity throughout the years. Keep reading to find out if a futon is right for you and the space that you live in.

So what exactly is a futon? This piece of furniture originally came from Japan (which is why they are sometimes called Japanese beds). While traditional Japanese futons were filled with beans or other natural substances, today American futons are generally composed of small pieces of plastic. Because of this fact, futons generally are not as comfortable as mattresses. The latter is generally a combination of springs, foam, and latex. These components come together to create a supportive surface for the entire body. Futons, on the other hand, consist of one uniform material that does not support that body as well. In short, that means that your futon will likely be less comfortable than a mattress of comparable price.

So if that is true, why would anyone even consider purchasing a futon? The answer lies in its versatility. A user can manipulate a futon into virtually any shape, unlike the stiff, unyielding springs of a bed. That means that the futon can be fit into a frame that is adjustable. As you can imagine, this makes any piece of furniture much more adaptable to the needs of its owner.

During the day, your futon can serve as a couch for any visitors that may come into your home. If you've ever tried to sit on a bed for a long period of time, you know how uncomfortable that proposition is. Because your body sinks so deep into the mattress pad, there is absolutely no support for you back. That's where a futon comes in. While it is set up as a couch, the frame of the futon has a back piece that will provide excellent support. When you're ready to go to sleep, with one quick adjustment the futon turns into a bed. It's almost like magic!

In a small space, the ability to convert a bed to a mattress (and then back) is invaluable if you are planning on often entertaining guests on a frequent basis. Some smaller apartments (especially in large cities like New York or Los Angeles) simply don't have the room for multiple pieces of furniture. By consolidating all of your furniture needs into one piece, you'll save valuable space that can then be used for other purposes. While you will be making some kind of sacrifice in terms of comfort, it is likely that it will be well worth it when you think about all of the space that will free up now that you can get rid of your bed or couch.

Leather Furniture - Quality, Style, and Class - Something Everybody Wants

Leather furniture exudes quality and style. There is just something about it that makes you feel like a million bucks. Maybe it's the longevity and durability you get with leather. Maybe it's the appeal to the touch and smell. Maybe it's that it came from something once alive. I don't know. I just know that a studded brown leather living room set is on my dream list. The desire to have leather furniture in my house was only fueled by a project I completed awhile back.

A few years ago I bought an old dining room table and chairs at an antique store. The table itself is black walnut, has enough leafs to extend it out to a full 12 feet, and is really heavy and unique. For the first year my family and friends endured the worn and tattered nasty gold fabric that barely hung to the seats and backs. I had it in my head to someday recover them with leather, but wasn't sure how to go about it. After a fair amount of research online and at the library, I decided I was ready to tackle my project.

I learned that leather furniture comes in all sorts of colors and types of leather. For my project, I opted for a nice rich brown smooth leather. Because it is so expensive I couldn't see myself getting it locally so I requested samples from an online seller. They sent me swatches and I was able to actually see what I was going to use.

When the box of leather came to my door I was excited, but a little nervous. I got going rebuilding the seats out of 3/4 plywood. Then I covered them with quilt batting and foam. I then had to lay out and cut the leather. This was a little nerve wracking because I wanted to use each square inch of leather without any extra waste. This went smoother than I thought it would. When I started tightening the leather across the seats they really started to come alive. Leather furniture is tough and the experience of working with the leather in covering the dining room chairs was really satisfying and fun. I ended up getting some hammered tacks to finish off the tops of the chairs for a really classic western look.

Since finishing my project I went on to recover some bar stools with the same leather. They turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. I'd do it all over again, but am now looking forward to saving up for some brand new furniture for the living room.

Speaking of which, I was at an Uncle's house recently and noticed that his living room furniture was leather. One particular couch caught my eye. It was a green one that has about 20 year of use on it. It had probably about 200 puncture cuts in the arms. Really ugly. Turns out, my Uncle's grand kids had taken a knife to it and basically ruined it by stabbing it over and over. Ouch! It was too bad, because despite its age, it still had a lot of life left in it.

So, leather furniture may not be able to withstand all levels of abuse, but it can sure put up with a lot, and under normal conditions, will last for years and years. I can almost feel and smell my future set. I just hope no knife-wielding kids come calling.