The Right Size of Bed for a Couple

There are things you need to consider when buying a bed for couples.

First is the size. You need to take into account the size of your bedroom and the doors of your home. The bed must be of the right size so you can easily get into the doors of your home.

Second is the comfort it offers. You also need to make sure that both you and your partner have enough space on the bed so you will both be comfortable in your sleep.

The king size beds include a mattress and two frames with box strings. You can choose from Standard King Size Beds and California King Size Beds.

1. Some call the Standard King Size Bed as the Eastern King. Its width is 4 inches more than the California King and 16 inches more than the queen size bed. It has the same height as the queen mattress. This bed measures 76 inches wide and 80 inches long. Each occupant gets about 38 inches of personal space in this type of bed.

The Advantages of Standard King

• This is best for plus-size couples because it has the largest width measurement.

The Disadvantages

• You need a large bedroom and large doorframes to fit it inside your home. This is also not advisable if you have steep and high, or winding stairs. It cannot be moved from one place to another easily.
• Tall couples may find it too short for them.
• The sheets are hard to find and are expensive. You might even have to hire someone to customize your sheets.

2. California King Size Beds, also called as the Western King, is sort of the opposite of the Standard King. This is the bed for very tall couples measuring 84 inches long and 72 inches wide. It is 4 inches more than the Standard King's height and 12 inches more than the latter's width. It includes a mattress, and 2 half-breadth box springs. It provides 36 inches of space for each person on the bed.

The Advantages of California King

• This is perfect for very tall couples providing them with extra space for stretching.

The Disadvantages

• This is only good for single-story home. This cannot fit in small rooms and narrow corridors.
• Like the Standard King, the sheets are not easy to find and may have to be customized.

The queen-size beds measure 5 inches more in length and 21 inches more in breadth than twin-size beds. Queen beds are 6 inches more in width and 5 inches more in height than double-size mattresses. This may be placed in the master's bedroom or the guest room. It gives each occupant 30 inches of personal space as it measures 60 inches wide and 80 inches long.

The Advantages of Queen Size Beds

• It provides more space than the twin-size.
• Furniture stores offer a variety of sheets for this type.
• You can match it with queen and standard pillow sizes.

The Disadvantages

• This will not accommodate plus-size couples.
• It is still too big for small bedrooms.
• Full Queen or Olympic Queen beds may give you problems when it comes to linens.

You should also consider if you are both comfortable on the bed. Choose one with thick and firm mattresses so they do not sag easily. Some are made of special materials where the other person will not feel the movement of the other. This means that they cannot disturb the peaceful sleep of one another though they move a lot when sleeping.

Your Home Office Furniture - Is It Tax Deductible?

When most people start up a home business, the first thing they want to know is whether their business purchases can be taken as a tax deduction. Sure, it's easy to figure out that business supplies like paper, envelopes, and pens all count as a tax deduction, but what about the bigger things? Is your home office furniture tax deductible?

In most cases, it is!

However, before you start taking deductions on your taxes, you need to make sure that you have done all of your homework:

• First, you need to keep any and all records relating to your furniture. If you ever get audited, you will have to be able to prove how much everything cost. And, unfortunately, when it comes to the IRS you are guilty until proven innocent - meaning that it is up to you to prove that you were right to take a specific amount as a deduction, instead of the IRS proving that you were wrong.
• You need to make sure that any home office furniture that you take as a tax deduction is only used for business purposes. The IRS defines a home office as a space that is solely devoted to your business. So if, for example, you use your file cabinet to store business and personal documents, it's not going to count as a tax deduction. Or, if you buy a computer desk - and your kids also use it to do their homework - you can't legally take it as a home office tax deduction.

If you do not run a home-based business, you may be able to deduct your home office furniture.

How can that be?

It all goes back to how the IRS defines a home office. If, for example, you have a safe in your home that is solely used to store important business documents, it counts - and you can legally take it as a tax deduction.

So, how do you actually go about deducting your home office furniture?

The IRS gives you a choice - you can either deduct the full cost all at once, or you can deduct portions of the cost over 7 years in a process known as "depreciation". If you opt for depreciation, though, you will have to follow specific IRS guidelines as to how much you can deduct each year; it's not as easy as dividing the total cost by 7 and calling it a day!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6340942

Liven Up Your Living Room

Living room is the first part of your house that people see, and form an impression about you and your lifestyle. That is why, this room needs to be decorated in a way that is stylish and also expresses openness and the aura of friendliness and acceptance.

Living room is a gathering area for family members as well as guests, and it needs to be comfortable as well as inviting. Also it must set the tone for the décor of the rest of your house. Keeping all these factors in mind, decorating the living room is not an easy task and requires planning. Here are the basic things to consider while doing a living room.

Painting

The first thing that should be carefully decided is the color of the living room. To get the living room of your choice-

* You can use bold color for the wall which appears to be the point of focus of the room. Painting the other walls with contrasting color will make the room look vibrant.
* While coloring small rooms, dark color should be avoided as this will make the room look much smaller.
* Painting the walls with soft shades can create a peaceful atmosphere within the room.
* Ceiling should always be painted in white to maximize the light.

Flooring

A good solid floor will generate an impressive image of the owner of the house. These days you can use different types of flooring available:

* Carpet Flooring - This type of flooring has been there since forever and is still preferred by many. Carpets are available in various designs and they can be machine-made or handmade.
* Hardwood Flooring - This type of flooring is preferred to carpet flooring as it can be easily cleaned of dust, liquid or other stuff. Moreover they can be polished which gives a classy look to the room.
* Laminate Flooring - Laminates are less expensive as compared to hardwood flooring. Hence, you can easily change them every six to seven years to give a new look to your room.
* Tile Flooring - This type of flooring is becoming popular these days due to the efficiency of the tiles to keep the room cool. Moreover they comes in various shapes and exquisite designs.

Lighting

Making lighting arrangements is also a creative task as this can give contrasting looks to the different corners of the living room. Moreover an efficient choice of lighting can also make the room look bigger or smaller. Some factors which should be kept in mind while deciding on the lighting part;

* Energy efficient lamps should be used as they are environment friendly and emit the same amount of light like other sources.
* Use lights to highlight portraits, pictures and other articles in the living room.
* Use a table lamp beside the furniture if you want to use the room for reading books, newspapers or other things.
* To ensure smooth distribution of light, combine general light with halogen lighting.

Furniture

Though furniture comes last in the decoration category, it is essential to choose it wisely. An ill-fitting furniture can destroy the look of the room. The recent trend is to use contemporary furniture which is not heavily ornamented like the vintage wooden furniture. This is the reason contemporary furniture is finding prominence in most living rooms. Some of the other characteristics of this modern day furniture are:

* This type of furniture is made of metal which gives it a lustrous and glistening look which blends with any kind of décor.
* Modern furniture is sleek hence fits in any place.
* Contemporary living room furniture follows simple designs comprising plain geometric structures and soft colors.
* Materials used to build this furniture make it lighter, therefore portable.

Therefore, to make this room lively and to create the perfect ambiance, paint, flooring, lighting and furniture should be chosen carefully. You can also hire an interior decorator, who with their expertise can make your living room look even better. To locate these experts, you are advised to run a quick search online.

The author of this article is currently associated with LaContempo, a leading supplier of modern furniture for official as well as residential use.

Guide For Your Home Furniture

Right furniture pieces can be the anchor to your home. Placing them aesthetically, you can make your living place more elegant and inviting. Read this article to know how can you decorate your home areas with suitable furniture items and right color combination.

Your home reflects your personality. If you love to follow the current fashion trends, then why not assimilate the same in your home decor as well. Decorating with right kind of furniture, you can give your home the unique appearance. Although a wide range of furniture pieces is available in the market, you need to purchase the ones that suit the latest trend and the theme of your home. Read on to get some valuable ideas on how to choose the right furniture for your home and make it a more beautiful and comfortable place to live in.

Dining Room Furniture

A dining room is an integral part of your home where you spend some quality time with your whole family taking the wholesome meal. Dining table and chairs are the main furniture items for a dining room. While decorating this part, be careful in selection of furniture considering some important aspects like number of your family members, age & number of children and the frequency of guests you invite for dinner. Size of dining table should be appropriate, according to your needs and the space availability in the room. Similarly, the number of chairs and their size should match your requirements. Additionally, you can have some stylish storage cabinets to place your cutlery sets. Make sure that the area looks clean, spacious and inviting after decoration.

Living Room Furniture

Living room is the central part of your home and the place you see first when you enter the house. Furniture arrangement in living room mainly depends upon the space availability. In case of small area, purchase the items which save the space. If a flat screen TV suits your budget, you can save a lot of space. The next item, the largest sofa set, should be placed right opposite the focal point. Size of central table should also be according to the space available. Choose the right color combination and give your living room the best look.

Bedroom Furniture

Decorating a bedroom requires a lot of creativity and designing skills. With suitable furniture items, right color theme and good placing arrangement, you can make your bedroom look sophisticated. The main furniture items like bed, wardrobe and showcase must be placed aesthetically. Wooden furniture is considered the most suitable for bedrooms. They look elegant and ensure the durability. Apart from furniture items, color & quality of carpet and coloring of wall should also be attractive.

Outdoor Furniture

Like wise the indoor area, outdoor space (your garden or porch) should also be well-decorated to enhance the overall beauty of your home. A number of furniture items like park tables, benches, chairs and park grills are available to improve the appearance of your outdoor area. Considering the size of your garden, weather conditions and your budget, you can purchase the suitable outdoor furniture. There is a variety of materials used to make outdoor furniture. You can select from wooden, steel and plastic furniture as per your requirement. Purchasing quality furniture like recycled plastic bench, you can decorate your garden perfectly. To make the place more pleasant, place the furniture items artistically.

Have Lightweight Folding Tables at Home for Convenience

Lightweight folding tables are among the most versatile furniture that you could have at home. They serve multiple purposes that you simply could not think of not having them around. They work for both indoor and outdoor setting and could always guarantee convenience whenever you need an extra space to put food or anything that you are working on.

As the name implies, these tables are not that heavy to move around in deference to their lightweight structure. They could easily be transferred from one place to another. One person could easily do it, save those really old people. The tables are ideal to be brought when going camping or to any other outdoor activity.

Once you are done using the tables, they could easily be folded and stored in places that would not disturb your daily household routine. They would not be occupying a lot of space at home and therefore, would give you enough space to move about. And, whenever the need arises, you can just get the table from where you stored it before, and set it up again. This is really convenient and would not require much of your effort or strength.

There are a variety of materials used for lightweight folding tables. The most common is durable plastic. Most of these are rectangular in shape, but there are also those round shaped ones. Again, the shape that you would choose would depend on your need at home. For instance, if you would be needing the table during parties where everything else comes in rectangular tables, then a rectangular folding table would be the most ideal. If you would be using the table for mealtimes due to a limited space at home, then a round-shaped table would be a better choice.

Aside from plastic, wooden lightweight folding tables are also very popular. The wooden finish is greatly appealing that it sets off an elegance on its own. These tables normally wouldn't require a tablecloth or anything else on top because it is already in its best form. There are different sizes, with some having a seating capacity of six, and others, could seat four.

Whether the lightweight folding tables that you opt for are made of plastic or wood, one thing that you could really appreciate with these tables is the convenience they afford. Storage space is not a problem and any able-bodied person could easily carry and move them when needed.

Large Area Rugs Are Great For Big Houses

If you have a large home with lots of open spaces, area rugs are a really good way of adding some extra style and charm. They look really good in any kind of home with an open floor plan. They can be purchased in lots of different styles and colors so you can always find one that suits your home. Large area rugs have lots more benefits too that can benefit any kind of home.

There are many good reasons why people choose to place large area rugs in their living rooms and dining rooms. When they are used correctly, large area rugs can actually change the entire look and feel of a room. They also offer comfort and can also help reduce the noise that is sometimes associated with bigger rooms.

For some reason lots of people think that area rugs don't look right when placed over normal carpeting but that just is not the case. They look as wonderful on carpets as on hardwood floors as long as you choose the right kind of rug for your own particular home.

Before making any purchases make sure you always take into consideration the actual size of the area that you would like to cover. You should always leave a fairly big gap between the edge of the carpet and the walls so keep this in mind when doing your measurements.

These kinds of rugs are a great asset to any kind of large room. They help to create a focal point and really add some warmth to the room. However the only downside is that they can be quite costly, particularly if you choose a high-end manufacturer that uses high-quality materials.

Having said that, there are still some places where you can find cheaper ones. As you can expect, the best place to find large area rugs is on the internet, where it's possible to find a huge variety of rugs for sale. There are numerous websites which offer a massive variety of rugs at varying prices.

You can also find a lot of cheap area rugs for sale at some great prices but what you should keep in mind is that buying cheaper ones they will tend to degrade a lot quicker. You should really think long and hard before buying such rugs.

It really is easy to shop online for large area rugs. You'll find that many vendors provide free shipping which can be a big advantage because of the size and weight of such items. If this service is not offered, you should do some comparisons of different websites as many times you can find the same rug cheaper at another site.

Alstons Furniture - A Brief History

The History Of Alstons Furniture

The Alston family has been involved with furniture for over two centuries. As far back as 1776 there were Alstons repairing furniture in their Chelsea workshop.

The present family's direct ancestors started the business that became the Alstons Furniture business we know today in Sudbury, Suffolk. William Alston (1839-1919) and his brother Ambrose (1834 - 1902) were both master cabinet makers during the middle of the 19th century. William Alston later became a furniture dealer as well, selling from premises in 95 North Street, Sudbury. The Alstons Furniture business prospered and moved to 9 Old Market Place, Sudbury in 1875 Both of William Alston's sons, Hammond and Percy worked in the business and together they then created one of the first all electric workshops.

The premises at Old Market Place became a retail furniture shop as well, with additional workshops. One of which was to eventually form the beginnings of the Alstons Furniture Upholstery operation much later on. In 1921 Percy Alston's son Leslie started an apprenticeship with his father and then completed this at Fisher Trade Woodworking in London's East End.

In 1937 Leslie started his own manufacturing business at a redundant coconut matting factory in Long Melford. The business was set up with a £6,000 bank loan. Leslie's brother Roy joined him there to help run the new venture. The company later adopted the trade mark Albro as an abbreviation of Alston brothers, this continued into the 1980's.

During the Second World War, the factory in Long Melford switched its production to 'utility' bedroom and dining furniture. Extra work was also taken on to manufacture coffins for the war effort.

Later in the war, the Long Melford factory was burnt out and new premises were sought in Ipswich. Initially production was resumed within Wrinch's factory in Nacton Road, Ipswich. Land was also purchased adjacent to Wrinch's and a factory was built by joining war surplus Nissen huts together to form a linear building and a continuous furniture production line was created within it. This temporary structure survived until 1971 when a new building was erected over the old huts ensuring that not an hour of production was lost.

The Alstons Furniture cabinet business has remained at this site to this day. During this time a new head office had been built and a programme of continuous investment in machinery maintained. Alstons Furniture has manufactured almost exclusively bedroom furniture during this period. In the 1950's and 60's this was centered on suites of bedroom furniture of veneered teak, walnut and mahogany finish (a suite comprised a ladies wardrobe, a gents wardrobe and a dressing table). The 1970's saw the introduction of modular bedroom furniture ranges in veneered and painted finishes.In more recent years the Alstons have become a market leader in the production of traditional and contemporary bedroom ranges of laminate and painted finish.

Leslie Alston remained in charge of the business until his death in 1976 at which point his oldest son Rex (John) took over as Managing Director with Leslie's brother Percy (Roy) as Chairman. In 1979 Alan, Leslie's other son became Chairman and Managing Director of Alstons Furniture, assisted by his bother Rex and with their cousin Noel (Percy's son) as Sales Director. John P Alston joined the family business, Alstons Furniture, in 1974 becoming a Director in 1987 and Managing Director in 1995. In 2008 David Alston became Chairman of Alstons Furniture, taking on this role directly from his father. Also in this year John's daughter Jessica Alston joined Alstons Furniture as a design assistant.

The Upholstery business flourished and within 10 years, further satellite factories were opened in Hadleigh, Suffolk and Clacton, Essex.

The recession of the early 1980's saw a contraction of Alstons Furniture and the satellite factories were closed down and production and investment consolidated at the Colchester site. Up until 1995 Alan Alston continued to be responsible for the running of Alstons Furniture. In 1995 David Alston, Alan's youngest son became Managing Director of the company and the responsibility passed on.In 2008 John Alston took on the role of chairman of Alstons Furniture from his father.

During the life of the company it has manufactured sofas, sofa beds, chairs and recliner chairs.

Alstons Furniture continues to make all its production from its factory in Colchester and is now one of the leading producers of upholstery in the UK.

Secrets To A Good Nights Sleep With Simmons Beautyrest Mattresses

Life has become a vicious circle for many people which is just circling around work and family. Such people remain stressed and anxious thinking about working harder and getting over problems of life. People involved in so much of thinking could possibly suffer from sleeping problems. A sound sleep is very essential as it gives your mental and physical health a chance to relax, undergo restoration and rejuvenate for the next day activities. The Simmons Beautyrest Classic is one of Simmons mattress that can help you with that. Now, Let us explore the secrets to a good nights sleep.

The secret to having a good night sleep is a matter of having a harmonious relationship between your brain and body. Do not let your brain overpower the needs of your body. If your body wants to relax and sleep let it go. Moreover, your sleep schedule, bedtime habits, and day-to-day lifestyle choices make an enormous difference in the quality of your nightly rest.

Create a bedtime routine: Try and synchronize your body's natural sleep and wake cycle. Schedule your sleeping and waking up time, as this will train your body to remain active and sleep on time.

Never over sleep: Avoid sleeping for more than 8 hours just to catch on the lost sleep. This could worsen the problem leading to restless nights.

Exercise: Keep yourself physically active throughout the day so by the evening your body feels exhausted and demand good night sleep.

Develop a bedtime routine: Activities that make you feel drowsy, like soothing music or reading a dull book, can help you unwind from a busy day and prepare you for an undisturbed night.

Eat light: Keep your dinner light and avoid eating before going to sleep. This is because the process of digestion is slower during night and sleeping on a full stomach can have you feel bloated and uneasy making it difficult to sleep.

Warm bath: A warm bath 4 to 5 hours before bedtime is relaxing. And although it temporarily raises your body temperature, as you cool down you'll feel more and more drowsy.

Get a comfortable mattress to sleep, as many a times it is the mattress causing the entire problem.

In addition to above tips, keep your bedroom light dim as light stimulates the brain and awakens you. Sudden and loud noises can disrupt your sleep so, close all the windows. However, steady, whirring sounds, such as those of a fan or air conditioner, are conducive to sleep. A room that is too hot or too cold can also affect your ability to sleep. The ideal bedroom temperature is between 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Following these secrets and also have one of The Simmons Beautyrest Classic will make a good nights sleep that has many advantages as it slows down the ageing process, improves your concentration and memory formation, keeps you alert and thinking sharp, helps in maintaining a strong immune system, restores your physical and mental health and makes you feel happy and rejuvenated.