Airbeds - The Ideal Sleeping Companion?

Back in the day, air beds were used primarily in hospitals, as support for those that were mostly bed-ridden. Things have changed since then and nowadays airbeds are just as popular than traditional mattresses as preferred sleeping arrangements. Airbeds are made from heavy duty plastic, which means airbeds are tough and strong but they also have a soft suede top layer which not only keeps you cosy, snug and warm but also keeps your sheets in place.

It only takes a matter of moments for your air bed to be inflated, normally by a small pump (included with most models). With the credit crunch now hitting everyone, what happens when family or friends come to stay? People can't afford to spend hundreds on spare beds that sit unused in guest bedrooms most of the year. However, an air bed is the perfect solution to the problem.

Cheaper than conventional beds the air bed is light and can be moved to any position. The good thing is that when your visitors have left you can simply deflate the bed and roll it up giving you back all your space again. No more sleeping on the floor or pushing the chairs together, for visiting family and friends again - the air bed is the perfect solution to any sleeping arrangements.

Traditional mattresses have pressure points where the springs are located, which are designed to give the person a relaxing sleep - the same can be said for a good quality air mattress but with 1 advantage - you can adjust the amount of pressure on your spine with a hi-spec top of the range air bed - supplied with a memory foam top, therefore you will have a better sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed and relaxed after a perfect night's sleep with your inflatable airbed mattress.

Retro Furniture

Back in the 50s and 60s, modern furniture was cool. Now people are rediscovering furniture from this period and shopping on eBay for it or buying reproductions of design classics from the past.

The modern style became popular in the UK after the Festival of Britain in 1951. The Festival gave the best of British designers a chance to show off exciting new designs to a public that was hungry for change. In the 50s, people completely reversed their tastes from preferring traditional style to wanting modern design.

Today what was considered cutting edge modern in the 50s and 60s is retro. Retro style is a way to make your home look distinctive, something different from the DIY superstore look that everyone else has.

Re-issues of classic 50s and 60s designs are available at many stores. Habitat, for example, make a number of Robin Day's classics, such as the Forum leather sofa from 1964. Fritz Hansen still manufacture Arne Jacobsen's beautifully organic Egg Chair from 1958.

If you don't want to pay designer prices, then original designs from the 50s and 60s are still readily available on eBay. Be your own judge of what is good design; not every piece made with a contemporary style in the 50s and 60s was.

Look for simple shapes, such as long, low sideboards with minimal decoration. Generally if it looks good, it is good design. If the proportions are wrong, ignore it. Scandinavian influence was strong in UK furniture from the 50s to the 70s. Look for pieces finished in teak or rosewood. Rosewood has a distinctive curvy, grain pattern. Sellers on eBay often describe mahogany or sapele pieces incorrectly as rosewood. Both these woods have a straight grain. They are less fashionable in modern style furniture and consequently pieces in mahogany or sapele are less valuable.

Some manufacturers from the 50s and 60s that made well designed furniture are G-Plan, Stag, Ercol, Austinsuite and Nathan. G-Plan was a pioneer of modern design. Stag employed John and Sylvia Reid to create some fantastic minimalist pieces in the 50s. Their most famous design was Minstrel - a reinterpretation of eighteenth century elegance for the modern world. Ercol made simple, modern furniture in English Elm. Ercol is of high quality and has a large following. If you want to buy the top designers from the 50s and 60s then pieces do come up on eBay, but are rarely cheap. Look for manufacturers like Gordon Russell, or Archie Shine. Younger also made some marvellous quality pieces in teak and rosewood from the late fifties. They may be cheaper than some of the top designer pieces. Also look for Danish furniture on eBay.

Overall, look for furniture you like rather than what you think is valuable and have fun decorating in a modern style to complement your acquisitions.

Is Pine the Best Wood to Use When Building Furniture?

Fine furniture and cabinet makers have known for centuries that pine is a perfect wood choice for building their most distinctive pieces. It is not hard to imagine the old, rough hands of masters gliding gently over another finely crafted piece to feel the grain and smoothness of its offerings as the finish was applied and hand rubbed to a beauty that cannot be found in any other wood. If you are fortunate enough to own an antique that is other than oak, chances are it has some pine in it and unless it was abused down through the years it has probably stood the test of time when it comes to durability. In the shops of today pine still offers a stability, beauty and versatility that is hard to match.

Pine has a light cream to almost soft, yellow, natural colour depending on the species and where it is grown. The grain tends to be wider and more splinter free than other woods. It does therefore not appear to be "busy" such as oak or boring and plain such as maple. When put into the hands of a craftsman it can take on many styles such as modern, rustic, shaker or French provincial and still look unique and classic to that style. Rarely do you see other woods lend themselves to such versatility. When you add the fact that pine furniture can be made with knotty or clear (without knots) lumber the furniture buyer is sure to find a piece or an entire collection that will fit his or her home and look richer and warmer than many alternatives.

The durability of pine has already been alluded to. There are several reasons for this. When properly cured in preparation for fine furniture much of the moisture content is removed. This makes pine lighter and more stable than many woods. In addition, today's finishes are a lot more advanced than the old shellac or oil finishes that needed constant attention. They are water and even sun resistant keeping the original beauty constant for years of regular use.

While much of what we see mass produced today tends to be pressed wood particles covered with a vinyl coating to imitate wood, pine offers the buyer an affordable alternative. Because it grows quickly and tools easily it is less expensive than other woods making a pine wardrobe an attractive compliment to any bedroom in today's homes. Visitors to your home will notice the richness of your furniture made from pine that lends a feeling of elegance regardless of your style. Only the home owner needs to know that it was less expensive than it looks.