Guide for Buying Furniture

By Sohail Khan

This article is embedded with the 14 years of experience that we have gained while serving the industry.

There is nothing as “Free Lunch” in this world. You get what you pay for. The more you pay for your new furniture, the better the quality will be.

The most common question that that you would ask is:

"What would be the life of my sofa/bed/mattress/table?"

When you step out to buy furniture for you home, it is most important to keep a couple of pointers in your mind. Cost alone doesn’t determine the life of your furniture. The examples cited below would give you a clear picture that even expensive furniture would give up sooner than expected if not treated with care.

Factors determining the life of your Sofa

Everybody in the house wants to grab the most comfortable place on the sofa. Mostly, people love to sit on the armchairs and the left & right arm-seats of the sofa. Since these places are more often used than the others, they will be the first to show signs of wearing and the sofa would eventually pop out its springs & coils!

Other factors which damage your sofa to a large extent are heat and direct sunlight. For instance, if you have 3-Seater coupled with a 2-Seater at your place, and the latter gets more of the morning sun’s direct light, it will fade away more quickly than its partner.

To beat the cold, many homes make use of radiators, keeping them on for nearly the entire day. To make our seating more cozy and comfortable and to get more space in our living room, we place our sofas very close to these radiators, many a times nearly touching it! The sofa, in this way is exposed to excess heat, making the leather peel!

Also when we have guests at our place accompanied by children, we make use of every single inch of the sofa! It is in such scenario that children and sometimes even adults make use of the Arm-rest to sit, in order make themselves more comfortable, and join in the fun. What we don’t realise is that this hampers the life of the Arm, and the sofa as a whole!

Buying Tips – Sofas & Living Room

• Selecting furniture is very personal .Take your time when selecting models, colors and finish. If equipment used and manufacture methods are essential to you feel free to ask about them.

• Obtain a close look at the access points in your home (corners, sharp, doors, staircases) measuring where essential.

• Measure the space obtainable in your room and evaluate these measurements with the dimensions of the article you plan to order to guarantee the article will fit in your home.

• When your item is delivered look over it closely for any damage or defects. Make sure the delivery person is informed of any problems straight away.

• If you are unable to take delivery of your furniture when it is ready we will stock it for you free of cost for 28 days. Beyond this time period we are obliged to charge weekly storage.

Factors determining the life of your Bed/Mattress

Nobody can predict the life of your bed/mattress, since it largely depends on the usage rather than the cost or quality. If you buy a really cheap bed for your guest room and it is rarely used, say only when guests stay, then this bed will probably last longer. But if you buy a really expensive bed which will be in use every night, then it will definitely wear out much before than the one in your guest room.

The first sign of wearing out in any mattress is that it would lose its shape. Our body is disproportionate in weight. In easier words, different body parts weigh differently. Thus, constant pressure at one pressure point results in mattress spring losing its characteristic. It is therefore advised to turn your mattress regularly.

The retail world is full of sale gimmicks. Taking advantage of people’s laziness in changing the mattress’s sides, retailers have come up with “NO-TURN MATTRESSES”. But even if you are using such kind of a mattress, it is advisable to rotate it regularly. This would help the mattress in maintaining its original shape, characteristic and last long.

Different types of Bed Bases

Divans

The most popular option for beds in UK is The Divan base. It is an upholstered frame, fitted with castors to move freely or on legs to utilise the underbed space. Storage options are also available in form of drawers in the Divan Beds.

·         Platform Top Base – A flat hardboard sheet is mounted in wooden frame covered in upholstery. Beds with these bases are generally firmer, as well as cheaper than beds with sprung bases. They work really well with firm mattresses.

·         Sprung Edge Base – Adding to the comfort of your mattress, the Sprung Edge Divan base acts as a shock absorber, increasing you mattresses life. Construction of the base is either an open coil or pocket sprung unit mounted on a frame. These bases are priced higher than other bases.

·         Slatted Base – Like a normal bedstead, the Slatted Bases are made of sprung wooden slats which can be synchronised to your requirement.

·         Storage Options - Space is always an issue in every house. Keeping this in mind a Divan Base is full of storage options in form of drawers. The mechanism of these drawers does not alter the strength or the comfort of the bed. They can be ordered as per requirements.

Adjustable Bases

These are highly recommended for clinical use, old aged users. The function to adjust its posture is really amazing as it comforts the user at all levels. It can also be used for everyday luxury, whether it be using your laptop, reading or watching TV, these beds can be applied all the way.

The adjustable base comes in special sizes and is operated with a user-friendly remote.

Bunk Beds

If space is an issue for your children’s bedroom, the Bunk Beds are the answer for it! Most of these beds can be separated into two single beds.

Bedsteads

The bedsteads are not as traditional as Divan Beds, but have been really popular in recent years. They are available in many combination of hardwood, oak, metal and upholstered. The base for these bedsteads is either slatted or solid (wooden sheets). For slatted base which is more popular, recommended gap one should look for between the slats is 9-10cms. These bedsteads come cheaper or expensive as according to their make.

Size Options
Size	Metric	Imperial
Small Single	75 X 190 cm	2ft 6” X 6ft 3”
Single	90 X 190 cm	3ft X 6ft 3”
Small Double	120 X 190 cm	4ft X 6ft 3”
Double	135 X 190 cm	4ft 6” X 6ft 3”
King Size	150 X 200 cm	5ft X 6ft 6”
Super King Size	180 X 200 cm	6ft X 6ft 6”

Buying Tips – Beds & Mattresses

You can call a bed comfortable when it gives you the right support. You need to assess the bed yourself in relation to factors such as your weight, height, build and even preferred sleeping position. In general, if you are heavy, you need a firm bed/mattress.

Mattresses are available in SOFT / MEDIUM / FIRM comfort options. Make sure you choose the right one!

If you got a bad back, it doesn’t mean you need a firm mattress! To know the right mattress for you, you should try the mattress by sleeping on it. Lie down straight, turn left, turn right, and test it in every possible posture you sleep in.

When you lie on the mattress on your side, your spine should be horizontal and you should be able to turn easily. A perfect mattress should be supportive and at the same time, mould to the shape of your body.

Different people define ‘Comfort’ in different ways. Some like to sleep on their back, some like to be on their sides, some like firm beds while some of them want to sink in their beds. Make sure you choose what works best for you.

If you have any queries or require any further information lease email us at:

info@furnituredeal.co.uk