When buying a new bed, most people concentrate on the support and comfort of the mattress while giving less thought to the bed base on which it is placed.
Not choosing the correct bed base can be a mistake as it will be detrimental to comfort and decrease the mattress's lifespan! Most bed bases are purchased for their appearance to fit in with an existing bedroom design.
Bed bases come in several styles and designs and range in quality from basic tubular structures to extravagant hand-carved pieces. Some bed bases are purchased for function and can offer excellent storage solutions with drawers built into the bottom to help store away bedroom clutter.
The top of a bed base can offer different comfort levels, with many bed frames supplied with a sprung slatted base.
Pictured: Beechwood sprung slatted base. Slats work in conjunction with the mattress for support.
A sprung slat is usually manufactured from beech wood and has a slight bow to the design. There may be up to 80 slats used in the base, and the mattress sits on top of the slats.
The sprung slats work with the mattress to support it, not taking all the strain. It can last up to 3 years, giving you more value for money on your original purchase.
Divan bases are seen as traditional bed bases and usually match the mattress's fabric. A divan base is typically manufactured from hardwood timber, and the frame is screwed and glued to give the structure extra rigidity.
Several different storage options exist in divan bases, giving many choices for storage use and drawer accessibility.
The top of a divan base can have sprung edge options, which work similarly to the sprung stats. In this case, small coiled springs are used to give the mattress more support and help prolong the mattress's lifespan.
Folding Beds
Pictured: Jay-Be J-Bed Folding Bed (Available from Bedstar)
If you're thinking of having guests over, but don't have room to fit a full-size bed or a sofa bed, then a Folding bed or a Z bed may be an option.
The idea of a folding bed is exactly as the name suggests. It can fold away to a small size and be stored in a wardrobe, a cupboard, under an existing bed, or anywhere you can find space to keep it.
The Folding bed uses a central pivot point to allow it to fold inwards and outwards, and usually, a folding bed will have extendable legs to lift the bed off the ground when you fold it out. Folding beds have become much more popular in the past ten years as space restrictions affect many more people than before.
Due to this popular demand, folding beds can now come with sprung or foam mattresses, making your folding bed slightly more comfortable for your guest.
Whichever base you opt for, always consider it can affect the mattress's comfort level, so don't just purchase the base on the look alone. Some bases can make a mattress feel firmer, which could be cheaper than replacing a mattress that doesn't feel as supportive as it used to!
Recycle
Recycling dump with the trash of broken chairs, tables, beds, and much more.
There are two sides to thriving consumer culture, and we must consider both just as carefully.
You've got all the lovely clothes, technology, and furniture that enhance our lives and endow them with style and interest.
There's nearly always something on the wish list or something tempting in the sales. Less obviously, you've got what you might think of as the back end of the process- all the old stuff that we no longer want.
The worst possible thing to do, which sadly many of us are still guilty of, is to throw things away. The best thing is to recycle.
More often than not, it means simply putting things in the correct bin. Many councils now provide free collections for large objects and recycle them for you.
Equally, lots of dumps have now been turned into recycling centres too, with different areas for different substances—metal, wood, electronic items, etc.—which are then carefully processed in the best way.
Reuse
Reusing items is another great way to get your brownie points for helping the environment. But, of course, it doesn't require you to reuse your possessions until you can't stand the sight of them any longer!
Nor does it mean channelling that make-do-and-mend policy from the war years.
It simply involves donating to charities or using online sites that specialise in finding places for "pre-loved" objects. Donate your old wooden bed frame to a charity shop if you buy a new wooden bed frame.
On the one hand, you'll be helping someone else get their eight hours of sleep; on the other, you'll be helping to cut down on deforestation. This issue not only endangers exotic species but disturbs the complex ecological balance of the land.
From recycling correctly to reusing furniture, there are so many ways to help our planet that don't involve great sacrifices, don't take much time, and don't require you to turn your life upside down!
