Buying Guide

We would like to make your experience shopping for furniture enjoyable, rewarding, and successful. We realize that purchasing furniture can be quite a daunting task without receiving the necessary help and information. In order to make your experience easier, we offer a furniture buying guide to give you the information you need on all of our products, from Bedrooms to Patio furniture, and everywhere in between. Search through our offerings and learn more about each category of furniture it pays to keep some basic facts in mind before you begin shopping for furniture.

BEDROOM FURNITURE

Beds
Bed sizes
Several factors affect the size of bed you'll need. First and foremost, you need to take into consideration the size of the person or people who will sleep in it. King beds (California and standard) are the largest, followed by queen beds, full beds and twin beds. The dimensions of each size are as follows:

California king bed: 72 inches wide x 84 inches long
King bed: 76 inches wide x 80 inches long
Queen bed: 60 inches wide x 80 inches long
Full bed (or double bed): 54 inches wide x 75 inches long
Twin bed: 39 inches wide x 75 inches long (80 inches for extra long twin beds)

The other factor to consider when deciding what size to purchase is the size of the room. You need to have some space to walk around the bed, access your closet, change the sheets, etc. In a small bedroom, a full size bed would probably fit better and make the room look bigger than would a king size bed.

Bed configurations
Your basic bed has a tall headboard on one end and a short footboard on the other end. In the middle is the frame whereon the mattress sits. Some beds have more than this, and some have less. What you need will depend on your comfort needs and your bedroom's decor. Tall people might want to avoid a bed with a footboard, as it might make it difficult to stretch out. If you are a vertically gifted person who really wants a footboard, get a sleigh bed that curves out away from the top of the mattress.
A bed's configuration will also affect your overall decorating scheme. While most iron beds would look great in a room decorated with antiques, they probably wouldn't fit very well in a room with modern bedroom decor. A sleek, low-profile platform bed would probably go better in that setting. If you're going for a classy look, you might consider a canopy bed or a poster bed. When shopping, just think about how the bed might look sitting amongst your other bedroom furniture and decorations.

Bed construction
How much work are you willing to spend to keep your bed looking good? Different materials require different care. Wood beds are usually easier to clean and polish than some other common bed materials like powder-coated steel or brass. A metal bed won't be quite as susceptible to damage, however. Also, consider how often you will be moving the bed. If you plan on moving your residence a few times, get something lightweight that can be easily disassembled and moved.

What is a trundle bed?
If you have a few kids in the house and find yourself a little short on space, you might want to consider a trundle bed -- a rolling bed that collapses to be stored underneath a regular stationary bed. It gives the kids a little more room to play during the day.

What is a daybed?
Daybeds are combination couches and beds. They have a board or frame that wraps around three sides of the bed, much like a couch. You can line the back and sides with pillows to make it a comfortable place to sit. Daybeds are different from futons, as daybeds do not fold down flat and use a traditional mattress.

Night stands
You can purchase a night stand with drawers, with doors, a combination of both, or with open shelves. It's all a matter of what you want. Just make sure you pay attention to the height of the bed side table. It needs to be tall enough that you can see and reach the alarm clock, lamp, etc, from bed. Some night stands are short, designed to sit beside platform beds. Others are taller for a traditional bed with a box spring mattress. Ideally, you want the top of your night table to be about the same height as the top of your mattress.

Armoires
An armoire, also known as a wardrobe, can make a beautiful addition to a bedroom, even if the room already has a large closet. There are many different armoire configurations. The most common and basic configuration features a clothing rod behind double doors, along with a couple of drawers at the base. There are other, more complex types of armoires, however. For example, you can get what's known as an "entertainment cabinet" or "TV armoire," which has a place for a TV and stereo concealed behind the doors.
Armoires take up a lot of space, relatively speaking. Make sure you get one that isn't too big for the bedroom. You also might want to measure the door and make sure the dimensions of the armoire will allow for moving it in and out of the room.

Dressers and chests
It's all in the drawers -- how many and how voluminous they are. Basically, the bigger the better when it comes to dressers. If you're short on drawer space, you're stuffing the clothes in the drawers and forcing them shut. With more space in the drawers, you can avoid wrinkles in your clothes while allowing more air circulation.

Chests and dressers are almost synonymous. Dressers are usually wider than they are tall. Chests are vertical, a single column of drawers stacked on top of each other. Some are designated as lingerie chests, meaning they are narrower and smaller, perfect for storing their namesake. Measure carefully, so you'll know exactly how much space you have for your dresser or chest to occupy, and then look carefully at the dimensions of each dresser or chest you consider to make sure it will fit through the door, around the bed and in with the rest of the furniture.