Futons make a comeback
Remember the futon?
It was popular back in the day ... to be specific, back in the '70s and '80s. Many a college student opted for the inexpensive, yet useful, sofa-by-day, bed-by-night futon. They were quite useful in a pinch, but some were not so comfortable when used on a regular basis. But that has changed.
The new and improved futon is here! It is still affordable, plus the sleeper is made with real traditional mattresses. You have a choice of wrapped coiled springs and memory foams, and some include that topper thing often called pillow top.
The beauty of the futon is its flexibility. Yes, it is a bed, and yes, it is a sofa, and yes, it is inexpensive. The mattresses, as mentioned above, are available in a large variety of sensitivities, from extra-soft through ultra-firm.
Some of these mattresses allow for more than one person to sleep thanks to independent sleeper action. What? Let me explain. Say you have an active child sleeping with an older, more serene child. There is a mattress that is comprised of hundreds of individually wrapped, heat-tempered carbon steel coils allowing independent action that eliminates motion transfer. This, in turn, eliminates sleep disturbances from one child to the other. The Gold Bond Mattress Co., for example, adds layers of super-soft high-resiliency foam wrapped in a patented Joy cotton that gives the consumer the best of both worlds -- a comfy sofa-like feel and long-lasting nighttime support.
There is another advantage to the futon: you can change the cover when you change your decor. The covers on futons are like pillowcases that can be removed for dry cleaning. They come in a variety of colors and patterns so you can change them periodically. If you have any sewing talent, the sky's the limit on the futon covers because all you need to do is sew three sides together, with a zipper on the fourth side.
Did you know that futons also come in chair versions? If all you need is a single bed for an occasional sleepover guest, the futon chair might be your answer. That futon chair is also great for the overnight grandchild who wants to sleep in your room but doesn't fit comfortably in your bed.
Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color," For design inquiries, write to Rosemary at DsgnQuest@aol.com. Creative Environments
