Modern Bedroom Furniture

Modern Bedroom Furniture

If you stop and consider that most of us spend about 8 hours a day/night in our bedrooms then you will understand how important it is to have a bedroom set that is not just functional but also pleasing to look at.
Today, modern bedroom furniture offers us a wide variety of styles to choose from and we often can find ourselves wondering just what look we’re trying to create in our bedrooms. Since the bedroom is supposed to be a place where we rest and relax and prepare our bodies for another hard day, the furniture we choose for our bedrooms must be comfortable as well.

Beds/Styles
Air Beds



You may find yourself wondering why anyone would buy an air bed versus a standard mattress. In fact, they can be easily adjusted to conform to the firmness you desire, they’re lighter weight, they’re typically of high quality (as many are designed for outdoor use) and they are very comfortable as they conform to your body and typically reduce the pressure point pain that many suffer in the morning.
A good air mattress may also come with a foam topper (though other toppers are available) and they’re often a great solution to have on hand in the event that a sudden guest arrives or if you’re living in a really small apartment. Most air beds come in the same standard sizes as a regular mattress and some even offer individual ‘zone’s’ that can be adjusted for two people. Air mattresses never have to be turned; they’re lightweight and easy to move as well!




Bunk beds are one of the most user friendly pieces of furniture for those who have a little bit of room that they need to fit more than one person in! From sleeping two or sleeping three, bunk beds fit into a room that is limited on floor space and are especially great for children. Bunk beds do have to be used safely and this is important whether you’re using the beds for adults and children. Make sure that ladders are sturdy and that they’re safe and meet or exceed weight requirements.


Cabin Beds

Cabin beds are also known as ‘captains beds’ or ‘log cabin’ beds and are best described as a bed that supplies often much needed storage areas underneath the foundation/mattress. Cabin beds got their name because they were designed originally to be used in the captain’s quarters on board ships where space was often limited and storage areas were needed for personal items. Today, captain beds are increasing in popularity for both children and adults bedrooms as a means of providing extra storage space especially in homes with smaller rooms.
Canopy Beds/Poster Beds

Canopy beds are typically metal but may also be made of wood and they have a cloth canopy overhead. Canopy beds may come in a variety of sizes and styles and the canopy may also be purchased separately. Canopy beds are created from a standard bed frame with posts that form the canopy and you can even build your own if you are the do it yourself type. Today canopy beds are typically considered to be luxury items in years past they were designed for durability and practicality to help keep bugs out of the beds and also to provide privacy in rooms where many people might be sleeping. Canopy beds are almost all king or queen sized though they can be purchased as twins or full sized as well.
Futon Beds
Originally a Japanese mainstay, futons have become more and more popular in our culture. Western style futons have little in common with their Japanese counterparts which were originally designed to help with limited space. Futons offer an added benefit as many of them double up as seating space after being used for sleeping space thanks to their forgiving mattress (which is typically more like a pad than a mattress). These space saving pieces of modern furniture may be used as a couch during the day and a bed in the evening. Most futons tend to be not particularly comfortable due to the thin material that is often used to fill them however, since they’ve gained in popularity they are more commonly filled with foam or even with the more expensive memory foam. When shopping for a futon make sure you know exactly what you are buying since often the frames come without any type of padding or covers and may have to be purchased separately.

Loft Beds

You may think that given the name that a loft bed is built to be used in a loft. This would be an incorrect assumption. Loft beds are constructed from wood or from metal and are clearly defined as a raised sleeping surface with empty space underneath. They are especially good for rooms that may have a small footprint but have high ceilings and are built so that the space below can be used for storage and some even have storage features built into them. The loft bed is similar to a bunk bed without the lower sleeping surface. Loft beds have far less support underneath them than a bunk bed does and therefore safety becomes critical. Children should be over the age of six before they have a loft bed and one must guarantee that weight specifications are appropriate for anyone sleeping in a loft bed. Commonly these beds are available in twin, queen or full size and are often used in college dorm rooms to utilize the space below them as work space.
Murphy Beds (wall beds)

Built to allow those with small areas to hide their bed away when they were entertaining in limited spaces, the Murphy bed is increasingly popular in city apartments where space is an issue. Two styles of Murphy Beds are available, the style where the whole bed folds down from a wall or the closet style where the doors open and the bed folds out from inside. While today’s Murphy Bed is not much like its original design, today these beds offer high quality design and a rich choice of finishes that allow you to incorporate them into your decor without anyone ever knowing there is a bed contained in the unit.

While these beds are able to be built from kits or plans, you should exercise all safety precautions when constructing one. Some places even offer Murphy Beds for your pet!



Platform Beds
This very minimalist design is often combined with a futon or memory foam mattress. Lighter weight than their counterparts, platform beds consist of no box spring and often are without head boards or foot boards and sometimes are raised to provide some under-bed storage. Platform beds are generally used when the traditional Zen or Japanese theme is desired.
Sleep Number Beds

The ‘newest’ bed on the market this bed is designed with air pockets instead of traditional mattresses with an adjustable setting from very soft to very firm depending on the users requirements. Some sleep number beds also have individual controls for two people who are sharing a bed. Many high quality hotels and resorts are using this type of bed as an additional ‘perk’ for their guests.
Sleigh Beds


Very popular in the United States, these beds originated in Europe. These beds consist of a large headboard with a smaller footboard that are curved and generally roll slightly outwards. These beds often have wooden bars or slats along the side and are almost always wood. The prominent headboards and footboards usually mean they’re best suited for a very large room as they do dominate the entire room due to their size.





Sofa Beds


Still the choice of those who may need to make a spare bed available to a guest with no or short notice, the sofa bed is typically larger than a settee (which seats two), although some designs now come in ‘chair sized’. Designs vary on sofa beds from those that simply slide or those where the backs fold down. Some sofa beds are extremely heavy and often are complicated to operate. Having enough internal space to hold bedding, store pillows and hold the mattress/spring combination often make these beds heavy and unwieldy. The sofa bed today however can even be purchased as a completely inflatable unit! Sofa beds come in a variety of prices, styles and comfort levels. If you know you’re going to need additional space for a guest it is strongly recommended that you go the extra mile and buy the higher quality sofa bed as it will last longer than some of the less expensive models. On the other hand if you’re only going to use this bed very rarely, a less expensive model may be equally appropriate.
Trundle Beds

Another space saver, the trundle bed basically slides under a larger bed and simply slides out for use when you have an overnight guest. Trundle beds are often used in combination with a day bed but it’s important to understand that not all trundle beds will fit under just any bed. Carefully measure fit before purchasing or even better, purchase the set of the bed with attached trundle. Some pop up while others slide out (the underside is hollow). These beds typically do not have boxed spring’s, they simply are platforms with mattresses on top of them. The trundle is typically outfitted with wheels to make it easier to use.
Water Beds

A popular piece of bedroom furniture these beds are available in sizes ranging from super singles to kings. The idea is that the water filled mattress (which acts similar to memory foam) reduces pressure on your body as you sleep. These vinyl mattresses often don’t collect dust or dust mites and may be very helpful to people who suffer allergies. There are a number of accessories for water beds including puncture repair kits, conditioner to prevent the build up of bacteria inside the mattress and heaters. Waterbeds require a very solid frame to support their weight and floor construction must be looked into. Contrary to what some believe, water beds are unlikely to make you feel seasick since they are designed to avoid any type of wave motion even if filled to only seventy five percent of their capacity and while a water bed certainly may be punctured, this isn’t done easily. It is however prudent to keep a repair kit on hand. Waterbeds come in a variety of sizes and even shapes and can provide a very good nights rest.
Beds/Mattresses

Today we have a variety of not just sizes of beds but a variety of frames, styles and colors to choose from. A good quality bed lasts on average eight to ten years (at least the mattress). Most states prohibit the resale of used mattresses due to the health hazards such as dust mites and others. There are safety requirements that must be adhered to when mattresses are constructed and you should inquire about those standards in your area.
Beds come in a variety of sizes and it’s typically recommended that you purchase the largest bed you can afford and that will fit into your bedroom. Sizes are generally standardized if you purchase US mattresses but if you’re purchasing a mattress from the UK you may find that the sizes vary considerably. Some manufacturers often ‘slice’ off a bit of length from a mattress to save costs of production while others may add additional padding making the mattress not only more comfortable but also a little larger.
You’d be wise to measure any mattress before buying sheets for them but here are the ‘standard’ sizes of mattresses:
Type US Size (Length/Width) UK Size (Length/Width)
Twin / Single 75” X 39” 75”X36”
Twin Extra Long 80” X 39”
Full / Double 75” X 54” 75”X54”
Queen 80” X 60”
King 80” X 76” 78”X60”
California King 84” X 72” *Super King* 78”X72”
Typically a twin bed is used for a child’s room or for a guest room. Most adults find that a full (or double) bed is not large enough for both of them to sleep comfortably. The queen sized bed is often the choice of couples although in some cases it may not be large enough to accommodate them comfortably. King Sized beds are a great option for most adults and California Kings which tend to be slightly narrower than a King Sized bed they’re longer and therefore often the choice for taller people.
Mattresses are very expensive. Since mattresses are generally expected to last ten years as a rule however, the cost effectiveness cannot be denied! If you simply can’t afford to purchase a brand new high end mattress immediately you can opt to put a high quality mattress ‘topper’ (or pad) on your bed to get a little extra comfort for a little longer! This certainly won’t work if your mattress is completely gone but if you still have some fair amount of wear left in an already aging mattress this can be a good stop gap between replacing a mattress and saving a few dollars.
Buying Pillows

You’re probably wondering where pillows came from in a discussion about bedroom furniture. Your mattress could be the most comfortable, high quality mattress available but the wrong pillow can ruin what would otherwise be a great night’s sleep! Many of us run to our local discount store and grab a couple of pillows on sale and assume that a pillow is a pillow. Like everything else, pillows come in a variety of sizes and firmness. You’ll know when you need to replace your pillow when you fold it in half and it doesn’t spring back (or springs back very slowly). You could generally consider replacing your pillow at least every couple of years, but if you’ve purchased a low quality pillow you may find you need to replace it a lot sooner.
Pillows come generally as firm or soft and may be filled with a variety of items including natural and synthetic ones. Pillows may be filled with husks and seeds which provide firm support but mold to the sleepers shape (and are less prone to mites), cotton which is perfect for those who suffer allergies, feathers which are less expensive than their down counterparts. Natural fillings tend to last a little longer and are generally higher in quality than synthetic filled pillows. Synthetic fillings include those that are meant to duplicate their higher priced natural filling counterparts. Synthetic fillings tend to be less costly, more suitable for allergy sufferers, are easier to maintain (as they are often washable) and can be incredibly durable if you buy a high quality. Memory foam synthetic pillow filling is gaining in popularity as it can offer not only support but a great deal of comfort.
Dressers

With space always at a premium you may opt to select dressers that will actually fit in a closet or in a relatively small space. Often storage chests are options that are perfect for those who simply do not have the room for a full sized dresser and the cost is substantially less than a full sized dresser. Another reason that these pieces can be so versatile is that they can service dual purposes – not only for storing clothing or other items but also used as night tables or even end tables to place a clock or a lamp on to put near your bed. In addition, these chests are often much smaller than a full sized dresser, lightweight for easier moving and they are generally very sturdy and will last a long time!
One of the bonuses offered with storage chests that that they are often made of transparent or translucent drawers which make them even more useful since you no longer need to try to remember what you put in each drawer – therefore in the long run they can save you a lot of time. These are great alternatives for children, first time renters and even more useful for college students since they are portable and easy to move. Storage chests come in a variety of sizes and are made from a variety of materials from sturdy poly-plastics to heavier wooden units.
If you’re more interested in a dresser because you have the space you can often match a dresser (or set of them) to your bed and night tables. Dressers should be well constructed and the drawers should fit into it properly. Whether you opt for a ‘low boy’ or a ‘high boy’ you will want to estimate how much storage space you’re anticipating gaining from the dresser before you purchase it.

Low boy dressers are defined by the fact that they are typically waist high (or slightly higher) and may contain as few as four drawers and as many as twelve (though six and eight are more common). These units allow for a lot of storage if the drawers are deep enough and often the drawers are longer than they are wide allowing for more separation of various types of clothing. Low boys are typically available in colors and finishes that will match both your bed frame and night tables.

The high boy dresser is the one that is most commonly seen in smaller rooms as they have a smaller footprint and take up less floor space but will provide the same (and in some cases more) amount of storage as a low boy with more dressers. These dressers are typically chest high and often contain an odd number of drawers, ranging from 3 to 9 (though 5 or 7 are most common). These complimentary pieces are perfect if you’re decorating a room that has two windows close together, often the tall boy will fit nicely between them.

An armoire is a very versatile piece of furniture that offers many of the same benefits of a closet while adding the storage space of a dresser. These are perfect pieces for those homes who may have limited closet space and not a lot of extra floor space to accommodate multiple dressers. Armoires can be very plain, blending in with a room or they may be very decorative pieces that are elaborate in design (but often do not have as much storage space as their plainer counterparts.

Armoires are suitable for any bedroom and they may occasionally be found in a common living area and used for basic storage. Most bedroom sets have an optional armoire that will complement the overall look of the complete set and many manufacturers offer armoires specially designed for children’s rooms as well.


Nightstands almost always round out the modern bedroom and offer a variety of styles from very plain tables to night tables with drawers. Depending on your storage needs you may want to consider the tables with drawers. While most night stands will have only one drawer, many manufacturers offer them with upwards of 3 drawers and that can be an extra source of storage when rounding out your bedroom.
Bedding and Linens

Selecting new sheets and comforters or bedspreads can add entirely new life to your bedroom. Because of the variety of sheets that are available you are strongly encouraged to measure your mattress before you go shopping for them! Don’t forget when you are out searching for bed linens that you are going to be sleeping on these sheets and they’ll be touching your skins for hours on end. You’ll want a fabric that helps keep moisture away from your skin, dries quickly and feels good. Sheets are available in a variety of fabrics including polyester blends (which tend to wrinkle less, be warm and unfortunately tend to pill), linen, cotton or even a blend of linen and cotton. The best sheets get softer and more comfortable as you wash them! There is nothing quite like Egyptian cotton sheets which can feel very soft and silky after multiple washings. Check labels carefully for fabric content, too often, labels are misleading. You want to make sure that when you wash these bed sheets they do not pill. When you buy sheets that have a high thread count, avoid using harsh detergents, use fabric softener if you have hard water and wash them in the gentle cycle (unless you’re a heavy sweater then they may need a heaver washing). Avoid drying sheets at a high temperature and if at all possible, remove them from the dry while they are just a little bit damp which will help you avoid wrinkles and allow them to dry themselves (better yet, hang them outside). All bedding should be washed once a week. Bed sheets come in a variety of colors and you can select from solids or prints and refresh the look of your room by simply changing them!

Another popular fabric for bed sheets is silk. Silk sheets and pillow cases offer not only a luxurious feel but silk is also hypoallergenic meaning that they can be perfect for those who suffer severe allergies. Silk also holds heat very effectively and therefore you can use a lighter weight blanket even on the coldest of nights. The biggest downside to real silk bed linens is that they are very costly but if you can afford them they are more than worth the price. Silk is readily available in a variety of solid colors (prints are less common and typically more expensive).

Blankets come in a wide variety of fabrics including cotton blends, fleece and wool or you can select an electric blanket. Cotton and cotton blend blankets are not only comfortable but typically they are comfortable and durable. Fleece blankets are easy to care for, they don’t pill up like some blend blankets and are very popular for use with babies and children because they are very soft, warm and extremely durable. Wool blankets are a perfect solution to cold climates since they offer superior warmth. Electric blankets are perfect for colder climates as well since temperature can be adjusted to suit individual needs and many offer dual controls, are light weight and some are even available as wireless blankets. All blankets are available in a variety of solid and prints designed to suit any decor!
Comforters can be the highlight of any bedroom. Available in beautiful colors and prints and many are even reversible giving you two totally different looks. You can make a huge difference in the way your room looks by simply adding a new comforter and matching pillow shams. A variety of fabrics from rich silks and durable cottons to the newer micro-fiber comforters which are gaining in popularity due to their incredible softness and durability make a comforter a great addition to any modern bedroom.

Whether a comforter matches your sheets, your carpeting or your curtains they also are designed to provide additional comfort and warmth on cold nights and come in a variety of fillings from natural down to polyester blend fillings. Be sure to read care instructions carefully when purchasing your comforter as you can easily ruin a beautiful comforter by not cleaning it properly.
Remodeling or designing the perfect modern bedroom takes careful planning but should also be a fun and rewarding experience. Experiment by designing your perfect bedroom online and shopping online for complimentary bedroom furniture to suit your needs.

Modern Office Furniture

What is the impression of your employees, business associates and customers when they walk into your office? More and more companies are downsizing and failing to see how the addition of modern office furniture can upgrade their appearance to those who are visiting!

Today with more and more people working from home, offices are becoming dinosaurs and unfortunately all too often the furniture in them is reflective of the ‘old school’ mentality of doing business. It’s time to consider your office furniture seriously and see if it properly reflects your business style, is appealing to customers and business associates as well.

What is the difference between ‘modern’ and ‘old fashioned’ furniture?

Today the primary difference in furniture is that ‘smaller is better’. More compact work spaces, corner desks, enough space to hold critical technology all makes for a modern work area. Your office staff needs to have sufficient workspace to work, however the old large solid oak desks that our fathers and grandfathers loved are no longer practical, they appear ‘old’ and we can update to more modern furniture very easily as costs have come down considerably for furniture, especially since fewer large offices exist.

Spending Wisely

The first thing to be aware of when you are considering modernizing your office is your budget. Since your ‘front office’ is the first place that your employees will see (creating their mindset for the day) and your customer see (creating their mindset for your meeting) you’ll want your front office entrance to be as modern as possible. In today’s growing technology markets, our customers don’t necessarily look for that ‘old school’ look that has been popular for so long. Massive desks today are more a sign of waste than they are a sign of ‘established successes’.

For those who work in a large office setting, normally the reception area will have the most impressive of desks and the other offices (or cubes) will have more utilitarian desks (though the old putty colored metal desks are seldom seen today). Inside sales persons desks may also be a little more elaborate than those in telephone sales person’s offices as well, as they will meet with customers more frequently in their offices.

There is no need for spending exorbitant amounts of money for a smart looking desk. Today, there are hundreds of options for modern looking furniture that is sensible, smart looking and offers all of the features that you need.

Modern looks in furniture

Sleek lines in desks, ergonomically designed chairs and sleek bookcases are the style of the day! You no longer have to have the ugly green and putty colored filing cabinets in the corner to show people the success of your office! Let’s face it, in today’s competitive market place, your workplace and communication systems distinguish you from your competitors!

Since the desk is the focal point of your office, it sets the style for the entire office! This desk should reflect the style of the work that is being done! If you’re making a lot of telephone calls and simply typing on a computer all day long then you probably would prefer a smaller desk, but if you’re really working on your desk day in and day out then a larger desk is probably in order! Your desk should be elegant, comfortable and functional all in one! You want to establish a ‘friendly’ workplace that is comfortable and functional and your desk is going to be the centerpiece of your office workspace. For those who are ecologically minded you have thousands of newer options that are made from sustainable forests and the benefits are tremendous (a) natural wood has a natural aroma and (b) you won’t get toxic compounds in the air you’re breathing!

Do you need filing space at your desk? Selecting a desk that offers filing options today is so easy, many have both letter and legal sized capabilities! Since space is always a challenge, you can do more ‘space planning’ by selecting corner desks, corner curios which will hold your computers, printers and paper. Your office furniture should maximize the ‘open’ space in your office setting – this gives the impression of a much larger area of work! An open work area makes your employees more comfortable with their work, your clients more comfortable when meeting with you and provides and overall ‘friendlier’ feel when you have someone walk through the door!

Maximizing Space

Maximizing open space in your office is sometimes the key to making it appear that it’s larger than it is. Coordinated pieces of furniture as shown here can give the impression of much more space than is really there. This type of a set up with desk, credenza, storage cabinets above the credenza and a matching filing cabinet offer all types of possibilities when you’re setting up your office to maximize the open space. This type of a set up reflects clean lines, a streamlined approach to storage and allows you to rearrange the furniture in a way that is best suited to the space that is available to you. The contrasting of the brown/black allows for endless possibilities for brightening up the work area with art work, carpet and window treatments.

Making the most of limited space and having easy access to filing, storage and other areas for spreading work out can be a major challenge. For those who prefer slightly smaller desk, this type of a set up allows you to have the smaller desk (maximizing your open space) and still allows for additional storage components to be within easy reach of the desk user. This can allow for easy access to necessary files when working on a telephone and still allows a suitable meeting location for meeting with clients.

Home Office Desks

With more and more people working from their homes today, there is an entirely new market that has been created by people who now want an office in their home. Desks for a home environment are typically much different than those that might be found in a local office building. For instance veneers might be used more commonly in a home setting, generally corner desks that include filing space and storage space play a role in selecting a home office desk are the best option for at home workers as they take up less space and provide the user with more working space.

Our home office desks tend to be less ‘formal’ in terms of looking like furniture as they’re often kept in a separate room and are not necessarily a centerpiece of a room that is used all of the time. This results in a different ‘look’ and ‘feel’ of home office furniture versus the type of desk that might be suitable for a professional office environment.



For those who are space aware and don’t want their office furniture to be an eyesore in their home, coordinating furniture like this cab be used very effectively. The open working area, hidden storage space and filing space is very convenient when working in a smaller area and allows the user to access everything easily from a comfortable chair.



Credenza Desks

Credenza desks are basically secondary desks that allow for additional work pieces. Often they have hutches attached to them for storage purposes and allow users to keep their ‘main’ work space cleared. Credenza styles are often used in executive offices where there is a requirement for several meetings a day allowing the user to keep their main desk cleared of clutter to allow for meeting with clients or business associates throughout the day.

Armoire Desks



Generally these types of desk have a writing table within a large cabinet that allows the doors to be closed to keep out dirt and grime as well as providing a cleaner appearance than a desk (as you can hide the cluttered work area!) – many times you’ll find these types of desks in homes or in smaller offices. Work surfaces are generally adjustable to provide ergonomically correct work surfaces. Some armoire desks are direct descendants of the antique roll-top desks since they provide the same way to hide and store current work.

Ergonomic Chairs

Today we’re becoming more and more aware of the damage we are doing to our backs when we spend our entire day sitting in our chair. This is the one part of any office you want to splurge on if necessary. Nothing will help more with back pain and discomfort than a comfortable chair that fits the user. Chairs are not always one size fits all; different users need a different chair in most cases. It was once generally accepted that a chair was a chair, but today, those who are very tall need chairs to accommodate their frames and those who are short need chairs that don’t put additional pressure on the backs of their knees while they’re working.




Whether you’re interested in a leather executive chair, a simple task chair or an ergonomically designed chair, your choices are extremely varied. Today’s office chairs come in a variety of models, colors and fabrics and are best selected with the user in mind as well as the amount of wear and tear they are going to take. If you are going to be in your chair only an hour or two a day, you may not need to take the same things into consideration that someone who is going to be in their chair for eight to ten hours (or more a day).



Ergonomically designed chairs are made for those who spend many hours a day seated at their desks. With specially designed backs, seats and arm rests these chairs are meant for long term sitting to minimize back pain, leg pain and even swelling in the feet. Some people prefer chairs without arms while others prefer chairs with arms.



When selecting an office chair for ergonomics you should look at some specific types of features on them. First off the seat height should be easily adjustable and should have at least a five inch range, you want the person using the chair to be able to easily put their feet flat on the floor and still allow their arms to be at an even height with the desktop. Seats need to be wide enough and deep enough to allow users to be seated comfortably. Most chairs are generally between seventeen and twenty inches wide. In a best case there will be two to four inches from the back of the knees to the chair allowing the user to sit comfortably without pressure on the back of the knees.



Ergonomic chairs should allow for lower back support to avoid strain on the lower spine. Look for chairs with a good lumbar adjustment (height and depth) which will allow the chair to be shared with multiple users if necessary. Backrests should be between 12 and 19 inches wide and allow for natural support of the curve of the spine with proper support of the lumbar region of the back. Backrests that are adjustable forward and backward are preferable; making sure that there is a secure lock to prevent it from going too far back. Because the amount of time sitting in an office chair is so varied, it’s best to pick out a well cushioned seat that has breathable fabric versus a hard surface. For those who prefer armrests they should always be adjustable to the user and swivel chairs allow for easy reach and less strain to reach different areas of the desk.

Kneeling Chairs

While you’re not actually kneeling in these chairs they are designed to shift your body weight forward and supported by your shins. This particular type of chair is designed to reduce strain on the lower back as well as encourage good posture because your hips are slightly forward and your weight is distributed more evenly between your pelvis and your knees reducing stress and tension not only in your back but also in your leg muscles. If considering this type of chair be sure to purchase one that allows for some lumbar support and have adjustments for height and angle.

Summary

When searching for your office furniture, it’s important to know up front what look you’re striving for. There are many pieces of modern office furniture that will help you set up your office and establish exactly the look you are searching for.

Modern Office Furniture

Perception is reality. That is the first real of business, and a sometimes unfortunate but ultimately true fact of life. Modern office furniture can add an aura of professionalism, give clients the sense that you have a certain "edge", and even increase working productivity if the furniture is ergonomically friendly.

If your furniture is eco-friendly office furniture, your customers, clients, and employees will believe that you care, and study after studies have shown businesses that are perceived to care have more efficient employees and make more profit per sale. It is a proven fact that the perception of caring is good for business.

So how do you identify the kind of modern office furniture that is good for business? For starters, most modern furniture tends to be an improvement on old furniture. Have you ever walked into an old government building with stale furniture and yellow walls? You get an incredibly sense of depression and lack of productivity. If they threw in some cheap new furniture and painted the walls white, there is a good chance that everyone would end up working harder. The Tipping Point addresses similar issues.

Modern furniture

People are more aware of the environment today than ever before. They want to know what materials are used in the furniture they buy - and where the materials come from.



What is the newest trend for contemporary modern furniture stores? The vast majority of them are green. No, they’re not jealous of what the other has in its store – they’re all eco‑friendly. These eco-minded stores carry products that are designed with the environment in mind. Their furnishings are made with reclaimed, recycled, renewable, whole body organic, and non-toxic materials. Bathroom showers, kitchen cabinets, living room floors: all can be made from sustianable or recycled materials

Most of these stores are located in California, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington State. Sure, eco‑friendly modern contemporary furniture stores are scattered throughout the United States – Michele Fitzpatrick’s Chicago showroom Verde[1] is known for its refurbished mid‑century modern pieces, and Brooklyn-based Vivavi[2] was named “one of the 50 most intriguing green businesses helping to drive the green revolution” by Inc. Magazine[3] – but, for the most part, these green stores are on the left side of the Missouri River.


Mid Century Modern Furniture - Tables from recycled wood

Eco-Friendly
Modern furniture designers of the past replaced decorative excesses like ruffles, tassels, and body carvings with form and function. While simple designs with practical advantages drove the modern furniture of yesteryear, simplicity and practicality have an added meaning for many of today’s modern furniture companies: furniture that simply makes practical use of the earth’s resources.

Treasured Chests - Antique Trunk Restoration, Yours or Ours

Eco-friendly modern dining room furniture stores are all about sustainability – referring to products that are made in an environmentally responsible way – and most are members of the Forest Stewardship Council.[4] The FSC is an international nonprofit organization that protects the world’s forests. Furniture stores who use FSC‑certified wood are assured that they are buying wood:

• That supports the ecological functions and the integrity of the forest


• That was obtained while respecting the rights and culture of aboriginal peoples


• That abides by the many other principles established by FSC[5]

FSC‑certified sustainable wood is the only wood that is accepted under the U.S. Green Building Council’s stringent LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program.

When buying furniture, “sustainable” can have many connotations. It can mean that the materials were organically grown or are from recycled or reclaimed stock. When it comes to wood products, it can mean that the wood was either harvested from a managed forest, rather than a rain forest, for example, or that it is a renewable material, like bamboo. Many eco-friendly products are available for furniture making. Other aspects green companies are considering are the types of dyes and paints that are used, the amount of energy that is expended in making the product, and the source of that energy.


Bathroom Vanity and Vessel Sinks made from recycled glass

Bamboo
Bamboo is a marvelous grass – it is not a tree – for making furniture and other home products. It is stronger than oak, and it will not shrink or swell (as hardwoods do). Bamboo can be transformed into ply boards with properties that measure up to conventional wood. Bamboo’s delicate grain gives wood products a distinctive, elegant appearance.


Bamboo Bathtub

Bamboo is grown without the use of pesticides and can grow two or more feet per day, reaching maturity (60 feet or more) in about 4 years, compared to the 25 to 70 years it takes for commercial trees to reach full growth. What’s more is that bamboo doesn’t have to be replanted. Unlike hardwood trees which are gone forever once they’re cut, bamboo’s renewable root system sends out shoots after each harvest.

For more information on bamboo and bamboo technology, see green furniture company EcoDesignz.com.[6]

Organic Cotton
Cotton that is grown in certified pesticide-free and herbicide-free soil is classified as organic cotton. The benefits of organic cotton are many:

• Healthier fabrics


• Preservation of water quality


• Toxin prevention

Fact: Traditional cotton-growing methods produce the second-most pesticide-laden crop in the world. Many of the chemicals used on traditionally farmed cotton crops are known carcinogens.

Hemp
Hemp is an ancient textile with a lot of versatility. Hemp fiber is the most durable and eco-sensible crop on the planet. It can be spun into threads for making rope, twine, and cords, and it can be woven into clothing, fabrics, and linens. An example of hemp furniture:


Hemp Furniture - Bed and Sheets

Hemp is grown without chemical pesticides or toxic fertilizers, and it produces more fiber yield per acre than any other crop. One acre of hemp can produce as much usable fiber as 4 acres of trees or two acres of cotton (and it is stronger than cotton). Many green furniture companies are using this fabric for many of their furniture fabrics.

Faux Leather
When it comes to animals, eco-friendly companies are just as friendly to animals as they are to the natural environment. Leather products are completely avoided and microfiber and faux leather substitutes (though pleather is not entirely free of controversy) are used instead.

Leather products are symptomatic of pollution and animal cruelty. U. S. factory farms are the biggest pollutant of American waterways, and animals are subjected to all types of cruelty (confinement, branding, tail docking, horn removal, hormone and antibiotic injections, repeated breeding).

Fact: To process ONE TON of leather, 15,000 gallons of water are needed. Also, the process produces more than ONE TON of solid waste.

Plywood
Plywood is an extremely efficient material. When using plywood, it takes just a half a tree to make the same number of desks that 4 ½ trees would make if using solid wood. Plywood yields 8-10 times more usable wood from a log versus solid lumber. Plywood furniture lasts longer than solid wood furniture.

Unlike solid wood furniture making, the process involved in making plywood is highly efficient. The log peeling process resembles that of a roll of paper towels coming off a roll. The waste is extremely minimal. For more details on plywood making, see Legare Furniture.com[7].

History of Modern Furniture – and Vinyl
From the beginning of its inception, modern office furniture was all about form and function. Circle, squares, and rectangles were tossed aside to make room for newer shapes: kidneys, ellipses, oblongs, flares, and S’s. Furniture was laid out in a way where it could serve more than one purpose. Darker colors were replaced by monochromes like gray and black. And bright colors were added for contrast: tangerine, turquoise, chartreuse, and ruby red. And to top it off, these new modular-sized pieces of furniture were made of new materials: clear acrylic, blonde plywood, or shiny chrome.

But where did all this come from? A combination of influences impacted the modernist design. A few of these influences were technology and the creative surge taking place amongst the artists and designers in the Art Nouveayu movement.

Modern furniture became popular shortly after World War II. American technology had advanced quickly during the war, particularly on the use of plastics. Vinyl-coated wire replaced rubber-insulated wire and was widely used aboard U.S. military ships. Plastics also became a large part of the aircraft production effort. When the war was over, vinyl manufacturers were going full throttle and quickly found new markets for their wartime inventions, one of which was the American home.

Bathroom showers: Modern bathroom furniture includes Steam shower enclosures with features since as inline water heaters to prevent you from wasting water while you wait for it to heat up. Dual flush toilets save water with every flush. According to Wasauna, a family of 4 can save up to 10,000 gallons of water per year.

Vinyl
Vinyl is a controversial material. Just because vinyl furnishings leave forests intact, vinyl is not necessarily an eco-friendly product. However, some rave that because vinyl is cost-effective and reusable (for example, some companies turn worn-out floor coverings into products like outdoor parking bumpers and industrial flooring), among many other benefits, that vinyl is a desirable product.[8] Proponents also point out that vinyl products last decades longer than anything else, but that is one of the problems – it never goes away and neither do the toxins.

Modern Excercise Equipment: Vibration Machines

Whole Body Vibration Platform

Environmental organizations like Mindfully.org caution against the use of plastics. Although vinyl is maintenance free – never needs painting, weatherproofing, or winter storage – and is lighter in weight than other alternatives, it does have a downside. Plastic is never truly recycled, and it is toxic and unhealthy for all living things. Plastics are made from polymers (which are made from various chemicals that are bound together through tremendous amounts of heat and pressure) and additives. The additives are toxic and don’t fully integrate into the plastic but instead reside between the molecules of plastic.

Paul Goettlich, in his website Mindfully.org, speaks out about the health and socioeconomic effects of technology and plastics, among other things. Goettlich is concerned about the lack of research being done on chemicals, such as those used in vinyl. “By purposefully avoiding meaningful studies, including those done at persistent extremely low levels of detection, the industry keeps us all in the dark. We are indeed living in the dark ages of science. The regulations and regulatory agencies are even worse.”[9] For a wide range of articles about plastics, go to Goettlich’s website.[10]

Where’s this green path going?
So where’s this green path headed. Hopefully through the rest of the country. With obvious footprints in the west and northwest, it’s only a matter of time before those footprints make a wellworn path east. Bedroom furniture and Danish modern furniture are helping lead the way.

The green furniture trend is growing. People are more conscious about the environment today. They want to know what materials are used in their furniture – and where those materials come from. And as the demand grows, green materials become more widely available. Materials that are available today weren’t available 10 years ago. While higher prices may have kept some furniture shoppers away in the past, that is all changing. Green furniture is more affordable – and attractive – than it ever was.

For a list of eco-friendly furniture companies, see Eco Mall.com[11] and fscus.org[12] - and keep surfing the web, as new ones arrive all the time.

Keep an eye out for future articles on this site about modern living room furniture, green bathroom remodeling, steam showers, and walk-in bathtubs.