Furniture
How To: Choose a Sofa
By: Kelly Goldthorpe
When picking out your living room furnishings the sofa is usually the focal point. The sofa greets you as you come home, inviting you to relax and take a break from life. It sets the tone for the room and can be distinguished as either fashionable or functional. Typically the largest item in the living room, it is important your sofa provides the comfort you desire and the functionality you require.
There are several types of couches available on the market today. Gone are the days of the three person denim couch. Now you can have a couch for just two people or as large as you would like. When purchasing a couch, consider how large your room is, how will be sitting on it, and what decorative style you’re going for.
The first type of couch is your traditional couch. It seats three to four people, has a high back, and arm rests. You can get these in fabric or leather. The benefit of fabric is you can easily get slip covers to alter the look of the sofa. They also help make cleaning a breeze. A leather sofa has a classy elegance, but can be hard to clean and is not recommended for children because it wears easily.
For a smaller room or an additional seating option there is the love seat. This sofa has room to fit two people, deriving its name from the close proximity of the people sitting on it. Love seats are convenient and can be moved easily to fit the room. However, they don’t provide much room to sit and it is unlikely that you could lay out without having your feet go over the armrest.
On the opposite side of the spectrum is the sectional couch. These have individual pieces to them, which can be added or subtracted depending on what size you would like. They typically create an ‘L’ shape, which fits into the corner of a room. This creates maximum seating capacity. Many times one end of a sectional couch is a chaise lounge, which has an extended seat, creating a footrest. This is often referred to as a “fainting couch”.
Another feature of sofas today is a built-in bed. Sofa beds have a collapsible bed hidden under the cushions that can be pulled out when needed. This is a great feature if you wish to have guests over, creating an instant guest bedroom.
Finally, a futon is a combination sofa and bed. The frame folds up and down by easily adjusting it and the cushions are actually the mattress. This is a cheap seating and sleeping solution, but it does not look as refined as a couch. These are great in teen rooms or dorm rooms.
Your sofa identifies the room. A firm, classy, elegant sofa would be great in a formal living room, versus a sleeper sofa with a slip cover that could be trampled on by the kids. Pick a sofa that you feel comfortable on and that will reflect your expectations of the room.
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Childproofing your Home
By: Kelly Goldthorpe
With the excitement that comes with baby’s first step, also comes worry and concern about their safety. Childproofing your home is critical to keep your new baby safe and out of harm’s way. Although it may seem like the hazards are never ending, you can easily childproof your living room in one afternoon. The time and effort are both valuable investments to keep your new family member safe. Below are 15 tips on how to childproof your living room.
- Use outlet covers on all electrical outlets. Children can stick things in them otherwise. If possible put furniture in front of them.
- Keep dangerous objects out of children’s reach. Glasses, vases, and other items can easily be grabbed at and then fall over potentially endangering your child.
- Use corner guards on furniture with sharp corners. These are especially important on coffee tables. You can replace such hazards by using ottomans instead.
- Remove glass tabletops.
- Remove table cloths, as they can be easily grabbed by children, dragging down breakables with it.
- Affix dangerous furniture to the wall, such as bookshelves or secretaries. There are guards for this or it can be done professionally.
- Use a fireplace protection screen. This is critical even when you do not have an active fire to avoid your child from ingesting ashes or touching sharp burned wood.
- Hide electrical cords from reach, as a child might put it in their mouth and bite on it.
- Blockade stairs with gates at the top and bottom. You baby may be able to climb up some stairs and then fall back down, so putting a gate at the bottom is just as important as at the top.
- Lock away chemicals and household cleaners.
- Tie up blind cords to avoid accidental strangulation. Also hide telephone cords and extension cords.
- If you have hardwood floors use rugs to prevent splinters from hurting your crawling baby.
- Window guards and window stops will also help eliminate hazards. Child-safe windows are worth the investment.
- Remove space heaters and other hot devices from the reach of your baby. These can cause very bad burns.
- To see any other potential hazards get down to their level – crawl around and see what trouble you could get into – then fix it!
Child-safe home furnishings keep you baby safe while giving you the peace of mind you seldom get with a young child around.
