Something is missing in the bedroom

When designing your perfect bedroom don't forget the accent chair. A chair in your bedroom is something often overlooked when picking out the bed, dresser and lamps. Sometimes you want to curl up in the sanctuary that is your bedroom to relax or read a book, and you don't always want to lie down. I know if I lie down on that bed I am falling asleep, which is fine if its late, but not if its only 6 pm. A chair can create an atmosphere of a full room not just a place to sleep and can facilitate conversation as opposed to immediately lying down and flipping on the TV. Be sure to pick a chair that is cute and really ties the room together to avoid it being just another place to throw your stuff. Chairs come in all shapes and sizes so you can surely find one to fit your style and space. In my city apartment I have an armless Chloe chair with pink and green stripes to accent the other colors in the room. My parents recycled a beautiful blue and white striped chair to their bedroom with blue walls after they redecorated the living room. My little brother's room recently had a makeover and went from graffiti walls to a more mature, you are about to graduate from college, wallpaper. In the midst of this crazy time in his life he needs a place to kick back and relax in style, and what better way to do that than in a chaise lounge.

We love our Vendors and Our Vendors Love Us

Perhaps it a product of being raised by a mother with great taste and tact, but I find myself basing my decisions on whether or not to support businesses based on the service experiences I have. For example there is this little dry cleaners down the street from my apartment, one of three or four in a few block radius, and after one visit I was sold as a customer for life. They only accept cash, which is hard sometimes because, as I am not a waitress anymore, I don't always have cash on me, and their prices can be a touch higher. HOWEVER, after one visit the elderly gentleman who runs the place, who is literally there every day, recognized me and I was immediately welcomed into the family of clientèle. Each customer that squeezed through the door to the shop had a very personal exchange with the shop owner, it just made me smile. The experience reminds me of the early years of Circle Furniture, a little mom and pop shop run by my grandparents who worked diligently for so many years. Today just because there are more stores and one more member at the helm (see note earlier about my wonderful mom) doesn't mean the values of family and quality service have gone, our family has just grown exponentially. Our family now includes vendors and sales people and more and more customers. It is the strong bonds created between all of us that keeps our business alive. Thanks again to all the great folks at BDI, our Vendor of the Year as voted by our designers, for all your contributions to our success!

Circle Gets Jazzed For February

Circle Furniture is helping to sponsor this years Jazz Fest at the Reggatta Bar at the Charles Hotel. Come celebrate opening night with us on February 8th featuring the musical rhythms of the legendary Dr John. If you get there early you will definitely have a comfortable seat. If you want more info or to purchase tickets to this or any of the Jazz Fest performances check out the Jazz Fest homepage.
Speaking of jazz and comfort, check out the new Jazz chair by Ekornes. We have always LOVED Ekornes chairs for their unrivaled quality and comfort and this year they are delivering a new design to fit a more modern style.

"The Stressless Jazz will be right at home with today's modern interiors," says Peter Bjerregaard, president of Ekornes. "The sleek, unique design says 'retro' to some and 'futuristic' to others, but everyone agrees on the comfort of Jazz, the comfort for which Stressless is known around the world." We recommend a test drive, so come on in to one of our locations and put your feet up for a bit.

The Most Exciting Thing Happened at Dinner Last Night!

"The most exciting thing happened at dinner last night," were the first words out of my mouth to my mother on the phone this morning. (I would have called in the heat of the moment last night, but I am a bad daughter and live three time zones away.) "I spilled red wine on my chairs", I squeaked. My mom hesitated and I could feel her glancing over in her mind each chair she had chosen to perfectly compliment my new apartment, "Now why is that exciting?"
Well let me tell you.
Last night I had a lovely casual dinner with friends. We whipped up a little post activity dinner and complimented it with a bottle of red wine, ok maybe two bottles. As we were winding down the meal my friend knocked her glass and red wine went everywhere, immediate shock, horror and panic ensued. Someone grabbed the shout spray and we were going after her sweater and the place mats, and then we saw it, a trail of red wine down the back of the upholstered dining room chair. My friend's face went white because she was unaware that these chairs were not sewn from just any thread, they were Ultrasuede, not microfibre, but Ultrasuede. I had to admit I even felt fear at first, I had heard the talk of this miracle fabric that can handle ANYTHING, but was it all talk? I took a little soap and water on a paper towel and with one stroke the wine stains were gone, it was really unbelievable. So the next time you are shopping upholstery and someone tries to sell you a microfibre for less, consider spending the extra to the Ultrasuede trademark brand, it really can stand up to ANYTHING, all you need is a little soap and water. Another interesting factor in the equation here is the upholstered dining room chair. Ultrasuede makes it reasonable because with a fabric like this you can have beautiful (see mine above that I LOVE) and comfortable upholstered chairs in a food and beverage danger zone that will last for years, unstained.

Designers Notebook: Yellow

How is this winter weather making you feel? With all these storm clouds stealing your sunshine the windows in your house are not adequately brightening your rooms. Well here is a tip: the color yellow can not only brightened a space but it can make a small space seem larger or draw attention to certain aspects of your room. White has always been a go to brighten and enlarge small rooms, but yellow can have the same wondrous effects with just a touch more sass. Yellow doesn't just look great, it and other bright colors bring a sense of warmth into a room that inspire memory and learning. Still not convinced to let Benjamin Moore lemon your walls?
Try out accents like a rug or a Maine Cottage Cubby Case, you will be amazed what just a splash will do to brighten up your home!

Holiday Party

Another fabulous year with our Circle Furniture family deserves another fabulous party. Thanks for everyone who attended and congrats to this years big winners. Roberta Frost was our top designer, she and her talents can be found in our Cambridge store. Jonathan Boyle, our Director of Operations, picked up another employee of the year award. BDI, providers of sleek home entertainment systems and other accessories received the Vendor of the Year award. Cheers and here is to a great 2008!

Sleep

So the holidays are over and with the new year comes resolutions and goals, but how about a little relaxation? With all the travel or hosting your family what we all need how is some rest, a good nights sleep. These days television is littered with ads for various sleep medications, but that should be a last resort. Any sleep center or expert will tell you there are many steps involved in getting a better night's sleep, they include routines, less caffeine and most importantly a comfortable place to sleep. So how is that mattress you sleep on every night? I recently discovered how valuable mine is as I went traveling for the holidays. Once I diverted from my ultra comfortable memory foam mattress I experienced the horror of a restless night's sleep on someone's old standard spring mattress. So you thought your mattress was fine but you are still having trouble sleeping? Do you share the bed with a tosser or a turner? Stop in and check out the Circle Furniture Private Mattress collection and see what a difference foam makes. Before you go here are some helpful tips to picking out a memory foam mattress from Google and Wickipedia:

How to Buy a Memory Foam Mattress

Looking for some zzzz on a memory foam mattress? Before you walk into a mattress store get the facts by following the steps in this how-to.

Steps

1. Make sure the memory foam is of high enough density to support your body properly. The best way to know is to check the package for the density of the foam. Cheap foam is normally 2 to 3 lb. density, mid-grade foam is 3 to 4.5 lb. density and good foam is over 4.5 lb. density. Usually, 5.3 lb. to 6.2 lb is considered the ideal density to properly support the human body. The lighter grade foam won't support you and will quit returning to its original shape after only a few months.
2. Look for memory foam that is temperature sensitive. The one thing that makes Memory Foam so unique is temperature sensitivity. When you first lay down on a memory foam mattress, your body weight causes the mattress to "melt away" from that pressure until your weight is spread evenly over the surface of the mattress. However, after you "settle in," your body temperature begins to affect the material, causing it to soften in the places where there is increased temperature. This fine tuning is what accounts for the unmatched comfort of the genuine memory foam mattresses.
3. Read the warranty information carefully. See exactly what will be required of you when you have a warranty issue. Will you be responsible for shipping, packaging, etc.? Most importantly, how long has the manufacturer been in business? A lifetime warranty from a company that's only been in business for a short while is probably worthless.
4. Check for ample testing done with real people. Many times, testing done in laboratories, without humans, isn't a true picture of what happens out in the "field." The human body is unique and it affects materials differently than a mechanical testing device.
5. Ask for a "comfort test" period. You should be able to sleep on a memory foam mattress for a short period, to see if you have any issues. If elect to try the mattress it will be covered in plastic to ensure it remains sanitary and the company can re-sell it if you return it. This will limit your ability to truly feel the benefits. If A high percentage of people love memory foam mattresses, but a few don't. Know what to expect if you are one of the few. Will you be able to get a refund of all your money? Or is there a re-stocking fee? Will you be required to "exchange only" with that merchant? If so, make sure they carry a wide variety of products so you'll have lots of choices.

Tips

• Get a written "comfort guarantee." Make sure it's at least 10-14 days or more.
• If you can take ice, in a zip lock bag, you can verify if the material is temperature sensitive. It will become firmer in the place you put the ice after 5-15 minutes.

Warnings

• Most people don't realize how heavy a solid foam mattress is. Solid memory foam or regular foam mattresses are a real job to move or even to turn around even for two healthy people, and you surely don't want to carry one up stairs.
• Nothing lasts forever.
• Salespersons will try to give you "facts" which will favor their product, no matter how inferior, so just remember density, temperature sensitivity and reading all you can about memory foam to be educated before you buy and you'll be happy with your purchase.
• Foam mattresses act like sponges, this means they absorb liquid. You should always use a waterproof mattress protector when you set up your memory foam mattress to prevent liquid from getting into the memory foam and to keep you sleeping cool during hot weather.
• Many memory foam mattresses are manufactured in China. Some of the latest products coming out of China are of super high quality and chemical free. Ask for the details of manufacture before you buy.