Our five favorite contemporary sofas

What makes a sofa contemporary? Clean lines and lack of frill and ornamentation are classic tell tale signs of a contemporary sofa.  Simple and clean, we’ve seen this style become more and more popular.  Here are our 5 favorite classic contemporary sofas that people always just seem to love!

1.) Michael Sofa/ Sectional – we love how clean the bench seats and thin cushions make this frame. Super plush seating also makes this frame a double threat, pretty & comfortable.

2.) The Retro Sofa/ Sectional – sleek and small in frame and only measuring 100 inches as a sectional, the Retro is perfect for tiny San Diego apartment living.  Button tufted seat and back cushions also add classic style to this frame.

3.) Sofia Sofa/ Sectional – the most elegant part of this frame are the arms.  Thin and curved arms make the Sofia the epitome of contemporary elegance. Completely customize-able the Sofia can come in any color, texture & configuration you can dream of.

4.) Brookshire Sofa/ Sectional – can we just say ahhhhhh! This sofa/ sectional is the ultimate in relaxation.

5.) Belle Sofa/ Sectional with NailHead Trim – classic beauty & clean lines are combined in this super comfy sofa/ sectional, appropriately named the Belle.

Which one is your favorite?

Talalay Latex vs. Dunlop Latex Mattress

photo credit: Pure Latex Bliss

Here’s a question we hear a lot….what is the difference between Talalay Latex & Dunlop Latex when purchasing a latex mattress?  So we figured we would blog about it because there are actually some major differences.

The biggest difference is the process in which they are manufactured.  Talalay Latex takes about 14 hours to process while Dunlop can be made in less than an hour.  If you think about it, that is a huge difference?  That is like taking an hour to write an essay vs. an entire day and into the night, or grabbing coffee with a friend for an hour or spending the entire day together.  You know the quality you are creating will be a lot less in that hour vs. the entire day.

So then what does this mean for you?

1.) Breath-ability- Talalay Latex is about 4 times more breathable than Dunlop. Talalay latex has a large cell structure whereas Dunlop has a smaller and more dense cell structure.  This also makes Dunlop latex much more firm.

2.) Pressure Relief – Talalay Latex provides about 33% more pressure relief than Dunlop. Why is this? That’s because the process in which the Talalay is poured makes it more flexible and therefore conform to your body to provide more pressure relief when you need it. The Dunlop latex is a lot less flexible.

3.) Durability – Talalay latex is about 3 times more resilient than Dunlop.  Talaly latex has a round cell structure which does not break down whereas the snowflake cell structure of the Dunlop latex  does break down.

4.) Consistency – What feel at the top of a Talalay Latex mattress is exactly what you will feel at the bottom of the mattress.  This is not always the case when it comes to a Dunlop mattress.  This is due to a flash freezing process that is done in the Talalay latex that is not done with Dunlop.  This flash freezing prevents the particles from settling after the during.

5.) Cleaner – the Talalay Latex can wash out more proteins than Dunlop.  This goes back to the 1 hour vs. 14, Talalay latex is rinsed 5 times where Dunlop is only rinsed once.  The proteins in latex is the true cause of a latex allergy.

6.) Support – Talalay latex will offer support in addition to pressure relief whereas Dunlop primarily only offers pressure relief.

But one benefit for Dunlop would be that it is often more cost effective. We hope this helps in your research of which mattress is best for you.

How to find the best coffee table?

Have you ever seen a large comfy sofa paired with a delicate dainty coffee table?  It’s just not quite right.  Or a coffee table so tall it covers half of the sofa?  When picking a coffee table with your sofa or sectional, there are just a few helpful tips to keep in mind.

1.) Generally, you coffee table should be about 2/3 the length of the sofa
2.) A regular coffee table height should be about 16-18 inches.  Keep in mind if you entertain regularly it might be helpful to have a higher coffee table so your guests will have an easier time setting down drinks.  However, make sure your coffee table is about the same height or about 1 to 2 inches lower than the seat height of your sofa. So if you have a higher sofa, 20-21 inches in height, your coffee table will be a little higher.
3.) Most importantly, keep your coffee table & sofa to scale, meaning your furniture should be of equal weight and size.

Poor Pairing

 

Good Pairing

 

Helpful Space Planning Tips

One of the hardest things do figure out when purchasing furniture is determining whether the furniture you are buying will fit in your home.  So we created a helpful guide to all the tricks of space planning.  You can print the pics out and use them on your next furniture purchasing excursion.

This is a great guide for seating arrangements from Honey & Fitz

Our takeaways from this diagram.

1.) A table for 8 needs to be at least 6ft long
2.) A table for 10 needs to be at least 8ft long
3.) And you need a pretty big dining room to get a table for 12

Need an new area rug for your dining room?  Here’s a great guide from DecorMentor

She notes in her blog:

1.) 8-16″ of hardwood around the edges is optimal
2.) Make sure at least the front legs of your sofa is on the the rug and when possible all the legs for a more pulled together look

Area rug for your living room?  Here’s a Best, Better, Bad drawing again from DecorMentor.

 

Creative Headboards

I’ve rolled over and succumbed to the love of Pinterest….yup I am obsessed.  How did they get so many fabulous ideas in one place! I seriously spend hours there!  Recently I came across some of the most creative headboard ideas I’d ever seen and I just HAD to share! Most of them look totally DIY and scream way more personality than your more traditional styles.

 

Credit: The Fancy Things

Credit: Desigual

 

Credit: Bees Knees Bungalow

 

Credit: Clippings

 

Credit: BHG

Credit: BHG

Credit: BHG

 

Credit: BHG

See more of our creative furniture ideas on our Pinterest Board!

 

Design Inspiration: How to decorate with the only color that isn’t a color…black!

Decorating with black can be smart and stylish! I know it can be a little scary but it is so daring, dramatic and definitely sexy! Black is actually trendy in decorating these days and it offers a very modern look to your home.  The use of black makes other colors really pop.  Just make sure the room you are deciding to pain black is spacious enough. Black can often shrink a room and make it look smaller than it actually is.  Though sometimes, associated with death gloom, black is more commonly associated with strength, wisdom and intelligence. (That’s why it’s in the Real Deal logo).  So we decided to scour the web to find some of our favorite uses of black in the home.

 

Photo Credit: Fresh Home

Photo Credit : Bright Nest

Photo Credit: Interior Arcade

How to arrange outdoor & patio furniture

Living in San Diego, we are so spoiled by our beautiful weather and the amount of time we can spend outside.  I know some people that probably spend more time outdoors than they do indoors and with a well designed patio  and the San Diego sunshine, who can blame them? Here are some tips to arranging your patio or outdoor furniture.

1.) There’s always a lot of traffic on patios. Make sure you keep your furniture away from all doorways and walkways. General rule is to keep your furniture about 6 feet away from all doorways.

2.) Make sure when measuring your space you consider patio furniture that you need to keep in the shade or under a covered area

3.) Set your longest piece of furniture against the longest wall or railing. This will make arranging the other pieces easier

4.) Place additional pieces closer to your longest piece to promote conversational areas

5.) Remember to place your small tables and accent pieces next to your seating for places to set drinks and snacks down.

6.) Make sure you remember to accessorize your space.  Add lighting, maybe an area rug, a couple pieces of artwork, or pillows to make your space come together.

7.) Keep the area around your BBQ free of furniture.  This will help keep children and guests safer.

New Arrival! Jacklin customizable Sofa & Sectional!

We are SO excited it has arrived! Our new Jackiln Sofa & King Chair. I’m just in love with the lines of this frame.  It’s clean, sleak and has all the characteristics that make contemporary furniture contemporary.  The king chair also makes a nice addition to your living room if you’re a little limited on space but want to optimize seating.  It fits two comfortably. Great for cuddling! The Jacklin is also completely customizable, meaning you can change the fabric, change the configuration, order it in a sectional with a chaise or just as a sofa & loveseat.  And with this manufacturer, you can even ask them to cut the frame to specific dimensions.  So if you have awkward spaces or incredibly small dimensions, they can make your sofa the perfect size for you! Tons of options with this guy. I think we’re in love! Come check it out!

Simmons 365 Comfort Guarantee

There’s no doubt buying a mattress is a big decision! The quality of sleep we get affects so much of our entire life and if we don’t have a good mattress we aren’t getting a good nights rest.  That’s why the Simmons 365 Day Confidence Guarantee, which applies to their entire ComforPedic mattress models, is so great! Not only are mattresses often a large financial purchase but you want to make sure you get the right mattress for your body and sleeping preferences.  Basically if you aren’t getting a good nights sleep on your new ComforPedic mattress you can bring it back to our showroom to exchange for any other Simmons mattress.  You must sleep on the mattress for  a minimum of 60 nights and bring it back within 365 days of your original purchase. Easy peasy! If you can’t get the mattress back to us you can opt to pay a $69 swap out fee when you select your new mattress.  It’s nice to know someone’s concerned about your sleep.

Simmons Beautyrest Blacks Recharge Sleep System – is it worth $6k for a mattress?

I can definitely relate if you get a little sticker shock from the price tag of a mattress that says $5995 for a Queen.  I probably felt the same way when I first saw the mattress I bought years ago for $995. However as I’ve learned more and more about the mattress industry and how different a quality mattress is from a cheap one, the more I understand why people say, “You just can’t put a price on getting a good night’s sleep.”  A mattress truly can change your life and after hearing the stories of our customers who’ve experienced it I totally believe it! So why does the Simmons Beautyrest Black grand mattress of them all the Black Beyond “Susan” cost $5995 and is it worth it?

So here’s what I’ve learned about Beautyrest Blacks.  First they contain the Simmons Beautyrest Recharge Sleep System.  In real people terms it basically means these beds, give you those fabulous nights rest where you wake up feeling completely recharged and amped for the day.  The Recharge Sleep System has three components to it.  1.) AirCool Memory Foam – this gives you freedom of movement and conformability 2.) Independent Support Technology – this is your support system with personalized back support 3.) AirCool design – this is what keeps you cool when you sleep.

In addition, there are 4 components that make a Beautyrest Black the luxury bed of all luxury beds and the finest Beautyrest you can get.  1.) AirCool Mesh Border – this makes your bed the ideal sleeping temperature with 20x better airflow 2.) AirCool BeautyEdge Support – gives your mattress the durability to last 20 years and full range of sleeping surface 3.) Quilted Geltouch Foam – this is the industry’s first quilted gel and it gives you the support you need for proper sleeping posture while still keeping you cool 4.) Euro Cool Foam (Simmons Exclusive) – more support at an ideal temperature.  Plus the coil in the Beautyrest Black’s are so strong you can probably park a car on them!

With all that said, the best way for you to really know whether or not the mattress is worth it for you is to come and try it for yourself! In our San Diego showroom we have the largest Simmon’s Beautyrest in town and the most Beautyrest Blacks for you to try.