Bedroom Furniture

The definition of a bedroom set is a group of furniture sold as a unit, typically comprising a bed, nightstand, and wardrobe. Sometimes a bedroom set also includes a chest of drawers, dresser, mirror and/or chair. When looking for a bedroom furniture set for your home, you will want to consider the matching items that will make your bedroom look great, be comfortable to spend time in, and one that will give you the best bedroom experience for your money.

History

Prior to 1920 there were no such things as a bedroom set. Furniture back then was produced and sold with each item presented as a separate item. Before 1920, a sofa was conceived and made without the thought of a matching armchair. A bedroom chest was produced without thought of a matching bed. People back then just kind of matched their furniture to the best of their abilities.

Then, in 1926, a great American man and revolutionary furniture maker from New York named Nathan S. Ancell (1908 - May 31, 1999) developed the concept of the bedroom set. Ancell had been a furniture manufacturer for some time and realized that the furniture industry's future was limited by the long usage and small purchases of its products. Back then people just bought furniture and used it their whole lives until passing it on to relatives or friends. Ancell believed that a set could be transformed into a stylish product that might become outdated with time. With the products becoming obsolete after some time this would create the need for replacement products. Also the "bedroom set" would allow more product to be sold. Ancell's term 'set' was modeled after children's toys in which many parts were combined as a group. For instance like the tea set which has cups, saucers, and plates. Ancell thought of how that would work in the same fashion only instead of a tea set, he would develop the bedroom set! Soon after he began manufacturing sets, Ancell started to think that the term 'set' would be better if it was replaced by the word 'suite' which is a French word meaning "to assemble coordinating objects." His merchandising and ability to sell bedroom furniture was so persuasive that the term "Bedroom Set" remained as the main term as the definition for a group of coordinated furniture put together for the bedroom. Ancell founded the Baumritter Furniture Company that later became the Ethan Allen Furniture Company.

Parts of the Set

The Bed

The bed by definition is a piece of furniture primarily used or intended for resting upon, but can serve other functions too. The bed is also known for providing a place for sex and for relaxing. Beds come in many shapes and sizes. There is the twin size, full size, queen size, king size and California king size and of course, the daybed! Today's beds have come a long way from their early ancestor beds. Early beds made from piles of straw or some other natural materials. Maybe that's a reason why our early ancestors didn't live long and always seemed tired. They never got to sleep on a good bed! So as not to share space with insects and rats, etc, an important change was made. The bed went from being a pile of straw to its own piece of furniture when it was raised off the ground. This also was to avoid drafts, dirt, and other pests.

The top layer of a bed is usually for where you can find the mattress. Originally mattresses were bags of straw for most people. For the wealthy people of that time, their mattresses were filled with feathers. After some time new fillings for mattresses such as cotton and artificial fillers became a common thing. Today's mattresses use springs, solid foam, water, or air and are a lot more comfortable then beds of the past! Consider the mattress that best fits your bedroom needs when choosing one.

The second layer of the bed is what is called the box spring. The box spring or "divan" is a large mattress-sized box containing wood and springs that provide additional support and suspension for the mattress.

The third layer is the bed frame. The bed frame lifts the mattress/mattress-box spring off the ground.

A dust ruffle, bed skirt, or valance sheet may be used to make the bed frame match the rest of the bedding.

At the top of the mattress, to provide greater support for the head are pillows. Bedding products such as blankets, sheets, comforters, quilts, etc, provide warmth and added comfort for the sleeper.

The Nightstand.

A nightstand is a small table or cabinet designed to stand beside a bed or elsewhere in a bedroom. It's a place to put anything likely to be required during the night. Before indoor flushing toilets became commonplace, the main function of a nightstand was to contain a chamber pot. As a result, early nightstands often were small cabinets, sometimes fitted with a drawer, and usually containing an enclosed storage space below covered by one or more doors. Another term sometimes given to such cabinets was commode. Modern nightstands are usually small bedside tables, often with a drawer. They are often used to support a lamp, alarm clock, reading matter, a glass of water, medication, or other useful items that might be required during the night.

The Dresser (or Chest of Drawers) and Mirror

A dresser, also known in Europe as a chest of drawers or bureau, is a piece of furniture which has multiple parallel, horizontal drawers stacked one above each other. Dressers have always been made and used for storing clothing. A dresser will commonly store underwear, socks, and other items not normally stored in a closet. Dressers are often placed in a bedroom for this purpose, but can actually be used to store anything that will fit inside and can be placed anywhere in a house or another place. A typical dresser is rectangular in overall shape and often has short legs at the bottom corners for placement on the floor. Dressers often come in 5, 6, and the 7 drawer varieties. They also usually include a single or a split top drawer. Dressers are usually made of wood, similar to many other kinds of furniture, but are sometimes made of other materials. Most dressers fall into one of two types. The first type of dresser, in size, are about waist-high. The second type of dressers are those that stand at shoulder height and have more drawers. Both types of dressers typically have a flat surface on top where items can be placed on top. Waist-high dressers often have a mirror placed vertically on top of it. The mirror is often bought with the dresser. Some users may keep lamps for lighting on top of either kind of dresser. Decorative items or photos are sometimes added for appearance.

The Chair

The definition of a chair is a piece of furniture for sitting. A chair's parts consist of a seat, a back, and sometimes arm rests. The seat is commonly for use by one person. Chairs also often have four legs to support the seat raised above the floor. Without back and arm rests it is called a stool. A chair for more than one person is called a couch, sofa, loveseat, recliner, or bench. A separate footrest for a chair is known as an ottoman. A chair mounted in a vehicle or in a theater is simply called a seat. Chairs as furniture in the bedroom can be placed in a spot that will make the chair of great use to the owner which is in close proximity to the other bedroom furniture pieces.

Conclusion

Your new bedroom set upon purchase will comprises of a bed, nightstand, and wardrobe pieces that also can include a dresser, mirror and chair. Best of luck finding the perfect bedroom set for your home. After considering the matching items that will make your bedroom look great and be of comfort to spend time in. You will be happy that you got the best bedroom experience for your money. So when you look at the old pictures of your relatives and ancestors you can just imagine how blown away they would be to see your great bedroom furniture set and imagine how much better you have it then they did when they all had to sleep on straw!