Build A Bed Sample

Build-A-Bed Sample Pages
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THE BUILD-A-BED BOOK

CONTENTS
Introduction 2
Chapter 1: Headboards 6
Chapter 2: Four-Posters 14
Chapter 3: Hideaway Beds 24
Chapter 4: Modular Beds 36
Chapter 5: Platforms and Lofts 44
Chapter 6: Cradles and Cribs 58
Chapter 7: Kid's Beds 70
Chapter 8: More Than Kid's Beds 82
Chapter 9: Outdoor Beds 88
Chapter 10: Waterbeds 96
Chapter 11 : Mattresses 106
Chapter 12: Beds and Accessories for Health 114
Chapter 13: Pillows and Sheets 122
Chapter 14: Warmth 130
Chapter 15: Bed Making and Cleaning 140
Index
3 Bed Book

Getting the Most from Your Bed • Position large beds close to and paral
lel to the wall. They will take up less
The appearance, convenience and com
floor space and conform to the lines of
the room.
fort of your bed depends a great deal
on its placement in the bedroom and the • Group together pieces of furniture
functions it serves. that will be used with the bed. Com
fortable chairs arranged alongside a
Every family has different interests, bed, for example, encourage conversa
.hobbies and activities Take a close
• . tion and the use of the nighttime
look at what yours does and list the sleeping space as a daytime couch.
activities that take place in the bed
room. Then plan the room while taking • Use modular storage units. These
all these activities into consideration. and other pieces of furniture (when
ever appropriate) can serve as move
Your floor space is organi zed partly able divider partitions between different
by partitions and architectural features. areas in the bedroom (especially con
Make the most of that space and the ac venient in shared bedrooms).
tivities that revolve around your bed.
Since it's far easier to push a pencil • Almost any style of bed can be com
than a bedframe, try out different ar bined with bedroom furniture if all
rangements on paper first. the pieces have a common unity of
character or form. Keep this in mind:
Use graph paper or measure and draw in the final analysis, color is the ele
your bedroom to scale, allowing 1/4 ment that may determine the success
inch per foot. Be sure to indicate all of the combination.
architectural details, such as windows,
doors, and closet space. Then make tem
plates of your bed and other furnishings
in the same scale. Now you're ready to Build Your Own
start placing furnishings in the room.
Remember that bedrooms have three Now, try your hand at a real intro
dimensions and sometimes an arrangement duction to the concepts in the BUILD
that looks good on two-dimensional paper A-BED BOOK: construct the simple frame
isn't attractive in reality. To more . shown and designed by Liz Brown, a Berk
effectively check the three-dimensional eley craftswoman. The frame will handle
effect on paper, the side wall, bed and a twin size (39 inch x 75 inch) mattress,
other furniture elevations can be drawn but you can change the overall dimen
to scale in the same manner as you did sions for larger or smaller mattresses.
the floor plan. The project will take only a couple of
hours and -- once you're finished --
As you arrange your bedroom, keep you can lie back and read through the
these pointers in mind: BUILD-A-BED BOOK.
• Keep traffic lanes open. The paths MATERIALS

you take when walking through a room
form the traffic pattern. If yours is Frame (fir)
a large, multi-functional bed, place
it so that it doesn't disrupt the 2 - 1" x 12" x 41" (ends)
flow of traffic. 2 - 1" x 12" x 79" (sides)
Introduction 4

Cleats (fir)
Order the full version at TOOLS
2 2" 2" 77-1/2" (sides)
-
X X
2 - 2" X 2" X 41" (ends) Hammer

Screwdriver
Cross Braces (fir) Hand saw
2 - I" X 4" X 41"
Bottom (1 /2" interior plywood)
1 - 41" X 77-1/2"
Nails
Screws
Carpenter's glue
Completed bedframe
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Headboards 8

Lighted
Headboard Wood filler
http://buildabedbook.com 8d finishing nails

Fine sandpaper
What follows are instructions for a Stain or interior semi-gloss enamel
headboard that will throw more light on paint
the subject of headboards. Designed by
Georgia-Pacific, this headboard comes TOOLS
complete with a closed door storage
compartment and night light for reading. Hammer
This is definitely a headboard to be Screwdriver
proud of. Hand saw
Drill
MATERIALS NOTE: before wiring, consult your

electrician.
Exterior plywood panels (good on both
sides) The easiest way to put this one
together is to build each section as a
3 sheets - 1/2" x 4' x 8' separate unit. The measurements given
1 sheet - 3/4" x 4' x 6' are those for a king-si ze bed, so
remember to alter your measurements
Lumber accordingly.
2 pieces - I" x 8" X II' First build the storage units (A &
2 pieces - 3/4" x 3/4" x 16' B), rounding the side pieces as shown.
2 pieces - 3/4" x 3/4" x 14' Next, construct the upright bookshelves,
dado where indicated and round the cor
ners. Drill for shelf brackets.
Half round molding Finally, construct the overhead light

unit, dado where indicated in the dia
2 pieces - 1/2" x 4' gram. Mount the fluorescent fixture to
the plywood top panel.
Hardwood dowels
Then just follow the illustration and
8 pieces - 1 /2" x 1-1/2" secure each module in its proper place,
using "e" clamps. Drill holes through
AI uminum fasteners the units and assemble. Before making
the final assembly, fill the edges of the
12 - 1/4" x I" plywood where necessary, sand and finish
each of the modules individually.
Piano hinges with screws
More Light
2 - 3/4" X 13-1/2"
If you already have a satisfactory
Flourescent fixture headboard, but are without sufficient
light, try using a flexible table lamp
1 - 6' long with a heavy base and sturdy stem.
Remember that focused, soft lighting is
Glue
best for concentration and reading. For
a multifunctional bed (reading, working,
17 Bed Book

to explore the possibility of adding
thick draperies to your canopied four
Bedposts
poster. Draperies also tend to be 16 -- 3/4" x 3/4" x 6'-11"
good sound absorbers, insulating you 4 -- 5/8" X 3" dow1
from unwanted street and neighborhood
noise. Designer sheets or Indian bed Tester Top
spreads, sewn to the curtain create a
very pleasing effect. 2 -- 1-3/4" X 1-3/4" x 6'-11" screen
stock
2 -- 1-3/4" X 1-3/4" x 5'-5" screen
stock
Build a Four-Poster Rails
2 -- 1-1/8" X 7-3/4" x 7'-8 1/4"

Remember that many four-posters 2 -- 1-1/8 " X 7-3/4" x 5'-2"
and canopied beds are 7 feet or higher. 2 - 1" X 2" x 6'-8 1/2"
-
Whi Ie they wi II fit in most rooms, these 2 -- 1/4" X 3" dowl

grandi ose beds look best in large rooms 2 -- 5/8" X 3" dowl
with high ceilings. Just moving a
four-poster can be a problem when your Bed Slats
space isn't right. The story goes that
the seventeenth-century French states 12 -- 1" x 4" x 5 '-3 1/2"
man, Richelieu, commissioned a magnifi
cent bed to be made. When the unit Carpenter's glue
arrived, the craftsmen were horrified 1 x 2 Wood screws
to discover there were no openings in 4 casters (optional)
the castle large enough to pass the bed Stain or paint
through. Richelieu, being a man of
action, solved the problem by knocking TOOLS
out a wall.
Hammer
If your room will accommodate one of Handsaw
these magnificently large beds without Jig saw
requiring demolition of a wall, look no "C" clamps
further. The four-poster, designed by Wood chisel Drill
Serta and shown here, looks as if it
stepped out of a New England saltbox
with all its traditional charm.
All that's required to make this

queen-size classic are basic handtools
(no nails are necessary) and available
precut lumber.
MATERIALS (all wood is clear pine)
Headboard
1 -- 3/4" X 24" x 5'-4" clearboard

or wideboard
1 -- 1-1/8" X 7-3/4" x 5'-4"
Four-Posters 18

Plans courtesy Serta. Inc.
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For very small bedrooms with a common wall, a double-decker bunk can free up needed
space. Each bunk faces into one room only.
Ceiling Hideaway Wall Beds
Fred Glass has a very unusual but If hiding your bed on the ceiling
functional solution to cramped living is not your style, you might consider
quarters: a bed that is stored on the rolling it into a wall and using the
ceiling. Called the Jefferson Bed, exposed end as a chair. At least,
Glass' unit is suspended by an eight that's the solution engineer Bill
rope, six pulley "fail-safe" support Rockwell came up with. Mr. Rockwell
system (if a rope breaks, you won't fall reserved the space under a low, sloping
out of bed). Nothing is attached to any bedroom ceiling for his disappearing
part of the existing room: six expan bed. The engineer has replaced the four
sible, two-inch-aluminum spars support legs of the metal bedframe with three-inch
the sleeping unit. A counterweight truck rollers which carry the bed into
lets you raise and lower the bed with its hideaway on homemade wooden tracks.
ease. For the less hardy, a small The tracks on which the bed rolls are
motor does all the work. made of 1" x 2" mahogany.
39 Bed Book

Instructions Order the full version at
wood filler panel to come out even on
width and length dimensions.
First, making sure to allow for saw
cuts, mark out and cut the pieces from
the 3/4 inch plywood panel. Now cut the
hand holes in the four end pieces. It's
taking shape already.
Next, cut the 2" x 2" ledgers and

attach to the inside of the side panels
measuring three inches from the top.
(Use both glue and nails.) Assemble the
two plywood frames, once again using both
glue and nails. Attach the reinforcing
blocks in each corner below the ledgers.
Now cut a 36" x 84" rectangle from

each of the two particleboard panels.
Drill the ventilation holes and lay the
panels in place. Attach the corner
hinges and you're done. Congratula
tions!
NOTE: be sure to measure mattress to

be used as it may differ from dimensions
shown.
To finish, use either paint or stain.

Fill and sand exposed plywood edges
before painting or applying a veneer
strip.
Drawers into Beds
Designed for function and flexibility,

the modular drawer units shown on this
page can be used to create a chest bed
in a matter of minutes. The Drawer
System, a Kartell design by Beylerian,
is molded of tough grade resin. The
sturdy drawers stack vertically without
using any hardware and can be positioned
to open in any direction.
When you aren't using these modular stack
You can arrange the drawers in any ing drawers to create storage cabinets. you
number of configurations, cover with a can fashion them into practical beds in a
wooden slab and foam mattress cut to matter of minutes. (Photo courtesy Beyleri
size. Since drawers do not add up to an Ltd.)
standard mattress size, you'll need a
Modular 40

Modular storage such as the system
described here can give you twice the
storage in one-half the space. Systems
such as this also help to free up con
tinuous floor space and make the room
feel larger.
Work/Sleep System
For dwellers of studio apartments,

this unit designed for a San Francisco
couple could be the inspiration you need
to solve your sleeping/working needs.
Fourteen sections bolt together to form
any number of patterns. When fully
assembled, the unit nearly filis a 12-
by-13 foot room.
Close to the apartment's window over
looking a busy street, the sleep area
is protected from city noise by the
desk and its work area. (Photo cour
tesy Jennifer Clements, architect.)
The owners have arranged the

different sections to make the most of
their living space. Desks have been
placed around the perimeter of the
sleeping area to receive natural light
from the bay windows. The desks also
serve to insulate the bed from street
noises. A closet is conveniently lo
cated next to the bed, forming a dress
ing area. Additional storage areas
are located under the bed and in the
desks. Bookshelves stretch above the
headboard and beyond the side desk.
Fourteen bolt-together units

make up the basic parts to
this apartment work/sleep
center. You can arrange the
Student Bed
units into many systems.
(Designed and photographed This next bed is ideal for students
by Jennifer Clements, Archi on the move: a crescent wrench is the
tect.) only tool you need to either put it
toget her or take it apart.
Lofts 46

Lofty Lofts Order the full version at
the same thing. But, while numerous
landlords and tenants, caught in the
For a somewhat loftier perch, you can
squeeze between tight money and tight
apartments, have opted for the space
construct your sleeping platform on top saving superstructures, some controversy
of a set of dresser drawers. Depending exists over their legal status. Some
on the size of your sleep space. you may areas I zoning regulations regard them as
want to push two or more dresser drawers a shelf. Put a book, a pot, a person on
together in any combination that suits one, it IS still a shelf. But put a
your needs. Be sure the platform is stereo, a bicycle and a pet goldfish up
securely fastened to the units below and there, and, technically, what you end up
that the dressers can support the with in some areas of the country is a
combined weight of you and the bed. mezzanine. If you have any doubts, check
(Best way to get into your bed is with first with local building inspectors.
the aid of a foot stool. And because
your mattress takes up only the top
portion of the dresser drawers, you
still have easy access to materials that Iron Loft
you store in the unit.)
If your room is small but has a high A very enterprising individual

ceiling, a truly tall platform bed may needed a big. sturdy inexpensive loft in
be the solution to your space problems. his apartment. Not particularly skilled
A properly constructed platform (loft). with saw and hammer, this individual
bed can double a roomls capacity. If constructed his loft from angle iron.
you envision standing, as well as lying Like a giant erector set, he bolted the
prone on the platform, allow yourself 61 appropriate sized lengths together to
6" between the platform and the ceiling. form the frame. Presto: instant sturdy
Just for crawling into bed, allow four feet loft bed.
between the sleeping surface and the ceil
ing. This distance will give you ample
space both to sit up comfortably and to
make your bed. Regardless of distances Child's Loft
separating the platform from the ceiling,
it's recommended that the platform
itself have a minimum with of 2' 3". Here are plans for an interesting loft.
This sturdy sleep space was built by San
Francisco craftsman Rob Henke. The
parents of the child, to whom this loft is
both bed and play space, have considered
Legal Status transforming the lower storage area into
a puppet stage and little theater.
Lofts work best in rooms with high

ceilings, but even people in homes or
apartments with low ceilings have found MATERIALS
that lofts add space and interest when
erected above indoor gardens or Frame
ingeniously designed storage areas.
Platform, loft bed, sleeping balcony - 1 2" X 6" X 41"
1 - 211
-
call them what you will, they are all X 611 X

7811
Lofts 50

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Frame for adult loft. Note that the plywood bottom is pieced together from two sheets
of 4' x 4' interior plywood. (Art courtesy Mahnaz Sondossi.)
Kid's

80

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If two beds aren't enough, you can

buy bunk beds with a third "pop-up" unit
rolling out from the base of the bed.
This bed, of course, is a trundle bed.
Separate "pop-up" trundles can be pur
chased commercially, too. Check with
your local furniture store. With these
units, you can modify many of the bunk
designs in this section to accommodate
three kids. Most trundles are a minimum
of 70 inches long, with widths of 30
inches to 40 inches. Be sure to build
accordingly. In their folded-down
position, these trundles may be as high
as 18 inches which can include 4 inches
of foam mattress.
Kids grow up, of course. There may

be a time when they feel bunk beds aren't
"grown-up" enough. I f you anticipate
this happening, you should plan ahead
with a bunk bed that breaks down into two Bunk beds with a trundle can sleep an over
separate twin-sized beds. These units night guest. (Photo courtesy Athens Fur
are commercially available and make niture. )
moving a less cumbersome task.
CHAPTER 8
MORE THAN KID'S BEDS
No backyard to romp in. No country The need for both sleep and play
side to explore. Where's a city child space in city apartments is one reason
going to go? Usually, the answer is to for the growing popularity of the loft
"his" room. No wonder that children's bed. That space-saving solution has
rooms have become a center of attention. spawned "environmental" structures.
ENVIRONMENTAL structures? Yes.
These are constructions that hold the bed,
.. desk, and counter and closets and storage
..) shelves and drawers and slides and lad
ders and hiding places and more. They
turn a room into an indoor playground -
a special place that kids can identify
as totally theirs.
Slip-Together Bunk
Here's as ingenious a design for a

child's bed from the American Plywood
Association as you're likely to find
anywhere. Ingenious because the parts
slip together -- you don't need nails or
screws to bui Id it. And because it
doubles as a desk . . . as an entire play
This bunk doubles as a desk - as an entire house, in fact. Measuring approximately
playhouse. in fact. And the parts slip 6-1/2 feet long, less than 4 feet wide
together: you don 't need any nails or and 5 feet high, the Slip-Together
screws to build it. (Photo courtesy Ameri Bed /Desk can be built with just 3 sheets
can Plywood Association.) of 1/2 inch APA grade-trademarked
plywood. And since the door cutout
82
CHAPTER 9
OUTDOOR BEDS
After a hard day's work during the Hammocks are a challenge to grow
warm months of the year, what better ing youngsters. The swaying motion is
way to relax than to stretch a hammock similar to the rocking motion of a small
between two trees. Then lie back and boat on rough seas and takes a great
relax • • • if you can keep the kids out deal of body coordination to stay
of the hammock! aboard. Children in hammocks -- when
theY're not sleeping -- can pretend they
are stranded at sea on a life raft or on
a space voyage temporarily endangered by
an ion storm.
Hammocks are extremely versatile and

can be used in a wide variety of situa
tions: from backpacking to putting up
overnight guests.
Hammock Features
The netted sleeping spaces range in

length from eleven feet to fourteen feet.
In the larger hammocks -- up to five feet
wide -- two people can stretch out
crosswise or lengthwise with room to
spare. Even a hammock fifty-four
inches wide will adequately support two
folks. A forty-eight-inch width is
Hammocks make first-rate loungers for out comfortably and is ideal for areas where
door living and resting. (Photo courtesy space is limited. A most· comfortable
Twin Oaks Hammocks.) resting position is when you're
stretched out at a diagonal so that
your body is nearly level.
88
tl'J Bed Book

Generally, the bed of the hammock is
made of flexible cotton or nylon rope.
covered with branches makes a good
shelter, or so one anthropologist ac
If you plan to use your hammock pri
marily outside, look for one con
quaintance maintains. More painful to
think about are the Indian Sadhus, or
structed of a soft, rain and sun re holy men. These men live in dire
sistant netting. Weather-resistant poverty, depending on handouts as they
polysynthetic rope is mildew- and wander throughout India performing mar
rot-resistant. Be sure the hammock velous feats such as lying on a bed of
comes with enough rope for hanging. thorns, or upright nails, to attract
Knotted ends are best heat-sealed so crowds.
they do not unravel and, unannounced,
dump their slumbering occupants on Closer to home and much more
the ground. comfortable were the beds of the
American Indians. The Cheyennes and
Attach the ends of the hammock 6 Arapohos had beds raised several inches
feet 6 inches to 7 feet high on the sup off the ground. They used two 4 inch or
porting surface -- this will give the 5 inch diameter logs, 6 feet long, as
largest of standard hammocks, when bed sides. Logs at the head and foot
stretched the proper distance, at least completed the frami ng. The space in
2 feet clearance from the ground. Be between was filled with tips of fir or
sure the supporting trees or walls can cedar boughs. These soft end pieces were
support the maximum weight the hammock placed vertically -- butt ends down, tips
will be holding. Some hammocks come with up -- starting against the cross log at
a folding frame and don't need wall, tree the head of the bed. This was an ex
or ceiling supports. tremely comfortable bed; and when the
tips packed down, they were easily
For the adventuresome hiker and replaced. Several of the tribes also
camper, a small hammock is an ideal used skins between the ground and the
companion. The smallest weigh less than boughs to prevent excessive dampness
one pound, yet can provide a bed length from creeping up close to the sleeper.
of 84 inches. These lightweight, sturdy For real comfort, a pallet of buffalo
sleepers wi II comfortably support a per hides frequently was placed on top of
son of any weight and si ze. They can this natural "mattress."
be used for sleeping (with or without a
sleeping bag), sitting , or for suspend
ing supplies.
When camping in the wilds, modern

woodsmen still make their beds from
Natural Beds the "feathers" (needles) of the Moun
tain Goose, a tree that is found from
Labrador to the northwest borders of
In warm weather the Australian New England and from New York state to
aborigines frequently sleep on the southwest Virginia, North Carolina, and
ground beside their fires, setting up Tennessee. It's also found in Alaska,
windbreaks of leafy branches, sheets of and along the west coast down to
bark, or mounds of grass; or they may Guatemala. To the Canadians, Mountain
fashion a makeshift lean-to for a few Goos� is known as sapi r, to the Indians
nights· rest by erecting sheets of bark of old New York as cho-kho-tung, or
against a low tree branch. A hole simply as balsam (our Christmas tree)
scooped in the side of a sand dune and to the tenderfoot.
Waterbeds 100

Order the full Floating
version at
at Sea
Many people enjoy sleeping on a
waterbed because it reminds them of the
sea. Jay R. Benford & Associates. Inc.
internationally recognized naval archi..l
tects and consultants specializing in
yacht design. have actually taken
waterbeds to the sea. Their original
design. the Waterbed 30. comes equipped
with a king size water bed!
Mr. Benford's own yacht. a 34 foot

ketch called Sunrise. is outfitted with
a sleeping space right out of the movie.
South Pacific. Forward of the Sunrise's
main cabin. the foc'sle with its double
: berth under the large teak skylight
provides a delightfully private area for
star gazing and admiring the overhead
rigging. Outboard to port and starboard.
pocketbook size bookshelves make mid
night and early morning reading con
venient. A hanging rod near the en
tranceway to starboard places clothes
within easy reach of the berth. A shelf
flat along the head of the berth leads
to a further stowage locker forward of
the berth's head. where two fluorescent
lights are well placed for reading; if
one person wants to read while the other
slumbers. one light may be turned off.
leaving half the berth in shadow. while
the light on the other side still illumin
ates the berth.
If you're a sailor. but your vessel

has the more common variety of sleeping
accommodations -- i.e. bunks -- then
there's a good chance you've been tossed
out of bed and onto your ear in rough
seas. On the U.S.S. Constitution. the
problem of sudden flights from bed was
solved in the sick bay by hanging wooden
You can build a simple waterbed frame box-like beds like swings so they would
from 2" x 6"s cut to size and then stay level. A simple. modern solution to
glued and nailed together. You can this "airbourne" problem at sea is the
add a bottom cut from 1/2" plywood. addition of bunk boards. The bunk boards
(Drawing courtesy Mahnaz Sondossi.) pictured on the next page are easy to build.
install. use. and stow. They'll make
127 Bed Book

check the sheets you buy for these
features.
Cot: 6311 x 10811
Studio: 63" x 108"
Single: 63" x 108"
Twin: 72" x 108"
Satin and Linen Bunk: 72" x 108"
With the rising popularity of

Mae West in the 1930s, the
popularity (and sales potential) of
satin sheets also rose. Originally, satin
sheets were made from silk, but the
price of silk today makes their common,
everyday use a thing of the past. Most
satin sheets are now made from nylon.
Linen, a word long associated with

bedding, is probably one of the best
long-term bedding investments. Linen is
made from the flax plant and has become
a luxury that only the wealthy can
afford. But, like a good oak bedstead,
the value of well-kept linen will hold
its own in the money market. You may be
able to pick up some good linen buys if
you pay attention to seasonal sales. The /
best time to buy sheets is during the
semi-annual white sales, when you can
save up to 40%.
Sheet Sizes
You can add six inches to your bed with

this mattress extender. So if you have
king-size sheets but only a queen-size
If you want to tuck in your modern bed, the extender allows you to use
sheets all the way around the bed frames your sheets without any crumpling or
at home, buy the correct sizes. The extra folding. (Photo courtesy Better
following table wi II be useful in your Sleep, Inc.)
search for the perfect, flat sheet:
133 Bed Book

• Make sure the blanket has been
approved by Underwriters Labora
Today we are experiencing a resur
gence of the comforter's popularity for a
tories and has the UL seal. number of reasons: the energy shortage
makes heating the house at night a
• For light sleepers, consider buying luxury; interior designers like the
a blanket with solid state controls casual, inviting look and the comforter's
(they eliminate the slight on-off practicality; and often people who have
clicking sound produced by regular traveled to European countries want to
thermostats) • have the same pleasant sleeping experi
ence at home as they had on their trip.
• If two people sleep under the same
blanket, look into units with dual
controls.
Warmth with the Thermostat
• Should something ever go wrong with Turned Down
the blanket, send it to a reputable
service repair station. Don't at
tempt to correct the problem your
self. The Residential Division of the
Minneapolis Honeywell Corporation
thoroughly examined the cost savings
from regularly turning the thermostat
Comforters
down over the eight hour period usually
reserved for sleeping. Their findings:
Back in my college days, a roommate over a ten year period, routinely
used to sleep on a bed that made up reducing the home heat during sleeping
something like this: floor, newspapers, hours can save a large amount of energy
old rug, mattress, old blankets, cotton and money. For example, if the consumer
tick, feather tick, muslin sheet: bottom price index increases at nine percent per
sheet blanket, top sheet blanket, woven year each year for the next five years,
wool blanket, patchwork quilt, woven and if energy prices rise three percent
cotten blanket, cotton batting lined faster than the price of other consumer
quilt!! goods, cumulative savings for electri
cally heated homes range from $290 to
It was a chore just watching him make $476. For natural gas heated homes,
his bed in the morning. If your room is the savings range from $403 to $456.
this cold at night, there's a better way
to stay warm. This better way is the old And one way to stay warm with the
way. For hundreds of years, Europeans thermostat turned down is to use your
have been sleeping under down-filled own body heat. If you give your body
comforters. Stuffings such as cotton an environment where the naturally pro
batting, carded wool, silk floss, or duced heat is maintained at a constant
feathers in any mixture with down temperature, you'll also get a better
present alternatives to the woven blan night's rest. Snuggling up under a
ket. Older European comforters have comforter is one positive way to do all
been either a larger bag filled with this.
down or an intricately quilted blanket
ticked in silk satin -- to make this more A comforter not only saves night
practical, a sheet was buttoned to the heating in the bedroom, it's also the
underside and changed with the other bed quickest way to make your bed. No more
linens. fiddling with sheets and blankets, no

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THE BUILD-A-BED BOOK

Chapter 3: Hideaway Beds 24

Chapter 4: Modular Beds 36

Chapter 5: Platforms and Lofts 44

Chapter 6: Cradles and Cribs 58

Chapter 7: Kid's Beds 70

Chapter 8: More Than Kid's Beds 82

Chapter 9: Outdoor Beds 88

Chapter 10: Waterbeds 96

Chapter 11 : Mattresses 106

Chapter 12: Beds and Accessories for Health 114

Chapter 13: Pillows and Sheets 122

Chapter 14: Warmth 130

Chapter 15: Bed Making and Cleaning 140