Chose your size. The Comfort Sleeper comes in six sizes: king, queen plus, queen, double, twin and cot size. No matter what size limitations you have, you can find a Comfort Sleeper to fit in your space.  And because the bed pulls out from the back of the sofa, Comfort Sleepers are 9″ smaller in length than traditional sofa sleepers.  But you don’t lose any length, the bed itself is still 80 long.

Chose your style and color. There are twelve different styles to choose from and several fabric colors and types. In addition to that, there are 87 leather choices alone, 37 of which are considered to be eco friendly. Fabrics are also available in an ultra suede and microfiber for easier cleaning.

Choose your mattress. Standard mattresses are five inches of luxury high density foam.  Because of the platform style of the sleeper, guests feel no springs, bars or sagging.  You can upgrade to an extra firm bed or a Tempur-Pedic Mattress.  Another great feature of all the mattresses is a Crypton fabric mattress cover that protects against allergens, stains and is also waterproof.

If you are interested in a Comfort Sleeper by American Leather, and want to have one for the next holiday season, something to keep in mind is that these sofa sleepers are made to order. Which means they aren’t made till ordered. According to the website they ship straight to your home in about 30 days from Dallas, Texas. So make sure you plan ahead!

I would recommend the Comfort Sleeper to anyone who has frequent guests, only if you want your guests to stay awhile!  These beds are so comfortable your guests won’t want to leave!

The 5 Minute Fan is a wonderful product designed so that even a novice can install it.  After uninstalling a previous fan or light fixture it takes only three steps until you are in business. Unlike other ceiling fans, the Hunter Douglas 5 Minute Fan comes 90% assembled in the box.  This saves you extra steps and time.

The 5 Minute Fan Installation

The first step is easy! All you have to do is install the mounting bracket and connect the wiring.

Next attach the blades.  Hunter Douglas fan has an “EasyLock” blade installation system which significantly lowers the attach time.

The last step is inserting light bulbs and installing the glass shade.

While installation is easier with the 5 Minute Fan than more traditional ceiling fans, keep in mind that you still need to turn off the breaker, test the circuit and wiring connections in addition to the steps mentioned above.  Being safe is always worth the extra time!

No matter your skill level if you can read and follow directions the Hunter Douglas 5 Minute Fan is definitely quicker and easier than any other ceiling fan out there.

Of course putting together furniture is not for everyone.  If you are not good at following directions, have weak hands or can’t lift a lot of weight don’t purchase furniture you have to put together yourself. You will only be asking for trouble! Consider going with a furniture store that either assembles for you or brings assembled furniture to your home.

That said, if you can follow directions, you don’t have weak hands, and can lift a lot of weight or have help lifting check out IKEA’s furniture.  What I like about IKEA over other brands is that their instructions are easy to follow.  The instruction booklets have actual drawings to help show you “what goes where.” These guides are so effective, most booklets don’t have any words at all — just pictures!

IKEA Furniture is easy to put together.  The holes line up like they are suppose to, unlike other do it yourself furniture kits I’ve gotten in the past. No re-drilling needed, no creative use of the “spare” parts, they just fit together! I don’t know if it is that the quality control is better with IKEA or what, but I’ve had almost no problems with all the furniture I’ve purchased over the years.

If you want some furniture that will save you some money and go together like a snap, check out IKEA furniture for your next home makeover!

A friend of mine is looking into having the Isis installed in her great room and asked my opinion.  From all the research I’ve done on these fans, I think the Isis fan would be a great fit for her space.  The great room in question is freezing cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.  If any ceiling fan could make that space more enjoyable, I bet the Isis could.

Designed with what looks like “fins” at the at the end of the blades, the Isis fan is more aerodynamic then a traditional ceiling fan.  Add to it a diameter of 8′ to 10′ feet and it’s easy to see how this fan can really move air.  I was afraid at first, that you would need to bolt everything down with a ceiling fan that large. That it would be like walking into a wind tunnel.  But rest assured one reviewer said the Isis “was just a constant air.”

The Big Ass Fans Company also allows you to customize the color of your fan.  Isis is available in the standard aluminum or 3 other colors (a black, white or brown) and they also allow you to use customized colors.  I’m sure this comes at considerable cost, but how many other companies allow you to change the color of their ceiling fans?

All in all, I think the Isis by the Big Ass Fan Company is worth checking out!  Just remember because of the size of the Isis fan, you will want to make sure your ceilings are at minimum 12ft tall.  The Isis is made to move the air is larger spaces, consider getting an Isis for great room, loft and out door deck makeovers.

Since I can’t paint murals, I can’t pretend like the wall paint was suppose to do the trick.  To that end, here are some inexpensive ways you can finish off your space that won’t break the bank.  (Alternatively these ideas also work while you save up for that artwork you really wanted as well!)

Books and calendars. Both options have great prints and once you cut them out make creative wall art solutions. In most cases, you’d never know where they came from.  I like to hang them in odd numbered sets. Depending on the wall space available consider putting them in two or three rows with three or five pictures in a row.  You can get cheap frames at craft stores or discount shops.  If you stick to simple uniform frames you can really pull this look together.

Frame a poster. I know this is reminiscent of what we thought art was when we were in our early twenties and didn’t know any better.  But it is also cheap!  For a more artistic poster go to art museums and galleries.  Local exhibits are great ways to find cheap art!

Make black and white prints of your family photos and frame them individually. Use this idea to create your own family gallery on your wall.  This can be a big hit and cost very little because you just have get the black and white copies and frames.  Once again, a good place to go to for cheap frames is a craft store or outlet, Wal-Mart, Target and Kmart.  Search for frames that are different but work well together.  And if you don’t know how you want to place them on the wall.  Make templates of the frames out of paper or card board and arrange the cut outs on the wall to help you decided where to hang the individual frames.

Wall art doesn’t have to cost a million bucks to look like it does!  Here were just 3 simple ways to give your walls the finished look without breaking the bank.