Futon Blog

As I peruse the internet in search of all things futon and furniture related I find more and more futon retailers jumping on the natural, eco friendly futon mattress band wagon. It’s no surprise really, even from retailers (like an employer I used to have) who used to avoid customers in search of natural products like the plague. But things certainly have changed, even in western Massachusetts. More and more retailers are toting their eco friendly products in an attempt to ride the wave of a few popular buzz words like “green”, “natural”, and “eco friendly” or to show the consumers in the area how conscientious they are about the environment.

I would buy into the whole thing if it weren’t for the fact that none of the “now green futon retailers” carried these options from the beginning. But adding them to your site to take advantage of a positive movement is kind of missing the point! That’s why those retailers will remain unnamed and stay off my free futon retailer list. I did, however, just add Northern Naturals to the list. They were one of the original natural futon retailers.

Since I used to be heavily involved in the restaurant business I tend to run into old friends and coworkers whenever I go out to eat. Recently I ran into the owners of Portabella Catering in Amherst, Massachusetts (who helped cater my wedding) and I was approached to design their new website. I have to say I was extremely excited to get involved in this project, since I’ve done website design for quite a few sites under MT Spaces Web Design, and the Portabella Catering website was to be the highest profile project I’ve done to date. Now that the website is complete, I’d like to share a screen shot with you all and provide a link (above) to anyone who’s interested in taking a deeper look.

Feel free to leave comments and feed back here on the futon blog!

Today I found an interesting site called Threadsmith.com, an internet retailer of embroidered products . Threadsmith carries hats, shirts, jackets, baby clothes and more just waiting to be embroidered. All you need to do is choose your canvas, upload your logo / text, and Threadsmith does the rest. Theres no minimum quantity and no set up fee! Something you can’t find from your local printer or silk screener. I could totally see myself picking up a couple of their Polo shirts with a Goodnight Moon Futon Logo, that would be pretty killer!

Over the past year I’ve heard quite a buzz around the term soy foam in the furniture and automotive industry. Using soy foam sounds like a great idea, it it derived from a renewable resource and alleviates some of the demand for oil consumption. On the flip side, the utilization of former food crops for industrial use has increased the cost of food and takes a decent amount of energy to convert from a food form to the mattress or cushion you might be sitting on. If the system is balanced, I feel that a soy based futon mattress sounds like a great thing, but at the moment it might just be giving you a false sense of “happy”.

But, that’s what buzz words are supposed to do, right?

Until today I was unaware of the equestrian dating scene, and was totally surprised when I found the site (not that I troll around on dating sites or anything). So, equestrian cupid is a site totally dedicated to bringing horse lovers together. Now, I like horses, would love to sign up for some sort of guided horse riding thing, and I suppose if I were hardcore about horses (and single) that would be a great way to meet someone else who’s just as hardcore about their horse.

Luckily for anyone interested, Equestrian Cupid offers a FREE sign-up option. Their site is well designed, you can search for other horse lovers, set up your profile, and access some other horse friendly info like videos, daily news, and horse greeting cards. So, if horses are your cup of tea and you’d like to meet a kindred spirit head on over to set up your free account today!

One of the newest additions to my futon website is the Cabo Convert a Couch. The convert a couch line is a great option and (IMHO) the next step in the evolution of futon furniture. Available in three micro fiber fabrics, the Cabo is stylish and super comfy. For $529 you’ll get a great piece of futon furniture shipped anywhere in the lower 48 states.

Last night Noelle and I went out to a nice restaurant with a couple friends. The food was pretty decent, the beer was cold, and the scene was very nice. While we were gorging ourselves with fine foods, the conversation turned to The Biggest Loser. As it so happens we were fairly impressed at the dramatic weight loss the contestants were able to achieve without the help of a diet pill. Just hard work and a lot of sweat!

Since I’m in the futon business, I can tell you that there are a ton of futon retailers throughout the US. So finding one really isn’t too hard. What can be hard is the ability to find a retailer that is actually doing something unique. There are quite a few sites where retailers pay to have links to their website shoved in the face of every that happens by, that’s advertising. The problem is that the site where they advertise are supposedly “informational”. If you knew they were just a link farm that wanted $5000 per year for a banner ad on their side nav would you visit? I didn’t think so.

What I’m going to do on the futon blog is setup a spot for free futon retailer listings. Of course, they’ll be of my choosing, but since I’m the one finding them they’ll be unique enough to make the cut! Plus, sharing a little link luv is never a bad thing todo, maybe someone will repay the favor someday.

Today I went down to Sienna in South Deerfield where my friend, Karl the owner, was busy setting his new bar scene. Karl has recently gotten a huge selection of beers, a flat screen tv, and has in the works a new POS system with receipt printer. This will change how Sienna runs and stream line the whole enterprise.

Oh yeah, tonight Karl is giving out free beers and wings to new bar customers! So head down if you’re looking for a good time at a Deerfield’s coolest hangout!

One of the various types of futon frame on the market today are futons with attached tables on the arms. Usually they are hinged and only have to fold up when in use. People see to think this is a revolutionary idea, and maybe they’re right, but there are some pro’s and con’s that go with futon frames with tables.

The Pro’s:

1. Built in tables make for a convenient place to rest your drink.
2. You won’t have to spend money buying matching tables.
3. The tables will definitely match the finish of the frame, they’re attached.

The Con’s:

1. Well, if you didn’t think it through first, you’re stuck with a futon frame that has tables attached!
2. The frame needs more room on the sides for when the tables are folded up.
3. The entire package looks a little sloppy, not as clean as a traditional arm.