Build A Bed Sample

Build-A-Bed Sample Pages Order the full version at http://buildabedbook.com THE BUILD-A-BED BOOK

Build-A-Bed Sample Pages Order the full version at http://buildabedbook.com CONTENTS

2

Introduction Chapter 1:

Headboards

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

6

3

Bed Book

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Getting the Most from Your Bed

The appearance, convenience and com­ fort of your bed depends a great deal on its placement in the bedroom and the functions it serves. Every family has different interests, .hobbies and activities Take a close look at what yours does and list the activities that take place in the bed­ room. Then plan the room while taking all these activities into consideration. •

.

Your floor space is organi zed partly by partitions and architectural features. Make the most of that space and the ac­ tivities that revolve around your bed. Since it's far easier to push a pencil than a bedframe, try out different ar­ rangements on paper first.

• Position large beds close to and paral­ lel to the wall. They will take up less floor space and conform to the lines of the room.

• Group together pieces of furniture that will be used with the bed. Com­ fortable chairs arranged alongside a bed, for example, encourage conversa­ tion and the use of the nighttime sleeping space as a daytime couch.

• Use modular storage units.

These and other pieces of furniture (when­ ever appropriate) can serve as move­ able divider partitions between different areas in the bedroom (especially con­ venient in shared bedrooms).

• Almost any style of bed can be com­ bined with bedroom furniture if all the pieces have a common unity of character or form.

Use graph paper or measure and draw your bedroom to scale, allowing 1/4 inch per foot. Be sure to indicate all

Keep this in mind:

in the final analysis, color is the ele­ ment that may determine the success 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 start placing furnishings in the room. Remember that bedrooms have three dimensions and sometimes an arrangement that looks good on two-dimensional paper isn't attractive in reality.

To more

effectively check the three-dimensional effect on paper, the side wall, bed and other furniture elevations can be drawn to scale in the same manner as you did

Build Your Own

Now, try your hand at a real intro­ duction to the concepts in the BUILD­ construct the simple frame . shown and designed by Liz Brown, a Berk­ eley craftswoman. The frame will handle A-BED BOOK:

a twin size (39 inch x 75 inch) mattress, but you can change the overall dimen­ 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 these pointers in mind:

you can lie back and read through the BUILD-A-BED BOOK.

• Keep traffic lanes open.

The paths you take when walking through a room form the traffic pattern. If yours is a large, multi-functional bed, place it so that it doesn't disrupt the flow of traffic.

MATERIALS Frame (fir) 2 - 1"

x

12"

x

2 - 1"

x

12"

x

41"

(ends) 79" (sides)

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Cleats (fir) 2 2

-

-

2"

TOOLS

2"

X

X

2" X 2" X

77-1/2" (sides) 41" (ends)

Hammer Screwdriver Hand saw

Cross Braces (fir) 2

-

I" X

4"

X

41"

(1 /2" interior plywood)

Bottom 1

Introduction 4

- 41"

X

77-1/2"

Nails Screws Carpenter's glue Completed bedframe

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Lighted

What follows are instructions for a headboard that will throw more light on the subject of headboards. Designed by Georgia-Pacific, this headboard comes complete with a closed door storage compartment and night light for reading. This is definitely a headboard to be proud of.

MATERIALS

3 sheets - 1/2" x 4' x 8' 1 sheet - 3/4" x 4' x 6' Lumber 2 pieces - I"

x

2 pieces - 3/4" 2 pieces - 3/4"

8"

X

II'

3/4" 3/4"

x x

x x

Half round molding 2 pieces -

1/2"

x

4'

Hardwood dowels

1 /2"

8 pieces -

x

1-1/2"

AI uminum fasteners

1/4"

x

I"

Piano hinges with screws 2 -

3/4"

X

13-1/2"

Flourescent fixture

1 - 6' long Glue

Wood filler 8d finishing nails Fine sandpaper Stain or interior semi-gloss enamel paint

TOOLS Hammer Screwdriver Hand saw Drill NOTE: before wiring, consult your electrician.

Exterior plywood panels (good on both sides)

12 -

Headboards

16' 14'

The easiest way to put this one together is to build each section as a separate unit. The measurements given are those for a king-si ze bed, so remember to alter your measurements accordingly. First build the storage units (A & B), rounding the side pieces as shown. Next, construct the upright bookshelves, dado where indicated and round the cor­ ners. Drill for shelf brackets. Finally, construct the overhead light unit, dado where indicated in the dia­ gram. Mount the fluorescent fixture to the plywood top panel. Then just follow the illustration and secure each module in its proper place, using "e" clamps. Drill holes through the units and assemble. Before making the final assembly, fill the edges of the plywood where necessary, sand and finish each of the modules individually.

More Light If you already have a satisfactory headboard, but are without sufficient light, try using a flexible table lamp with a heavy base and sturdy stem. Remember that focused, soft lighting is best for concentration and reading. For a multifunctional bed (reading, working,

8

17

Bed Book

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to explore the possibility of adding thick draperies to your canopied four­ poster. Draperies also tend to be good sound absorbers, insulating you from unwanted street and neighborhood noise. Designer sheets or Indian bed­ spreads, sewn to the curtain create a very pleasing effect.

Bedposts

16 -- 3/4" 4 -- 5/8"

x

3/4"

X

3" dow1

x

6'-11"

Tester Top 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

Four-Poster

a

Remember that many four-posters and canopied beds are 7 feet or higher. Whi Ie they wi II fit in most rooms, these grandi ose beds look best in large rooms with high ceilings. Just moving a

Rails 2 -- 1-1/8" X 7-3/4" x 7'-8 1/4" 2 -- 1-1/8 " X 7-3/4" x 5'-2" 2 - 1" X 2" x 6'-8 1/2" -

2 -- 1/4" 2 -- 5/8"

four-poster can be a problem when your space isn't right. The story goes that

Bed Slats

the seventeenth-century French states­ man, Richelieu, commissioned a magnifi­ cent bed to be made. When the unit

12 -- 1"

arrived, the craftsmen were horrified to discover there were no openings in the castle large enough to pass the bed through. Richelieu, being a man of action, solved the problem by knocking out a wall. If your room will accommodate one of these magnificently large beds without requiring demolition of a wall, look no further. The four-poster, designed by 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"

X X

x

3" dowl 3" dowl

4"

x

5 '-3 1/2"

Carpenter's glue 1 x 2 Wood screws 4 casters (optional) Stain or paint TOOLS Hammer Handsaw Jig saw "C" clamps Wood chisel Drill

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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 functional solution to cramped living quarters: a bed that is stored on the

If hiding your bed on the ceiling is not your style, you might consider

ceiling. Called the Jefferson Bed, Glass' unit is suspended by an eight rope, six pulley "fail-safe" support system (if a rope breaks, you won't fall out of bed). Nothing is attached to any part of the existing room: six expan­ sible, two-inch-aluminum spars support

rolling it into a wall and using the exposed end as a chair. At least, that's the solution engineer Bill Rockwell came up with. Mr. Rockwell reserved the space under a low, sloping bedroom ceiling for his disappearing bed. The engineer has replaced the four

the sleeping unit. A counterweight lets you raise and lower the bed with

legs of the metal bedframe with three-inch truck rollers which carry the bed into its hideaway on homemade wooden tracks.

ease. For the less hardy, a small motor does all the work.

The tracks on which the bed rolls are made of 1" x 2" mahogany.

39

Bed Book

Instructions

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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 number of configurations, cover with a

ing drawers to create storage cabinets. you

wooden slab and foam mattress cut to size. Since drawers do not add up to standard mattress size, you'll need a

matter of minutes. an Ltd.)

can fashion them into practical beds in a (Photo courtesy Beyleri­

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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 12by-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 from the serve to noises.

area to receive natural light bay windows. The desks also insulate the bed from street 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 units into many systems. (Designed and photographed by Jennifer Clements, Archi­ tect.)

Student Bed This next bed is ideal for students on the move: a crescent wrench is the only tool you need to either put it toget her or take it apart.

Lofty Lofts

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For a somewhat loftier perch, you can construct your sleeping platform on top of a set of dresser drawers. Depending on the size of your sleep space. you may want to push two or more dresser drawers together in any combination that suits your needs. Be sure the platform is securely fastened to the units below and that the dressers can support the combined weight of you and the bed. (Best way to get into your bed is with 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 you store in the unit.) If your room is small but has a high ceiling, a truly tall platform bed may be the solution to your space problems. A properly constructed platform (loft). bed can double a roomls capacity. If you envision standing, as well as lying prone on the platform, allow yourself 61 6" between the platform and the ceiling.

Just for crawling into bed, allow four feet 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 separating the platform from the ceiling, it's recommended that the platform itself have a minimum with of 2' 3".

Lofts

the same thing. But, while numerous landlords and tenants, caught in the squeeze between tight money and tight apartments, have opted for the space saving superstructures, some controversy exists over their legal status. Some areas I zoning regulations regard them as a shelf. Put a book, a pot, a person on one, it IS still a shelf. But put a stereo, a bicycle and a pet goldfish up there, and, technically, what you end up with in some areas of the country is a mezzanine. If you have any doubts, check first with local building inspectors.

Iron Loft

A very enterprising individual needed a big. sturdy inexpensive loft in his apartment.

Not particularly skilled

with saw and hammer, this individual constructed his loft from angle iron. Like a giant erector set, he bolted the appropriate sized lengths together to form the frame. loft bed.

Presto:

instant sturdy

Child's Loft 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 that lofts add space and interest when erected above indoor gardens or ingeniously designed storage areas. Platform, loft bed, sleeping balcony call them what you will, they are all

MATERIALS Frame

2" 1 1 - 211 -

X X

6" 611

X X

41" 7811

46

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/

/

'I �O

c.'

1+-(-- � '1"----4)/ ------ ----------- --- ---

I

" 2.0 (

Frame for adult loft. of 4'

x

Lofts

/

.

Note that the plywood bottom is pieced together from two sheets

4' interior plywood.

(Art courtesy Mahnaz

Sondossi.)

50

Kid's

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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. accordingly.

Be sure to build

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.

night guest.

These units

are commercially available and make moving a less cumbersome task.

niture. )

(Photo courtesy Athens Fur­

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MORE THAN KID'S BEDS

No

backyard to romp in.

side to explore. going to go? "his" room.

No country

Where's a city child

Usually, the answer is to No wonder that children's

rooms have become a center of attention.

The need for both sleep and play space in city apartments is one reason for the growing popularity of the loft bed.

That space-saving solution has

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 And because it screws to bui Id it. doubles as a desk . . . as an entire play­ This bunk doubles as a desk - as an entire playhouse. in fact. together:

And the parts slip

you don 't need any nails or

screws to build it.

(Photo courtesy Ameri­

can Plywood Association.)

house, in fact.

Measuring approximately

6-1/2 feet long, less than 4 feet wide and 5 feet high, the Slip-Together Bed /Desk can be built with just 3 sheets of 1/2 inch APA grade-trademarked plywood.

And since the

door cutout

82

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After

a hard day's work during the warm months of the year, what better way to relax than to stretch a hammock between two trees. Then lie back and relax

•

•

•

if you can keep the kids out

of the hammock!

Hammocks are a challenge to grow­ ing youngsters. The swaying motion is similar to the rocking motion of a small boat on rough seas and takes a great deal of body coordination to stay 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.

Hammocks make first-rate loungers for out­ door living and resting. (Photo courtesy Twin Oaks Hammocks.)

Even a hammock fifty-four

inches wide will adequately support two folks. A forty-eight-inch width is comfortably and is ideal for areas where space is limited. A most· comfortable resting position is when you're stretched out at a diagonal so that your body is nearly level.

88

tl'J

Bed Book

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Generally, the bed of the hammock is made of flexible cotton or nylon rope. If you plan to use your hammock pri­ marily outside, look for one con­ structed of a soft, rain and sun re­ sistant netting. Weather-resistant polysynthetic rope is mildew- and rot-resistant. Be sure the hammock comes with enough rope for hanging. Knotted ends are best heat-sealed so

covered with branches makes a good shelter, or so one anthropologist ac­ quaintance maintains. More painful to think about are the Indian Sadhus, or holy men. These men live in dire poverty, depending on handouts as they wander throughout India performing mar­ velous feats such as lying on a bed of thorns, or upright nails, to attract crowds.

they do not unravel and, unannounced, dump their slumbering occupants on the ground. Attach the ends of the hammock 6

Closer to home and much more comfortable were the beds of the American Indians. The Cheyennes and Arapohos had beds raised several inches

feet 6 inches to 7 feet high on the sup­

off the ground.

porting surface -- this will give the largest of standard hammocks, when

5 inch diameter logs,

stretched the proper distance, at least 2 feet clearance from the ground.

Be

bed sides.

They used two 4 inch or 6 feet long, as

Logs at the head and foot

The space in completed the frami ng. between was filled with tips of fir or

sure the supporting trees or walls can

cedar boughs.

support the maximum weight the hammock will be holding. Some hammocks come with a folding frame and don't need wall, tree

up -- starting against the cross log at the head of the bed. This was an ex­

or ceiling supports. For the adventuresome hiker and

These soft end pieces were placed vertically -- butt ends down, tips

tremely comfortable bed; and when the tips packed down, they were easily 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 one pound, yet can provide a bed length of 84 inches. These lightweight, sturdy

boughs to prevent excessive dampness

sleepers wi II comfortably support a per­

hides frequently was placed on top of this natural "mattress."

son of any weight and si ze.

They can be used for sleeping (with or without a

from creeping up close to the sleeper. For real comfort, a pallet of buffalo

sleeping bag), sitting , or for suspend­ ing supplies.

Natural Beds In warm weather the Australian aborigines frequently sleep on the ground beside their fires, setting up windbreaks of leafy branches, sheets of bark, or mounds of grass; or they may fashion a makeshift lean-to for a few nights· rest by erecting sheets of bark against a low tree branch. A hole scooped in the side of a sand dune and

When camping in the wilds, modern woodsmen still make their beds from the "feathers" (needles) of the Moun­ tain Goose, a tree that is found from Labrador to the northwest borders of New England and from New York state to southwest Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. It's also found in Alaska, and along the west coast down to Guatemala. To the Canadians, Mountain Goos� is known as sapi r, to the Indians of old New York as cho-kho-tung, or simply as balsam (our Christmas tree) to the tenderfoot.

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Waterbeds

100

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 from 2"

x

6"s cut to size and then

glued and nailed together.

You can

add a bottom cut from 1/2" plywood. (Drawing courtesy Mahnaz Sondossi.)

box-like beds like swings so they would stay level.

A simple. modern solution to

this "airbourne" problem at sea is the addition of bunk boards.

The bunk boards

pictured on the next page are easy to build. They'll make install. use. and stow.

127

Bed Book

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check the sheets you buy for these features.

Satin and Linen

Cot:

6311 x 10811

Studio:

63" x 108"

Single:

63" x 108"

Twin:

72" x 108"

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 Linen is long-term bedding investments. 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 sheets all the way around the bed frames at home, buy the correct sizes.

The

following table wi II be useful in your search for the perfect, flat sheet:

bed, the extender allows you to use your sheets without any crumpling or extra folding. Sleep, Inc.)

(Photo courtesy Better

133 Bed Book

Build-A-Bed Sample Pages Order the full version at http://buildabedbook.com

• Make sure the blanket has been

approved by Underwriters Labora­ tories and has the UL seal.

• For light sleepers, consider buying a blanket with solid state controls (they eliminate the slight on-off clicking sound produced by regular thermostats) •

Today we are experiencing a resur­ gence of the comforter's popularity for a number of reasons: the energy shortage makes heating the house at night a luxury; interior designers like the

casual, inviting look and the comforter's practicality; and often people who have traveled to European countries want to 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.

• Should something ever go wrong with

Warmth with the Thermostat 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

Comforters

from regularly turning the thermostat down over the eight hour period usually reserved for sleeping. Their findings:

Back in my college days, a roommate used to sleep on a bed that made up

over a ten year period, routinely reducing the home heat during sleeping

something like this: floor, newspapers, old rug, mattress, old blankets, cotton

hours can save a large amount of energy and money. For example, if the consumer price index increases at nine percent per

tick, feather tick, muslin sheet: bottom sheet blanket, top sheet blanket, woven wool blanket, patchwork quilt, woven cotten blanket, cotton batting lined

and if energy prices rise three percent faster than the price of other consumer

quilt!!

goods, cumulative savings for electri­

year each year for the next five years,

cally heated homes range from It was a chore just watching him make his bed in the morning. If your room is this cold at night, there's a better way to stay warm. This better way is the old way. For hundreds of years, Europeans have been sleeping under down-filled comforters. Stuffings such as cotton batting, carded wool, silk floss, or feathers in any mixture with down present alternatives to the woven blan­ ket. Older European comforters have been either a larger bag filled with

$290 to

For natural gas heated homes, the savings range from $403 to $456.

$476.

And one way to stay warm with the thermostat turned down is to use your own body heat. If you give your body an environment where the naturally pro­ duced heat is maintained at a constant temperature, you'll also get a better night's rest. Snuggling up under a comforter is one positive way to do all this.

down or an intricately quilted blanket ticked in silk satin -- to make this more practical, a sheet was buttoned to the underside and changed with the other bed linens.

A comforter not only saves night heating in the bedroom, it's also the No more quickest way to make your bed. fiddling with sheets and blankets, no