Miley Cyrus and Sofas: 10 Surprising Things They Have in Common

Whether you are in South Jersey or South Texas, turn on the radio and I can guarantee that you will soon hear a song played by popular pop music artist, Miley Cyrus.

But how are Miley and Sofas in common? Originally, I thought they were nothing alike. After thinking about it, I found 10 different things they had in common.

Here’s How: 

1. They came in like a “wrecking ball”:

Yes, that’s right. I am talking about your children. They come home from a long day at school, throw their backpacks on the floor and jump on the couch. Ready for their mid-day snack and cartoons, they are still leaping up and down on your new sofa. Durability is KEY. Look for a sofa with a strong frame and choose a durable fabric!

2. It’s a Party in the USA:

Just like Miley, many of our customers enjoy a good party! Maybe not in the same way, but entertaining in your home is just as fun! A sectional or large sofa is perfect for having friends over. Having a Super Bowl party? Have ALL your friends over on your new sectional sofa!

3. We Can’t Stop:

Miley “Can’t Stop,” and neither can we! Customizing – we mean! Our design consultants won’t stop helping the customer until they are 110% satisfied. You can customize a sofas frame, color, fabric and much, much more!

4. Hannah Montana:

A large, comfy sofa is perfect for your children to watch television on. HOWEVER – we suggest you make sure your children are watching Miley’s old stuff… like Hannah Montana for example!

5. Texting Friends:

Bored at home? Text your friends on your new sofa, just like in Miley’s “LOL” movie.  If you add a chaise lounge onto your sectional sofa, you can prop up your arm which allows you to sit in a prime position for texting like crazy.

6. Liam Hemsworth:

Ut Oh – trouble in paradise. Cuddle up on your sofa, watch a sad love movie, eat as much chocolate and ice cream as you can and cry it out. Your new sofa will provide comfort in times of need.

7. The Last Song:

Once you get a new boyfriend, watch The Last Song featuring Miley on your sofa! Invite some friends over to celebrate your new fling. 

8. Twerking:

Although sofas can’t “twerk,” you will certainly be tired after going to the dance and twerking all night! Relax on your sofa after a long night of twerking.  

9. I'm Bored:

Need a change of pace? Just like how Miley gets tired of her hair style, we get tired of the way our sofa looks. Switch it up with a sofa cover. Maybe you want one for every mood!?

10. Bangerz: 

Just like Miley's current tour, we want our customers to go out with a BANG! We want them to be satisfied with their new piece of furniture, the customer service they received and the overall experience at Kensington Furniture! 

What Will The Super Bowl Be Like In 100 Years?

“I never think of the future - it comes soon enough.” 

― Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein didn't like to think about the future. But with Super Bowl XLVIII coming up this week, we are wondering what the Super Bowl would be like in 100 years. More specifically, what type of furniture would be in the stadium to increase comfort for all fans and viewers.

Let’s take a look at a few pieces of furniture that we think would be a super cool addition to the stadium during Super Bowl CXLVIII.

BEDS: How cool would it be for a stadium to be filled with beds? Rather than sitting on uncomfortable stadium seating, lay back in a bed and even use the blankets if you are cold! It would be even more exciting if you could get the stadium to put in power sets that would move the bed up and down to maximize comfort and visibility for the fan.

RECLINERS: Lean back in your recliner in the stadium and watch the game in style. Having recliners with cup holders instead of stadium benches would be an excellent addition to the game experience! If the game gets serious, you could easily sit up and be on the edge of your seat!

Team Accent Chairs: Each stadium could have their own accent chairs that had their team logo embroidered on the head rest. It is festive and will even create more team spirit!

Having more comfortable furniture would obviously create less seating for fans that wish to attend the game. However, I am sure they can always make the stadiums bigger! 

8 Pieces of Furniture We Saw At The 2014 Grammy Awards

"At the end of the day, the Grammys are about recognizing genres that are making an impact." - Keith Urban 

Every year, millions of viewers tune in to watch the Grammy Awards. People are excited about the winners, the performers and most importantly, the fashion. We tuned in and thought to ourselves, "Wow, a lot of these outfits look like pieces of furniture in our store!" 

Let's take a look at what pieces of furniture showed up on the Red Carpet this year at the 2014 Grammy Awards! 

The Robin Thicke and Paula Patton Chair

The Anna Faris Sectional

The Katy Perry Accent Piece

The Ariana Grande Sofa & Matching Chair

The Beyonce Sofa 

The Taylor Swift Leather Sofa

The Madonna Lounge Chair

The Colbie Caillat Accent Chair

What pieces of furniture did you see at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night? We love talking fashion, especially when it has to do with furniture style!

5 Signs You Should Invest In Movie Night Furniture

1. There’s a dent in your couch where you butt usually goes. Holy Moly! Things have gotten serious. If you watch SO MUCH TELEVISION that your rear-end has become indented in your sofa cushions… it is definitely time to invest in new movie night furniture.

2. You order out so you have more time to eat while watching. You aren't moving from the sofa, even to eat. So why not watch television/eat/sleep/breathe on a comfortable one?

   

3. A whole bunch of popcorn, candy and crumbs have multiplied under your sofa cushions. Yuck – you are way too busy watching your favorite shows/movies that you can’t even get the food into your mouth without spilling! A leather sofa might be better for you since it is easier to clean than fabric upholstery.

4. Commercials have become your design inspiration. You are DYING to redo your living room. You have spent so much time in it and have seen so many great commercials featuring the latest styles and furniture pieces. Now if only you could stop watching and get to the store..

5. You’re friends call you a hermit. You haven’t seen your friends in weeks because you fear that you might miss the newest episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Then you had the most brilliant idea – order a sectional so EVERYONE can come over and watch it with you! 

Convinced yet? Click here to check out ALL the newest styles for living room furniture on our website!

Sit Back and Relax with Furniture

“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” - Etty Hillesum

After working all day, it is totally fine to want to come home and relax. What can add to that relaxing experience? A comfy piece of lounge furniture. Lounge furniture can be used in almost every room. It allows you to put up your feet and relieve pressure in your lower back from standing all day.

Lounge furniture is most popular in your living room particularly because that is where most families go to relax and talk after their day is over. Your kids come home from school, everyone is home from work and you are ready to relax with your family.

Although most people use lounge furniture in their living room, don’t forget about your bedroom! A piece of lounge furniture will provide a place to sit, put your feet up and relax while watching television or reading a magazine in your bedroom. Close the door and block out all distractions such as your kids, pets and maybe even your spouse. Just imagine yourself relaxing in your own sanctuary – your bedroom!

Let’s explore a few different types of lounge furniture –

Chaise Lounge - A chaise lounge is a bit different than a traditional sofa. It is made for one person to lay down on it; however, multiple people can sit on the piece. Nowadays, there are many different styles of a chaise lounge and many people are including them in their homes. A chaise lounge would be the perfect lounge furniture for your bedroom, say at the end of your bed.

Big Chair with Ottoman - Who wouldn't want a big comfy chair to relax on? I definitely would! Get even more comfy by adding a matching ottoman to rest your feet on. It is inviting, comfortable and warm. I would consider a big chair as the perfect chair for watching television or movies on.

Sofa with Ottoman - The majority of living rooms across the United States have one thing in common: a sofa (or sectional!). Turn your sofa into a more relaxing piece by ordering a matching ottoman. If you get an ottoman large enough, multiple people can use it as a foot rest.

Sectional with Chaise Lounge - A new trend that is becoming more popular is adding a chaise lounge to your sectional. It is built in when you order a custom sectional and it really adds to the shape of the piece. Depending on how large your sectional is, many people will be able to relax with you!

Fabrics and Furnishings

You found the sofa that you fell in love with. Now what? It is time to pick your fabrics.

These fabrics would be great for pillows!

Jerry, one of our design consultants, sat down with us today to explain the process of picking fabrics. The sofa frame itself provides comfort but what really makes the sofa is the fabric that is put on it. Picking fabric must be a decision that you can live with for a long time.

The first step for picking out fabric begins with deciding how the room is going to be used. Is it a family room or a living room? Will your kids be constantly climbing on the furniture or will it only be used for entertaining friends and family? If it will endure a lot of usage, go for a heavier, stronger fabric. You want to protect your furniture so it will last long! If it will endure light wear, go with a natural fabric. Natural fabrics will provide great colors but aren’t always so durable when it comes to a lot of wear.

These fabrics would be great for a sofa!

We must also look at what is currently in the room. What is the color in the room? Are you going to build your furniture around the room? We then move to certain colored fabrics that will match and flow correctly. If you wish I start from scratch, you will have more room for imagination because you could go with any color!

You have to like something first to get to the next step! Some people pick their primary sofa color first. Others fall in love with a fabric that will only look great on a pillow so they pick the pillow fabric first and build around it. It is all up to the customer. You are totally in control! Jerry and the rest of our design consultants are very knowledgeable and are there to help you build the perfect sofa.

We have a huge selection of fabrics in our design room!

What style do you like best? Contemporary? Modern? Traditional? Pick and choose but don’t forget to have some fun while doing so. Have some creative fun with different pillow fabrics. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.

Check out this short clip showing
the fabrics in our design room!

Are you the type of person that can never make a decision? If you are trying to pick out a fabric and don’t really like the way things are going, Jerry always suggests three different options that he thinks are best. This way the customer will still be in control but can also have choices laid out for them if they have a hard time choosing.

It is important to us at Kensington Furniture that you really love your new custom upholstered furniture. With the help of a design consultant like Jerry, you will be able to create the perfect sofa with gorgeous fabric that you love! 

Decorating with Accent Chairs

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." - Maya Angelou

Accent chairs probably are not your first thought when you are decorating your room. But why not? Use your creative mind and decorate with accent chairs! Accent chairs function as extra seating but can be a bit more stylish than a traditional sofa. There are plenty of really awesome, brightly colored fabrics out there that would look crazy on a sofa. BUT – they would be perfect on an accent chair. Choose a pattern that will add to your sofa, not completely contrast it. Don’t be afraid of experimentation!

We sat down with Kia, one of our design consultants, to talk about how accent chairs can fit into your home.

When furniture is not matching, it adds interest, personality and color. It is a totally different look! It can turn a traditional room into a more fun, sophisticated and energetic room. Place the accent chair in a position that compliments various aspects of your room’s aesthetic, whether it is the color scheme, era or texture of materials.

The colors that an accent chair can bring to the room are phenomenal. The piece almost acts like an artwork added to your room. Kind of like an area rug, an accent chair can turn a boring room into a more inviting place to be.

Accent chairs take comfort to a whole new level. Many people think that just because they are gorgeous and small, they would be uncomfortable. There are many different types of accent chairs. A glider will allow you to rock the chair whether you are rocking a baby or rocking back and forth to the music. A swivel chair allows you to have a conversation with others much easier. Say your accent chair is separating two areas of an open floor plan; you can swivel around to either section of the room. Last but not least, a reclining accent chair lets you put your feet up and enjoy a movie. It also takes the pressure off of your lower back after a hard day’s work.

They are great for additional seating when you host a party. They also take up very little space. If you have a tight room, adding two accent chairs rather than a loveseat will save space. In larger, empty rooms, accent chairs work as space-fillers. They can create a divide in an open floor plan or simply add to the current room it is in.

Try using an accent chair in different places such as your dining room or office. Placing two accent chairs at the head of each side of a table creates a “host/hostess” look. It also creates variety in your dining set. Using a larger accent chair as your desk chair will create a “boss” look. It adds to your office but also creates a different look rather than the traditional boring office furniture. 

How Does Cafeine Affect Your Sleep?

Caffeine is currently the stimulant most widely used by Americans on a regular basis. However, most Americans do not think about the potential ramifications that a 2 p.m. cup of coffee can have on their quality of sleep. Caffeine has a half life of 8 hours, meaning that it takes 8 hours for its effects on your alertness and wakefulness to ware off. So, if someone was planning on going to sleep at 11:00 p.m., then they should not drink a cup of coffee, or consume any substance with caffeine for that matter, after 3:00 p.m.

Several studies have been conducted, including one which was done by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, to study the effects that caffeine has on humans. This study took 24 test subjects, 12 men and 12 women, and separated them into three groups. These group were allowed to drink coffee between 0 hours, 3 hours and 6 hours before going to sleep. The study found that the effects of caffeine disrupted all three of the group's sleeping patterns. The test results showed that caffeine did have a detrimental effect on the quality of the test participants sleep, suggesting that in order to prevent difficulty in falling asleep, people should attempt to cut off all consumption of caffeine 8 hours prior to going to sleep. If you are one of those people who feel like you need to drink coffee in order to keep yourself going during the day then you should attempt to replace that afternoon cup of coffee with a cup of tea.


Facts to Know

• Caffeine 6 hours before bed will reduce sleep by at least 1 hour.
• Cut off caffeine at 2 p.m. to assure restful sleep.
• Deep, restorative sleep will be prevented if you consume caffeine after 2 p.m.

Caffeine Alternatives 

• Apples --> an energizing fruit due to its high fructose content, which increases blood sugar and alertness.
• Vitamin B12 --> Increases blood melatonin levels, a naturally occurring chemical that facilitates healthy sleep.

If you are interested in learning more about why sleep matters, visit our Sleep Matters Blog, sponsored by Kensington Furniture and NBC40.

How To Solve The Biggest Problems With Sleep

"Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together." -Thomas Dekker

Both the cold weather and the limited amount of daylight can have significant impacts on restful sleep. During this time of year you must be mindful of the following mistakes you may already be making as you attempt to go to sleep.

Keeping the house too hot --> The optimal temperature range for sleeping is 68-72 degrees F.

Keeping the house too cold-->Your body temperature drops during sleep. There is no reason to make the room super cold.

Lack of light throughout the day--> Do not allow the lack of daylight to alter your sleep patterns.

Dietary changes--> As the weather gets colder, do not allow yourself to cheat more often on your dietary habits.

Lack of exercise--> It may be cold outside, but do not let that prevent you from exercising. Exercising during the day can help you fall asleep at night.

Over-sleeping on weekends --> You alter your sleep patterns when you oversleep, so do not sleep until noon.

Dry air--> Dry air can dry out your nostrils, thus leading to snoring which means less sleep for you and your partner!

Cold and flu season--> People tend to get sick during the winter. That stuffed up nose will prevent you from getting restful sleep!

In regards to light, "Artificial light striking the retina between dusk and dawn exerts other physiological effects through sightless vision. It inhibits sleep-promoting neurons and activates arousal-promoting orexin neurons in the hypothalamus, and suppresses the nightly release of the soporific hormone melatonin. " - Dr. Charles Czeisler.

Orexin is a neurotransmitter; a chemical released between the neurons in your brain which evoke specific responses in your behavior. This specific chemical regulates your arousal, wakefulness and appetite. The reason that this chemical is so important to mention is because if you watch tv, use your tablet or your phone immediately before going to sleep, you cause your brain to release this chemical thus preventing yourself from going to sleep. Even though you may be able to eventually fall asleep after this chemical is released within your brain, your sleep will be less restorative as a result of its presence.

Think of Orexin as Will Smith in this image and Geoffery as yourself trying to sleep!

I believe, based upon my own experiences, it is safe to say that we all had nights in which it takes a long time to finally fall asleep. In addition, I think that most people, if they think back to what they were doing immediately before they attempted to sleep, were probably in the vicinity of an electronic device that would trigger their brain to inhibit the release of chemicals that are conducive to sleep.

For those of you on twitter, if you have any comments or questions that pertain to this specific article, any of our past articles, or you just want to share your sleep issues, go on twitter and hashtag #sleepmatters. We would love to hear from you - just do not do it before you go to sleep!

To read more about why sleep matters, visit our SleepMatters Blog, sponsored by Kensington Furniture and NBC40.

Why We Love Furniture (And You Should, Too!)

“If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life.” – Marc Anthony

Why do you love what you do? Do you enjoy going to work every morning? Here at Kensington Furniture, every single employee believes in what we are trying to accomplish. We provide quality, affordable and functional furniture to our customers. At the same time, we take pleasure in making sure that our customers receive A++ service during their entire furniture shopping experience.

But why exactly do we love furniture? Check out the 5 reasons below:

REASON #1: New Inventory!

Any retail business will tell you, having the latest trends and styles are essential. We constantly have new furniture coming into our display room to show off to our customers. We carry the latest trends, styles, designs, colors and MORE!

REASON #2: Our Design Consultants!

Our design consultants truly believe in what they are selling you. For example, Kathy loves to sell mattresses (more specifically the Optimum by Sealy) because that mattress changed her life. She purchased that mattress and has never slept better in her life. Our design consultants will not sell you a piece that they think you won’t be happy with. They let you browse when you enter the store and they give you your space when shopping.

REASON #3: Coziness!

People don’t purchase furniture solely because of style anymore. Furniture must be comfortable, cozy and inviting. It must be practical and have a purpose in their home.

REASON #4: Affordability

Not only do we frequently have awesome sales, but we have the TKO (The Kensington Outlet) in our store! Items in TKO are affordable, high quality and stylish. It is truly top notch! All items that we sell are priced to be affordable for anyone, no matter what their income is. We also offer great financing options! 

REASON #5: Quality!

Many people say that “they don’t make things like they used to.” Well – the furniture that we sell is built to last. For example, dining furniture from Canadel will last longer than you hoped it would. You will get bored with your dining set and want a new look before the set starts to falter. Our Store Manager has had her Canadel table for over 15 years! 

Save Space And Money With Multi-purpose Furniture

Everyone in the world wants to save space and money. Even if you live in a mansion, your house will never be big enough. You constantly want to save money. Why not do both at the same time? Save space AND money with clever multi-purpose furniture.

Sofa Bed 

Are you downsizing to a smaller home? Do you need to create more room in your existing home? Multi-purpose furniture is the perfect choice for modern day homes and it is becoming more and more popular.

What exactly is multi-purpose furniture? To put it simply, it is a piece of furniture that serves two functions. It is designed with the objective to save space in your home. It can also serve as a cost saving piece because instead of purchasing two pieces of furniture, you only have to buy one!

Storage Ottoman

One of the most well-known pieces of multi-purpose furniture is the sofa bed (also known as a “sleeper sofa”). Many people have a sofa bed in their living room, especially if they frequently have friends or family stay over for the night. It provides a bed for guests who stay the night. If you are living in a studio apartment, a sofa bed might be the perfect choice for you because it will save space!

There are also many storage options when it comes to multi-purpose furniture. The storage ottoman is a great example. It serves as an ottoman to put your feet up on but it also opens up to store items inside it. Many people store blankets, magazines, pillows and other household items in their storage ottomans.

Trundle Bed

There are many furniture pieces made for children that serve as multi-purpose furniture. A great example would be a trundle bed. A trundle bed includes a normal sized bed for your child and also a bed that pulls out underneath for company. Perfect for sleepovers, a trundle bed saves you money because you will not have to buy an additional bed for guests that sleep over.

With so many benefits, it is no wonder that multi-purpose furniture is becoming such a hit with homeowners! It is perfect for smaller rooms where you need to save space. It helps you create a more efficient home and it saves you money in the long run! 

Sleep Better with a Memory Foam Mattress

"Apparently, if you live until 75, you'll have spent 25 years in bed, so it makes sense to have a decent mattress." - Marc Warren 

Are you constantly tossing and turning in bed? Are you waking up in the middle of the night too hot or too cold? Are you waking up in the morning with back pain? If you answered YES to any of the previous questions, we have a suggestion for you: IT IS TIME FOR A NEW MATTRESS.

The Optimum collection by Sealy can fix all of your problems. No, seriously! It can! It is not a normal bed. It is a totally different sensation than laying on a bed with springs in it. It is excellent for back pain in the morning and tossing and turning during the night. The memory foam technology helps alleviate the pressure on your head, neck, back and spine. With the Optimum mattress, your body isn't fighting against springs or coils in the mattress. Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night with your arm all tingly because you were laying on it weird? This will not happen with the Optimum because it helps with circulation.

The inside of the Optimum Mattress

Kathy, one of our sleep consultants, is a huge fan of the Optimum beds. After suffering from years of back pain, Kathy purchased an Optimum bed and it changed her life! She sleeps better, wakes up refreshed and improved her life significantly.

When customers come in to Kensington Furniture and head to the mattress store, Kathy likes to start out by asking them if they have ever heard of a memory foam bed. You may have heard of them but you absolutely do not know until you have tried it! Kathy lets the customers lay on the bed for a while. That way they can judge whether or not they are comfortable on the mattress. There are five different models of the Optimum, ranging from firm to soft. Customers normally start on the middle bed and then move to firm or soft depending on their preference.

The OptiCool Gel Memory Foam in the Optimum mattress was actually created by NASA for their space suits. It helps regulate your body temperature. The days of waking up too hot or too cold are over. This technology allows you to sleep comfortably in a stable temperature during the night. It works with your body to keep your spine in line. It molds to your body to give you the support needed for a good night’s rest.

With the Optimum, you will wake up ready to take on the world! Purchasing a mattress from the Optimum Collection by Sealy is an investment for your future and your sleep!