Firm, plush, or soft feel? �Firm,� I said to the 1-800-Mattress guide as I lay on a Simmons Beautyrest. �Thought so,� he said. �New Yorkers like firm. Soft only sells in the suburbs.� That was the simplest thing I had to consider in my journey through modern bed-land. A lot has changed since the days when a bed was just some springs buttressing iridescent quilted polyester. Mattresses of the moment are made of foam, latex, and sometimes coils in a mind-numbing array of combinations. The original foam is Tempur-pedic, the solid-memory foam developed by nasa and made famous by its infomercial; now there are legions. Tempur-pedic is one of the firmest beds you can buy and a best seller in New York. (Note to shoppers: This time of year, as white sales abound, Macy’s lists a California King Rhapsody mattress set at $3,799.) Converts like that unshakable feeling�one person can get up without the other inhabitant feeling the weight shift (it’s called �motion separation� in the mattress business).
Memory foam is also hypoallergenic, since dust mites can’t live in it. But most of the foam beds I tested felt like warm quicksand, and the way they slowly rose up after I rolled off was slightly creepy. My favorite of the lot was from the Italian company Magniflex, whose �geoethic� line of beds have layers of plant-based memory foam ($1,399 to $5,399 for a queen). Magniflex cuts channels into their foam so air circulates. As I reclined my way through the Soho showroom (59 Crosby St., nr. 646-330-5483), I felt supported but not swallowed. And the delivery is smart; the mattress arrives rolled up a like a rug and vacuum-packed, which makes it a lot easier to lug up to a sixth-floor walk-up. Then there’s latex, which can be natural (made from rubber) or synthetic. It has bounce, so it feels closer to a traditional coil mattress, and manufacturers often layer various densities to �build� a bed�firm on the bottom, soft on top, and so forth. The rule of thumb here is the more natural latex involved, the higher the price.
A mid-priced queen like the Stearns and Foster Julep, which has a puffy �Euro� pillow top, costs $1,799 (Sleepy’s, 157 E. 57th St., nr. 212-421-3090). I found Ikea’s $899 queen-size natural latex quite satisfactory and�in this time of gargantuan, 21-inch-deep pillow-top giants�appealingly slim. (Ikea Brooklyn, 1 Beard St., nr. Otsego St., Red Hook; Hybrid beds made up the majority of the mattresses I tried. By and large, they felt exactly the same�an inch more latex here, a firm pillow top on a soft mattress or vice versa. Some even had a core of inner springs, each nestled into their own fabric pockets. I sunk happily into the Empress Exceptionale by Simmons at 1-800-Mattress ($3,499 for a queen, 369 W. 34th St., nr. 212-239-0127), made with springs covered in latex plus memory foam and a pillow top. But it is so enormous, I can’t imagine getting it into my New York apartment. Which is one of the problems with beds today. Some salespeople I spoke with reported a supersize backlash.
1-800-Mattress just introduced a house brand of shallower, cheaper mattresses with old-fashioned coils ($599 for a queen Classic Gem). They’re also two-sided, which many mattresses aren’t anymore, meaning they can be flipped periodically, thus lengthening their life span. I admired the thriftiness, but after trying all the pillow tops, the throwbacks felt too springy. If I were going to replace my ten-year-old embodiment of old technology, I’d buy the David from OrganicPedic by OMI at ABC Carpet & Home’s organic emporium ($3,395 for a queen, 888 Broadway, at 19th St.; 212-473-3000). Three layers of pure organic latex, customizable to your preference: firm, soft, medium. And the cotton cover is removable, so if the top latex layer seems saggy after a couple of years, you can just replace it for $850 instead of buying an entirely new mattress. of 23resultsDidn't find what you were looking for?magnifying glassDo you like it?× LikeNot a Fan× Thank You!We are getting ready to move into our new apartment so we are trying to figure out furniture.
The apartment is partially furnished so it has beds and some basics (some of which are funny looking.) But it is so different buying for an apartment that is temporary versus one that has pieces you will keep (we likely won’t be bringing any furniture back to the states with us.) It is like I’m back in college and have to try to make everything look good on zero budget. (A challenge but also kind of fun.) I’m going to try some thrift stores later this week and we’ll also make an Ikea run for some basics. (All of which include the logistics of renting a car and driving all over crazy Paris.) Anyone have any tips for making a space look good on a super small budget? Right now my priorities are: good lighting, comfy places to sit, and artwork. Since those three things make everything cozy and pretty. Here are some pictures Paul took last week of our new neighborhood. “Too bad that huge radio tower is so close to your apartment.”If you’re new to paris you probably have absolute no idea where to shop for all the decor and homey things you’d get easily back home: sheets, iron, plates, kitchen supplies, bathroom wares
This is not an exhaustive list so feel free to send me your suggestions if I’ve left anything out. A low budget store in the 18th arrondissement close to bustling metro Barbes. One entire block of stores that sell everything from shampoos, notebooks, toys to kitchen supplies. They even have a specialty jewelry and wedding stores. A stones throw right behind is where you find the Marche St. Pierre the neighborhood that has all the fabric and trimming stores(at the foot of Sacre Coeur). 4-18 Boulevard de RochechouartParis, France For the best flea market finds – if you want to fill your apartment with mismatched chairs, vintage frames and old records this is the place to get it. 138/140 Rue des RosiersSaint Ouen, France This dutch brand has a cute and colorful selection of towels, sheets, notebooks, cremes, coffee and even cosmetics. I stock up on their cleaning product like dish washing liquids which are so good and so cheap. I’m also always leaving with one more cute notebooks and stationary that I absolute don’t need, but are too cute to pass by.
The old parisian multilevel store that has a shoe repair, key duplication, fashion, homewares, everything except furniture and bath supplies. 36 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris, Franceif you need a new sink, electrical supplies or a piece of wood cut just right. We custom made my son’s bed with everything that was bought here. 52 Rue Rambuteau, 75003 Paris, France+33 1 44 54 66 66 The one at Metro Reaumur /Sebastopol is across from my old apartment and I love this place dearly especially when there is a solde/sale. It’s espeacially a big supermarket with an impressive fashion and homeward section. I can’t tell you guys how I love their Kitchen: ceramic and towel collection which changes every season. 95 Boulevard de Sébastopol, 75002 Paris, France+33 1 42 33 36 15 has a wide selection of table ware that changes each season.Get photo frames, candles and bed spread of medium quality here. I’ve even bought a rug here. 2 Boulevard de la Madeleine, 75009 Paris, France+33 1 58 18 38 20
New to Paris, and not a shop in itself, but more so a section of this H&M has a cool selection of towels, bed ware, childrens stuff and cutsey things that match. 115 Ave de France, 75013 Paris. My go to place for anything that’s furniture related. Stronger and better quality than ikea, but also more expensive. Love the toys and sheet sets they have for kids. One is centrally located at Republic my favorite one though is across from 104 / Cent Qautre in the 19th arr of Paris. Massive space selling everything from used books to regal furniture from the turn of the century. Is outside of paris but quie easy to get to via a RER train then a bus. Not to worry if you don’t have a car you can have Ikea deliver to you in a few weeks for around 100 euros – or have one of the many “man with a van” who wait out front ( you may want to brush up on your french for his – and ex[ect to do so bantering/haggeling) and have your stuff same day. 164 Avenue de la Plaine de FranceGonesse, France+33 891 67 00 37