Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Strapped for Space? Consider a Fold-up Murphy Bed from Roberts!

When Hampton Roads households need a roomy queen bed to stretch out on but have limited floor space, Roberts Furniture & Mattress has a classic solution you might not have thought of. Murphy beds that fold into the wall when not in use are an economical and attractive solution for many homes. They’re not just in the movies. They could be JUST what you’re looking for!

 

Kinds of Murphy Beds

Bi-Fold: Perpendicular to the wall when open, these Murphy beds swing up into specially made cabinets to stow the mattress in the morning. Just slide the doors out of the way and up goes the bed. Push the doors shut, securing the mattress for the day or until you next need it, and voila! It’s as if a bed was never there! Mattresses can be up to 11 inches thick and still work on a bi-fold Murphy bed.

Flip-Up Desk Beds: Imagine a home office or study nook and bed rolled into one. That’s the beauty and economy of space that a flip-up desk Murphy bed affords you. These mattresses unfold parallel to the wall, leaving an optional desktop you can use during the day. Many flip-up Murphy beds also feature shelves.

Murphy Bunk Beds: Your littlest roomies might enjoy the adventure of sharing a Murphy bunk bed, twin or full hideaway beds! Like the flip-top desk beds, these can run parallel to the wall, lengthwise, or like other bunks be freestanding, just folding up to stay out of the way during the day.

Library Murphy Beds: These folding beds are like the bi-fold Murphy beds only the sliding doors have bookcases in them, a perfect hide-a-bed for your home office or study, or when you have surprise overnight guests.

 

Why a Murphy Bed Might Be for You

Famously, Murphy beds free up your floor space. When it’s not in use, simply stow it by folding it into the wall, into its case. It also empowers you to make your bedroom multipurpose as an office or even workout space in the daytime! If you put your Murphy bed in a guest room, you’ve got that much more storage space when you don’t have company staying overnight.

These Murphy-bed options can be YOURS for less if you shop smart with us! Go to robertsfurniture.com.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

The Right Living Room Recliner: How to Choose


When you want the deep relaxation of a living room recliner, choose from over 175 models in stock on a typical day at any of our Roberts Furniture & Mattress locations. The variety of recliners from simple rockers to power models with heat and/or massage may leave you with information overload. To help you best decide which living room recliner is right for your needs, today’s blog post gives you a few matters to consider.

white leather rocker recliner

Some Living Room Recliner Cost and Space Considerations

While everything at Roberts is a bargain every day, which our neighbors appreciate, living room recliners come in a wide spread of price points and features. Simple push-back recliners, which open just by leaning back, are just a couple hundred dollars; a good entry-level option but one that might be a bit less durable. Your classic rocker recliner, popping open at the turn of a lever, is a sound mid-range price option that delivers you top comfort thanks to recent refinements in lumbar support, steel coils, and high-density foam. A novel idea for those of you with “cozy” (cramped) spaces are wall-saver recliners. For these models you only need about 6 inches of space between the chair and the wall! Traditional living room recliners require about a foot to open properly. If you want to pull out all the stops, there are ultra-luxurious recliners with goodies such as mechanical massage and heat to relieve your pain from strain or injuries. These marvelous chairs can run you into the upper hundreds or beyond but if you’re a weekend athlete or have a crick in your back, they might well pay for themselves at least in relief. When you’re perusing your living room recliner options, make sure that there are no more than 5 inches between the open leg rest and the seat; ditto for the lever. This is especially important if there are young children or pets in your household. For durable upholstery, leather is king but easy-care microfiber and other man-made fabrics offer affordable plushness and easy care.

black leather power recliner

How to Test-Drive a Living Room Recliner In-Store

You won’t know if a living room recliner is for you until you really sit in it when it’s opened up! Take your time: at least 5 minutes. Like Goldilocks in the tale you’ll have to work your way through many living room recliners that are just too firm or soft for your frame until you alight on the one that’s juuuust right. Try to find the densest foam in the cushions while remaining comfortable: they should retain their shape even after you’ve sat on them for those 5 minutes.

Make living room recliner buying easy and affordable by coming to our Hampton, VA store or other Roberts locations.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

A Look at Leather Furniture Pros and Cons for Your Home


When you see the variety of styles and textures of the leather furniture popular at Roberts, you might wonder if this time-honored tradition in upholstery is for you and your household. Below are some pros and cons to consider. Leather furniture might not be what you think. You may be pleasantly surprised. Or after some deliberation you might conclude fabric upholstery for your living room furniture is the better way to go.


leather sofa

Some Leather Furniture Advantages

You might be in love with that leather power recliner on the showroom floor. Here are a few reasons this upholstery choice isn’t a luxury but eminently practical. Leather has been a favorite material since pre-history because it WORKS. It LASTS. A leather chair will last up to FOUR TIMES longer than one clothed in imitation leather! Leather is actually relatively easy to maintain. With fabric sofas, you need to “strip them down” to give the upholstery a wash now and then. With your leather loveseat, just wipe the leather with mild soap and water, and apply leather conditioning cream regularly, say, every four months, to keep it from drying out. Like a favorite bomber jacket, your leather sofa can last longer than a lifetime if properly cared for. That’s right: your new leather furniture can become heirlooms. Worried about scratches? Don’t. With a bit of cream or polish, such blemishes come right out of this thick, tough upholstery. Spills likewise are no biggie. Wipe it off and you’re good to go. Ditto pet hair. And what’s even more appealing is leather doesn’t start to smell, unlike fabric.

leather chair

A Few Leather Furniture Drawbacks

Okay, let’s talk price: leather furniture is a costlier initial outlay because you are buying superior quality. If you have young children or large pets, you don’t want them jumping on your new leather sectional while a sofa made of fabric cushions might be more tolerant of this (ab)use. If the room is subject to extremes in temperature, you might find the feel of leather furniture too cold in winter and hot in summer.

Whether your heart is set on supple, rich leather furniture or not, our Hampton, VA store and other Roberts locations are ready to serve you with high-end selection at the most competitive prices.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Design Inspiration: Bright Bedrooms


Spring’s ever-renewing saga always inspires. When the days lengthen and the flowers bloom, adding their varied scents to the breeze, open your bedroom windows to take it all in. But when you redo your bedroom furniture and other decor to celebrate this time of light and rebirth, you want subtlety. Not only do you want your master bedroom to emphasize the light. You need a bit of darkness, shadows, to keep things interesting rather than relentlessly bright. That’s where bedroom furniture and home accents from us make your spring bedroom makeover so much simpler.

queen cherry sleigh bed

Bright Walls, Dark Bed for Cool Contrast

A simple and relatively economical way to make your bedroom furniture and decor better reflect the warmer seasons is a bit of contrast. Try rendering your walls, window treatments, and bedroom accessory furniture such as mirrored dressers in brilliant white or a similar light hue. Once you’ve done that, consider a king or queen bed in a dark cherry or black finish. Interesting lives are full of shadows, or you can’t appreciate the light fully unless you have something to contrast it to. Some gray or blue accent pillows gracefully augment this effect.

round accent mirror

Choose Accent Accessories to Magnify the Light

A simple designer’s trick to make the most of your bedroom’s natural light is to add an accent mirror prominently on a wall facing the windows, especially if those windows face east or west. If your bedroom lacks enough sunlight, time to go all-out with accent lamps and wall sconces for some electric assistant. Finally, some inspiring floral accent wall art can round out your spring theme.

For these and other bedroom furniture choices to liven your inner sanctuary for the sunnier months, our Winchester, VA store and other Roberts Furniture & Mattress locations are always ready to assist.

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Spring Design Tips


Can you believe it? While we are still in the winter cold for a few more weeks, spring with all its renewal of life and its accompanying joy is right around the corner! Besides taking a page from Marie Kondo for spring cleaning as everyone seems to be doing these days (our souvenir collections DO “spark joy” so they’re staying at our house!), here are some design tips for your home furniture and accents to mark the change of season yet again.

 Bedding in warm colors

Switch to Bright Colors

Obviously as the hours of daylight lengthen, you want to “let the sunshine in” to brighten your home decor. One way to accomplish this inexpensively is with some accent poufs, rugs, and wall art in your choice of brilliant warm colors such as yellows and even fuchsia or statement-making cool colors such as the green you start to see again as nature renews itself. Ditto changing your bedding to something upbeat, from traditionally feminine floral patterns to bold single colors.

accent cabinet

Rotate Your Accent Decorations

Another fun thing to do with your home decor to mark the different times of year is to rotate displays. Now that the holidays have come and gone, your snow globe and sprig of holly can come down for the next several months. Try bringing out your cool vacation and beach souvenirs! To make this easy, you can have both more display space and storage with a fine accent cabinet.

Our Yorktown, VA store and other locations are here to help you get into the spring spirit!

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Fun with Feng Shui for Peaceful Interior Design


The Chinese philosophy of arranging items in your home for good results is named feng shui, pronounced “fung shway.” According to this belief system, rules for object placement maximize cosmic energy, called chi. Whether you believe this premise or not, its results are loved by designers and homeowners around the world. So for this blog post we at Roberts Furniture & Mattress will apply this idea to some furniture in the Hampton Roads area to give you ideas to add some life to your decor.

 living room sectional sofa

The Feng Shui Living Room

According to feng shui, energy is masculine (yang) or feminine (yin). Living rooms use masculine energy because they are so active with new people and conversational buzz. To make the most of the yang circulating in this room, proper placement of your living room sofa is important. Have a wall behind it and place it strategically in the “command position” so that sitting on it you can see the door. However, do not have it directly facing the door. This can get tricky! Because you want to turn up the energy in your living room, it ought to be one of your home’s brighter rooms. Ideally this should be sunlight but artificial light will do in a pinch. Beware mirrors: even if they’re not broken they’re bad luck here! However, potted plants draw good chi into your living room. Finally, try to configure your living room furniture so that it has “four corners,” so arrange it in a square or rectangular fashion. According to feng shui, this attracts good people.

 home office desk

Successful Home Office Feng Shui

Everybody works in the hope of succeeding, and feng shui principles are here to help with arranging your home office furniture to do just that. First, pick decor that pumps you up, making you feel successful. Place your desk in the command position. Try not have it facing a wall! The south side of the room has fire as its feng shui element, which governs fame and reputation, so fan those flames with warm colors such as yellows. Cool colors are bad for your home office. The southeast corner should have a theme of abundance!

Feng shui promises gradual change as you apply it. For your home furniture and accents, stop by our Hampton, VA store or any of our other state locations.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Small Dining Room Tips and Tricks


Maybe your home is old-school, pre-dating the open-floorplan craze, so you have a maze of small dedicated rooms as a parlor, dining room, den, etc. Or perhaps you’re making the most of apartment or duplex living. Anyway, the challenge this poses is: “How do I make a dining-room setting that’s truly expansive and inviting when I have limited square footage? I want more than a counter or dinette, and I’m out of ideas!” Fear not. We at Roberts have been helping Hampton Roads households like yours pick the perfect dining room furniture since 1960! That practical experience plus some ideas from the interior-design pros inform our blog topic today: to make your small dining room the ideal you’re aiming for.

 round dining table

Corners Are Your Friends

A novel way to carve out a unique dining room space is to take full advantage of a room’s corner. Place a dining bench along each wall, then add a round or square table. If you plan to seat still more people, a smartly designed dining chair or two, depending on your space and table size, will do the job. If you go with the square table, a smaller dining bench or stool that you can push completely under it is a wise option. Finish off your awesome new dining decor with some cool accent pieces, such as reminders of culinary inspirations France and Italy. There’s always the designer’s standby of a wall mirror, not for vanity’s sake but because mirrors both create the illusion of extra space and enhance your room’s light.

 dining side chair

Tiny Space? Then Flip Out!

If your apartment is extremely small so you can’t have a dining table, but you want more than a counter ledge with bar stools, interior designers have this fresh take. Remember the Murphy bed or old-time built-in ironing boards? It’s kind of like that: install a table along one wall that flips up when not in use. That way you have all the table space you need plus elegant dining chairs on three sides. Ingenuity for the win!

upholstered dining bench

How About a Booth?

If you have a small rectangular space off one room, that can be your dining room by turning it into a booth. A narrow dining table and two benches or banquettes are all you need, plus you can always augment this with a dining chair to use the end of the table facing out.

For your dining-room furniture needs stop by our Williamsburg, VA store or any of our other locations.

Friday, December 7, 2018

Kids’ Furniture Shopping Tips


Shopping for furniture can be difficult as it is, let alone when you’re shopping for furniture that someone else will use. When that someone is your kid or kids, you face the challenge of not only finding functional and fun furniture, but also something that is safe for your kids to play on. At Roberts Furniture & Mattress one of the many things that separates us from our competition is our huge stock of options, which also allows us to offer a wide variety of choices for kids. But before you go shopping, we thought you might like to read some tips on what to look for. 

 girls' bedroom set

Durability

You probably already know, or are about to find out, that kids will turn your house into a daily amusement park. Furniture will be jumped on, hung from, eaten on, and so forth, which is why durability is the number one priority for most families who are shopping for kids’ furniture. In practice this means you should look for relatively heavy and solid furniture, preferably made from hardwood that’s been glued, screwed and corner-blocked. 

Fabrics should have a flat weave, because it withstands use better than lightweight or looped fabrics. There are also plenty of materials out there that are pretty much stain-proof and easy to take care of, like vinyl, ultrasuede, denim, twill, velvet, felt and wool.

loft bed

Storage

With kids comes clutter and an excess of stuff, so look for furniture like kids’ loft beds that comes with drawers. Also consider double-tier tables where the lower tier can function as storage, and stock up on items like storage cubes, shoe cubbies, and toy baskets. 

 boys' bunk beds

Space

This depends on the size of the house and the rooms, but most families with kids long for more space. That’s why we recommend considering options like bunk beds or beds that integrate desks, drawers and more. Don’t forget to take advantage of extra space lurking under beds and other furniture. 

Safety

Look for features like rounded corners for tables and countertops to avoid accidents. You could also consider a couch with attached cushions if you’re not a fan of pillow fights with huge sofa cushions. 

For one-on-one advice on finding the ideal kids’ room furniture for YOUR family, stop by our Yorktown, VA store or any of our other locations.

Monday, November 19, 2018

Don’t Miss Out THIS Black Friday on EXTRAORDINARY Deals


We at Roberts Furniture & Mattress know that by now you’ve been inundated with Black Friday Sale announcements. But we’ve got to tell you THIS Black Friday furniture extravaganza is the REAL deal! ONLY the weekend after Thanksgiving at our End of Season Black Friday Sale can you get THESE fantastic furniture bargains.

Black Friday Weekend Deals Too Good to Pass Up

When you need a small chairside table for your drinks, enjoy this doorbuster, a handsome stand in wood, finished in gray or white, ONLY $29. Another with a drawer in distinguished espresso or oak is $89. Get them before they’re gone. Another doorbuster special perfect for the bedroom is our wood-framed oval cheval mirror, just $29.99. Living room reclining furniture in Italian leather has never been THIS easy to get. At all of Roberts’ stores this Black Friday weekend you can have YOUR choice of dual reclining sofa OR console for $899. If all you need is to settle into a relaxing new living recliner, FRIDAY ONLY is your big chance to get one for as low as $149 (no layaway). If you require power to operate your new recliner, Roberts has got something for you too, for only $299. Or sink back into our Black Friday special lift chair, going for an unprecedented $699. Share the relaxation affordably this Black Friday weekend with a stunning 2-piece dual reclining sofa and loveseat set for as low as $799.

Queen bed need replacing? Our trim modern Black Friday weekend special practically GIVES one to you at $169. If you prefer an upholstered tufted queen headboard, swing by one of our stores, where your new bed awaits. Take it home for $299. Don’t settle for a sagging mattress when you can get a new one for as low as $99 for a twin, $139 for queen, and $479 for king.

We at Roberts appreciate the finer points of decor. That’s why this Black Friday weekend you can take home a lovely wood accent table in blue or white for $42, a gleaming white accent credenza table for $99, and, perfect to show and store seasonal mementos, a handsome accent cabinet in your choice of blue, black, or ivory at a record-low $199.

Stunning Furniture Sets Only This Low for the Weekend

Roberts’ End of Season Black Friday Sale includes entire sets to redo a room. Our Bedroom Madness starts with an understated 7-piece queen bedroom set with chest, in black or gray, for $799, up to our deluxe Woodlands Mansions bedroom, including a queen mansion bed, dresser, mirror, and nightstand, which you can take away after this Thanksgiving for an astonishing $1,799. For a new living room look, enjoy sofa and loveseat sets starting at $699 this weekend only. That sectional sofa you’ve always wanted is in Roberts’ stores too, from $999 to $1,199. Now is the time to SAVE!

You’re not done giving thanks, because Roberts Furniture & Mattress is offering Hampton Roads and Winchester households like yours the furniture deals of the season. Stop by our Hampton, VA store or any of our other locations to save BIG this Black Friday weekend ONLY!

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Make Your Too-Large Room Livably Smaller


It’s hard to believe there can be too much of a good thing until you’re faced with it. That goes for a room in your home that seems to have more square footage than you know what to do with! Never fear, dear readers. Hampton Roads’ furniture specialists since 1960 are proud to share with you some designer’s tricks to scale down that behemoth into something more human, a space that’s even intimate if you want.

 Long living room sofa

Smart Furniture Tricks for Instant Coziness

A common rookie design mistake is to manufacture smallness by trying to employ small pieces of furniture in a big space. This backfires because the first thing you notice is all the dead space around them. Actually, if you pick furniture that fits the room’s real proportions well, such as long sofas and consoles, it makes the room appear smaller. Placing the furniture along the walls, as though it were part of the wall, works wonders as well.

 Accent partition

Doing the Shrinking-Room Shuffle: Arrangement That’s Magic!

An obvious solution to a too spacious room is to break it up into two or more rooms. Don’t want to bring in the contractor to add walls? No worries. An accent folding partition (room divider) can inexpensively do the same thing while giving you flexibility if you change your mind or your needs for the room shift. Another designer’s tip is simply to treat the room as if the dividing walls were there by clustering furniture for different uses in various spots: sofa and loveseat combo gathered around the TV, bistro counter-height table and chairs in another spot, and so on. How about your whole home bar taking up a third of the floor space? Your eyes will focus on only one section at a time and thus you won’t be overwhelmed by the room anymore.

 Living room chair

Light and Color Tricks

A standby for interior designers is light creating the illusion of space. So what do you do when your room’s too big, brick up the windows and light the room with candles? While we’d love to sell you accent candle-holder sets, you don’t need to do anything that drastic. Just choose more subdued, less reflective colors for your room’s palette, from the furniture such as a living room sofa to your area rug. Recommended hues to turn your echo-ey airplane hangar of a room into an inviting space for your friends are charcoal gray, burgundy, deep green, and chocolate brown.

 accent rug

Patterns and Textures That Fill Your Space

Big, striking patterns on your furniture and draperies, again agreeing with the room’s proportions rather than trying to fight them, fills the space visually, scaling down your brain’s impression of it. Good old-fashioned wallpaper works for this too. Another design trick: avoid anything with too much shine such as chrome. Stay away from lacquered wood, for example. Try painted or stained finishes instead. Metal should be dull or wrought-iron. Mirrors in these cases are a no-go.

For home furniture suggestions to fill a room affordably, check out Roberts Furniture & Mattress in Hampton, VA or one of our many other locations.

Monday, September 24, 2018

Reassess and Redress Your Living Room to Be Yourself at Home


As the years pass and your tastes change, it only makes sense to rethink your home decor now and then. Classical motifs that once enamored you in youth may now feel static and overstated; while what was once too avant-garde for you may now in fact complement your style. Pondering all of these heady questions of style and aesthetics, it’s only natural for your mind to drift to your most prized and personal pieces of home decor: your living room furniture. 

Laylanne Black Accent Chair,Signature Design By Ashley

A Leather Sofa Changes How You Relax

In many cases, what your living room may be lacking, in both style and function, is comfortable leather sofa seating. Here, your options can feel seemingly endless—but don’t panic! Start out by asking yourself if your space and your furniture is hard-lined or rounded. If in fact your living room decor could do with a helpful injection of curvature, try out an affordable faux leather chair and matching ottoman, for a delicious blend of antique aesthetics, and state-of-the-art durability.  
Blackwood Taupe Loveseat, Signature Design By Ashley
Picture Yourself and Your Partner on a Brand-New Loveseat

Somewhere, at some point, you’ve undoubtedly thought of cozying up with a special someone on a sleek classic loveseat of your own. In your living room, a new loveseat means giving yourself a shot at elegance, along with a look and feel that’ll ease your mind the second you and your partner are seated. As far as versatility goes, this timeless piece of living room upholstery will fit almost perfectly in any homesoftening out edges, and making an afternoon into a truly sensible and memorable experience for yourself and any of your guests.

Camp Ridge Black Sofa Table,Signature Design By Ashley
Look Beyond Upholstery: End Tables to Reframe Your Room

After you’ve reexamined your living room seating, it never hurts to look beyond the ordinary and inquire into suitable end tables to enhance the ‘livability’ of your space. One small, adorable and affordable end table, positioned at the side of your leather sofa, can serve as the ideal spot for a piece of artwork, or even your smartphone. The decorative potential of an occasional table is—in a real sense—almost infinite, so long as you give yourself permission to have fun with decor in your living room. 

Your Local Furniture Store Knows All About Living Room Decor

Whether your Williamsburg, Virginia home or apartment was decorated last year or 5 years ago, do yourself a favor, and think about restyling it with affordable living room furniture from Robert’s Furniture & Mattress. 

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Updating Your Bedroom Decor for the Autumn of 2018


As we escape the summer season, having sweltered under heat waves, near-constant clouds and rain, we here at Roberts Furniture & Mattress can safely say we’re happy to be entering the autumn again. Autumn for our family is all about the falling of the leaves and the coolness in the air—memories of Halloween, pumpkin picking and, of course, fall-styled decor!

In honor of the autumn season, we think now is the perfect moment to adjust to the fall inside of your most personal of living spaces: your bedroom. Since you begin and end your days inside of your bedroom, redecorating with new bedroom furniture can help you transition into the second-to-last season of 2018, full of style and confidence!

 Queen bed with headboard

King or Queen, You Need a Headboard for Your Bed

If you’re familiar with the latest trends in bedroom decor, then you know that pairing headboards with bedframes is, by now, practically a law of interior decorating. With a new headboard, it is so easy to inject classic or contemporary style into your bedroom, without overwhelming the space unnecessarily. As far as clean and understated elegance goes, a full panel headboard does this effortlessly.

 Mirrored dresser

Admire Yourself in a Vintage or Modern Bedroom Mirror

Having persevered through two thirds of the year, you deserve a chance to admire your face in the mirror now and then. Instead of marching from your bedroom to the bathroom to do this, get yourself a matching bedroom mirror. Beyond being practical, a bedroom mirror bounces light off the rest of your bedroom decor—vastly enhancing the atmosphere of the space. You’ll probably also appreciate the beauty and detail incarnate in our favorite pieces and collections.

Six-drawer dresser

A Dresser Drawer Will Reorganize All Your Autumn Wear

While we guess that you already own a dresser drawer in your bedroom, who knows how much you utilize it, or how organized you keep it. With the intention of updating your decor, and sense of style, why not reevaluate your bedroom dresser as well? We think there’s nothing quite as grand or as graceful as a piece of bedroom furniture that alludes to the Old World, at the side of your nightstand or mirror.  

We invite you to transition into the fall, by taking advantage of discounts at our furniture store in Hampton, Virginia.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

How to Choose and Place Your Coffee Table


When you’ve got your living room seating picked out, put some thought into this space’s second most sought furniture, the coffee table. It can be your room’s centerpiece if you desire, rather than the sofa. Here are a few placement and style suggestions for yours.




The Rule of 2

Most living room coffee tables are 16 to 18 inches tall. It’s generally recommended that your coffee table be 2 inches lower than your seats such as your living room sofa or loveseat.


Glass-topped coffee table and end tables


The Rule of 18

Some interior designers say your coffee table should be 18 inches (a foot and a half) away from your sofa, making it close enough for you to set down plates and drinking glasses but roomy enough for you to stretch your legs, so consider that when measuring your floor space to pick the size of your coffee table.


White coffee table



The Rule of 30

Consider which part of your living room floor gets the most traffic as a passageway. Your coffee table should be narrow enough to allow about 30 inches of space from the side facing away from the sofa to accommodate this.


Use Contrast

If your living room sectional or sofa blends in with a simple design and neutral color, make your living room’s decor “pop” by using contrast: make your coffee table interesting, for example, with a dark finish and/or intricate woodwork. Likewise if your living room furniture uses bold lines and primary colors, consider a nearly invisible but still handy glass-topped metal coffee table.


Child-Friendly Coffee Tables

If you have young children running through your house, consider getting a coffee table without sharp edges; round or oval designs might be better for you.
For an incredible selection of living room coffee tables visit our Hampton, VA furniture store and other Virginia locations.

Monday, June 18, 2018

An Awesome Home Bar in a Few Easy Steps


Whether you invest in a simple bar cart or some cool barstools to liven a counter, convert a bookcase into a handsome shelf dry bar, or go all out in installing a wet bar with sink, refrigerator, and even taps, a beautiful home bar is a phenomenal way to succeed as a host. Here are some things to consider as you plan yours.

 Home bar

Home Bar 101

Like with real estate, a great home bar depends on location, location, location. Where do you actually entertain your guests? Which place in your home has the most space for this? Would you like to move this venue, say, from a small front room to one end of a finished basement rec room? Maybe the glass porch in back is your home’s most hospitable spot for twilight drinks.

How big a bar do you need or are willing to invest in? Does your chosen space need plumbing and electricity or would you like to start simple? A well-planned home bar pays its dividends in many years of enjoyment by you and your friends.

 Modern bar stool

Basic Home Bar Furniture

Now that you have a rough plan sketched for your home bar, hopefully on something more reliable than a bar napkin, now it’s time for us at Roberts Furniture & Mattress to offer our expertise. For bars and bar stools ranging from traditional “Cheers”-style decor to the space-age bachelor pad look for retro cocktail coolness, choose sturdy, comfortable, but cool bars, drinks carts, and stools that will give your living room, rec room or porch the wow factor.

 Drinks cart

Knock Yourself Out with Home Bar Decor

And once you’ve planned out the contracting work and picked your home bar’s furniture, now it’s playtime. Anything goes when decorating your new home bar. Perhaps old beer cans repurposed as cool track lighting by a crafty friend, or old bottle caps incorporated into your backsplash can add fun to your home bar setting. The only limit is your imagination!

Once you’ve planned your fantastic new home bar, we will help you get started with the right bar stools and, if you like, the bar itself. Stop by any of our Virginia furniture showrooms including Hampton, VA to make your home bar dream a reality!

Friday, May 4, 2018

Vaughan-Bassett Furniture, An American Classic


If you seek the authenticity of good old-fashioned American craftsmanship using native-grown, sustainable hardwood, your dream come true is Vaughan-Bassett solid wood home furniture. Employing 700 craftsmen all based in the United States, Vaughan-Bassett has earned a sterling reputation, winning the lasting respect of buyers like you, because of its myriad of styles and lovely finishes. The company’s exceptional commitment to quality has made it America’s largest maker of wood bedroom furniture.

 Vaughan-Bassett bedroom set

Explore Vaughan-Bassett’s Bedroom, Kids’ Room, and Home Office Furniture

Roberts Furniture & Mattress has wonderful bedroom furniture on display to give you an idea of how Vaughan-Bassett solid-wood quality can enhance your home. Relax with the warm wood finishes and classic colonial design details of one of our poster beds or sleigh beds with matching dresser, mirror, drawers, and nightstand.

Kids’ room furniture is a challenge for parents as you want a lasting style that will span your youngster’s changing needs and interests as well as match your décor. Vaughan-Bassett’s fine American craftsmanship can take all the heavy use your children can dish out. Choose from the among the simple elegance of one of our twin poster or sleigh beds, some with the adorable trundle option when two of your kids are sharing a room or you have invited a young guest to stay the night.

In the Internet age, telecommuting has come into its own, and with that comes your need for a well-appointed home office. Vaughan-Bassett has applied its timeless style to craft beautiful computer desks and chairs to make working from home both fun and productive!

 Vaughan-Bassett kids' room set

Why Appalachian Hardwood?

Solid Appalachian hardwood offers furniture makers like Vaughan-Bassett an incomparable variety of grains and colors to choose from, ranging from rich dark walnut to lighter maple and ash. Appalachian hardwood must meet a stringent standard of grading rules, resulting in home furniture more than up to the task of many years of household use.

 Vaughan-Bassett home office desk

Going Green: Committed to Sustainability

Vaughan-Bassett is committed to the environment, aware that wood is in fact a crop that must be replenished. In that spirit, the company replaces each tree it uses to make your home furniture. Growers apply best management practices to forests used for Appalachian hardwood to ensure sustainability for wildlife habitats. Only about 1% of that hardwood inventory is harvested per year.

We can usually deliver your new, “Made in USA” Vaughan-Bassett furniture within 2 weeks. To find out more about Vaughan-Bassett bedroom, kids’ room, and home office furniture pieces and sets, stop by Roberts Furniture & Mattress’ Williamsburg, VA showroom or any of our other Hampton Roads locations.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Design Inspiration: Living Without a Sofa


We know what you’re thinking—“What’s a living room without the sofa?” But hear us out. In some cases, a sofa can make a living room feel crowded, or worse, uninviting. Some layouts simply don’t accommodate a big three-seater. Considering that most homeowners arrange their furniture around the television (in houses built before the tube was a major fixture), awkward placement of sofas has become commonplace.

If you have this problem, or you simply want a fresh interior, read our design tips on the many ways you can live without a sofa.

 living room armchair

Armchair Army


Versatility is the name of the game when furnishing your living room sans sofa. A collection of armchairs opens up your space, and provides greater flexibility in regards to positioning and organization. Plus, with a living room chair for each person to call their own, it eliminates the potential for your guests to accidentally bump elbows, or get stuck in the middle seat.

orange living room armchair


Gathering two to four matching armchairs gives your interior a sense of unity. Fabric upholstery in neutral colors also allows you to inject color into your design scheme through the use of vibrant accent pillows, while patterned area rugs can lend texture.

turquoise armless accent chair


Throw in one or two armless accent chairs to keep your living room from becoming monotonous, again in neutral colors to allow your lighting to really glow in the room.

blue living room recliner


And of course, no living room is complete without a classic recliner. Try to find one that has a wood grain that is similar to the feet of your armchairs, to maintain visual harmony.

 tufted gray loveseat


Loveseats Are for Lovers


Two-cushion loveseats are never a bad idea. They take up less space than a full sofa, and are more than appropriate for snuggling with your sweetheart while watching a movie, or simply enjoying each other’s company. Remember to be consistent with your color choices. Similar tufting to your other chairs will also lend to the room’s synchronicity.

 Victorian-style chaise

Chaise the Dream


Perhaps the most obvious drawback to not having a couch is the lack of lounge seating. Who doesn’t enjoy an afternoon nap on the sofa? However, with a low-profile chaise, not only do you keep your living room unobstructed, you also get all the benefits of lazy Sundays.



For more living room furniture, including ottomans and occasional tables, visit Roberts Furniture & Mattress in Hampton, VA. Our low-priced chairs, loveseats, and chaise lounges are of the highest quality in both construction and design. Let our family serve your family!

Monday, March 19, 2018

Refresh Your Interior for Spring

Spring is finally upon us, which means it’s time to pull back the curtains, raise the blinds, and crack open your window to let the cool spring breeze into your home, after months of wintry darkness. The change in season brings with it excitement, renewal, and of course, lots and lots of cleaning. After you have finished removing the dust from every surface in your home, and aired out each musty room, one of the best things you can do to refresh your interior for the springtime is to decorate with seasonal home accents. New home décor is ideal for giving your home the cheery makeover it truly deserves.


 accent accessory set


Bright and Colorful Home Accents

With the springtime comes feelings of newness and vibrancy, so decorate your interior accordingly. One of the simplest decorating tips that the experts swear by is to stock up on fresh throw pillows. These can really bring some much needed pop after the gloom of the colder months. The myriad colors and designs make for easy arranging in pretty much every room. Choose throw pillows in muted pastels and primary colors, like mint green or canary yellow, to bring some of the freshness of the outdoors into your home. Similarly, pick patterns or prints that evoke nature, like organic paisley and flower designs, or even animal prints. 


 Accent throw pillow


Another simple design trick that seems obvious when mentioned, but is often overlooked, is to hang mirrors in various sizes throughout your home. With mirrors, you can capture and direct the emerging sunlight to break away the winter shadows. Also, mirrors give your home a sense of depth, and are particularly ideal for smaller spaces. Hang them opposite your windows and in hallways to take advantage of both elements. Choose a frame that is organic or colorful to really usher in the spring season.


 Accent mirror


You can find colorful home accents like throw pillows, mirrors, and lots more at Robert’s Furniture & Mattress. Visit us in Yorktown, VA, or any of our four other furniture store locations for springtime home decorations at unbeatable prices.