Custom cover's and pillow's....

The new outdura washer/dryer safe, sun and stain resistant fabric's give the perfect summer finished look to any home,inside or out. The Futon Shop can easily custom make any type of cushion's, cover's , or pillow's to create the BEST summer look at a GREAT price.
Choose from over 30 different ORGANIC interior design's and timeless print's,pattern' and plush solid fabric's to fashionably twist style into your home. (CLICK PHOTO FOR LINK)

NEW FUTON COVER'S

Now Offering Official team logo cotton futon cover's at a great price! (click photo to link) Official Team Futon Cover's from Baseline Sports is always a touchdown with the fans! It has a zipper to fit the entire mattress to ensure non-slip fit. Logo is welded to the fabric by a patented process. Turn your futon into the perfect pad for watching the game with no muss-no fuss futon cover. Hardy and durable, cotton is often the first fiber we touch when we are born into the world and often stays with us throughout our lives. This is because Cotton has long been known to be a warm, hardy fiber for fabrics that feels wonderful against your skin. Cotton fabric comes from natural and renewable sources, making it one of the oldest and greatest fabrics in our history.

Free shipping

Are you getting ready for the upcoming school your. The Futon Shop carries a variety of sofa convertibles great for any dorm room, apartment and house. We will ship to you for FREE your new Futon set any where in The United States. Order today to have your new Futon set ready for the school year.

Awesome accesories for gamers!

The Rockstar chair is the perfect accessory for comfortable gaming and extra seating in any lounge or family room that needs versatility and ease of space reconfiguration.

Transcript of Suzanne Diamond Interview

Interview with Suzanne Diamond

Joe: Hi my names Joe and I have been sleeping on a futon from The Futon Shop for around 15 years, I am here today in the Futopia lounge with Suzanne Diamond one of the founders of The Futon Shop to learn more about the mind behind her mattresses. Suzanne tells us a little about yourself?

Suzanne: Hi Joe, I am an artist, mother, an environmentalist as well as a self taught entrepreneur and former hippie.

Joe: What is the Futopia Lounge?

Suzanne: It is any space where our futon resides, creating a comfortable environment.

Joe: There is a local buzz about the Futon Shop, what’s that about?

Suzanne: It is probably because we are the ONLY eco-friendly Futon Manufacturer in the world and we are based we are located right here in the heart of San Francisco.

Joe: So you mean to tell me that you make your futons here in San Francisco?

Suzanne: Yes, in our 30,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution center right in the heart of San Francisco and we offer our futons in our 11 California showrooms as well as on-line nationwide.

Joe: Being local seems to be important to you?

Suzanne: Yes because supporting our local economy as well as local farmers who grow our cotton and wool, supports our entire community.

Joe: What else do you manufacture in S.F.?

Suzanne: Besides our entire mattress, we make folding beds, covers and pillows, as well as custom cushions, for RV, Boats, designers etc.

Joe: It sounds like you make just about anything,

Suzanne: If you can sit on it, and it’s natural we make it. I made my first futon in 1975 when my generation wanted to be free, nature and organic and go back to mother earth.

Joe: Why Natural why Organic?

Suzanne: Most mattresses today are made with polyurethane foams, including temperpedic mattresses. Polyurethane foams are made from petroleum?

Joe: Mattresses are made from oil?
Suzanne: Yes these petro-chemicals are destroying our air and earth. But, our futons only use hybrid foams and memory foams from soybeans, reducing global warming and pampering our earth.

Joe: Can you eat them?

Suzanne: No silly, but they sure are comfortable.

Joe: What about the other ingredients?

Suzanne: We have over 30 mattresses to choose from all made with natural fibers. Chemically free Dunlap latex and 100% virgin wool, locally grown organic cotton, our innersprings are even made from recycled steel.

Joe: Is recycled steel as strong as non recycled steel?

Suzanne: Absolutely. The futons that carry our tempered recycled steel coils have as many as 733 coils per mattress.

Joe: This sounds a lot like a rational mattress

Suzanne: Quite true, our futons are made just like rational mattresses except they are natural and design them to bend on our futon sofa beds.

Joe: How about those wooden sofa bed frames?

Suzanne: Our partners ensure that every tree that is used in our beds is replaced with a new tree. All our vendors are certified by sustainable forest management programs.

Joe: Wow the Futon Shop has really put a lot of thought into sustainable commerce. So, it seems that although you are a successful; business owner in the 21st century, you still maintained your core hippie values ?

Suzanne: I will always be a hippie at heart. My values today are the same as they were in 1975, I still believe in peace and love and natural living. I just do not wear tie die shirts to work or read my employees tarot cards.

Joe: What's your business philosophy?
Suzanne: Be the change you want to see.

Joe: What exactly does that mean to you?
Suzanne: I want to see a world change from artificial and chemical dependency to natural and sustainable freedom. One dream at a time.

Joe: What's your goal as a business owner?
Suzanne: To support and educate my community, by offering a healthly alternative. I work hard to make the world and California a better place for us all. Peace Love and Futons

SAVE ON PATTERN COVERS

HURRY NOW- WITH A COUPON YOU CAN SAVE 25% OFF PATTERN COVERS!

Basic steps to create your perfect futon

Are futons confusing to you? Do you not know what to ask, or what to look for. Please check this out! It is very helpful
http://www.thefutonshop.com/build.aspx

sleeping with wool!

Wool - facts behind the fiber
Sheep and wool have been woven into the fabric of human civilization for more than 10,000 years beginning in Asia Minor, which is now basically the country of Turkey. The natural migrations of peoples, the spread of religions, and the conquests of armies – especially the Roman armies in Northern Africa, Spain and the British Isles, and the Spanish Conquistadors and Church in the New World of the Americas – spread sheep and the use of wools across large parts of the world. After all these millennium wool is still a major textile cornerstone for clothing, bedding, carpeting and household furnishings and bedding.
Some people feel that the reason for this enduring and endearing relationship is because wool is composed of the same protein that makes up the outer protective layer of your skin and wool works in total harmony with your body's own protection mechanisms. Wool has naturally developed a higher level of in-built UV protection than many other fibers. Wool also has natural recovery. Each fiber is resilient and springy, thanks to its complex internal structure, giving clothes a beautiful drape and greater crease resistance.
Wool is a uniquely natural fiber that has a number of benefits. So, why wool?
• Built-in climate control. Wool is a natural insulator to keep you warm in winter and naturally breathable to keep you cool in summer. Wool fiber helps to keep your body at the optimal temperature zone for comfort and rest. When used in blankets, synthetic fibers, down and even cotton fibers do not breathe as well as wool, and are more likely to trap heat in your bed. Wool buffers the extreme cold or hot air on the outside, keeping your body in that comfort zone.
• Naturally absorbent fiber. Wool fiber is the original wicking fiber. Its coil-like shape pulls excess heat and moisture from your skin while you sleep. Wool fabrics can absorb up to 30% of their weight without feeling heavy or damp. Cotton fabrics begin to feel damp after 15%. The absorbent fibers "breathe" by wicking away moisture from the body and releasing it into the air. This quality makes wool fabrics comfortable to wear in warm and cold weather.
• Natural mildew and mold resistance. Wool's natural resistance to mildews and molds comes from the way it repels moisture, and lets moisture pass through it's fibers without holding the moisture. Mildews and molds require moisture to live and grow.
• Perfect insulator. Wool is warm in winter and cool in the summer because of its hydrophilic ability to wick away excess moisture. In the winter, wool removes moisture from the skin to keep the wearer feeling warm and dry and wool’s insulating qualities trap dry air and warmth near the skin. This is unlike synthetic fleece, which is warm but does not breathe easily. Wool's natural insulating quality and its ability to shed water results in a fabric that keeps the body warm even when it's raining. In the summer, wool’s coil-like shape pulls excess heat and moisture from your skin helping the wearer stay cooler.
• Water repellent. Tiny overlapping scales encase the wool fiber like tiles on a roof. This allows wool to repel rain, snow and liquid spills with ease.
• Wool is durable. Laboratory tests have shown that wool fibers resist tearing and can bend back on themselves more than 20,000 times without breaking. Cotton breaks after 3,200 bends, silk fibers break after 1,800 bends, and rayon fibers break after just 75 bends. Wool clothing will last for years. Wool resists spills, dries very quickly and is mildew resistant.
• Naturally wrinkle resistant. Wool fabrics resist wrinkles. Wool is the most resilient fiber because it has a natural crimp that helps it keep its shape. Wool fibers can be stretched and still bounce back to their original shape.
• Fire retardant. Wool is safer to wear having natural fire-retardant properties. It can resist flame without the chemical treatment involved in fireproofing. Synthetic fleece is oil based, ignites easily, burns fiercely and melts. If your synthetic fleece is fire proofed, then you have the fire proofing chemicals next to your skin.
• Resists static, dirt and dust. Wool fabric doesn't collect much static because of its absorbent fibers. Static attracts lint, dirt, and dust. Wool fabrics also clean easily because dirt sits on the surface of the fiber. The outside surface of the wool fiber consists of a series of overlapping scales, similar to the feathers on a bird, making it easy to brush off and for stains to lift out.
• Wool is colorful. There are an amazing variety and number of breeds of sheep that come in a wide array of colors giving us a huge number of natural colors. In additional to natural color-grown fibers, the structure of wool fibers allow wool to easily accept dyes without the need for harsh and sometimes toxic chemicals to prepare the fiber for dyes. When wool fabrics are dyed, the dye reaches to the core of the fiber and bonds permanently. Almost any color and dye can be used.
• Naturally non-allergenic. Wool is almost entirely non-allergenic. Although some people do have a rare natural allergy to Lanolin, the oil found in wool, most people's allergy to wool is a reaction to the many harsh and toxic chemicals that go into the treatment, and finishing of conventional wool garments and bedding. Serious chemical abrasives are routinely used to wash raw wool for processing. Chlorine and mothproofing chemicals are routinely applied to conventional wool before turning it into a finished product.
• Renewable and Sustainable. Wool is a renewable resource that can be shorn from sheep annually. It is biodegradable and kinder to the environment than oil-based synthetics, which contribute to global pollution. Wool is sustainable. Wool from free-grazing sheep, treated ethically throughout their long lives, represents a traditional small-scale industry that once thrived in America. Today, many small organic farmers are returning to this sustainable industry to create clean and healthy wool that is produced without stress to the animals or the environment.
At the Polytechnic Institute in Wales, research conducted on the effect of various bedding materials during sleep indicated that wool's ability to wick moisture away keeps skin drier during sleep than any of the other fibers tested. This is significant because during sleep people can lose more than one pint of water per night through their skin and breath. Their research also indicated that sleepers in wool-filled comforters had lower heart rates suggesting a more restful state of sleep than sleepers using comforters filled with down feathers or synthetics.
All of this just substantiates what many have known and experienced for centuries: wool is a wonderful fiber. Unfortunately, just as with the purity of cotton, sheep growers and wool fabric manufacturers have fallen under the dark siren’s song of better, easier and more profitable living through chemistry. Try our fabulous wool futon made right here in our San Francisco plant.
Click here to learn more about American Wool we use at The Futon Shop

ORGANIC COTTON

The definition of organic agriculture (including cotton) is: “Organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation. National organic standards require that organic growers and handlers be certified by third-party state or private agencies or other organizations that are accredited by USDA.”
Though often misunderstood to refer only to insecticides, the term pesticide also applies to herbicides, fungicides, and various other substances used to control pests. Under United States law, a pesticide is also any substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant.
What is a fertilizer, and isn't it a pesticide? No, fertilizers are not the same as pesticides. "The USDA definition of pesticides is quite broad, but it does have some exclusions: Fertilizers, nutrients, and other substances used to promote plant survival and health are not considered plant growth regulators and thus are not pesticides."

A fertilizer is any substance that is added to soil in order to increase its productivity. Fertilizers can be of biological origin (eg composts), or they can be synthetic (artificial fertilizer). Fertilizers are substance that improves the ability of soil to produce crops, they are considered plant nutrients, substances that feed the plants.

Corrected facts on the growing of conventional cotton and it's comparison to organic cotton from previous post:

In total, all nine states applied 55,738 pounds of pesticides divided by the total 12,425 planted acreage equals 4.4859 pounds applied per acre of cotton. 4.4859 pounds equals 71.774 ounces applied per acre. For the documented year, the yield per acre was 831 pounds of cotton fiber per acre. 71.774 ounces divided into 831 pounds of cotton fiber per acre equals:0.08637 ounces of pesticides are used to grow a pound of cotton fiber in the US.

*Utilizing fertilizer data provided by the USDA, there are 2.7731 ounces of fertilizers used to grow a pound of cotton fiber. (144.03 pounds per acre x 16=2,304.48 ounces divided by the 831 pounds per acre yield =2.7731

This calculates to 2.8595 ounces of pesticides and fertilizers to grow a pound of cotton, far less than the 5 ounces per pound, that was the outdated previously reported statistic.

*Please note: It is not known what fraction of the fertilizers as reported by USDA are organic-approved versus organic-disallowed. Thus it is impossible to sum pesticides and fertilizers and get total synthetic chemicals applied. It is reasonable to expect that most of the USDA reported pesticides currently applied to cotton are synthetic chemicals.There are NOP approved fertilizers used on conventional cotton production. It is a known fact that NOT all fertilizers are synthetic chemicals since dairy, chicken and feedlot manure is commonly applied to cotton. Cotton fields respond well to manure and cotton tolerates the salts prevalent in cattle manure.

"Organic Cotton Fact Check" in perspective;

Most organizations in the organic cotton business, take a single purchase, seasonal or annual purchases to document the amount of savings in purchasing organic cotton vs. conventional cotton, a practice I strongly encourage as long as you are using correct facts.

As an example an organization that is using the outdated information is reporting for every 100,000 pounds of organic cotton purchased, they are saving 31,250 pounds of pesticides and fertilizers from the planet.

Using the above current USDA information that same 100,000 pounds of organic cotton purchased would be saving 8,637 ounces or 540 pounds of pesticides and 17, 312 pounds of fertilizers. A total of 17,852 pounds per 100,00 pounds of cotton fiber versus the previously reported 31,250, a difference of 13,398 pounds or 43% less than previously reported. Since we cannot distinguish synthetic from organic fertilizers in the USDA data, it is noted that this calculation is on the high end of the scale.

Facts:
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Environmental Marketing Guides.

“Your label claims CANNOT be deceptive.” “It is deceptive to misrepresent, directly or by implication, that a product, package or service offers a general environmental benefit.”

According to PAN-UK; "The figure of 1/3 pounds pesticides per pound of cotton is completely wrong. That would be the end of the world if so much pesticide was used in the world."

You should distinguish between pesticides and fertilizers in your marketing materials. Fertilizers make up 97% of the inputs to cotton, while pesticides are at 3%. Noted environmental and health impacts of fertilizers include but are not limited to: runoff into streams; possible contamination of water as well as eutrophication, and penetration to underground water tables again with possible contamination.

Therefore the previous usage of 1/3 pounds of pesticides in a t-shirt and or pound of cotton would be incorrect. The information noted by the resources in this four part series is considered correct as of this date.
.The futon shop uses over 85,000 lbs of organic cotton per year saving mother earth from 1000,s of lbs of harmful pesticides from polluting her earth and water systems! You can help buy organic.

For more information on organic cotton visit

Custom Fabric's

Choose any of our great removable, washable, durable, fabric's to make any custom cover's and pillow's. Also choose from any of our super comfortable ORGANIC interior designed futon's made in any size you can dream up for cushion's, pad's, and mattresses all at a GREAT price!. Create a new "wow factor" in your home today with the help of The Futon Shop. Check us out on-line and visit us today at any of our 11 Califrnia location's, open 7 day's a week. http://www.thefutonshop.com/index.aspx

NEW Modern Style

Sebu Laguna Leather-like Wall Hugging Convertible Chair

The Laguna Sebu Chair is the perfect compliment to our Laguna Sebu Sofa Bed, but makes a great piece of furniture all on its own as well. This handsome chair has all the sleek, modern features and simplicity of a Casual Convertible, but has been constructed to convert without necessitating any horizontal movement of the chair like our popular line of wall hugger futon sofa beds. Sumptuous leather like upholstery makes this Convertible Chair a feast for the eyes and easy to clean as well. Available with 9" broad arms for great arm rests, or 4" arms to save space. http://www.thefutonshop.com/subCat.aspx?CategoryID=594&SubCatID=597&catName=Chairs-%26-Ottomans

Modern comfort

The world's first and only WALL HUGGER Casual Convertibles... Exclusively from The Futon Shop!

The Lincoln Park could quite possibly be the future of modern sofa beds. This handsome couch has all the sleek, modern features and simplicity of a Casual Convertible, but has been constructed to convert without necessitating any horizontal movement of the sofa bed like our popular line of wall hugger futon sofa beds. The Lincoln Park also happens to be our most spacious sofa bed, converting into an enviable 53" by 79" Double Extra Long Bed. The ultimate in guest beds, with a length that can accommodate even the tallest of guests. Sumptuous leather like upholstery makes this Casual Convertible sleeper a feast for the eyes and easy to clean as well. Available with 9" broad arms for great arm rests or 4" arms to save space. http://www.thefutonshop.com/product.aspx?subcatID=656&productID=3379&pname=Lincoln-Park-Black-Leather-like-

Easy Futon Shopping....

At The Futon Shop it's easy to find the perfect organic futon set among the so many product's we offer! Check the new Suzy Futon video to help build a special futon set !http://www.thefutonshop.com/build.aspx

Platform Beds

Platform beds offer a low profile elegant touch to any bedroom. With matching case goods and free shipping anywhere in the United States. Tired of the same old look in your bedroom? Check out www.thefutonshop.com today to see our wide variety of bedroom suite collections.

New Modern Sofa Bed

The world's first and only WALL HUGGER Casual Convertible... Exclusively from The Futon Shop! The Laguna Sebu could quite possibly be the future of modern sofa beds. This handsome couch has all the sleek, modern features and simplicity of a Casual Convertible, but has been constructed to convert without necessitating any horizontal movement of the sofa bed like our popular line of wall hugger futon sofa beds.The Sebu Laguna also happens to be our most spacious sofa bed, converting into an enviable 53" by 79" Double Extra Long Bed. The ultimate in guest beds, with a length that can accommodate even the tallest of guests. Sumptuous leather like upholstery makes this Casual Convertible sleeper a feast for the eyes and easy to clean as well. Available with 4" broad arms for great arm rests, or 2" arms to save space http://www.thefutonshop.com/product.aspx?subcatID=656&productID=2260&pname=Sebu-Laguna-Leather-like-

Bunk with us...

The Futon Shop now has Amazing Bunk Bed's in all different size configuration's and many color's of stain to choose from. Twin on both top and bottom, twin on top & full sofa bed on bottom or even twin on top and flat full size bed on bottom. Another great feature is the trundle bed that slide's under the bottom bunk or you can have drawer's for extra storage under bottom bunk.

We also carry over 27 different organic interior futon mattresses that are beyond comfortable. To finish the look, we have a overwhelming amount of fabric to choose from that are durable,washable and of coarse replaceable when your ready for anew look! There's 11 California based location's to visit and experience our option's as well as our website to see everything we carry.http://www.thefutonshop.com/subCat.aspx?CategoryID=584&SubCatID=677&catName=Bunkbed-Futon-Frames

Queen Loveseats

Queen Love Seats are great for any space. The frame takes up 60-70 inches of wall space and folds out like a hide-a-bed into a standard queen size bed. Great for any office, bedroom, or living room. One of my personal favorite features on this frame is the chaise feature, like the picture shows you can sit down and kick your feet up and relax.

Plush Pillow's

The Futon Shop has a multitude of choice's of Organic durable removable washable custom fabric's and you can create any custom size cushion's, pillow's & cover's to turn any area in your home into a fresh, crisp new space with ease and at a GREAT price!!! Find the designer with in yourself and forget about over priced designer cost's. Check out our current 4th of JULY Super SALE all weekend long!!! Visit us at 1 of our 11 California location's!

The Futon Shop hand-makes all of our washable organic futon slip covers in San Francisco. We take the time and care to use overlock stitching to add strength and ensure your new slipcover, pillowcase or futon mattress cover provides years of carefree rough and tumble use even if you don’t have kids or sleep on them every day of the year.

Choose a Futon Cover or Pillow Fabric by Color The Futon Shop has one of the largest selections of futon sofa bed covers nationwide. Use the selection tool to narrow your search and find the futon cover fabric that is just right for you and your decor. http://www.thefutonshop.com/categoryMain.aspx?categoryID=599&catName=Futon-Covers

SUPER 4TH OF JULY SALE !!!

The Futon Shop, Home of The world's greenest futon's, is haveing a HUGE 4th of July SALE all weekend long! It's the perfect time to replace your old mattress. Save up to 50% off ALL of our Organic futon mattresses. Come see and feel the difference with our Organic design's! No chemical's and get maximim pressure relief! Find us at http://www.thefutonshop.com/ and come visit 1 of our 11 California location's. There's more here than just futon's. Frame's,(folding and platform style's) custom cover's and pillow's, lounger's, sofa converter's, accent's to make home, your home, such as rug's,ottoman's, & table set's. If you Need to create a relaxed movie room we have ton's of bean bag option's, room devider's, all on SALE NOW , with an offer of free shipping as well !

Organic Bedding...

The Futon Shop now offer's the BEST 100% Oragnic bedding at the BEST price! We have 100% Natural latex sleeping pillow's or choose natural organic bamboo covered pillow's.

Also Organic wool comforter's as well as Organic mattress pad's that are naturally hypoallergenic and regulate body temperature by ensuring the body gets to a comfortable sleeping temperature more quickly and stays there for longer. Exclusive quilting patterns eliminate the wool batting from shifting. Highly recommended for people with arthritis, rheumatism, and pains in the back for More Pressure Relief, & More Comfort. A supreme plush factor for the best rest. http://www.thefutonshop.com/subCat.aspx?CategoryID=681&SubCatID=687&catName=Organic-Bed-Pillows

Custom Futon Cover's and Pillow's

Any Fabric combo can be integrated into 1 futon cover, or pillow to create all kinds of designs. Find too many custom option's at a great price, check us out at http://www.thefutonshop.com/ and come in to experience your option's 7 day's a week at 11 California based location's.

Organic Custom Futon's Cover's & Pillow's

At The Futon Shop we have complete control of customizability for all of our organic futon mattresses, cover's and pillow's. If your needing a non-standard size mattress or looking for a specific interior for your futon mattress, we do it all ! Need special size designer pillow's or want a huge floor pillow, No problem! Become your own designer with us at http://www.thefutonshop.com/index.aspx an visit 1 of our 11 California based location's open 7 day's a week. Call 1 800 443 8866 for any question's.

Custom Cover's,& Pillow's

The Futon Shop has endless option's for luxurious pillow's and cushion's for all your custom size needs. From a plush bedroom set to the outdoor patio, we can design anything you can dream up, even if you need a designer's eye as a guide.

We have over 27 different organic interior design futon cushion's/mattresses, along with mile's of Beautiful fabric's (including organic fabric's) Together we can bring any creation to life and at a GREAT price. Most interior designer's are quick to over charge and with the futon shop, there's no designer cost! Check us out on line at thefutonshop.com or visit 1 of our 11 California based location's to experience the possibilities!http://www.thefutonshop.com/index.aspx

Eco- Friendly choices in life

The Futon Shop offers the largest selection of quality hardwood futon frames that convert to sofa beds and solid oak futon frames for you to enjoy. All these hardwood futon frames are certified for compliance by the ITTO under the guidelines for sustainable management of forest resources and use certifiable plantation farmed woods for sustainable use of our natural resources.