Natural Sleep and Home is a Mattress Oasis
Richard “Chip” and Diane Murison have spearheaded the opening of the new store in Atlanta for the owner, Steve Epson, who is also the proprietor of Sleepworld, a similar store with two locations in Asheville, North Carolina. Chip says, “In 2007, when [the federal government] came out with new laws regarding fire retardants, we saw a need to bring in mattresses that are safer and to educate the public about alternatives to conventional mattresses that are laden with toxic chemicals.”
Chip states, “We were doing well with the new natural and organic products that we introduced to Ashville and getting a lot of calls from Atlanta. We thought it would be worthwhile to expand, because basically, there’s nobody else doing it in Atlanta. We’re unique.”
Then came the matter of where to put the new store. “We were looking for a place in the Buckhead area because it’s a central location,” says Chip. “We found a beautifully preserved, 1,800-square-foot Victorian house that fit our concept really well. We’re able to display about 20 mattresses, including crib mattresses, on the floor.”
The atmosphere is very relaxing and homey, which emphasizes Natural Sleep and Home’s natural, organic concept. With candles (which they also sell) burning and gentle music playing, the ambiance resembles a relaxing spa. Customers might just be tempted to climb into one of the inviting beds, and that is just what Natural Sleep wants.
“We encourage people to lie down on our beds and spend as much time as they need,” says Chip. “The environment here is very conducive to that. We’ve had people come in for hours and even take a nap on our mattresses. It’s a very relaxing process that people seem to enjoy.”
Don’t expect any high-pressure sales tactics. Chip explains, “We consider ourselves to be sleep consultants, so we ask a lot of questions. Before we even start showing mattresses, we want to find out some information about our customers. It is an intimate process. We want to know about back problems, allergies, chemical sensitivity and a host of other concerns. We try to find what they’re about, and then match them up with the perfect mattress.” It’s an approach that works. “It’s really quite simple, but it takes time, so it’s not a sale process that a lot of companies use.” There are different price ranges from $999 to $13,000.
Natural Sleep and Home offers all-natural latex mattresses, and even organic latex. Chip states, “All of our companies are North American-based. One advantage of latex is its antimicrobial properties. Real latex comes from a rubber tree, which has evolved a natural pesticide that prevents anything from growing in it.” Even dust mites, the bugaboo of conventional mattresses, cannot live there. As Chip says, “It’s completely free of all the things that other mattresses would tend to get in them. Natural latex is also very cool to sleep on.”
Additionally, they also offer eco-friendly plant based memory foam, which sleeps cooler than conventional memory foam, and “green” recycled natural innerspring mattresses. “Our eco-friendly memory foam does not “off-gas” at all.” says Chip. “This is a great alternative for people with chemical sensitivity or allergies who may get headaches or see allergies begin to surface.”
All of the mattresses at Natural Sleep and Home have zero emissions, or off-gassing. The organic mattresses use pesticide-free organic cotton. Regular commercial cotton crops receive about 40 percent of all the pesticides used in agriculture. Chip explains, “My wife and I are very interested in sustainability, and we live our own lives that way. We’re recycling fanatics. My wife is chemically sensitive and we have an organic bed. Our whole house is based on green, sustainable concepts.”
Location: 3129 Piedmont Rd. NE, Atlanta, with ample parking. For more information, call 404-788-3282 or visit NaturalSleepAndHome.com.
