I mentioned in my last post having moved home recently without a bed (rookie mistake!), so while it was imperative I sort out a good mattress to sleep on, it was also just as important to source the bed base pretty sharpish too..
Turning to Pinterest for inspiration, I spent some time scrolling back through the imagery I’d been pinning to my ‘sleep’ board over the past few years and one thing became apparent pretty quickly: I’m drawn to soft relaxed bedlinen styling and beds sans headboard.
Which when you’re trying to buy a bed in the UK, is actually really difficult to find. There’s something about British sensibility that seems to demand a bed have a headboard – usually ornate, upholstered and statement-y; in short, everything I didn’t want.
Sure, there are some nice beds with simple wooden headboards out there, but even these didn’t appeal to me as much as the simplicity of a Scandinavian / Japanese style platform model without adornment.
So, given how difficult it was for me to find a few different designs to choose between, I thought I’d share the ones I did find here for anyone else having the same kinds of trouble sourcing one themselves. I’ll be sharing which design I opted for once I’ve finished styling up my new bedroom – stay tuned!
Island bed, Warren Evans
The Island bed by Warren Evans is skilfully handmade to order in their London workshop, using traditional carpentry methods, including mortise and tenon joints to ensure the bed is solid, comfortable and will stand the test of time. Made using the finest fsc certified wood, it is available in 9 wood finishes to suit any bedroom décor, and its space-saving footprint makes it perfect for small rooms or those with low ceilings.
The only catch? They only deliver in London and the South East!
Morey Platform, Urban Outfitters
The Morey Platform Bed by UO Home is made from durable mango wood for a modern take on rustic style. Unlike a lot of platform beds it seems to offer ample storage space underneath, being a little higher than standard platforms and therefore allowing greater depth storage boxes to slide underneath unimpeded.
Frustratingly, since discovering the bed on Pinterest it seems to no longer be available via the UK site (sorry!), but I’ve included it here as its such a nice design and hopefully it’ll become available in the UK again soon!
In the meantime, international readers can still find it available on the US website.
Mirage, The Futon Company
The Mirage bed from The Futon Company is inspired by a floating platform, combining a low level minimalist design with a robust frame to create a feeling of space and calm.
It has a very Japanese zen-like feel to it, while also being entirely practical for small space living: under bed storage drawers are available to help you maximise the space underneath the bed, which are hugely useful given most standard underbed storage boxes would be too high to slot beneath the frame.
Kyoto, Natural Bed Company
Another obviously Japanese inspired bed frame is the Kyoto by Natural Bed Company. Their most popular low, Japanese style bed is perfect for creating a minimal zen aesthetic in the bedroom, and is just a touch higher than a traditional low wooden bed to allow under bed drawers to slide under.
As this bed is made-to-order, if you’re someone who does like a headboard then you can opt to have one with this model. There are 11 different wood stain options, from white-washed pine to ash or walnut, and a variety of different sizes to fit even the smallest room.
Oak Storage Bed, Muji
The Muji Oak Storage Bed is a design I’ve come back to time and time again – I very nearly bought this when I moved into my old flat 6 years ago. It has an immense amount of clever storage space underneath and there is even the option to add on a bookshelf footer to further maximise this clever bed’s storage potential.
The only reason I’ve not immediately snapped this bed up is because I’m such a fan of the floating zen-like platform bed designs I’ve featured above, and despite being an amazingly practical design it doesn’t give the same feel of airy-ness in a space. That and I’m not hard-pressed for space in the rest of the bedroom, so storage extension is not my priority just now..
8 Responses
Ooh choices!! I love the UO one the best, can’t wait to see what you go for
OOOO ok I love the simplicity of these beds! AND the one with storage, great design!
They all look great Kate. You might – in years to come – be glad if you went for the one with storage. Just sayin’ x
Ahh I really like the UO one as well – there’s something about it that just looks so nicely balanced. But I can totally understand wanting the practicalities of extra storage. Looking forward to seeing what you choose ;) (For me, I like a big showy upholstered number to lie back on but that’s just me – ha!) xxx
Lovely choices, Kate. We went for the Ikea platform bed four our loft bedroom, but it’s got drawers underneath. Once we put the duvet and throw on you barely see them anyway. Check out the Zulda Solid Oak Bed at La Redoute and the Sixties bed at Maisons Du Monde too. Good luck with your bed search!
I love the airy, minimal look of these, I’m looking for a bed at the moment with a headboard! After years without I’d quite like something comfy to lean back on. xx
These all look great and my favourite is the muji oak storage bed as those drawers would be so handy! I don’t think I could do a bed without a headboard though. The one I currently have is wooden and really short and I want to get a new bed with a much bigger, cosier headboard. Hope you find your perfect bed!
They all look so fab Kate! This is so exciting! Love decorating a new place! A x