Fresh New Bedroom Décor Ideas - Platform Beds

Your bedroom décor is ready for a change. It has enjoyed the mattress and box spring combo for many years now but you’re looking for something different, new and fresh. Aren’t all beds the same though? You’d be surprised to know that there are many branches of sub-categories of beds that exist today that came about because of people like you and me that needed something more specific for our space than just a simple metal frame on the floor. In this article we’ll take a look at just one of these sub-categories of beds referred to as the platform bed.

Platform bed designs have actually been around for some time. The platform bed is defined as a bed that has its own platform foundation built into it for use with only a mattress. These beds typically offer a lower profile than other beds and often have space beneath the bed that allows for the use of drawers or drawer systems or other unique features not available with conventional beds. Which now leads us into the foundation for platform beds.

The foundation of these beds can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The most common is called the slat roll or slat system. These are a series of wood slats that are strapped or banded together with a polypropylene material that allows for proper spacing. The rails of the platform bed will have a ledge or shelf built into them that the slats rest on. Another form of foundation would be solid panels. These also rest on a ledge but provide the advantage of a solid surface without gaps for mattress manufacturers who require their mattress be on a solid surface.

Platform beds are available in a wide variety of designs and styles. Many are available in solid wood construction. Domestic platform beds that are made in the United States will be made from common woods such as oak, maple, ash, cherry and hickory just to name a few. Typically most import beds you’ll find are made from rubber wood which is close in characteristics to maple in its tensile strength and durability. Rubber wood may sound like its rubbery but the sap that comes from this tree is used in many products such as rubber and latex.

You’ll also find these beds made from metal. Metal platform beds can be made in traditional, transitional and modern bed designs. With metal you can create anything from intricate ornate styled headboards to smoother designs. Metal can also be finished in a wider variety of finish styles and colors. These beds will usually use a steel cross bar system as the foundation and some styles may make use of masonite panels over the top of the cross bars to create a solid foundation.

Since there is no box spring unit used with these beds, the platform that the mattress rests on is made higher. This means that there is ample space beneath the bed to incorporate other design elements into the bed. These may be anything from integrated under bed storage systems to bed lift systems that reveal storage. Manufacturers can get pretty creative when given additional room to work with and platform bed frames offer an interesting canvas to create new ideas in bed design.

In this article we’ve examined a sub-category of beds referred to as platform beds. Platform bed frames are defined as being made to accommodate just a mattress and have their own foundation built in. They’re available in a variety of woods as well as metal with a wide selection of stains of finishes. Whether you need traditional or contemporary platform bed frames come in almost every flavor. So if your bedroom is ready for a fresh start, consider adding a platform bed into your room’s look for a new and different take on a good nights sleep.