Choosing the perfect bed - functional, ergonomic and stylish

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The most important piece of furniture in the bedroom is the bed. The bed is at the same time the brightest, most functional and variable item. The style and design of the room, good sleep and even the health of those who will sleep on this bed depend on which bed to choose for the bedroom. The utilitarian nature of cabinets, cabinets and chests of drawers limits the possibility of variety in their shapes and designs. The bed has almost unlimited possibilities for changing its shape, design, material, and choosing decorative finishes.

Classification

Functionally, beds are divided into single, one-and-a-half and double (king). In Russia, single beds have a width of 90-120 cm, one-and-a-half beds - 140-160 cm, double beds - 180-200 cm. The length of standard beds varies from 190 to 210 cm (however, beds with a length of 200-205 cm are almost universally found in stores).

The classification of imported beds is slightly different from domestic ones, so when choosing, you should pay attention to the sizes.

Single beds are convenient for placement in children's rooms, guest rooms, and rooms of elderly single people. Single and double beds are intended for adult bedrooms.

DIY loft style made from pallets

For some types of interior, such as loft, industrial, art-believe, ecological, cribs made from Euro pallets are ideal. The number of pallets is selected based on the size, configuration, and height of the desired structure.

To work you need:

• pallets made of any wood;
• a simple pencil;
• tape measure or ruler;
• jigsaw or hacksaw;
• sandpaper or sanding machine;
• hammer;
• screwdriver or drill;
• screws or nails;
• tassels;
• paints or varnish;
• mattress of the right size.

There is a huge scope for creativity, many different options:

• with an original headboard - take boards from pallets of different colors, knock them together in any order, the middle is decorated with a picture, a series of photos;
• on the “rise” - a kind of podium is made from six to twelve pallets, a mattress is placed in the middle, and the bottom is decorated with decorative lighting;
• mobile bed - furniture wheels are attached to the bottom: for a single bed there are four pieces, for a double bed - six or more;
• retractable design - under the main frame there are one or two more sleeping places, which can be pulled out if necessary;
• high crib - has a height of more than half a meter, under it there are drawers, baskets with things, toys, books;
• hanging in the air - the base stands on legs located closer to the middle of the structure, they are practically invisible. The frame is decorated with an LED strip along the bottom to create a “floating” effect;
• wardrobe-bed - four to six pallets are placed on top of each other, fastened together. Narrow niches and shelves are formed under the bottom, used as storage places;
• bed-house - a children's bed, usually two-tier, usually closed on three sides, equipped with a ladder with places to store toys and things.

Euro pallets are used as a whole, if necessary, they are sawn into two parts or completely disassembled into individual components.

When making furniture from pallets, it is important to carefully sand all open areas; it is advisable to coat the wood with antiseptics, varnish, and paints. Pallets are selected intact, durable, and of high quality.

Design

Traditionally, beds are made on four, less often on more legs (supports). A frame is mounted on supports, surrounded on all sides by a frame. The frame consists of the back and side panels of the bed; it is its design that determines the style of the bed. The frame can be made of wood, metal (profile pipes) or MDF and chipboard.

Frames are made of boards, slabs or metal pipes. A base for the mattress is attached (or welded) to the frame - a chipboard or MDF board, boards, lamellas (thin, strong curved slats) made of wood or steel.

There are beds of a more complex design: with a cabinet at the head, with shelves on the side replacing bedside tables, with a changing angle of the head, with posts and a “roof”, with a frame for hanging a canopy, in the shape of a heart, round and oval, with carvings, inlays and “quilted” backs.

Storage space

Beds with built-in drawers for storing bedding and rarely used items are very popular. Options: drawers or a lift mechanism that lifts the mattress and provides access to a large drawer. It is more convenient to use side drawers, which is why beds with drawers are purchased more often.

Storage system

The bed occupies a fairly large area, and under it there is a space comparable in volume to a large closet. It would be foolish not to use it to store bedding and other things.

In some designs, drawers are installed at the bottom, but in order to open them, there must be enough free space on the sides. In a small home this is impossible.

Therefore, another method was invented: furniture with a lifting mechanism. The mechanism may be different.

1. Manual - does not involve the use of any shock absorbers, and all lifting efforts fall on the person. This method is only suitable for strong men, but it will be difficult for women and older people to cope.
2. Spring - to facilitate lifting, metal twisted springs are installed. The service life is 20 thousand lifting and lowering, after which the springs will have to be replaced.
3. Gas lift is the most expensive, but also the most convenient type. The lifting is carried out thanks to a special cylinder containing gas under high pressure. The greater the pressure, the heavier the base the mechanism can lift. The movement occurs smoothly and does not require any effort. And the durability of such a part is higher - at least 70 thousand cycles.

Bed materials

Materials for frames: wood, steel, MDF and chipboard coated with plastic, polyvinyl chloride or veneer.

Wooden and veneered frames are varnished, and sometimes the varnished coating is polished. Wood beds have the maximum number of design and decoration options; they are suitable for interiors of almost any style (except high-tech).

Metal and natural wood are environmentally friendly materials; they do not emit harmful substances during their entire service life.

Metal is a strong and durable material. Disadvantages: susceptibility to corrosion and limited design options. Basically, modern metal beds are made from round and profile pipes (rectangular and square). The metal is painted and the paint is dried at a high temperature - a shiny, very durable coating is obtained, or it is coated with powder paint, which forms a decorative coating with small convex “bumps”.

MDF and chipboard boards are made from sawdust using special binders and emit a small amount of harmful substances, so when purchasing, you must require a certificate: it guarantees that the coating of the board reliably screens the emission of formaldehyde and its concentration in the room will be within acceptable limits. The top of the slabs is covered with special films.

What is a bed?

A bed is a piece of furniture, usually made of wood or metal and shaped like a rectangle or square. A mattress is installed on the bed frame, matching the shape and size of the bed, and other bedding is also placed.

Origin of the word "bed"

The word bed comes from the ancient Greek κράββατος or the modern Greek κρεββάτι. In the native language, this word means “bed” or “bed.” In addition, as the Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language notes, the word grabion, meaning hornbeam, has the same root. Thus, it may have originally been a hornbeam bed.

This word came into the Russian language from Greek, obviously due to the close ties between the Russian and Greek Orthodox churches. Perhaps this is due to the Septuagint - the Old Testament of the Bible translated into Greek, carried out in the 2nd-3rd centuries BC. This translation is also known as the translation of the seventy interpreters or the seventy elders. It was from the Septuagint that the word could pass into the Russian language.

It’s hard not to notice that the word “bed” in Russian has a common root with the word “krov”. This may be due to the fact that until recently, houses had a fairly small area and the bed or sleeping area occupied a significant part of them, and were often only slightly smaller than the entire room.

Purpose of the bed

It would seem that the only and most obvious purpose of a bed is to be a place to sleep. A modern person living in a civilized country often sees nothing else in bed. However, the purpose of the bed is much broader. Initially, beds were intended to protect against crawling insects, arthropods, snakes, mice and other living creatures. Structurally, the bed is almost universally a wooden bed on legs. Even in societies that preserve a primitive way of life, lodges often have this form. However, if for us in Russia the threat of being bitten by snakes or scorpions is completely absent, then in countries with a tropical climate this probability is quite high. Even in cities you can encounter snakes or poisonous spiders. That is why many tribes make their beds either high in trees or on high poles instead of legs.

The likelihood of a dangerous animal approaching a person while sleeping is much lower if he is sleeping on a bed than when he is sleeping on the floor or ground.

In addition, in northern latitudes, sleeping on a bed has another advantage. Cold air, having a high density, accumulates in the lower part of the room. Naturally, the higher a person is, the warmer he is. Also, in the lower part of the room, air movement is much more active than at a distance from the floor. Using a bed can reduce the risk of colds.

Bed types

The bed, which was quite primitive in ancient times, has gradually evolved. Today, there are many types of beds that differ in shape, functionality and type of materials used.

The product that most closely resembles the ancient prototype is an ordinary bed with a frame made of wood or metal

, used to install a mattress on it.

Sofa bed

- This is an element of furniture that is intended both for sleeping and for sitting. The sofa is equipped with a special mechanism that allows you to unfold and fold it, locking it in the folded state. As a rule, under the sofa there is a special box for storing bedding.

Chair-bed

is a piece of furniture that, when folded, can be used as an armchair, and when unfolded, can be used as a single bed. As in the case of a sofa bed, such a chair can significantly save space in small apartments or organize a guest sleeping place with minimal use of the apartment’s usable area.

Bunk bed

- another way to optimize the space of the apartment. This design consists of two beds placed one above the other. Today they are used either for organizing temporary residence of a large number of people in common rooms (barracks, living quarters for shift workers, etc.), or for arranging children's rooms.

Cot

– lightweight folding bed. Usually used as a guest bed or for sleeping for a short time, for example, in the country. Today there are quite a few types of folding beds, some of them can even be equipped with orthopedic mattresses.

Hammock

- one of the most ancient types of beds. It was originally made from intertwined vines secured between two trees. Today, hammocks are made from durable natural, synthetic or combined ropes. Hammocks are very comfortable, but you can only sleep on them while lying on your back.

Ottoman

– a wide bed with no more than one backrest. The ottoman is hard, so to rest on it you need to lay a soft mattress or blanket. It is used primarily for daytime recreation and is widespread in Asian countries.

Topchan

– a single bed intended for relaxation. Most often they are installed on beaches, near pools or on lawns. They are made of plastic or wood and have a rising head. It can have either a fabric, wooden or plastic bed. In the last two cases, special mattresses made of foam rubber or some other materials are placed on them.

Bunks

- plank flooring intended for sleeping. This is one of the most primitive types of beds, which can only be used in conjunction with mattresses. One long edge of the bunk is attached to the wall at a height of several tens of centimeters from the floor. In Russia, bunks are used primarily in places of detention.

Inclined bed

. This type of bed has a medical purpose and is intended for the treatment of people suffering from severe snoring. Such people constantly wake up while snoring. In fact, they hardly sleep deeply. Therefore, in the morning they feel tired and sleep-deprived. An inclined bed can reduce snoring or eliminate it completely, allowing people to lead a fulfilling lifestyle. In addition, snoring often keeps the entire family, and in some cases even housemates, awake.

Bed for certain types of patients

. A distinctive feature of such a bed is the presence of a mechanism that allows you to lower and raise the bed, as well as separately tilt the part of the bed located under the patient’s head and back or under his feet. This makes it possible to establish high-quality bedside care for postoperative patients and some other patients.

Raising bed

can rise to a vertical position. Great for small spaces. Its properties are no different from ordinary beds and provide a high level of comfort.

The headboards of modern beds are often carved or otherwise decorated.

Bed sizes

Common bed sizes in Europe are 0.9 x 2m for a single bed, 1.4 x 2m for a double, 1.6 x 2m for a king and 1.8 x 2 for a super king. It should be remembered that 0.9 m is the minimum permissible bed width per person.

SON.ru will help you with your choice

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Mattresses

The quality of sleep largely depends on the quality of the mattress. To sleep, you need a flat surface with an elastic, but not too hard mattress, without protruding springs or dips. Medical superstitions about the benefits of a flat, hard surface are a thing of the past. A flat surface is provided by a frame with a plate or lamellas, on which the entire surface of the mattress rests. If in a store you come across a bed with a mesh, even a super strong and rigid one, you should not buy such an anachronism.

There are many options for modern spring mattresses. The difference in quality is very noticeable, the difference in price can be simply colossal.

Mattresses come in spring and springless types.

A springless mattress consists of several layers of elastic, usually foam material (latex, foam rubber). They are covered with a common cover. This type of mattress is silent, but less durable than a spring one.

Spring mattresses are divided into two types: with independent and dependent spring blocks. If the spring blocks are dependent, then they are interconnected and attached to the mattress frame. Independent spring blocks are packaged in separate material covers.

The top layer of the mattress directly affects the comfort of sleep. To fill this layer use:

• felt;
• foam latex;
• coconut fiber;
• polyurethane foam (foam rubber);
• holofiber (polyester).

Biolux mattress

Orthopedic mattresses

An orthopedic mattress bends in such a way that the person’s spine remains straight (when lying on its side). Sleeping on such a mattress allows your back muscles to completely relax. Orthopedic mattresses are used with independent spring blocks or with two layers of springs: the bottom layer is dependent spring blocks, the top layer is independent.

Accessories

Almost all modern beds consist of a frame and individual components, which include the following parts:

• Legs.
• Lamels.
• Backrests.
• Block of lamellas.
• Mattress.

Accessories can be purchased separately

If you cannot find a bed on sale that fully meets your requirements, you can order a frame or even make it yourself and purchase components from different manufacturers. In this case, the furniture will meet all your wishes.

Bedroom sizes matter

Before you go to the store, you need to choose a place for the bed in the bedroom and decide on its size. Traditionally, the bed is installed with the head of the bed facing the wall and perpendicular to the wall. But in small and narrow bedrooms, with this installation, the bed can block the room and block the passage to the window and the far side of the bed. In this case, willy-nilly, you have to choose a narrow one-and-a-half bed and install it sideways to the wall. In wider, but not too large bedrooms in most nine-story and Stalin buildings, a bed measuring 2 x 2 or 2 x 1.8 m would also be inappropriate: it will visually occupy most of the room. “Royal” beds are appropriate in spacious bedrooms of modern houses and private cottages.

Henri's bedroom

How to choose

The following recommendations will certainly help you make the right choice:

• It is not necessary to buy a bed from a well-known manufacturer, but always check the certificate indicating the quality and safety of the product.
• Inspect the structure from the inside. Poor quality assembly can be seen with the naked eye.

The mattress must be suitable for the person's weight

• Choose a mattress based on weight. As a rule, the manufacturer indicates on the mattress the weight for which it is designed. If a bed is purchased for spouses whose weight difference exceeds 30-40 kg, it is necessary to purchase a mattress with variable hardness. You can learn more about this from other articles on our portal.

To make the bed fit perfectly into the interior of the room, you can order a 3D model of the bedroom and experiment with different furniture options. As a result, you will know in advance how the design of the room will look.

Interior style and bed design

Decorating a bedroom in expensive antique styles - classic, empire, rococo, baroque - definitely requires choosing a wooden bed with carvings and expensive decor. It is appropriate to use original models - round, oval, heart-shaped.

It is much easier to choose a bed for loft and hi-tech: you should definitely choose a metal bed. A black bed will look great in a loft style; for high-tech, the shine of a nickel-plated surface is more appropriate.

For rustic styles (rustic, country, Provence), both metal and wooden beds are suitable. For Scandinavian style, it is better to choose a white metal bed.

Modern style and minimalism look better with a metal bed, but a laconic wooden one will also do.

Color

Beds made of any material have many color and shade options. The colors of the wood (or its imitation) must match the color of the cabinet furniture. The colors of metal beds will in any case be different from the colors of cabinets. The main thing is that the metal bed fits into the overall scheme of the interior: in a country-style room or with light wooden furniture, a white bed is suitable, brown or cherry will fit into almost any interior, gray metallic or nickel - in a high-tech bedroom.

Izotta's bedroom

Additional details

Some beds are equipped with interesting additions.

1. Backlighting not only performs a decorative function, but is also used instead of a lamp in the room.
2. A canopy is a curtain that covers the bed from above, creating comfort and a feeling of privacy and peace. Sometimes it also has practical benefits: it protects against flies and mosquitoes or provides shelter from the bright rays of the sun. This addition also has a disadvantage: the canopy collects dust and will have to be removed and washed often.
3. A protective edge is needed for furniture on which a small child sleeps, so that the baby does not roll off to the floor in his sleep.
4. Mirror inserts will help create a feeling of floating even next to a massive bed and visually expand the room.

Quality and material

The most durable are high-quality wooden beds. If treated with care, massive structures of the past last for a hundred years or more. Modern products are less massive and last less, however, you can count on 3-4-5 decades. This largely depends on the quality and whether slats or boards were used to construct the base for the mattress.

Three or four decades can be expected when purchasing a steel structure. But the coating may not survive so many years. MDF beds can also live up to their thirtieth birthday. The most short-lived ones are beds made of chipboard. But they are also the most inexpensive, especially when compared to good quality wooden beds.

In any case, after thirty years, furniture simply gets boring, loses its novelty, gets scratched, becomes morally and aesthetically outdated, and has to be updated.

The durability of beds depends to a large extent on the weight of the people who will sleep on them. Mattresses rarely last more than 20 years.

But don’t get hung up on buying super expensive branded products. In each region there are many manufacturers producing beds of good quality. You just need to carefully study the reviews on the Internet.

Manufacturers

Choosing a bed is a responsible undertaking, and you should trust your comfort only to well-known companies. Unverified brands may use low-quality materials in production and not follow technology. Why do you need such problems?

It’s worth overpaying a little, but you can sleep peacefully by trusting a worthy company with positive reviews.

This rating presents the five best brands whose products are distinguished by high quality and thoughtful design:

1. Ascona.
2. Ormatek.
3. Hoff.
4. Perrino.
5. Wrighton.

Of course, the list of good companies is not limited to these brands. In any case, before you settle on any manufacturer, read reviews about it and ask your friends.

You can choose a bed online. Modern stores offer clear photos, video reviews, and detailed information about each product. Be sure to check out the beds in these selections:

1. Double beds.
2. Single.
3. Bunk for adults.
4. Ottomans.

Watch the video about choosing a bed.