Platform Storage Bed

For anyone looking for a clean and simple way to add space and convenience in the bedroom, it makes great sense to check out a platform storage bed. A platform storage bed has several advantages a traditional bed. As a way to create more storage space, platform beds are quickly becoming a popular choice for folks who need to maximize the amount space available. Many platform storage bed designs completely eliminate the need for a foundation or a box spring.

For most of us regular folks, creating extra storage needs to be far less expensive than buying a bigger house. Closets, closets and still more closets and there never seems to be enough storage space. Attics and basements are a practical place to store infrequently used items but are not very convenient. For years, people have taken advantage of the one spot in the house that can provide some extra storage space under the bed. Platform storage beds take advantage of space that would otherwise go unused.

Most folks are familiar with the traditional bed that consists of a mattress, a box spring or foundation, headboard, footboard and side rails. Simple metal bed frames are also popular and inexpensive. The problem is that there is precious little space under the bed. A bed of some sort has become standard equipment for daily living. Ranging in size from a cot to a king, beds can take up quite bit of floor space. Creating usable space under the bed has proved to be a practical way to provide more storage space.

Platform storage beds are not a new idea. From sailors at sea to astronauts in space, the need to conserve or create space can be critical. Designers of ships large and small have understood this critical need for centuries, adopting some relatively practical solutions that can be very simple in design and construction. By simply raising the mattress up a few inches can create many more cubic feet of space than one might imagine.

The term captains bed has come to represent what has long been a fixture in the maritime world. Often referred to as a chest bed or a cabin bed, the principle was simplicity at its finest. Built with drawers or small cabinets under the bed, the space of small ships quarters could be efficiently increased without sacrificing what little floor space there was. Today platform storage beds are direct descendants of beds designed centuries ago. For the same reasons that helped bring about the captains bed, platform storage beds are practical and stylish.

There are many different styles of platform storage bed. Drawers, small cabinet spaces or just more room under the bed can make a big difference. A simple platform be may consist of nothing more than a raised frame. The mattress may be supported by a series of slats or a solid platform. The area underneath the bed can accommodate simple storage boxes or any number of things. There are also cultural reasons for why platform storage beds are popular the world over. Historically, the humble bed may have been nothing more than a cloth bag stuffed with rags, feather down or other material.

The Japanese have wrestled with a lack of physical space and natural resources. Out of cultural necessity, the Japanese have learned to economize and maximize space in the home. In many traditional Japanese homes, furniture often serves a dual purpose. A good example of this is the futon. A futon mattress will be laid out flat for sleeping and then rolled up during the day, often providing a place to sit. This is the same principle behind what we think of as a daybed. The modern daybed is a perfect example of a platform storage bed. Many daybed owners use the space under the daybed to store another bed. Trundle beds are designed to slide conveniently under the daybed, providing additional sleeping space without taking up additional room when not in use.

Many bed retailers offer platform storage bed frames that are easy to assemble and relatively inexpensive. In order to provide enough under the bed storage space, the bottom of the bed frame needs to be raised. Simply raising the bed frame can be problematic since the mattress may sit up higher than is practical. The combination of the added height, the foundation or box spring and the mattress can be little too high for most folks. Seriously, there are some captains and platform beds that are enough to require the use of a set of bed steps or even a small ladder.

Many styles of platform storage bed frames solve this problem in a fairly simple and straightforward way. The solution is to eliminate the need for a foundation or box spring. Many platform storage bed designs allow the user to place the mattress directly on the bed frame. The support system that replaces the foundation can range from slats to a solid platform. Eliminating the need for a foundation or box spring can lower the total height of the bed by about 8 to 9 inches. There is an ongoing debate as to whether the usable life of a mattress is affected by not using a box spring. Since many mattress manufacturers now offer a box type foundation instead of a traditional box spring, the debate may eventually end.

The principle of using springs to support a mattress goes back to the days before the innerspring mattress. Prior to the introduction of the innerspring mattress, the mattress would be supported by a separate spring assembly that was part of the bed frame. Todays modern Euro top and pillow top mattresses are much thicker than a traditional innerspring mattress and do not require the use of a box spring.

Whether your storage needs include drawers or just a little extra space to store items under the bed, a platform storage bed could be solution.