Platform beds come in a great range of styles to suit just about anyone's
taste. Whether you prefer a slick contemporary bed complete with curves
and colors or an exotic Asian
platform bed with an organic flavor there is a platform bed out
there for just about anyone. But while you're sifting through style
after style take a moment to decide how you want your platform bed
to function. Like style, the function of a platform bed can vary greatly
from model to model so make sure you consider a few of the functional
aspects before you take the platform bed plunge.
Many contemporary platform beds are made of veneer instead of hard
wood. Veneer gives the designer virtually limitless opportunity to
mix textures and colors but if not constructed properly will not last
as long as solid wood platform beds. One way to make sure that a contemporary
platform bed made of veneer will still be around a decade from now
is to purchase a reputable brand that offers a good warranty. If a
bed manufacturer has the confidence to put a 5 year warranty on its
products you can rest assured that it is built to last.
I also recommend you consider the height of the platform bed frame
your interested in before purchasing as platform beds can vary in
height. Though by definition platform beds are low to the ground some
are significantly lower than others. Some Japanese style tatami platform
beds can be as low as 6 inches off the ground! When purchasing a bed
this low it is important to consider the height of your bedside tables
and whether your body is comfortable getting in and out of a bed of
that low altitude. Extremely low platform bed frames are certainly
not for everyone.
What about storage? Many new platform beds offer creative storage
opportunities ranging from built in drawers to beds with hydraulic
lifts to access the space under the mattress. Storage
platform beds that utilize hydraulics can be lifted from the foot
of the bed almost like the hood of a car to provide access to a great
deal of hidden storage space. Beds with hydraulic lifts are more common
on contemporary platform bed designs although many clever traditional
style and Asian style platform bed frames are incorporate hydraulics
for convenience too. Obviously having storage underneath your bed
is a great space saver for small bedrooms as well as apartment and
condo living.
You will also want to consider which size patform bed to choose.
As a general rule of thumb platform beds help rooms feel bigger so
you may be able to squeeze a king
size platform bed into a room without it looking cramped.
Eureka there's lights! While built in lights to platform bed frames
look stunning to some, others may find them tacky. Personally I feel
tastefully added lighting can make for a rather exciting look that
can turn a dull bedroom into a disco. Lighting can be subtly hidden
underneath the frame or built in to the headboard. Whether or not
a light up platform bed works for you it's hard not to look at them
without at least a little intrigue.
And most importantly make sure that your contemporary
platform bed will work with your memory foam mattress. Beds that
have slates can void memory foam mattress warranties if not used properly.
If you purchase a platform bed with slats you can still use your memory
foam mattress as long as you lay down something solid that can create
a platform on top of the slats, your memory foam mattress warranty
will still be valid. Probably the best and easiest way to accomplish
this is to go to home depot and puchase either one or two thin sheets
of plywood and have the precut into the correct size of your bed.
Then have the boards cut into halfs and quaters so it fits in your
car or Suv. Home depot will cut the boards for free or for a nominal
charge per cut. Its an easy way to use a platform bed with slats and
a memory foam mattress together!
So whatever style platform
bed frame you choose, make sure you consider these and the many
other great features that modern platform beds offer. When choosing
the perfect platform bed frame you should expect both function and
style from your purchase.
