How To Choose A Bed Frame

The style of your bedroom depends on the style of your bed. After all, your bed is the biggest piece of furniture in the room. It sets the character and tone of your bedroom in the same way a sofa does in the living room.

However, choosing a bed frame can be a minefield. While they all do the same job, there are many different types available, from ottomans and divans to poster frames. The good news is we’re here to bring clarity to your shopping!

Here’s how to choose a bed frame:

Bed frame size

First things first, let’s discuss size. All our bed frames are sold in UK sizes (single, double, etc.) to fit UK mattresses. You need to make sure your mattress is UK size before buying a UK bed (if you have an EU mattress, get an EU bed size).

Here are the UK mattress sizes:

• UK Single – 90cm x 190cm (3′ x 6’3″)
• UK Small double – 120cm x 190cm (4′ x 6’3)
• UK Double – 135cm x 190cm (4’6″ x 6’3″)
• UK King – 150cm x 200cm (5′ x 6’6″)
• UK Super king – 180cm x 200cm (6′ x 6’6″)

Measure your mattress; if it matches one of those, it’s a UK mattress (also, if you bought your mattress from us, it is definitely UK size!).

Now, logic dictates that a bed frame should be wider and longer than your mattress, but a divan bed has no protruding frame, so it is only longer (due to the headboard), making it a great choice for smaller rooms and spaces.

If the extra inches saved in width with a divan bed aren’t important to you, you can look at regular bed frames that are either wood or metal.

Divan beds

Pictured: Giltedge Beds Comfort 1000 Divan Bed, Available from Bedstar The Online Bed Superstore.

Divan beds have no protruding frame and are upholstered, either in cotton, linen, microsuede, polycotton or faux leather. They can have built-in drawers and are extremely popular in modern homes and small bedrooms.

The great thing about a divan bed is you can change its style with a headboard, so if you redesign your bedroom, just get a headboard to match.

Ottoman beds

An ottoman bed is a bed with gas-lift hydraulics; the base lifts to reveal an enormous, flat storage area for bedding, shoes or anything else.

Ottoman beds are considered an upgrade to divan beds in terms of storage because they use the whole base as storage space. The only downside to an ottoman bed is your bedding or anything else on the bed may slide back when the base is lifted.

Pictured: Milan Bed Company Side Lift Ottoman Bed – Grey, Available from Bedstar The Online Bed Superstore.

Standard beds

You’re probably most used to standard bed frames, with space for shoes and boxes underneath the bed. Metal and wooden bed frames are available with high or low footboards, and you can get some beautiful designs.

Standard beds suit any space and give you more creative freedom due to many designs and colours being available.

Pictured: Giltedge Beds Florida Fabric Bed Frame, Available from Bedstar The Online Bed Superstore.

Poster beds

Poster beds have four vertical columns, one in each corner, supporting netting, curtains or another decorating fabric. They have gone out of fashion in recent times but are an excellent choice in main bedrooms and hotel suites.

The point of a poster bed is to hang privacy fabrics from the posters, but some people leave the posters bare, preferring a clean, sophisticated look.

Colour and style

There are several ways to style your bed frame. You can pick the same colour as the rest of your furniture, or you can go for a contrasting colour.

Both approaches can work. For example, a walnut bed frame goes beautifully with dark blue and dark grey bedroom furniture, adding real sophistication.

For lighter colour schemes, try and match the colours or go for similar shades. For example, if you have light grey walls, get a cream bed frame.

In terms of style, this is all about taste, and taste is subjective! We love the ornate footboards found on metal bed frames.

 

 

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