Bye-Bye, Boring Bed

We all know a bed should be comfortable. But there's something else a bed should be: welcoming. At the end of a long day, when you walk into your bedroom, your heartbeat should slow as you look at this refuge from a fast-paced world. Maybe I expect too much from my bed; but, unless you're an insomniac, one-third of every day is spent in it. It should be calmingly pretty. Maybe even pretty outrageously cool, pulling you onto it, like a magic carpet ride into your dreams. At least, that's what the following beds do for their owners.

Warning: The following content may make you sleepy.

This nest-like bed is ideal for Oakland, California, homeowner Jody Brettkelly, who wanted her bedroom to be like a treehouse. From this room, she and her husband have views of San Francisco, the branches of the magnolia tree outside and the clouds. Made of woven rattan, the see-through bed is light and airy.

They intentionally kept the room simple. "We have four kids ages 9 to 15, and we both work full time. It's important to have a sanctuary clear of clutter and the day's worries," says Brettkelly, who oversaw the design and runs the busy lifestyle blog About Last Weekend. Besides the bed from Kenneth Cobonpue, the room's only other pieces of furniture are Roche Bobois bedside tables. And that bed? Apparently, the same kind Brad Pitt sleeps in.


This is for the bespoke man. And he's imaginary. That's because interior designer Brian Dittmar completed this project for the San Francisco Decorator Showcase. His assignment was to design a tailored room where everything is crafted by hand. Dittmar took it on, hiring Bay Area metal artist Paul Benson to create a frame meant as "a homage to art deco skyscrapers," Dittmar explains.


If Dittmar had designed this for a real client, he would have gone with a king-size mattress, rather than the queen shown.

"The scale of the room and the scale of the bed should be compatible. You want at least 30 inches from the side of the bed to any opposing wall. Otherwise it'll feel cramped and squeezed in."

The bed shown here could have withstood a king; but, because it was a show house and many people would be in the room at once, Dittmar went smaller.


Are you a nature lover? So is the woman who designs these beds for her clients.

Tiina Anttila of Lumme Designs was born in rural Finland. "I ended up spending most of my years in the concrete jungles of New York City and later Helsinki. I wanted to dream and sleep in the woods again," she says of her creation that transported her to the forest.

The beds are made from birch, ash or mahogany. Posts are laser cut into apple trees. Prices start at 9,500 euros. Anttila also makes wallpaper printed with her illustrations (seen here).


In fact, Anttila can create the whole fairy tale forest look with her bedspreads made from silk, linen or cotton.





This bed was for a teenager who wanted an eclectic upscale feel with lots of colors, says interior designer Amber Clore, who is based north of Orlando, Florida, in Sanford.

Clore exaggerated the height of the headboard to create a major focal feature while keeping in mind the size of the side table lamps. Otherwise, the room would have been out of proportion.

When dealing with a large headboard, she says, "it is best to have it centered on a wall or on an architectural feature, like a post, column or window."


It's summer year round on this swinging bed that is the hammock elevated. You can rock yourself to sleep. According to the company that made it, Professional Construction Solutions, the back is attached to the wall with hinges.

You can remove the ropes and fold the bed against the wall. While this is not in a bedroom, I would love to know if anyone has a bed that swings in the bedroom. Or would that lead to motion sickness?


Sleep in this custom-made canopy bed and you may feel like you are overnighting in Northern Africa or the Southern Mediterranean. It creates the illusion of being in an exotic port with its vibrant blue frame and gauzy drapes.

The owners were very tall, says interior designer Laura Umansky, so the canopy here is taller than normal and the bed is longer. You should have enough ceiling height to support a canopy. Otherwise, the bed will engulf the room, she says.

As for bed placement tips, Umansky says ideally it should be across from the entry; but she also takes into account the windows and doors. "We try to orient the bed so you do not walk into the side but see it in front of you."


Soooothing. In fact, this bed was made for those who like to retreat and meditate. Inside is as velveted as a jewelry box — covered with soft blue ecofriendly tufted velvet by Création Baumann.

The outside is 100 percent gold leaf. Yes, those are butterfly lamps glowing in the interior, not to be outdone by the round speaker in there that plays soft music. I'm getting very, very sleeeepy.


Does your bed seem a little square? What would you like to do?

URL: Bye-Bye, Boring Bed http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-21460.html