Same here. As best I can tell, the only purpose of a box spring is to raise the bed, and a platform does that just fine. I like the ones with drawers for additional storage.

From my understanding, a box spring is supposed to work in tandem with the mattress and help it last longer. Some people who have platform beds claim a mattress only works fine.

Do you use a bed skirt?

my current bed has a fitted sheet over my box spring which you see over side rails. My new bed as I have designed it will have rails on three sides with mitered corners and i will be able to hide my bedding between the rails and the mattress/box spring. thanks for the responses. Keep them coming!

Beds with a metal frame show basically the whole box spring. If you are going custom, I see no reason why you couldn't have the builder make the side rails taller with the caveat that they don't stick out too far and become a shin banger.

The historical purpose of the side rails is simply to keep the bed put together. The side rails are not high because they don't need to be. Wide boards for rails cost far more than narrow rails. Also, if your bed sits in a deep well, it is more difficult to remove the box spring in order to flip it end to end every few months or every year (or when the moon is blue). The box spring and mattress are better aired when there's less in the way of air circulation.

There are "foundations" which are just plain plywood boxes, and then there are "box springs" which really do have springs. THe latter's function is to absorb some of the impact on the mattress springs. They work in tandem, with the springs on each designed to hit certain places on the others.

Also historically, a bedspread would have been used to cover the mattress and box springs during the daytime when people might see them. Dust ruffles are still a popular option, but custom covers or simple fitted sheet covers are moving up in popularity. Many old bed frames were never designed to take the weight and height of modern luxury mattress sets.