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Platform bed... yes or no? (pics inside)

12 years ago

I never really liked platform beds, as they tend to look ultra-contemporary (not my cup of tea)...until I saw this one on Houzz:

It looks exactly the same as the Edge Bed made by Environment. It has 4 big storage drawers, with 2 on each side. The extra wide platform provides place for seating, reading books, etc, and eliminates the need for nightstands and storage bench, which is a big plus once we move into a small house with a small master bedroom (about 13'x15').

Overall, it sounds like a very functional bed. But husband and I were wondering, would our shins suffer from the large square edges? Neither of us had a platform bed before, and my search shows mixed opinions.

For this particular bed, what do you think the shin-injury probability will be like?

Also, the price tag of this bed seems quite high for us ($4495 for king size). I am thinking, it might be much cheaper to have a local furniture maker build something similar in oak or pine (or other non-expensive wood).

However, I truly have no idea about the material & labor costs of making something like this. Husband thinks $1000 might suffice. I am thinking maybe $2000. What do you think?

Thank you!

Comments (20)

  • 12 years ago

    I think that the shin injury probability would be high. I love the look of the bed, but not bruised legs, so I would probably pass.

  • 12 years ago

    I would constantly bump into those pointed corners. Ouch!

    And I think that bed would overpower all but very large bedrooms in real life. You probably have an extra 12 inches at the head and foot of the bed, plus on both sides. Your normal dresser isn't two feet deep, so would require less space, in fact.

    And do you really see yourself reading on the actual platform? Wouldn't you just read on the mattress? Are you going to "hang out" on the platform to visit? :)

    If you have the room and like the aesthetics of it, go for it, but I don't think it's going to serve all the purposes you think it will, imo. :)

  • 12 years ago

    Also wanted to ask - how do you get out of bed? Jump off? "Scooch" down? :)

  • 12 years ago

    I would bang my shins on that for sure. And I don't think it would be comfortable for seating, except maybe for sitting down to put on shoes. I think it would also be a pain to make the bed - unless you tuck everything around, as shown in the pictures, it would be a sloppy mess (but I'm very much a "pull the comforter up and go" bed-maker). I would much rather have a headboard with shelving for books, a box of tissues, glasses, etc.

    I do have a platform bed with drawers, and I love that storage. It isn't nearly as convenient as a chest of drawers, but I use it for linens and out of season clothes.

  • 12 years ago

    I would be more worried about getting out of the bed especially if you're sick or just had surgery. Or reading and watching TV. Without a headboard they're pretty uncomfortable unless you only use the bed for sleep.

    My mom has a king size platform bed with drawers underneath, but she has a headboard too. It's very comfy. I like the firmness it adds to the mattress.

  • 12 years ago

    we have a couple of platform beds... one for child and one in guest room... both with drawers, but not with the extra surrounding platform. the one you show looks nice, but would be a pain to make and probably alittle awkward to get in and out of until you got used to it. i love the extra storage the bed creates with the drawers, but you can have extra storage with a 'regular' platform bed with drawers or with a bed on risers and deep boxes... i think i would prefer one of those options with night tables than what you picture...
    (as far as the shins, you might knock a few times, but i think you would quickly learn the layout and adapt!!! it's not that hard to avoid running into furniture! lol)

  • 12 years ago

    I've always liked platform beds, but as I get older, I look for comfort and easy functionality in furniture.

    This means not too low to the ground, which is awkward to get out of, and no sharp corners!

    My last bed wasn't a platform, but it had a footboard into which I was constantly banging into and bruising myself. Bad.

  • 12 years ago

    Thank you all for your input!

    We have zero experience with platform beds, so it's really important to see what other people think.

    It seems that this particular bed won't be as functional/practical as I thought would be, so we will pass. Instead, we will try looking for a regular platform bed with storage drawers & with headboard.

  • 12 years ago

    We have a platform bed and we call the platform part "The Ledge of Death". I would never buy another one.

  • 12 years ago

    I would have permanent bruises on my shins from nighttime bathroom visits in the dark. I will never get anything more than a headboard again. I constantly gouge my legs on the corner of my bed and stub my toes on the flared legs. Dumb purchase, expensive lesson.

  • 12 years ago

    My newish bed is a RH sleigh bed with rails about 2" wide (past the mattress). I occasionally stub toes, but never shins. A bed like that platform bed is gorgeous, but looks really difficult to get into and out of and difficult to make. I would probably stub toes not shins. I imagine climbing in, I might step up onto the edge like step? Not sure how I would get out exactly. Probably scoot off the mattress to sit on the edge of the platform and then swing my legs down. I imagine you'd find some way to make the bed, though it seems like you'd be leaning over the edge a lot and maybe climbing on top. I do think it looks really cool, but it would not be the bed for me.

  • 12 years ago

    OMG we sleep in our teenage granddaughter's platform bed when we visit and we curse a lot. It is so low to the ground! Not easy for DH to get out of and in the middle of the night its not easy to get back into! OMG - we curse a lot until we start laughing. We do the happy dance when we get the other granddaughter's room on alternate visits!

  • 12 years ago

    I've had several platform beds, one I made myself which had a ledge; the ledge wasn't quite as wide but handy because it replaced the nightstand. You just scoot over the ledge; it's not a fence :)
    Kind of like this:


    I actually hit my toe more often on a bed leg than on the edge or corner of the platform bed.

  • 12 years ago

    I stayed in a guest room with a platform bed and broke two toes on the corner our very first night. Learned to sort of circle around and then jump in from a safe distance.

  • 12 years ago

    LOL sonicmon-"jump in from a distance"

  • 12 years ago

    LOL sonicmom - I'm going to give DH that advice when he gets up to go potty in the middle of the night when we're visiting the grands :) I can just picture it!

  • 12 years ago

    I broke my toes twice stubbing them on our platform bed. The bed looks really nice but my toes are a mess.

  • 12 years ago

    Do not like platform beds. We had one in our room at the Hollywood Roosevelt and it was awful. I do not like being that low to the ground, and it was uncomfortable.

    I just don't see this bed as functional at all. If your room is small, it is going to overpower it in king size.

  • 12 years ago

    Lets see, a king is 6', plus 1' per side is 8. I assume the drawers are at least 3 feet (otherwise you are just wasting the space under the bed.) That means that bed takes up 12' by 8 feet, or over half your bedroom. And if you want to fully open one of those 3 foot drawers you would have to stand to one side, and lean over it 3 feet to put stuff away.

    I think I'd rather have a straight drop to the floor, and 2.5' drawers.