Even a bed with a medium-high mattress can do double duty for storage. Mattress heights -- or depths -- can vary by as much as 10 inches or more. Coupled with the box spring and side-board height of the bedstead, mattress heights can make a big difference both to the look of your bed, and in terms of comfort and providing under-bed storage. Determining a mattress height begins with an examination of the bedroom's design and any unique requirements you may have in mind for the bed. Preferences Begin with your vision for the bedroom. Whether chrome-and-mirrors modern or formal Tudor, sizing your bed height can help to create the right look. Early American, primitive or traditional design schemes lend themselves to high-mattress beds. The more modernistic the decorating theme, the lower the mattress height. Other concerns that may enter into purchasing decisions are back or knee problems for getting in an out of bed, toddlers who might roll off the bed, comfort while sleeping and storage needs.
Low and Sleek Low, sleek beds fit well in modern bedrooms. Beginning with a bed foundation only a few inches above the floor then building on this foundation with a marginal-depth mattress ensures a contemporary silhouette. Hollywood bed frames are an ideal match for low-line beds. Should you be interested in a high-depth mattress with a low contour, one option is to alter the bed frame by attaching a 3/4-inch plywood base, eliminating the need for the box spring; the mattress can lie directly on the plywood platform, assuring a low-profile bed in spite of the generous mattress height. If under-bed storage is a priority, consider buying, building or having built a custom wooden frame with under-the-bed drawers. When appraising mattress height for a modern bedroom style, keep the finished bed mattress height at about 18 inches or less. Arts and Crafts Mid-Height Art Nouveau, Scandinavian contemporary, humble Shaker, early prairie and Mission -- or arts and crafts -- room styles sport mid-height beds with a maximum top-mattress height of 20 to 25 inches.
Play around with a wide variety of mattress heights by customizing the bed frame to accommodate the finished sleeping height. Mid-height beds with appropriately sized mattresses generally have more storage room underneath the bed frame than low-line beds. While mid-height beds may be of more concern for little ones, they can be easier on body parts if you contend with arthritic knees or frequent trips to the bathroom during the night. High for a Lot of Reasons Early American bed mattresses often had a height of 25 inches or more to provide room for trundles. Colonial, Queen Anne, Tudor, country chic and Jacobean room decor are good matches for beds with high mattresses. Such bedding styles allow for storage, are easiest on bad backs in terms of getting in and out of the bed and when making the bed. A comfortable total-bed maximum height is 33 inches. Any higher becomes problematic for utilizing the bed. A range of 30 to 32 inches for sleeping height makes a visually attractive design statement, supports a traditional theme as well as allows under-bed storage.
A high-bed strategy is the largest option for mattress heights. Even if you have a tried-and-true mattress that is comfortable but not deep enough to meet an overall high-bed dimension, you can add a 4-inch foam-topper mattress. References The Oregonian: What to Watch Out for When Buying a Mattress, Bed and Bedding Photo Credits Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionAs one searches for beds to place in the master bedroom, guest bedroom, or kid’s rooms, they run across a myriad of different sizes to deal with. The purpose of this fact sheet is to identify to the buyer the different sizes and options available in beds manufactured in the first half of the 20th Century, such that an informed decision may be reached regarding the correct size piece desired. Somewhat surprisingly, American furniture manufacturers actually began standardizing bed sizes shortly after the Civil War, around 1870. At that time, bed and mattress manufacturers agreed upon standard sizes for a single (also referred to as a “twin”) and double (also referred to as a “full”) bed.
By doing so, consumers could purchase beds and mattresses from different retailers around the country secure in the knowledge they would fit one another. This standardization replaced the previous requirement of consumers to have both beds and mattresses custom made. The difference between the standard sizes of 1870 and those of today is the invention of “box springs” in the 1910’s. That is, prior to the development of box springs, the mattress was placed on top of something laying over the rails of the bed. Sometimes this would be rope tied from one rail to the other, while others would use slats or a sheet of wood laid across the top of the rails. With the invention of box springs, bed manufacturers had to move the distance or space between the rails and the headboard and footboard by a few inches so that the box springs could drop down inside the rails where they rest on slats. Thus, while the standardized dimensions did not change, the widths before the 1910’s were to the outer edges of the bedrails and since the 1910’s are to the insides of the bedrails.
Single and double size beds were joined sometime around the 1920’s by the “3/4” size bed. Unfortunately, manufacturers on the east and west coasts would not agree upon an industry standard for the “3/4” size after they had already begun manufacturing them. Thus, they may be found in two slightly different widths. The queen and king sizes began in the late 1950’s. The queen size bed was initially designed to be a replacement for the full or double bed – an idea which never came to fruition. The big difference in the development of queen and king size beds was the length: 80 inches. So that finally, people who were 72” or taller would no longer hit their heads against the headboard or have their feet dangling over the footboard while sleeping. [A notable difference given the ever-increasing average height of Americans.] Accordingly, manufacturers also made an 80-inch length twin bed, called by different retailers as a “king twin”, “extended twin”, “long twin”, “extra length twin”, etc.
The idea was that the 80-inch twin, queen, and king would supplant the 74” twin and full as American standards. However, the American public’s demand for 74” twin and full size beds (ideal for smaller size bedrooms) did not diminish, so that all five sizes are available as an industry standard today. Initially, kings and queens were made with a headboard only, which was fastened to a free-standing metal bed frame. But by 1970, a trend was seen towards the manufacture of both a headboard and a footboard. Any full size bed can be converted to queen, and any pair of twins can be converted to a king size bed. 80-inch conversion rails on the market with either the standard double hooks or bolt-on mounts replace the original 74” rails to make such conversions. The “secret to success” in making conversions is to find beds which can be converted without looking odd. Some full size beds are not much more than 54 inches wide, leaving a queen box spring and mattress protruding three inches on either side of the headboard and footboard.
Others are as much as 58” wide, where the addition of a dust ruffle and comforter precludes the one inch extending beyond the headboard/footboard from being noticeable. And in the case of converting twins to kings, posters in the center of the headboard and footboard are obviously not the choice to make. A discerning eye towards the existing shape of the twin beds can make a selection which will look like a king size bed, and not just two twins bolted together. Hopefully, the data contained herein provides the purchaser the ability to make an informed decision regarding the specific bed required to meet a specific need. “Furniture Facts” are printed by AMG Vintage House, to assist consumers in the selection and acquisition of antique and vintage mahogany furniture. Regardless of where you purchase your next piece, AMG Vintage House wishes you success in acquiring a good product which will provide you value, beauty, and functionality in the years to come. Well-made traditional style mahogany furniture – a Colonial American “invention” – is truly a source of joy “to hold and behold.”