Beds come in a large selection of shapes and sizes and different models display many different Bed Design and styles from around the world. The mattress is designed to provide comfort whilst sleeping.
Bed Design Features
In the past mattresses would have been filled with straw or, or if you had enough money you could afford feathers instead.
Modern day Mattresses now include materials such as cotton or foam, sometimes used in conjunction with springs for added support for the bed design.
The layer beneath the mattress is called the Box Spring and its role is to provide extra support and suspension for the mattress.
This is followed by the Bed Frame which lifts the mattress off the ground. Bed frames also tend to be made from materials such as wood or metal.
Extras may be bought for the bed such as bed frames or Footboards and in some cases Sideboards or Side Rails for restless sleepers, when people talk of beds they also include headboards and footboards in their definition of what a bed is as a whole.
Headboards and footboards can also be made from wood or metal.
Bed Size Guide
There are four standard sizes of beds each have there own names:
- Single Beds
- Double Beds
- Queen Size Beds
- King Size Beds
Alternative Bed Design
There have been many different styles on this standard bed design over the years as well as some completely different styles altogether. Some of these include the following.
- Air Beds are mattresses that have been blown up using an air pump. These mattresses are usually made from plastic, textile-reinforced plastics or rubber.
Bunk Beds are where beds are stacked one above the other. This bed design allows two or more people to sleep in the same room whilst maximizing any available floor space.- Futons are based on a traditional style of Japanese bed design, also available in larger styles. Futons are relatively flat and very thin roughly from 5cm thick and filled with cotton or a type of synthetic material. Futon bed sets are often sold including with a futon mattress, a comforter, a summer blanket, and pillow which is usually filled with beans or plastic beads.
- Four Poster Beds are built with four posts at each corner supporting a tester, which is essentially a roof that is used to enclose the top of the bed frame holding everything symmetrically and was intended to hold the curtains that would surround the bed in order to keep out draughts and the cold. While their primary function is now unnecessary, due to improved insulation and draught exclusion in modern houses.