An ottoman bed lifts on gas struts to reveal the entire area beneath the mattress as one open cavity, which holds far more than any drawer arrangement and needs no clear floor space at the sides. That combination is why they suit British bedrooms so well: most of our rooms are short on wardrobe space and short on floor, and an ottoman solves both at once.
The twelve designs below cover the styles we are asked about most often. They are grouped by what they are good at rather than by finish alone, so you can match the base to the room rather than the other way round.
The most widely chosen design, and for good reason. A flat or lightly channelled headboard in a mid grey weave sits comfortably with almost any existing furniture, hides marks better than pale fabrics and needs no coordination. If you want storage without making a decision about style, this is where to start.
Where a bedroom has high ceilings or a large blank wall behind the bed, a winged headboard fills the space that a standard board leaves empty. The side wings also block draughts in older houses with cold external walls, which is a practical benefit rather than a decorative one. Works best in rooms wide enough to carry the extra bulk.
A lower frame with a headboard that stops just above the pillows. This is the choice for loft conversions and rooms with sloped ceilings, where a tall board will not fit under the slope. It also gives the visual calm of a low bed while keeping full storage, which is a combination that is otherwise hard to find.
For anyone who prefers timber to fabric, a light oak ottoman keeps the warmth of wood while the base still lifts. The mechanism is usually hidden behind the side rails, so the bed reads as a conventional frame until it is opened. Pairs neatly with the rest of a timber bedroom scheme.
Velvet deepens colour and adds a sheen that changes as light moves across the room. In a bedroom with neutral walls, a coloured velvet ottoman becomes the single point of interest and removes the need for much else. Deep teal and forest green are the two shades that hold up longest without feeling of a moment.
Most ottoman bases lift from the foot. Side lifting versions open along the length of the bed instead, which suits rooms where the bed sits with its foot close to a wall or a wardrobe. Check which direction your room allows before ordering, as it is not usually changeable after assembly.
Here only part of the base lifts, leaving the remainder fixed. The advantage is a lighter lift and less headroom needed above the bed. The trade off is capacity, so this design suits bedding and soft items rather than cases.
At 4ft wide, a small double ottoman gives storage in rooms that cannot take a full double with access on both sides. For second bedrooms in terraced houses this is frequently the most useful bed in the range, since it replaces a chest of drawers as well as providing somewhere to sleep. Several appear in our small double fabric beds UK sale selection.
At 5ft wide, the cavity beneath a king becomes genuinely large: duvets, spare pillows, two suitcases and seasonal clothing will all fit. If you are replacing both a bed and a storage unit in a main bedroom, this is the size that makes that possible. Options across our king size fabric beds UK sale range include both plain and winged headboards.
Textured fabrics have become the alternative to velvet for anyone who wants softness without sheen. Boucle and heavy weaves catch light in a quieter way and suit rooms with a natural, undecorated palette. They are slightly more demanding to keep clean, so consider the room and who uses it.
A bed with a television that rises from the footboard, combined with a lift up base. This is a specialist piece and it suits main bedrooms where the television would otherwise sit on a chest opposite. It frees that wall entirely, which in a medium sized room is a meaningful gain.
Where the whole room is being replaced, buying the ottoman as part of a set means the finishes align exactly, which is difficult to achieve piece by piece. It is also the simplest route to a coordinated room without spending time matching tones. Sets combining a bed, wardrobe and chest are grouped in our modern bedroom furniture sets UK sale section.
Four practical points decide whether an ottoman works in a given room.
Headroom above the bed. The base rises to near vertical, so a low sloping ceiling above the foot of the bed can prevent full opening. Measure the height of the lifted base against your ceiling before choosing a foot lifting design.
Gas strut quality. A well balanced base rises with light pressure and stays open without support. A poorly matched pair of struts makes the bed hard to open and, over time, stops being used.
Mattress weight. Heavier mattresses require stronger struts. If you are pairing an ottoman with a deep pocket sprung mattress, confirm the base is rated for the weight. Depths and weights are listed across our modern mattresses UK sale range.
Assembly access. Ottoman bases arrive in large sections, and the headboard in particular can be difficult through tight stairwells. Check doorway and landing widths in older properties.
Two habits make them work well. Store items in bags or boxes rather than loose, so nothing shifts when the base is raised. And keep the things you need weekly elsewhere, because lifting a mattress daily becomes tiresome quickly. Ottomans are for storage that is accessed monthly or seasonally, and used that way they are hard to beat.
Ventilation is the other consideration. A fully enclosed cavity with a solid base can hold moisture in a cold or poorly heated room. Bases with ventilated boarding or a slatted top address this, and airing the cavity occasionally does the rest.
The full range of lift up frames, in sizes from single through to super king, is available at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Against drawers, an ottoman wins on volume and on flexibility of placement, since nothing needs to open sideways. Drawers win on convenience for items used weekly, because opening one takes a second.
Against a chest of drawers, the comparison is about floor space rather than capacity. A chest holds less than a king ottoman cavity and occupies close to half a square metre of floor. In a room where circulation is already tight, moving that storage under the bed can be the change that makes the room usable.
Against built in wardrobes, an ottoman is complementary rather than competing. Wardrobes handle hanging clothes and daily items. Ottomans handle bulk: duvets, winter coats, spare pillows and luggage. Most bedrooms benefit from both.
Because the base of an ottoman is upholstered on most designs, the fabric covers a larger area than it would on a standard frame. That makes the choice more consequential.
Mid tones are the practical answer in family homes, since they show marks least. Pale linens look beautiful and need more care, particularly along the foot rail where hands grip to lift the base. Velvet resists marks better than it appears to, though it shows pressure marks that brush out.
For timber and gloss finished ottomans, the wipe clean surface is the advantage, and the visible mechanism is usually the compromise. Look at how the side rail conceals the hinge before choosing, since a well designed frame keeps the workings out of sight when closed.
A double holds roughly the contents of a large chest of drawers, and a king considerably more, including suitcases. Capacity depends on the depth of the cavity, which varies between designs.
Not when the gas struts are matched to the mattress weight. A well specified base lifts with one hand and holds position on its own.
No side clearance is required, which is their main advantage in small rooms. They do need headroom above, since the base rises to near vertical.
Most can, but the weight must suit the struts. Very heavy mattresses on a base specified for lighter ones will make lifting difficult and shorten the life of the mechanism.
For total capacity and for rooms with limited floor space, yes. Drawers are easier for items reached frequently, so the better choice depends on what is being stored.
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