How To Guide For Your Home Blog

October 7, 2026

Sleigh Beds Buying Guide: What to Look for Before You Order

Sleigh beds have a timeless appeal, with scrolled ends that give a bedroom a strong focal point and a restful, enclosed feel. Their curves also make them larger than they first appear, which is why careful checks before ordering matter so much. This guide takes you through the key points step by step. We explain how to measure the full external footprint rather than the mattress size, and why a low or high footboard changes how the room works day to day. We compare leather, fabric and wooden sleigh beds and how each suits different households, then look closely at slats, centre support and mattress depth. You will also find practical advice on delivery and assembly, including measuring stair turns and doorways for the large headboard and footboard. Finally, we cover bedside placement, matching the style to your room and the most common mistakes to avoid, so you can choose a sleigh bed with confidence....

October 6, 2026

How to Choose Beds for a 1930s Semi

Interwar semi detached houses have a recognisable layout, and understanding it is the key to choosing the right beds. This guide works room by room, starting with the bay fronted main bedroom and explaining why the bed usually belongs on the wall facing the window rather than in the bay itself. We look at how chimney breasts and their alcoves shape the layout, which bed sizes typically suit the rear bedroom, and how to make the most of the compact box room above the hallway, including the bulkhead over the stairs. You will find advice on keeping headboards below the picture rail, choosing materials that sit comfortably with Art Deco details and original floorboards, and planning wardrobes alongside the bed. We also cover bedside furniture for tight corners, lighting in older rooms and how to get a frame up a typical 1930s staircase. A short FAQ answers common questions about period bedrooms....

October 6, 2026

Beds for First-Time Buyers: What to Look For

Buying a bed for your first home is a bigger decision than it first appears. The bed is likely to be the largest piece of furniture in the property, it has to get up the stairs and through the doors, and it needs to suit the life you are building rather than just the room you have today. In this guide we walk first time buyers through the decisions that matter most. We explain how to choose the right size for your room and your sleeping habits, how frames, bases and slats differ, and why storage is worth planning from day one. We look at materials that wear well, how to check access before delivery, and how a bed and mattress work together. We also cover common mistakes, from buying too large to forgetting bedside space, so you can make a confident choice that will still feel right several years after you collect the keys....

October 6, 2026

How to Choose the Right Mattress for Your New Bed Frame

A new bed frame deserves a mattress that suits it, yet many people simply move an old mattress across or choose a new one before the frame has even arrived. The result can be a mattress that slides around, sags between slats or hides the headboard you chose so carefully. This step by step guide explains how to pair the two properly. We begin with measuring the internal frame and understanding UK mattress sizes, including why continental sizes can cause problems. We explain the differences between sprung slats, firm slats and platform bases, and why slat spacing matters so much for foam and hybrid mattresses. We look at how mattress depth changes the look of the bed and the comfort of sitting on its edge. We then match firmness and construction to sleeping position, body weight and temperature, and finish with advice on delivery, rotation and giving your body time to adjust....

October 5, 2026

How to Shop for Beds Online with Confidence

Buying a bed online can feel like a leap of faith. You cannot sit on the edge of the frame, run your hand along the headboard or check how high the base sits from the floor. Yet with a clear method, it is entirely possible to order a bed from home and feel sure it will suit your room, your mattress and your daily routine. This guide sets out that method step by step. We explain how to measure the room and the delivery route, how to read product dimensions properly, what to look for in materials and construction, and why the slats and base type matter for comfort and mattress life. We also cover how to judge colour from photographs, how to approach fabric swatches, what to check about assembly, and how to plan the day the bed arrives. The aim is to remove guesswork so that the bed you unpack is the bed you expected to see....

October 5, 2026

How to Arrange Beds in Long Narrow Rooms

Long narrow bedrooms are common in terraced houses, converted flats and loft rooms, and they can be surprisingly hard to furnish well. Put the bed in the wrong place and you are left with a corridor down one side and an awkward dead zone at the far end. In this guide we explain which three measurements to take before moving anything, and how to use them to decide between three reliable layouts: the bed placed across the room to create two distinct zones, the bed running lengthways against the short end wall, and a corner arrangement for the narrowest spaces. We look at why frames without footboards help, how to fit bedside storage into a tight gap, and why sliding wardrobes and under bed drawers suit narrow rooms so well. You will also find simple visual techniques, including paint, rugs, mirrors and lighting, that make a long room feel wider and more balanced, plus answers to common layout questions....

October 4, 2026

How to Measure Up for Four Poster Beds: A Simple Sizing Guide

Measuring up for a four poster bed means checking three sets of figures: the floor footprint of the frame, the clearance you want around it and the height of the posts compared with your ceiling. The footprint is usually larger than the mattress size suggests because the posts sit outside the mattress edge, and the height is the measurement people most often overlook. This simple sizing guide walks through each step in order. We cover standard UK mattress sizes and how much a four poster frame adds, how to tape the outline on your floor, and the side and foot clearance that keeps a room comfortable. We also explain how ceiling heights vary between modern and period UK homes, how to check doors and staircases for delivery, and how material choice affects how large a four poster feels. A practical checklist at the end brings everything together before you order....

October 4, 2026

How to Choose Beds for a Modern Townhouse

Choosing beds for a modern townhouse means thinking vertically. Staircases turn tightly, bedrooms are often narrower than they appear on plan and ceiling heights can change from floor to floor. In this guide we explain how to start with access, then plan each bedroom on its own terms, from a generous main bedroom to a compact top floor guest room. We look at how proportion, windows, radiators and doors affect where a bed can go, and how storage beds and sliding wardrobes help in narrow rooms. You will find advice on choosing fabric, wooden, metal and leather frames that link the floors through a shared palette, along with ideas for reducing sound between levels and keeping rear bedrooms bright. We close with answers to common townhouse bed questions, including sizes for main bedrooms and beds under sloping ceilings. Throughout, the focus stays on real rooms, real staircases and the practical decisions that make each floor work....

October 4, 2026

UK Bed Sizes Explained: Single, Double, King and Super King

Standard UK mattress sizes run from the single at 90cm x 190cm, through the small double at 120cm x 190cm and the double at 135cm x 190cm, to the king size at 150cm x 200cm and the super king at 180cm x 200cm. Knowing these figures is useful, but it is only the start. Bed frames are always larger than the mattress they hold, UK sizes differ from European ones, and the right choice depends on the people sleeping in the bed as well as the room it sits in. This guide sets out every standard size in a simple table, explains who each one suits, and shows you how to measure a bedroom properly, including door swings, radiators and access on stairs and landings. We also cover matching mattresses and bedding, the most common sizing mistakes to avoid, and answers to the questions people ask most often when choosing a new bed....

October 2, 2026

What Size Mirrored Shoe Cabinet Do You Need? A Simple Measuring Guide

A mirrored shoe cabinet stores shoes, gives you a final check before leaving and bounces light around what is often a dark hallway, but only if it is the right size. This simple measuring guide walks you through the process so you can choose with confidence. We explain what you need before you start, then cover the five measurements that matter: usable wall width, corridor width and the depth you can allow while keeping a comfortable walkway, height and mirror position relative to eye level, door and drawer clearance, and the route into the house. You will learn how to test a shortlist with painter tape on the floor and wall, how to match capacity to the space available, and what sizes tend to suit narrow terraced hallways, flat entrances and wider period homes. We also share advice on positioning the mirror for the best effect, fixing a heavy glass cabinet safely and a quick measuring summary to keep....