Storage is the quiet crisis of the British bedroom. Rooms built decades ago were not designed for the volume of bedding, luggage and seasonal clothing a modern household accumulates. An ottoman bed answers that directly by using the space beneath the mattress, which is usually the largest unused volume in the room.
It is also a considered purchase. A bed with a lifting base costs more than a plain frame, involves gas assisted mechanisms and needs to be right first time because nobody wants to dismantle a bed twice. Spreading the payment across a few months makes the decision easier to manage, provided the schedule adds nothing to the total. This guide covers both sides, the furniture and the funding.
The base lifts on gas struts to reveal a single deep compartment, usually accessible from the end or the side. Unlike drawer divans, there are no internal divisions, so bulky items fit easily. Spare duvets, winter coats, suitcases and boxed keepsakes all disappear without needing a separate cupboard.
Side lifting designs suit rooms where the foot of the bed sits close to a wall or a radiator. End lifting designs need clearance at the foot but are usually easier to open when the bed sits between two walls in a narrow room. Measure both directions before choosing, because the wrong opening style turns a useful feature into a daily nuisance.
Fabric upholstery softens a room and suits most colour schemes, while faux leather wipes clean and works well in contemporary spaces. Our modern ottoman beds UK sale range covers single through to super king sizes so the same storage benefit is available whatever the room allows.
An ottoman needs headroom above the base as well as floor space. Check that the lifted base will clear a windowsill, a wall mounted shelf or a low ceiling slope in a loft conversion. This is the most common oversight, and it is only discovered after assembly.
Also plan the route into the room. Ottoman bases arrive as substantial sections, and stairwells with tight turns can be a problem. Measure the narrowest point of the approach and compare it against the packaging dimensions rather than the assembled bed. A few minutes with a tape measure prevents a delivery that cannot be completed.
Mattress choice affects how well the mechanism works. Very heavy mattresses can make a lifting base harder to raise, and extremely light ones can feel unstable when the base is opened. A medium weight pocket sprung or hybrid mattress usually gives the best balance, and our modern mattresses UK range lists weights so you can match sensibly.
There are two straightforward ways to pay across several months without the amount growing. The first is to save towards the bed and buy once the money is together. This works well if your current bed is still serviceable, and it means nothing is outstanding on delivery day.
The second is a short instalment schedule at checkout. At our checkout PayPal Pay in 3 is available as a payment option provided by PayPal, which divides the amount into three equal parts. Any schedule longer than a few months belongs to a lender rather than a furniture retailer, so read the total figure carefully in those cases and compare it against the original amount.
Whichever route you take, decide the size and finish before you think about payments. Choosing furniture around a monthly figure tends to lead shoppers towards larger purchases than they intended. Choosing the furniture first and then arranging payment keeps the decision the right way round.
One practical saving is to keep your existing mattress if it is less than a few years old and still comfortable. Buying the frame now and the mattress later splits the spend naturally and gives you time to try options properly rather than guessing.
Storage under a bed is only useful if you can reach it without a struggle. Keep frequently used items near the opening edge and long term storage towards the hinge. Vacuum bags reduce bedding volume considerably and stop the compartment becoming a place where things are lost rather than stored.
Air the compartment occasionally. A sealed space under a bed can hold moisture, particularly in older properties, so lifting the base for an hour every few weeks while you change the bedding is a sensible habit. Avoid storing anything damp, and keep documents in a sealed box rather than loose.
Check the struts once a year. They should hold the base steady at full height without drifting downwards. If the base starts to feel heavy or refuses to stay open, the struts are usually replaceable without changing the bed. That simple maintenance is why a good ottoman lasts well beyond the period you spent paying for it.
An ottoman removes the need for under bed boxes, which changes what else the room requires. Many households find they can manage with a smaller chest of drawers afterwards, or reclaim the top of a wardrobe that was holding suitcases. Reassess the room after the bed arrives rather than buying everything at once.
Bedside storage still matters, and a slim cabinet keeps the surfaces clear without crowding a compact room. Our modern bedside cabinets UK sale range includes narrow designs suited to rooms where floor space is tight beside the bed.
If you are furnishing a bedroom from scratch, the wider collection at Furniture in Fashion shows how storage beds, wardrobes and cabinets sit together, and our full modern bedroom furniture UK range comes with free UK delivery.
A double size base typically holds the equivalent of several large suitcases, because the compartment is one open space rather than divided into drawers. Larger sizes hold proportionally more.
Side lifting suits rooms where the foot of the bed is close to a wall or radiator. End lifting works better when the bed sits between two walls, provided there is clearance at the foot.
Usually yes, as long as the size matches and the mattress is not unusually heavy. Very heavy mattresses can make the lifting mechanism harder to operate.
PayPal Pay in 3 is available at checkout as a payment option provided by PayPal, alongside standard card and PayPal payment methods.
Yes, provided the compartment is aired occasionally and nothing damp is stored inside. Vacuum bags help considerably with bulky duvets and seasonal clothes.
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