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Beyond Bed Types | Choosing Bed Type by Material
Choosing a bed frame can set the tone for your entire bedroom design. A bed is a natural focal point, and so many elements go into making it feel complete—whether or not there’s a headboard or footboard, the height of the bed, the material of the bed frame, the color and texture of your bedding, and more. The silhouette and style can vary widely between different types of bed frames, and that has a dramatic effect on your room. In this bed frame buying guide, we’ll explore the most popular types of beds and provide insight on which layouts they suit best to help you on your journey to buying the perfect bed.
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One of the most common types of beds is the panel bed. Panel beds are characterized by their headboard and footboard, often featuring decorative panels. These beds offer a classic, timeless look that works well with a variety of bedroom styles, especially traditional and transitional. Panel beds typically feature sturdy construction and act as a visual anchor and focal point in your bedroom. Generally mid-range in price, panel beds offer a balance between affordability and quality.
✔Recommended Panel Bed: aspenhome Caraway Aged Ivory King Bed
This white oak finished king bed frame is perfect for a farmhouse, coastal, or transitional bedroom design. There is so much attention to detail with the carved decorative panels and footboard legs. The ivory is warm and calming, and you can keep things neutral or tie in soothing colors like sage, light yellow, or light blue.
Platform Beds
Of all the bed styles, this one may be the best choice for small spaces. Platform beds are defined by their low-profile frame with a solid base, eliminating the need for a box spring. This modern, minimalist design provides excellent support and can make a room feel more spacious. Users love them for their sleek appearance and suitability for smaller bedrooms, although their low height might be challenging for some to get in and out of, and they offer limited under-bed storage. With that said, platform beds are genearlly affordable, making them a popular choice for budget-conscious shoppers.
✔Recommended Platform Bed: homestyles Merge Brown Queen Bed
Shop This homestyles Platform Bed
With their low-profile look, platform beds naturally lend themselves to a minimalist or modern aesthetic. That’s true for this model as well. We love the mix of wood and metal for a slightly industrial look, while the simple silhouette and classic materials allow you to have free reign when it comes to choosing accent colors. We recommend pairing it with a soft, high-pile rug to bring balance and warmth to your space.
⭐Featured homestyles Merge Review:
“This bed was very easy to put together. Follow your directions properly and you could have it put together within an hour. I'll tools required to assemble the bed are included. The bed is very sturdy. We got a queen size mattress and it fits on the bed perfectly.”
Learn more: Bed Height: Comparing Tall vs Low Bed Frames
Sleigh Beds
Of all the different kinds of beds, this is the best pick for a traditional bedroom design. Sleigh beds are known for their distinctive curved headboards and footboards, which resemble a sleigh. This style exudes elegance and grandeur, making it perfect for traditional and luxurious bedroom settings. The benefits include their striking aesthetic and substantial presence. However, sleigh beds are often large and heavy, requiring a spacious room and making them difficult to move. These beds tend to be on the more expensive side due to their intricate design and the high quality of materials used.
✔Recommended Sleigh Bed: Liberty Americana Farmhouse Beige/Dusty Taupe Queen Sleigh Bed
Shop This Liberty Furniture Sleigh Bed
This upholstered sleigh bed combines neutral upholstery and button tufting with beautiful wood framing to create an elegant look. This is the perfect focal point for a larger room, serving as an anchor for the spacd. If you love to read or watch TV in bed, the upholstered headboard provides support. There is so much visual interest from the button tufting to the curved wooden framing and the geometric framing on the footboard yet the piece feels artfully put together. It’s ideal for a traditional, transitional, or farmhouse bedroom design.
Poster Beds
Poster beds are distinguished by their four vertical posts, one at each corner of the bed. These posts can be simple or elaborately carved. The hallmark feature of poster beds is their verticality, which adds elegance to a bedroom, while accentuating high ceilings. However, poster beds can overwhelm smaller spaces and require a larger footprint, and as far price goes, poster beds lean more toward more expensive side for their size and the craftsmanship involved.
✔Recommended Poster Bed: Riverside Furniture Elsie Classic Walnut Queen Poster Bed
Shop This Riverside Furniture Poster Bed
This poster bed proves that not all bedrooms with a poster bed have to be traditional. The simple silhouette and mix of wood and metal would be at home in an organic modern design, a transitional space, or a Japandi bedroom. Four elegantly tapering posts draw the eye up, adding height and a sense of airiness to your room. The medium-tone wood looks great with almost any color, giving you the freedom to choose textiles you love.
Canopy Beds
Canopy beds feature four posts with a frame connecting them at the top, often draped with fabric or curtains. Like poster beds, canopy beds create a dramatic feel in your room, but the added fabric gives it a soft, feminine touch. Overall, this bed style creates a dramatic, romantic ambiance, ideal for large bedrooms with high ceilings. Unsurprisingly, canopy beds are generally more expensive than other types of beds, reflecting their elaborate design and the additional materials involved.
✔Recommended Canopy Bed: Modus Furniture Melbourne Mineral Queen Canopy Bed
Shop This Modus Furniture Canopy Bed
This canopy bed features a low-to-the-ground design for a minimalist feel. It pairs well with sheer white curtains to create your own calming and private retreat. We love the soothing gray wood finish, which pairs well with white, gray, greige, or soft earth tones.
Storage Beds
Of all the types of bed frames, this one might be the most practical—but that doesn’t mean it can’t be stylish too. Storage beds come with built-in drawers or compartments, providing extra storage space beneath the mattress. These beds are highly functional, perfect for smaller bedrooms or apartments where space is limited. The main benefit is the added storage, which helps keep the room organized. Storage beds vary in price but tend to be more affordable than other elaborate designs, offering great value for the added functionality.
✔Recommended Storage Bed: Archbold Furniture Customizable Queen Low Pedestal Storage Bed
Shop This Archbold Furniture Storage Bed
This storage bed features a headboard, footboard, and three side drawers. It offers the perfect spot to stow away extra linens, out-of-season clothes, and other items. This bed frame stands out for its craftsmanship as Amish furniture pieces always do. You can choose from a variety of wood finishes and stains to fit your chosen color palette.
Bookcase Beds
Bookcase beds feature built-in shelves or cabinets in the headboard, offering convenient storage and display space for books and decor. These types of beds are great for those who love to read, and they work well in teen bedrooms too for organizing schoolwork and displaying favorite photos, art, and other small items. Bookcase beds are usually mid-range to high in price, reflecting their multifunctional design and added features.
✔Recommended Bookcase Bed: aspenhome Modern Loft Brownstone Queen Bed
Shop this aspenhome Bookcase Bed
This bookcase bed has a frame that surrounds the mattress and truly grounds the room. On top of that, the bookcase headboard lifts the eye up, and the decor and books you choose to style it with add visual interest to the room. The dark brown is warm and cozy, perfect for a transitional or modern bedroom design.
Types of Beds, Compared
Let’s compare beds to see how a few common styles stack up against each other.
Panel Bed vs Platform Bed
Panel beds and platform beds are two of the most well-known types of beds. Panel beds feature headboards and footboards and typically require box springs. On the other hand, platform beds might feature headboards, but they’re known for their minimal and low-profile look. Additionally, unlike panel beds, platform beds don’t require a box spring.
Panel Bed vs Sleigh Bed
Panel beds and sleigh beds both feature headboards and footboards, but panel beds typically feature solid, flat headboards and footboards with decorative or carved panels while sleigh beds feature curved head and footboards.
Canopy Bed vs Four Poster Bed
Canopy beds and four poster beds both feature four vertical posts reaching toward the ceiling, but canopy beds feature a frame that connects the four posts, and they’re often draped with fabric.
Bookcase Bed vs Storage Bed
Bookcase beds and storage beds both offer a creative storage solution, but bookcase beds typically feature open storage built into the headboard while storage beds typically feature closed storage under the bed.
Beyond Bed Types | Choosing Bed Type by Material
Still wondering how to choose a bed? Beyond comparing types of bed frames, you can also narrow your choice by comparing bed materials. Here’s a quick rundown.
- Wooden beds never go out of style, and you can find different designs to suit your favorite interior decor style. There is so much variety, ranging from a whitewashed farmhouse wooden bed to a dark-stained wooden bed frame for a contemporary feel.
- Metal beds are practical and classic, often featuring slatted headboards. Depending on the shape of the headboard, these can have a traditional or a more modern industrial feel or a vintage touch.
- Upholstered beds are luxurious and comfortable, perfect for those who love to read in bed. Button tufting is sophisticated and adds a touch of glamour to your space. If you want to create a bedroom retreat that feels like your favorite chic hotel, an upholstered bed can be a great option.
- Faux leather beds instantly elevate the look of your room, adding warmth and texture. They’re easy to clean, and they come in a variety of colors so you can choose one that coordinates with the bedding, rug, and curtains you choose.
Learn more: 6 Bed Frames with Storage to Save Space
Don’t underestimate the importance of selecting the ideal bed type to suit the vision you have for your bedroom. Choosing a bed style with the design and size that suits you is the key to enjoying a sleep space that is just as delightful to spend time in while awake as it is while you sleep. Need some inspiration? At Colder’s, we have a full selection of bed frame styles waiting for you to explore that will complete your bedroom’s vision. Shop our stock online or visit one of our Milwaukee furniture stores near you today to explore the latest bed designs and brands!
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Since 1942, we at Colder's pride ourselves on offering value, selection, and service. Serving Southeastern Wisconsin with four showrooms that stock quality name-brand furniture, appliances, and mattresses, Colder’s is sure to house exactly what you are looking for. And if you can't find it on our floors, chances are, we can order it for you. As a local, family-owned company, we are always doing our best to provide the highest value at the lowest cost to everyone who walks through our doors.
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Shop Beds at Colder’s
Don’t put off happiness — and shop bedroom furniture online for unbeatable prices at Colder’s. Our friendly experts are always happy to help you compare types of beds, whether you call us at 414-476-1574 or use our online chat feature. Better yet, stop by one of our Colder’s locations in West Allis, Oak Creek, Delafield, and Grafton, Wisconsin to touch, see, feel, and experience home products that fulfill your dreams. Visit us today!
Learn More: King Wood Bed Frames: A Match for Every Interior Design Theme