Storage Beds: The Easiest Way to Get a Bedroom Back

If a bedroom feels cramped, the fastest fix is rarely a smaller bed. It is a bed that hands the floor back, by putting storage where there was previously only dust.

How much you actually gain

A queen storage bed holds roughly the volume of three large suitcases; a king, closer to four. In practice that is a full season of bedding, or everything currently living in cardboard boxes on top of the wardrobe. For most couples it is the equivalent of an extra two-door wardrobe at no cost in floor area.

Hydraulic or drawers

There are two mechanisms, and the difference matters more than people expect.

• Hydraulic lift: the whole mattress platform rises on gas pistons, giving one large uninterrupted compartment. Best for bulky, rarely touched things — quilts, luggage. You need clearance above and around the bed to lift it, and the bedding has to come off first, so it is not for daily access.
• Drawers or box storage: side or foot drawers that open without disturbing the bed. Smaller capacity and divided up, but genuinely usable every day. Needs floor clearance alongside for the drawer to pull out — check that against your room width.

Match the bed to the room, not the wishlist

A king bed wants about 75 cm of walking space on both sides and at the foot. In a 10 x 11 ft bedroom that rarely works, and a queen will make the room feel larger rather than smaller. Measure before you size up. For children's and guest rooms, single beds with drawers do the same job at a smaller scale.

Headboards earn their keep

A headboard with niches or shelving can remove the need for two bedside tables, which in a narrow room is worth more than it sounds. Where you do have the width, a pair of bedside tables still gives you drawer storage at arm's reach.

Before you order

• Measure the room, then the doorway and the staircase turn.
• Choose hydraulic or drawers by how often you will actually open it.
• Leave the drawer side clear if you go for box storage.
• Air out under-bed storage at the end of the monsoon.

See the full range in Beds, or the whole room in Bedroom.