I think it’s fair to say that buying a single bed doesn’t really get the heart racing in anticipation. On the whole this is a practical purchase for your children or your guests and as such the great interior designers have somewhat over looked this humble but essential bed. Nevertheless whatever type of single bed, bed frame or bedding you are looking for I’m sure it’s important to you that your purchase is of the highest quality and that it adds to the overall interior design scheme of your home. I don’t believe cheap single beds should be an option. There are plenty of tasteful products to choose from and I hope, with this handy online guide, I can help to make the process of finding the right single bed easier while at the same time introducing you to some of the better and more inspiring products available.

Let’s start by defining some of the different types of single beds available.

Basic Single bed and/or single bed frame – A typical bed for your guest or kids bedroom will either consist of a mattress sat on a box sprung base, which provides additional suspension for the mattress, or a bed frame with slats. In the latter case you will normally buy the frame and mattress separately. If you just want a mattress sitting on top of a wooden base without a bed frame then consider a platform bed.

Single Sofa Bed – As the name suggests this is a sofa that transforms into a single bed. Unlike double sofa beds the conversion is usually more straightforward, just requiring the removal of the sof cushions. It’s often helpful to look for a model that has storage draws built in to house the spare bedding.

Single Divan Bed – The divan bed is the equivalent of a “day bed” in the US. While not quite a sofa bed this type of bed would be used in a living area where during the day as a backless sofa, probably pushed against a wall with pillows or cushions, and can convert into a bed for guests at night.

Single Fold Out Bed or Camp Bed – Probably the cheapest and most basic option these beds are pretty rudimentary and lack much comfort but they do have the advantage of saving space. They can be folded up with their thin mattresses and stored away.

Twin Beds – Just to avoid confusion, or perhaps to add some (!), a twin bed is nothing more than a single bed! Both in hotels and family guest rooms is very common to supply twin beds but these aren’t special sized beds, merely two single beds together.

Accessories and other considerations

At the same time as buying your single bed you will need to purchase or consider some other items.

1.    Single bed bedding – Obvious really, but it’s worth making the point that because many single beds are very plain in design it is with the bedding that you can have some fun and create an interior design statement. Duvet covers, pillow cases, blankets and sheets if chosen with care will bring your bed and room to life.

2.    Head Board – Not essential but if you’re not buying a single bed frame then a head board can add some style to what will otherwise be a very nondescript bed.

3.    Single bed Mattress – It can’t be stressed enough that this is the most important part of any bed. For your posture and comfort a good quality mattress is an absolute necessity. If your budget is tight you are better off cutting back on the cost of the frame rather than scrimping on the mattress.

4.    Materials – A single pine bed is one of the most popular choices when it comes to bed frames, which is hardly surprising as it is a simple, and more importantly, durable material. However there are other choices. Wrought iron or steel frames are also available.

Prices

As with all types of furniture there is a broad range of prices to suit your budget, including some cheap single beds of a decent quality. Forgetting for the moment about the mattress, which is a separate topic on its own, the cost of a bed frame ranges from as little as £50 to as much as £1000. Over the following pages I will show you some of my favorite models across a range of prices. Hopefully something to suit everybody. Enjoy!

Once you have determined which type of single bed is right for you, and have chosen a suitable single mattress, now the joy of interior decoration begins and you can throw yourself into the fun of picking out single bedding. Naturally when a bed or mattress sales person talks to you about a new bed they will be emphasizing the importance of the bed frame or the quality of the mattress. This is all well and good but lets face it the bed is usually the focal point of any bedroom and the only thing that will really bring this focal point to life and tie all your interiors together is the bedding. Get that right and everything else just seems to drop into place. Easier said than done! Lets take a look at some of the different single bed bedding options.

Single Bed Linen

If you’re looking to impress in your guest bedroom then I would buy Egyptian cotton sheets every time. Widely considered to be the highest quality bed linens Egyptian cotton looks great, feels great and is long lasting. Forget the whole thread count debate and treat yourself.

For a child’s single bed then something simpler is probably in order given how messy your sweet children can be. Here something with a decent thread count would be nice but again there’s no need to go crazy.

Single Bed Covers

Are you considering something like a single bed quilt cover or are you happy to just cover the bed with a duvet? These are important decisions as this will, most likely, determine the overall look of the bed and therefore the whole room. Here are a couple of design tips to consider. If you buy two contrasting sets of bed covers you can keep the look of the room fresh and novel. You could have one set in strong warm colors for the winter months and the other in a cool and crisp shade for those summer days. Take into consideration the existing decoration. if the walls are already bright and colorful then perhaps something more low key in your choice of bedding would be a good idea to prevent your room looking too “busy”. Of course, if the room and furniture has more of a neutral shade then spice it up with some colorful bedding. Certainly make sure that the bedding doesn’t clash with the predominant color of the room.

Completing the look with a single bed set

If you want to make life easy on yourself then you might want to consider a bed set. Basically this involves buying your single bed along with matching furniture like bedside tables, chest of drawers, wardrobe and vanity dresser. This will create such a strong overall theme to the room that it should become quite obvious which kind of linen will best suit. Generally speaking keep the linen modern and muted so that it doesn’t try and compete with all the furniture. Personally I prefer a more eclectic mix of pieces and furnishings in my home but I appreciate that not everybody has the time to search for all the perfect pieces of furniture individually. I should mention that a single bed linen set refers to an all in one purchase of matching pillow cases, sheets and duvet covers and these are definitely a great idea. You certainly don’t need odd and mismatched pieces of bedding.

A lot has changed since the divan first made an appearance back in the 18th Century. At that time in Europe the divan was a type of sofa, really no more than a mattress pushed up against a wall and adorned with cushions. They were originally found in the council chambers of the Orient and then became an item of decadence in the trendy boudoirs across Europe. What a far cry from today, when the single divan bed is really the most functional and least attractive and unadorned of beds. Nevertheless there is nothing wrong with functionality and as long as you don’t buy a cheap single divan bed you will find yourself with a very comfortable and long lasting purchase.

Typically this traditional bed comprises simply of a mattress sat on a sprung bed base, that’s it nothing else, no headboard and no frame. The first decision to make is what kind of divan bed base you will choose. A single divan bed with storage is probably your best option but depending on the size of the drawers you may end up sacrificing a little comfort. As mentioned, usually the mattress sits on a sprung box frame, therefore if the base is dedicated to storage space you may end up with a platform base instead. This shouldn’t make much difference if you have a high quality mattress, but is worth considering.

Divan Bed Sizes

We’re focusing here on a small single divan bed but it is worth pointing out that this type of bed is now available in a bewildering number of sizes. Here is a guide to the different sizes of divan beds available so check the amount of space in your bedroom when choosing and you should bear these sizes in mind when picking your bedding.

Small single divan bed/twin divan – 75cm wide by 190 cm  long
Standard single divan beds -  90cm wide by 190cm long
Small double divan bed – 120cm wide by 190cm long
Standard double divan bed – 135cm wide by 190cm long
King-size divan – 150cm wide by 200cm long
Super king-size divan bed – 180cm wide by 200cm long

Top Brands

This site is primarily aimed at the UK and US markets and therefore does not cover bed manufacturers outside of these countries. Equally there are dozens and dozens of bed manufacturers in these two countries so for the purposes of this article we will mention some of the most well known and respected brands. To get a complete overview of the different products available please visit Amazon UK or Amazon USA

Single Divan beds UK  – In no particular order here is a list of popular bed brands in the UK,
Sweet Dreams
Dreamworks
Silentnight
Slumberland
Sealy
Sleepeezee

Single day beds in the US – As mentioned day beds are the US equivalent of a divan and here are some of the popular brands, again in no particular order.

Hillsdale Furniture
DS-Fashion Bed Group
Fasion Bed Group
Powell Furniture
Stanley Furniture
Vision Decor Furniture

Prices

In the UK a single divan bed with drawers will cost you between £100 and £200. At this price you will probably be sacrificing some quality when it comes to the mattress. £200 to £500 will definitely guarantee you a good quality bed that you will be happy with, but you can spend over £1000 if you are buying a large single bed with a top of the range mattress. Just check whether you’re buying a single divan bed base on its own.

In the US it’s difficult to make generalisations about prices. These beds tend to have decorative frames making them more like a sofa bed and some products come with the mattress while other don’t. Search within your budget and then confirm shipping costs and any separate purchases necessary.

As discussed previously, the most popular choice by far, for those living in the UK, is a pine bed frame, but this is not the only choice available. Focusing again on the UK market lets take a look at some of the other single bed frames on offer. Wooden Single Bed Frames If pine is not your idea of class then why not upgrade to a higher quality of wood? It will cost you more but a beech or oak bed frame screams class and will add a good deal of sophistication to your bedroom. The Hush Oak Guest Bed is a good example of a well priced quality oak single bed. With a Shaker design I particularly like the functionality of this bed. Not only does it have a second trundle bed beneath but this bed can be raised up to the same level as the top mattress to create a double bed. Very cool. Click image for more info. Single Metal Bed Frames Personally I am not a huge fan of metal bed frames but there are some good designs out there and they often cost less so are a good option, if you’re searching for cheap single bed frames, as they will be sturdy and durable. I prefer metal beds that have a metal, preferably burnished, finish to them, rather than a painted metal frame. This Braemar Modern Metal Single Bed is a good case in point, with a nice clean design it will suit most simple interior decoration and I like the brushed steel effect. Click image for more info. Leather and Faux Leather Single Bed Frames There has been a big increase in the popularity of leather or fake leather beds over the last few years driven probably in part by their introduction to many hotel suites. They are fashionable at the moment and there are some decent priced products around, obviously cheaper if you go for the leather effect look rather than real leather. To be honest I think many of the faux leather single beds look just as good as the real thing and much easier to clean! This Mistral Single Leather Bedstead has got great looks and is reasonably priced. Click image for more info. White Single Bed Frames Do you like the style of a wooden bed but don’t like the texture of wood because it doesn’t suit the rest of your decoration? No problem there are some great single wood beds out there already painted a clean gleaming white which should work well in any scheme. If you can’t make white match what on earth are you decorating the rest of the bedroom with? Here’s a bed I really like, the Barcelona Single White Pine Bed Frame is made of solid pine and has a great slatted headboard. Simple strong lines make it classic but not fussy perfect for your guest bedroom. Click image for more info. Modern Single Bed Frames In the never ending attemp to re invent the wheel designers have looked at many differnt ways to reinvigorate the design of the humble single bed, some with greater success than others. Unless you have a fortune to spend on cutting edge designer furniture I would stick with one of the more conventional beds showcased above. However I did find one wood and meatal combination that I thought was pretty good looking so here it is. The Tetras Beech Single Bed Frame has wooden bed posts but with a modern slat effect head and base board and I think this design works very well all things considered. It is also very well priced. Click image for more info.

While you’re probably spending most of your time and effort seeking out the right sized single bed to suit your bedroom please don’t over look what is, in fact, the most important decision that needs to be made, buying the right single bed mattress. If you’re on a tight budget then compromise on the amount you spend on the bed frame before you compromise on the quality of the mattress. The chances are that if you’re buying a single bed and mattress for your home it is probably for your kids or the guest bedroom. Either way the quality of sleep that the user gets from this bed will be effected almost entirely by the mattress rather than the frame. Yes some divan beds have box spring bases for extra support but this is only secondary to the main support given above by the mattress. Remember that we spend about a third of our lives in bed so it’s really important that we give our bodies the best support possible.

Foam Bed Mattresses

Most of you have probably heard about foam bed or memory foam mattresses. These revolutionary mattresses mold themselves to the contours of your body to give you a more comfortable nights sleep. To be honest they can take a bit of getting used to at first as your body feels like it is almost being sucked into the bed? However once you’ve spent a few nights on one you will probably never want to go back to the traditional spring mattress. The question is whether they are necessary for a child’s bed or guest bed. Given that a full single memory foam mattress is fairly expensive I would say that it is a bit of an extravagance. A guest bed probably isn’t used enough to justify the expense and children will probably benefit more from a firmer mattress while their bodies grow and develop. A decent compromise would be to buy a memory foam mattress pad. These are just a couple of inches thick and sit on top of your mattress giving some of the comfort without all of the cost.

Taking Care of your Single Bed Matress

If you make the effort to buy a really high quality mattress, and take good care of it, then it will last you possibly longer than the bed frame itself. There are just a few cleaning and maintenance tips to consider.

1. Keep you mattress fresh by turning it over once every six months. As well as turning it over you can flip the ends so that the base becomes the head and visa versa. Basically this ensures even wear and tear across the whole of the mattress.

2. Keep it clean by giving the surface a hoover every now and then. Dust, dust mites and other dirt does build up over time and can cause allergies and stains so periodic cleaning is recommended.

3. Consider buying a mattress cover to protect the surface. Most of these are machine washable and will help to cut down on the number of times you need to clean the surface of the mattress.

4. If you do end up with a stain on the mattress use an upholstery detergent being sure not to get the surface too wet and always let the mattress thoroughly dry to avoid any chance of mold.

Best Mattress Brands

For Foam Memory Mattresses the most recognized brand in the UK is Tempur although there are now other companies producing similar products. In the US the same brand goes by the name of Tempur-pedic but again there are other options available.

Single bed mattresses UK – In no particular order here are some of the most respected brand names in the UK,

Silentnight
Sweet Dreams
Sealy

Single bed Mattresses US – Again in no particular order, some of the biggest mattress manufacturers in the US,

Sealy
Simmons
Serta

It’s worth pointing out that some of these suppliers produce a single bed with mattress all together if you want to make life a little easier on your self and don’t want to buy both items separately.

Please avoid a non branded cheap single bed mattress.

Finally don’t forget to measure your bed frame or base before ordering a new mattress. Remember that there are different single bed mattress sizes and dimensions

The UK has always been in love with its pine furniture and who can blame them. This hard wearing wood is to be found in one form or another in most households, whether it be a table or wardrobe. So with this in mind we will focus, in this article on single pine beds available in the UK. I quick search on google will reveal a large range of single pine bed frame suppliers but for reliability of service, and good competitive prices, I have chosen a selection from amazon.co.uk.

Benefits of a single pine bed

Although actually a soft wood, pine is strong and durable while remaining fairly lightweight compared to, say oak. Choose the right quality bed and you will have a piece of furniture to last you a very long time. Furthermore pine single bed frames are now available in a large range of styles to suit all kinds of interior design needs. Shaker style, farmhouse style, sleigh beds or contemporary modern bed designs can all be found in pine, and you have a lot of choice in the finish from a plain untreated  pale pine to a fully varnished dark pine look. I believe the popularity for pine furniture is due to this versatility which allows the homeowner to integrate wooden beds into almost any interior design scheme.

Considerations

While most single pine bed frames will be similar in quality when it comes to the wood itself there are still a couple of price considerations. Firstly be sure you are buying a solid pine single bed rather than something with a pine effect. This issue is unlikely to arise but can crop up with very cheap painted beds. Secondly and more importantly you will want to check out the quality of the slats and the way the bed is secured at its joints. If a bed seems unusually cheap this maybe were the problem lies. The longevity of your bed will be badly effected if the slats are too thin or the joints are weak, don’t fall into the trap of picking the cheapest frame unless you are certain it is solid and well made.

Most single beds will be delivered flat pack and require assembly which should be fairly straight forward. This is another benefit as it will be easy to dismantle the unit, making future transportation a doddle when you come to move house.

Don’t be afraid of buying a raw pine bed and then staining or painting it later, if you have particular interior decoration needs. This can be a great way of giving your pine bed a unique look not available from the shops. There are many suitable varnishes and wood paints to choose from and easy to apply.